[Recommend] A good thumb roller

[dmoore1998]

Looking for a good disc for a thumb roller. Preferably one that is in production and not insanely expensive (so no Condor unless someone knows where I can find them inexpensively). Since there always seems to be a lot of confusion about rollers...I'm talking about taking the disc (right handed), tucking my thumb into the rim, face of the disc away from my body, and throwing it almost immediately into the ground. Going to use it to get out of trouble, plus there's a hole on a course I regularly play with OB to the left and a big fence to the right, narrow fairway and overhanging branches...seems like a no-brainer to roll it along the fence if I can.

If you think plastic matters, I'd appreciate recommendations there too. Currently the only rollers I attempt are big anhyzer backhands on drives, and even then not much.

 

[VictorB]

Rollers are way more about knowing how your disc acts and a lot less about a specific disc.

 

[Three Putt]

I mean right now a lot of discs are hard to find; I'd assume Condors will pop back up for sale eventually since as of 2019 I could still find them fairly easily.

Because Condor is the only answer here.

I don't always carry the Condor and my second-choice disc in my bag for that is a Comet; plastic doesn't matter I don't think. Big-diameter slower discs like Comets, Rocs, etc. seem to work better for me than a small diameter driver. I learned that shot back in the day using a Stratus; I just don't carry one anymore so I haven't used a Stratus for that shot in decades.

Basically if you already carry a standard 21.7 cm midrange I'd start by messing with it and see how it works.

 

[GripEnemy]

A stiff, Champion/Z type plastic rolls best for me. Don't discount baseline plastics though, my all time favorite roller disc is the DX Cobra.

Utilize both an overstable and an understable disc...just like overhand shots. I like to throw anything from a Roadrunner to a Firebird (for rollers, I use anything though). The Firebird style overstable disc will take longer to turn onto its top, similar to OH where it will take longer to make its "S" shaped flight. Something understable like a Roadrunner will turn onto its top faster just like the "S" of an overhand shot will happen quicker than the Firebird example.

Like Vic said it's all about knowing your discs, not WHICH disc you should use.

 

[dmoore1998]

I mean right now a lot of discs are hard to find; I'd assume Condors will pop back up for sale eventually since as of 2019 I could still find them fairly easily.

Because Condor is the only answer here.

I don't always carry the Condor and my second-choice disc in my bag for that is a Comet; plastic doesn't matter I don't think. Big-diameter slower discs like Comets, Rocs, etc. seem to work better for me than a small diameter driver. I learned that shot back in the day using a Stratus; I just don't carry one anymore so I haven't used a Stratus for that shot in decades.

Basically if you already carry a standard 21.7 cm midrange I'd start by messing with it and see how it works.

Thanks. Mostly I was trying to figure out if the answer is "Condor" because it's a big-diameter and heavy disc, or if there was something else about it that I should be looking for (such as a special rim that was odd and made for a better roller). In terms of plastic, i tend to throw a lot of soft/flex plastics...I wasn't sure if that would be an issue with rolling or if I should be going for a harder plastic.

 

[Three Putt]

Rollers are way more about knowing how your disc acts and a lot less about a specific disc.

This is a better explanation than my word salad. There is one "best for thumb rollers" disc and that's the Condor. You don't have to carry that disc for that one shot, though; rollers are more of a "experiment with the discs you have and see which ones you can get to do that" thing for me for the most part. My backhand roller is just an old Valk that I can get to turn over and roll because I throw Valks and that's what I have, I'm not going to go looking for a disc to buy specifically to throw for rollers.

I carry Condors more because on longer approaches you can throw one hard and it won't skip when it lands, plus it freaks the kids out when you throw it. The bonus is that you can thumb roll it easily, but I wouldn't carry it if that was all I was going to use it for. I'd just use a Roc or Comet.

 

[Three Putt]

Thanks. Mostly I was trying to figure out if the answer is "Condor" because it's a big-diameter and heavy disc, or if there was something else about it that I should be looking for (such as a special rim that was odd and made for a better roller). In terms of plastic, i tend to throw a lot of soft/flex plastics...I wasn't sure if that would be an issue with rolling or if I should be going for a harder plastic.

That I do not know, because I hate soft/flex plastics with a burning passion that really should be reserved for criminals and people who like cats. Everything I throw is a harder plastic. I could imagine that a flex plastic would be a problem for rollers as I'm assuming it would be more likely to just flop over. That's the "it won't roll away" theory of soft putters, anyway. So if I was going to pretend that I know everything, I'd say a harder/stiffer plastic would be the call here.

 

[Innova63]

Stego

 

[Dcinmd]

That I do not know, because I hate soft/flex plastics with a burning passion that really should be reserved for criminals and people who like cats.

I am not a criminal but I do really really like cats and soft/flex plastic.

However I hate rolling said flexible plastic. When you hit an obstacle on the fairway it tends to lose so much energy with a collision it is less than ideal. The hard plastic will bounce rather than absorb the blow.

That is the root of my answer.

 

[jakebake91]

I use a RDG Stego and sometimes an MVP Axis for these shots. That Stego rolls like a truck tire. Kind of throws like one too.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

< like cats and soft putters :|

Larger diameters, stiffer plastic, and heavier weights are all good for moar distance on rollers (all other things being equal).

But, what Vic said is more important:

Rollers are way more about knowing how your disc acts and a lot less about a specific disc.

 

[elmexdela]

im trying to think of a situation that a thumb roller would be superior to all other shots

i cant think of one

 

[jakebake91]

im trying to think of a situation that a thumb roller would be superior to all other shots

i cant think of one

There's one fairway I frequently miss that puts you in the deep woods usually in the most awkward position, and I've found the best way to advance is a thumb roller. That's pretty much the only time I have ever thrown one. Actually pinned a 180' thumb roller with my Stego the last time I played there.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

im trying to think of a situation that a thumb roller would be superior to all other shots

i cant think of one

FH rollers can be the best option for escape shots when your lie is in the schule and you can't throw through the air because everything above a few feet is obstructed like you're inside a wicker basket.

Whether the roller needs to be gripped like thumber vs. tomahawk depends on the desired line, and whether you're a lefty or righty.

 

[Riverdog]

For many years my primary flick roller disc was a first run Champ Gator, then for some reason I've forgotten, probably the 10 gram weight difference, I tried my Opto Claymore. The Claymore is money for cut rolls, straights and turn outs. [emoji106][emoji41]


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