Beginner looking for feedback on some disc choices (and just general advice)

[Rameka]

Hi everyone, I'm totally new here and totally new to disc golf. I recently became VERY interested in the sport and have started to be almost OCD about it. After reading some of the posts in this forum, I'm sure a lot of you can relate.

Anyways, I've been doing a lot of research to find a decent set of beginner discs. I see the advantages of both having a variety and keeping it simple, and I also have come to understand the people who simply cannot stop buying discs...I'm the kind of person who really likes to see the numbers add up.

I started a couple months ago and have only gone to the local course about 5 times so far (Student, very busy, would like to get out more but can't). Not knowing what I was doing, I picked up a driver and a putter at the local shop--an ESP Crush and an FLX Challenger, both from Discraft. I'm getting the hang of them...I'm pretty fond of the Crush, as it is moderately overstable and I'm starting to learn how to S it, but I'm TERRIBLE at forehand right now so I find it very difficult to get a sweeping shot to the right. The Challenger is pretty decent too, though it's pretty high-profile and I find that a bit difficult to control. Anything past about 6m right now would probably stump me on the putt.

Anyways, back to the point. I definitely want to get a few other discs just to see how they feel in comparison to mine. I started out as a Discraft fanboy for a while there just because I was biased from my first discs but I have now gravitated towards Innova (because their ratings system makes MUCH more sense in my mind--numbers to formulate a cube curve in my head rather than just a simple square curve, something that really confused me at first about the physics of a disc's flight) and am open to other companies as well.

From what I understand, flight patterns are pretty important in discs. So I tried to visualize a set of discs that could hit spots on a plane in a fairly evenly distributed way and then I could vary my throws from there.
Thus, I should have approximately:
3 drivers (one overstable, one that ends fairly straight, and one understable)
3 midranges (" ")
1 putter (A fairly straight one--when I'm this close I don't think stability will make too much of a difference...and if I really need a harsher turn/fade, I can just use one of my midranges to putt with)

To fill those rolls, I've picked out the following:
Drivers
-Discraft Crush (Already own it, it'll be my overstable driver)
-Gateway Assassin (A -2/1, should end fairly straight...I'm also a sucker for the stamp on it. Dancing bears or some shit, how ironic is that?)
-Innova Monarch (At -4/1, I believe it's the most understable driver with the best distance, meaning it will turn even more due to high speed...high speed turn, right?)

*These will give me three different flight patterns and also let me test the quality of three different manufacturers. Kills 6 birds with 3 stones you might say (or more, if you permute with model, company, weight, etc...it was just a joke anyways)

Midrange
-Innova Leopard (Judging by catalog diagrams and various opinions, this seems like the straightest flying midrange out there. Well, it's actually technically classed as a fairway driver...but it looks like a pretty solid disc. Should I go for something with less speed? Is 6 too fast to make sense as a midrange?)
-Innova Stingray (This one immediately stood out to me...super understable at -5/1, looks like the ticket out of those downhill right sweeps I have a couple of on my local course)

*I haven't really picked an overstable midrange that stands out and looks really appealing to me. I've read that the Roc is somewhat coveted. The Gator, the Viper, and the Shark also look decent. My friend has a Shark and I got to give it a shot but I turned it over pretty easily. I only threw it once though and it might've been beaten, I didn't really pay attention. Any opinions on a good overstable midrange?

Putters
-Discraft Challenger (It's a bit overstable and I actually do feel that even when putting. I have used it for shorter drives a few times and it almost always either turns over and flips or fades sharply one way or the other. If I throw it with a really steep nose down and lob it really high I can generally get really close to the basket from about 10~40m. I have read that many pros use it so maybe it requires a bit more finesse. I'm still deciding whether I want to keep it or get rid of it...the hyzer lob that I described above is actually kinda cool so I might keep it.)
-Innova XD (This one seems really cool to me. It's low profile...and the high profile of the Challenger is one of the things I find difficult about it to use. A lower profile putter could also be used for a slower midrange, since the XD is described as the "most driver-like putter". It also probably flies a bit straighter for putting at -1/1. What do you guys think?)




Plastics. I see a lot of long-winded descriptions of different kinds of plastics and a lot of huge explanations of why person X likes plastic Y better. I'm a number person, I need a formula for what plastic to go with what disc. Apparently a lot of things factor into it...how many trees on the course, grip, etc. I've heard softer plastics fly further? They also grab at the chains more, too. Harder/durable plastics don't lose their characteristics as fast though. For drivers, is it just a case of "do I want to go further, or do I want to last longer?"? I need a straight and dry explanation of plastics. A be-all, end-all explanation!


Other questions:

What weights should I go for in each distance/stability category? I do amateur bodybuilding so I've got a pretty strong arm. Does that enter into it? Or should I chose weight solely based on stability? Will a small disc end up burning worms if I throw it too hard?
My girlfriend plays too and she's picked out a bunch of discs she wants me to pick up for her when I get mine, but they're all pretty heavy (170~180 range). Should I try to convince her to get lighter discs? She's pretty active (Taekwondo blackbelt, PE major, etc) but she's not as strong as I am.


Other random comments:

I've noticed a lot of you here are oldies. I'm 19 years of age and I'm trying to get all my friends to play too. I've noticed some of you are keen on getting youngsters to propagate the sport. I am too! Like I mentioned, I only got into this recently, and I'm sad more people my age don't play.

If you managed to read all that without falling asleep, congrats, and thank you! There are a lot of questions there and I'll be impressed if they all get answered one way or another.

Thanks again

 

[Texconsinite]

Welcome to DG!! Im a student myself, and have only been playing a year, so I can remember when I was where you are now not all that long ago. That being said, Im not a pro or anything, but I can relate to the OCD thing. I'm glad you are long-winded. So am I. Now for your questions:

Here's my advice on picking discs. Try out new discs maybe one or two at a time, and stick with the ones you like. If you're not happy with a disc, then you have a good starting point from which ot branch off, like you were saying about disliking the high lip of the Challenger. Now that you know that, you can start looking for putters with lower profiles. You're on the right track. A great thing to do, something I still do, is when you go out to the course, and you see someone throwing a disc, watch them, and ask them what they are throwing. If you tell them you are a newbie, they might even let you try out one of their discs if you ask. This way, you can test drive the discs you are reading about, or at least see what other people think about them, and what they use them for.

When I started, I had 2 drivers, 1 midrange and 1 putter. I personally dont think you need 3 drivers, 3 midranges and a putter to start out with. Sounds like you like the Crush, so stick with it. The real question is, how does the crush fly for you? Think about the answer. You should then look at discs designed to do things that the Crush does NOT do for you. This is tough, since though there are published flight ratings for every disc, that does not mean that the disc will fly that way for you. They are generally accurate, but the disc isnt going to follow that flight path when you throw it just because thats the shape it shows on Innova's website. Consider those more like general guidelines of how different discs behave in relation to each other.

I would say to start out with, try Innova and Discraft, mainly because I'm biased since I'm the most familiar with those companies, but since they have more discs and each applies the same flight rating system you have more discs to chose from. "Ok, well if Disc A flies like THIS, then according to their ratings, Disc B should fly slightly more like THAT" That kinda thing. Each time you go with a different company, you sorta have to start form scratch for this reason. Since Innova and discraft are the biggest, with the most choices, I suggest you start there. Remember, it all comes down to what works best for YOU, since every player is different. Especially in putting, which is why if anyone offers you advice on which putter is THE BEST, take it with a grain of salt, since its a highly individualized thing. My friends use putters that I hate, and I use a putter that many of them would never use. Heck, one of my friends putts with a disc I wouldn't even call a putter. Its all about taste, like chocolate, strawberry or pistachio ice cream, theres no wrong answer. Some of the MORE POPULAR (not best, neccesarily) putters are the Discraft Soft Magnet, Millenium Omega Super Soft, the Gateway Wizard, and the Innova Aviar (which I personally hate, but thats just me). The important thing with putters is to get a heavy one. Light putters are very squirrelly and will dodge the chains. They are also affected more by wind, which is a very bad thing. How heavy depends on what works best for you, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 170+ is generally the way to go.

 

[Texconsinite]

Drivers
You like the Crush, thats a good start. You want it to be your overstable disc, that means you should probably try a driver thats more understable to get a feel for the different lines you've been hearing about. My recommendation is an XL. Its a neutral disc that (according to the chart) should fly straight. It shouldn't be too fast for you, and with some practice, you should be able to make it go any way you want.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy any of the new "Super Long Range" Drivers, like the Destroyer, Boss, and Force. Its too much disc for you. They will probably not even fly as far as your Crush. Ive been playing a year, and I still refuse to throw the big guns. Its all about control over power, like in ball golf.

Midranges
The Leopard is a fairway driver. Its not a midrange. I think the stingray would be a great place to start with midranges. Many people also swear by the Discraft Comet as a more straight to slightly overstable mid, try those two out for starters and see how you like them.

The comet shouldn't turn over as easy as the shark, but I think you should try throwing the shark with more anhyzer before you dismiss it. If you have problems turning over a shark, that stingray is going to turn into a roller every time.

For a REALLY overstable midrange that doesnt turn over, I personally love the Gator and carry three of them in my bag, but I'll be the first to admit thats very unusual. It doesnt float very far, but its good for shots that you want to put in a specific spot, (hence Innova calling it a "midrange control disc") More of a niche disc, but if you wanna go max overstable, thats the way to go.

Many people like the roc, which is somewhat overstable. Another more overstable midrange is the Pig, if you don't mind the thumbtrac. Some people prefer it.

 

[ERicJ]

Midranges
The Leopard is a fairway driver. Its not a midrange. I think the stingray would be a great place to start with midranges. Many people also swear by the Discraft Comet as a more straight to slightly overstable mid, try those two out for starters and see how you like them.

The comet shouldn't turn over as easy as the shark, but I think you should try throwing the shark with more anhyzer before you dismiss it. If you have problems turning over a shark, that stingray is going to turn into a roller every time.

For a REALLY overstable midrange that doesnt turn over, I personally love the Gator and carry three of them in my bag, but I'll be the first to admit thats very unusual. It doesnt float very far, but its good for shots that you want to put in a specific spot, (hence Innova calling it a "midrange control disc") More of a niche disc, but if you wanna go max overstable, thats the way to go.

You think a Comet is on the overstable side... and more than a Shark? I'd go the other way: I think a Champ/Star Shark is more stable than a ESP Comet.

The DX Sharks get flippy over time.

But I'll definitely agree with you on the Gator being REALLY overstable. I threw my first Star Gator today and that thing fades hard. I'm obviously not mastering the Gator (Speed 5) yet because it didn't have near the range that I can get from a Coyote or Shark (Speed 4).

ERic

 

[Texconsinite]

Ok ERicJ, you're probably right about the shark. Its been awhile since I threw one. Glad to hear you are using the Gator, which plastic are you using it in. I ask because the Star Gator is beadless, unlike the Champ or DX, and feels diff in your hand as a result. Also, (on a side note) glad to see your Avenger made it to you safe and sound!

Now back to answering questions, before I fall asleep and start drooling on my keyboard...

a more overstable midrange that Im personally quite fond of is the Discraft Nebula, also known as the 2008 Ace Race Disc. If you can get your hands on one, they are quite nice, and the Ace Race version comes in ESP plastic, which is even more overstable and very durable. But more on that in a bit. First:

Weights

Here's how weights go. For guys, especially bodybuilders, start at 170ish and see how you like it from there. Generally, lighter weights will float more, but will also turn over easier, and be affected by the wind more. The consensus, from what I've heard, is it doesn't matter as much what weight midranges to get. I prefer heavy ones myself, but again its what you like.

Drivers is where it matters more. That's why many Pros carry the same disc in different weights.

Generally, girls should star with mid-160s discs. Maybe you buy a 170, and she buys a 165, and you two trade off to see which ones you like better. If she prefers yours, then she should try a 167-169, if you should step down the weight. Its all about personal preference, she might end up preferring heavier discs than you, its just about what works best for you.

Also, Ive heard that throwing 175s when you first start is likely to mask flaws in technique, which is a bad thing since it allows bad habits to develop unnoticed.

Plastics
In my experience, there isnt one type of plastic that flies further than another. The main thing thats affected is stability, as in that high speed stability they talk about on Innova's flight chart. this is also the reason why the same Discraft Discs in different plastics have a different number on them, because plastic type affects stability. For some reason, Innova does not adjust stability ratings for different types of plastic, so keep that in mind when looking at the stats for their discs.
So the three main things that change between plastics are
1)Stability
2)Grip-This especially matters in rain, snow, mud, etc. But its about personal taste. Some ppl dont like the slicker plastic, and some just don't like the way some plastics feel in their hands
3)Durability-How bad it gets nicked or dinged up over time. Plastics that break in will gradually become less stable over time. More durable plastics will break in much less/more slowly.

Discraft/Innova

Soft- This is usually a plastic for putters. It makes it more grippy, the idea being that it sticks ot the chains better. Usually its also not very durable, as the name would imply, thus its best used for putters, not hitting trees.

$Pro-D/DX: This is the least expensive plastic. It is also the least stable. I know how big student's budgets are, so I suggest trying this out first before investing in premium plastic. Its less durable, but thats the difference between lasting 3 months and lasting 3 years. The wearing process is slow, unless you nail a tree from up close, which could bend it up a bit. If you try a disc out in DX and like it, you can always buy it in more durable plastic. If you want to compensate for the added stability of the premium plastics, get a slightly lower weight.

$$EliteX/Pro- These plastics are slightly grippy than the ProD/DX plastics. They are also slightly more stable and more durable.

$$$EliteZ/Champion- These are the most durable plastics, practically indestructible. They will not break in or change over time. Also the most overstable of all the plastics. However, they also have the least grip of all the plastics.

$$$$ESP/Star- Think of it as a blend of the Champ and Pro, because thats what it is. More durable and overstable than Pro but not as much of either as Champion. More grippy than Champion.

$$$$Flex- This is a Discraft plastic that Innova really doesnt have an equivalent for. Its flexible, so when its bent out of shape, like from impact, it absorbs the shock and pops back into shape without deforming at all. Strange stuff. It feels less solid than the other plastics, kinda floppy. Not a big fan personally, but apparently it flies similarly to ESP/Star. If you want to go this route, make sure you are ok with the different feel of it when you throw it.

There's a few other weird types out there, like Crystal Z and Sparkle, but those are mainly special limited ediition discs given as tournament prizes, so dont worry about them too much just yet. The four I described are the main ones you should worry about

As for what plastics to buy everything in. It depends on the types of courses you play. If you play a lot of desert courses (full of nasty rocks and such) or heavily wooded courses, then there is more opportunity for your disc to get scuffed up. Since your main driver is the disc most likely to hit something at the highest speed, and you use it almost every hole, that would be the most important disc to get in a more durable plastic. Pro/EliteX might be a good place to start, or go with Star/ESP. The transparent plastics, since they are so slick, can be tricky to get a hold of, so keep that in mind. they are all pretty durable, and in many cases the most durable (& $$$) plastic is just overkiil, especially when you are starting out and are most likely to try out new discs or lose the ones you have through errant shots into bushes or water.

Hope that helps. Im going to sleep.

 

[Ryan P.]

hey, i'll attempt to answer the question about weights because i'm pretty specific when it comes to my weights.

somewhat similar to different plastics, different weights affect flight characteristics, mainly stability. think about throwing a paper plate and a ceramic plate. Ok, so you've probably never thrown a ceramic plate, but a ceramic plate shaped like a frisbee with the weight in the rim is super-overstable (i use to work in a pottery shop and made one just to test this theory-i only got to throw it once before it broke, so i'm going on one test). anyways, i'm sure you've probably tried to throw a paper plate like a frisbee. If you throw it with any speed, then it's extremely understable. This is due to it's shape, but also to it's weight.

lighter discs fly more understable than the same exact mold that weighs more. The lack of weight makes it more like a paper plate (obviously not that much more). to apply this to choice of discs, i usually tend to get heavier weights for the overstable drivers i buy and a little bit lighter weights for the understable ones. The difference between this choice is at the very most 10 grams, and that's extreme. For example, my xcaliber, my overstable driver, is 172, and i would like a heavier one, while my wraith that's beat in to death is my understable driver at 165.

However, for my midrange shots i seem to flip. my understable midrange, a stingray like yourself, is as heavier than my overstable viper (which i love, to answer you question about an overstable midrange. by the way, don't get a shark for that, they are slightly understable. and the roc will go straight when it's beat in. Either the viper or the gator should work). I think that the big decision between my weights lies more in the distance the disc is going, but i'll get there in a minute.

For the Xcaliber, i knew it was already overstable, and I wanted it to be that way when i buy it, and stay that way as long as possible, which leads me to talk about how weights affect the "beating in" process. The lighter weights become beat somewhat faster. I think that's due to the density of the plastic. The lighter discs have less molecules to fill up the same amount of space as the heavier discs with more molecules, so they are less dense and this leads to the quicker beating in. If that's not the reason, it still seems to hold true that lighter discs are beaten in faster-and more. So I think that's why i bought my wraith at a lighter weight. Even though it was only a -1 on the turn, i needed a super fast high turn disc. The monarch wasn't out yet, and i couldn't find a roadrunner in the disc shop, so i bought this light wraith and beat the crap out of it. Now it flies like a new monarch that's speed 11. I love it.

I generally tend to also base my disc weight on the distance i want the disc to travel, as i mentioned earlier. For distance drivers, i want them to go far-so i get lighter weights than the max (in most cases). the lighter weight allows me to generate more torque and speed and throw them further. I don't go far below the max weight though (the 165 wraith is the lightest i have, and 175 is the max).
however, with fairway drivers and midranges, i want the max weight that i can get. I view these as discs that i want to place in the right spot and control (i'll get to how weight affects disc control in a minute). I also want my my mids and fairway drivers to hit the ground and almost stop. The weight allows them to do this a little more (which shouldn't need explanation-heavier things move less, period). for my putters, i like medium weights like with my drivers. my aviar that i use right now is 168. Logically, i would want a heavier putter for more control. But i seem to control the lighter weight almost as well, and the lighter weight gives me at least 2 discernible advantages. first, when most people hit the left side of the chains (when throwing Right handed backhanded-RHBH), their disc falls out unless their putter is super-sticky. Stickiness is the main factor in not getting the disc to do this, but weight also plays into it a little bit. secondly, the 7 or so grams adds about 5 feet to my range. my wrists aren't the strongest, and the way i putt doesn't give me much range, so 5 feet is a huge help.

concerning control, the paper plate analogy could serve us well again. It's taking the weight to the extreme, illustrating to a huge degree what happens to a very small degree. it's very hard to control how much a paper plate will flip because it's so light. say you tried to throw a roller with a paper plate. It's going to be hard to throw it where it catches the ground on it's edge, and not flip over too little and just skid along the ground, while it's also going to be hard to not flip it too much and make it like a hammer.

The weight also affects control in a wind. if you throw a feather in the wind, the wind will affect it a lot, while a bowling ball will be hardly affected at all. Again, this happens to a much smaller degree with discs.

That's all i can think of about weights. There's probably some things i missed since it's 2 am, but i'll get those tomorrow if someone doesn't beat me to them. I know this isn't very organized either, so feel free to ask any questions.

 

[Ryan P.]

man, i took so long to type that post that Texconsite beat me to the answer on weights.

to add on to what i said about putting weights though, i do carry a heavier aviar with a bead for putting in the wind/hyzer putting. If you want to know what a bead is, feel free to ask or search for the many other threads on this site that talk about em.

 

[garublador]

As you can see, these are fairly general questions that will lead to lots of long posts. Rather than bore you with another one, I'll recommend some articles that cover this stuff as well as I've ever seen it covered. I'll start off with the most useful one of them all:

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/resources/articles/choosingadisc.shtml

Anyways, I've been doing a lot of research to find a decent set of beginner discs. I see the advantages of both having a variety and keeping it simple, and I also have come to understand the people who simply cannot stop buying discs...I'm the kind of person who really likes to see the numbers add up.

Here's a very strong argument for disc minimalism, which means using a minimum number of disc molds while still having discs for every shot:

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/...16&t=640&sid=8b06e3deafeaad96ae5ae25cbbb91500

Anyways, back to the point. I definitely want to get a few other discs just to see how they feel in comparison to mine. I started out as a Discraft fanboy for a while there just because I was biased from my first discs but I have now gravitated towards Innova (because their ratings system makes MUCH more sense in my mind--numbers to formulate a cube curve in my head rather than just a simple square curve, something that really confused me at first about the physics of a disc's flight) and am open to other companies as well.

Here's a flight chart that covers most, if not all of the discs currently in production and includes the power levels required to get the intended flight out of them:

http://gottagogottathrow.com/discgo...1.pdf?osCsid=b7be8840b48cae535a85683e7efa5a82

From what I understand, flight patterns are pretty important in discs. So I tried to visualize a set of discs that could hit spots on a plane in a fairly evenly distributed way and then I could vary my throws from there.

While not all of the slots will be useful for a newbie (most recommend against a distance driver for newbies), here's an article explaining what disc functions you'll eventually need to cover in your bag:

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/resources/articles/discoverlap.shtml

Plastics. I see a lot of long-winded descriptions of different kinds of plastics and a lot of huge explanations of why person X likes plastic Y better. I'm a number person, I need a formula for what plastic to go with what disc. Apparently a lot of things factor into it...how many trees on the course, grip, etc. I've heard softer plastics fly further? They also grab at the chains more, too. Harder/durable plastics don't lose their characteristics as fast though. For drivers, is it just a case of "do I want to go further, or do I want to last longer?"? I need a straight and dry explanation of plastics. A be-all, end-all explanation!

I'm not sure you'll find an be-all, end-all explanation, but I can get you started. The lowest end plastics are best for putters, mids and most control drivers (all control drivers if you don't have great line shaping skills). Most pepole prefer high end plastics for overstable drivers and many do for distance drivers because of how easily they beat up. For a newbie, I recommend all low end plastic. You will learn the fastest that way. What I just said about plastics and weights are covered in that first article, too.

Other random comments:

I've noticed a lot of you here are oldies. I'm 19 years of age and I'm trying to get all my friends to play too. I've noticed some of you are keen on getting youngsters to propagate the sport. I am too! Like I mentioned, I only got into this recently, and I'm sad more people my age don't play.

Once you get into it more, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised on the age distribution of disc golfers.

If you're looking for a short answer, here's what I'd recommend doing (again, most of this is in that first article).

Choose a fairway driver in low end plastic from the following list: D Cyclone, DX Gazelle, DX Cheetah, DX Ace or Polaris LS. Use this as your main driver. Use your Crush as an overstable driver. Do not try to make it work as a straight flyer unless it's going significantly farther than 350'. This will cause problems (see the threads on off-axis torque.)

Choose either a neutral midrange in low end plastic (Buzzz, Shark, Element, MS, Coyote, Comet) and a Roc, or just a Roc. The first method will give you a disc you can throw straight off the bat and a slightly overstable mid, the second method will give you a disc that will be a bit overstable at first, but will break in straight. Either way, learning to throw hyzers with a Roc is a good thing.

Keep the Challenger (it's an excellent putter) and get a couple in different weights, too (165-175). Lighter, stable putters like the Challenger, Wizard, Banger and BB Aviar fight wind well and will give you some extra carry on puts. The mid weight ones will be more controlable for approaches, but still carry well and the heaviest ones will be the best for driving.

Work on driving with all of your discs. If you can keep the Challengers and mids flying well and far it will save you a lot of headaches. If they start flipping uncontrolably there's a problem. Here's a couple of other resouces on stuff to start working on:

The "Right Pec" drill. It will force you to focus your energy at the right time and force you to utalize correct body positioning:

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=9959

This drill here:

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=595

is an excellent start to learning line shaping. Once you start figuring it out you'll see why you don't need a ton of different molds in your bag.

I'm glad you're enjoying the sport and feel free to ask questions as they come up.

 

[_.-Dut-._]

Just because you said you have only been playing a few months I am guessing your throwing 300 or less. With that in mind and by the choices you gave I would get.


Assassin: This should be stable enough to handle your workload both hyzer and turnover. This disc could teach you lines and will be your main go to driver. (167-168g)

Monarch: For understable(170-172g)


Mids: The shark would be a great first mid, in my opinion.(170-172g)

Putter: Both the ones you mentioned are good. The Challenger is the more "popular" of the two. Pick either and stick with it. Both are good off the teepad, will do great for approaches and make good putters.

Once you feel you have these discs down and can start pushing the Assassin/Monarch over 300 pretty consistent then it will be time to start thinking of getting into more of your distant drivers.

Adding an overstable headwind pig to this assortment wouldnt be a bad move either. Innova Banshee or Discraft Predator would be my suggestions for that slot.

That would give you five molds that is a good strong starting point and one you can add to.

 

[Rameka]

Hey guys. Thanks a lot, I wasn't expecting to get so much info so fast. This is a lot of info to take in at once so I'll take some time to pour over it carefully and I'll be sure to add some more questions later.

Thanks again!

 

[DeafDiscGolfer]

One more thing...in your picture, I can see a major foot foul. Keep in mind to keep your leading food behind the edge of the tee pad.

Enjoy discing and bring more of your friends!

 

[DAN E.]

In May it will be my first full year,and I'm 50.I throw chicken wing,so at the end of fall I was confident with my arsenal of a sidewinder for a driver,Tracker for hard rights,QJLS for midrange,Glide for easy lefts and I've had good luck with an Express Z for long left throw.Flight charts are a must.Study!I've been throwing DX stuff all winter with ribbons,boots, clothes and alot of snow.Can't wait to break out the good plastic again.And I found that the better and stronger you get,your disc will fly differant.More power.Alot of science.I love it.One day closer to spring!

 

[ERicJ]

One more thing...in your picture, I can see a major foot foul. Keep in mind to keep your leading food behind the edge of the tee pad.

Looks to me like that leading foot is in the air. As long as the disc is released before that front foot hit the ground he'd be okay. You can't have any supporting points in front of the tee... and a foot in the air isn't supporting anything.

But your point is well made. It's awfuly close and risky.

 

[Rameka]

Hey again. About the foul, thanks for pointing that out. My girlfriend and I don't play very formally/competitively yet, so we don't really make a habit of calling out little things like that. BUT I will take note of that.

The comet shouldn't turn over as easy as the shark, but I think you should try throwing the shark with more anhyzer before you dismiss it.

Also, with regards to that, I mentioned that I turned it over too easily. I thought turning over was going to the right? If I threw it with more anhyzer, it'd go further right. I'm RHBH mostly. Again, I only threw it once and it was a bit of a shank anyways, so it's sort of a moot point.

Still haven't had the time to read through all your comments, but thanks again everyone, I'll respond again when I do so and probably ask even more questions.

 

[_.-Dut-._]

Looks to me like that leading foot is in the air. As long as the disc is released before that front foot hit the ground he'd be okay. You can't have any supporting points in front of the tee... and a foot in the air isn't supporting anything.

But your point is well made. It's awfuly close and risky.

If he throws before that front foot comes down hes going to have bigger probs then worrying about a foot fault.

 

[ERicJ]

If he throws before that front foot comes down hes going to have bigger probs then worrying about a foot fault.

Mighty good point.

 

[Wheat]

+2 on that

Mighty good point.

I would suggest looking into correcting your form before you make bad habbits. This is a good video to watch, you'll learn a good bit, and if you take the time now it will make you a much better player down the road.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nED7gcXobEo&feature=PlayList&p=D709BD5F2D8240D7&playnext=1&index=6

also, any understable driver should work great. They are easier to control and will almost S themselves.Limit drivers to one or two, you will begin to learn how to make the discs do what you want instead of attempting to get the disc to do the work (which won't work). You're natural motions will pull the disc from right to left at the end of its flight (given enough air time of course) so learning the anhyzer is the way to go.

 

[Wheat]

OH! and don't attempt to arm it either. I saw quite a few post mentioning your strength and how that would play into your game. Like in almost every sport, it takes practice to perfect your drives, you can't just arm everything, you'll end up hurting yourself. Another reason to work on form. Smooth is far and control is distance, you'll throw farther and protect yourself from injury.

 

[_.-Dut-._]

If you throw at half speed, just slow everything down youll notice you dont lose very much distance. It really is alot more form then strength. Let your shoulders pull your arm thru the throw and get your weight forward at the end.

 

[Rameka]

Hey again, guys. I had my best run the other day, at 10 over par (on a pro par, 54). I also went to a field the other day and practiced my drives. So far the best drive I can make with the Crush is about 275 feet and this was into a bit of a headwind. I've done my local course less than 10 times so far, and I've gotten 4 birdies altogether. Am I progressing okay?

As for new discs, I think I'd like something I don't have to anhyzer so much to get to go straight/right. On my course there's this HUGE sweeping hill that goes down and to the right with lots of trees, and it's really hard to get the Crush to get around the trees and go off to the right without a forehand drive and I'm terrible at those. I've tried doing overhands before but it's quite difficult to slip through the mass of trees. I'm trying to decide if I should go for a stable disc and then beat it up and see how it changes over time, or if I should just go for the extreme and get as understable a disc as I can find...that way, I can compare one extreme to the other and see where I want to go from there. On the other hand, I could save some shipping and just buy them both...There's no way I need more than 3 though.

I also figure I should get a midrange, as I have nothing for controlled mid/longrange distance. I really want to try out the Stingray, but I'm also curious about the Roc and how it breaks in. Other options are the Comet and the Cobra, which both seem decent for shorter S/straight shots. So far, though, I like throwing UNstable discs, since this is just what the Crush has forced me to do. I definitely don't want the disc to do all the work for me, and would like to learn to make some cool shots.

As for plastics, I got another friend to join me the other day and he bought some starter discs: a Discraft Magnet and an Innova Leopard. The magnet was Pro-D and it was fairly grippy, I found, and quite soft, so I suppose that matches moderately well with your description of the lower end plastics. The Leopard (which was Champion plastic), however, was extremely soft (I could make marks in it with my nail) and only slightly less grippy than the Magnet. I thought Champion plastic was supposed to be durable? After one playthrough of our local course, his Leopard had a lot of dings in the rim. He did hit a few trees, but his power wasn't remarkable or anything...this doesn't seem to match up to the description of champion plastic. The disc did, however, fly beautifully, according to my girlfriend (I didn't get a chance to throw it but she did).