[Latitude] Ballista

[Moose33]

They can be, especially if you have 400+ ft power. It's basically like a King or Thrasher. Great distance driver until you really get some power, then you need to be able to work an angle and have decent form to get the best from it.

 

[Hyzerberg11]

Moose,

I agree to an extent. I have consistant 375 to 425 power and love working these molds. I have 2 Ballistas (1 Gold Line, 1 Opto X Chameleon) and 2 Ballista Pros (1 Gold Line, 1 Opto). The Gold line Ballista has a fair amount of turn to it right out the box, but if you hyzerflip it, it will go laser straight for 400 with very little fade at the end. Great for long tunnel shots. I have only thrown the Opto X a handfull of times, but I can say that from this limited sampling, it is WAY beefier. Im afraid to put any hyzer on it at all. Opto plastic always is a touch more stable, but the Opto X is more than anticipated. Should beat in to a bomber though given the pop top dome it has. We shall see.

My Ballista Pros, on the other hand, are in more of a workhorse roll for me. My beat in Gold line pro is my go to distance disc in 90% of long driving sittuations. if you put it on a flex it is stable enough to guarantee it will come out of it after some obsurd glide. A couple of times ive put too much anny on it and it resulted in driving 500 ft plus on holes that did not require it, so I know it will straight bomb on a big flex. Stable enough to depend on, but not too overstable to wield on a regular basis. My Opto Ballista isnt as beat in but still bombs with a touch more fade.

Lat 64 owns the overstable to stable/slightly understable distance slots in my bag. By carrying different plastic at various stages of wear, I am able to shape tons of different shots.

 

[aphilso1]

I bagged them for a season and lost all three. :|

In hindsight, I just think I was trying to use them in too many situations. I really wanted them to be my main driver, and they are just too unwieldy for that role. Or at least for me they were.

I ended up filling the flippy max distance slot with Vanishes this year, thinking the smaller rim would yield more control. Ended up losing just as many discs while not getting as many of those "oh wow, it's still going" crushs. At this point I may just live without a flippy out-of-the box distance driver, or I might go back to Ballistas. At least with Ballistas that 1-in-10 crush kinda makes up for the shots that go OB.

I like looking back at my thought process after a few months. It's interesting to see it evolve.

Now 2.5 months later, I have spent the majority of that time without a true understable distance driver in the bag. Instead I either stretch out a Hatchet, or flex a Trespass, or just bail out left rather than trying for the hero 350'+ turnover shot. I did try Katanas for a hot minute but ultimately came away disappointed in the inconsistency of the mold.

The only time I miss that uber fast flippy disc is on ball golf courses, but I play those rarely and I can typically get away with a roller for max distance anyway. Jury is still out, but I don't think my scores have been hurt at all by not bagging a Ballista or Shryke or Vanish or Wave or (insert flippy driver). I may try to grab some Ballistas again next time they are in stock, since they are really fun to toss around for fieldwork. And maybe I'll throw one in the bag situationally just for fun. But I don't plan to use them for rated rounds, since I'm more confidant throwing something that is 30' shorter but that I know exactly where it's going.

 

[Hyzerberg11]

I highly recommend beating in a Gold Line Ballista Pro. Still extreemly consistant and accurate because of the fade with a slight newly found turn. Mine reaches out as far as any driver ive ever thrown and I know exactly where it is going every time. Not near as touchy as the original Ballista.

 

[Hyzerberg11]

I actually had a couple of people ask me "What disc was that!?" while I was playing my last tourney. Lol

 

[aphilso1]

I highly recommend beating in a Gold Line Ballista Pro. Still extreemly consistant and accurate because of the fade with a slight newly found turn. Mine reaches out as far as any driver ive ever thrown and I know exactly where it is going every time. Not near as touchy as the original Ballista.

I don't have the arm speed for a Ballista Pro. I bagged them for a bit in 2019, and wasn't getting any extra distance compared to speed 11-12 drivers unless I put it on a big, high flex line. Thrown with a touch of hyzer (my preferred and most consistent release angle) they were only matching my fairway drivers for distance but with a much bigger fade. Just not a disc for me. I get both more control and more distance throwing a nice, pop-toppy Trespass or a Wraith.

 

[Grogden]

i had a 174 opto ballista pro that i lost...this thread has got me wanting another..i used it for straight shotz..when put slighyly anny it would go along way right...how i lost it...ithink using it purposely for flex bombs is what i should do.....it would cruise fh too