Best FIRST driver

[ThrowaEnvy]

WEDGE, I voted Leopard but I've had good results with kids and noobs with a light Wedge... smooth feel not too deep, but no not a driver. I like playing with the kids 150 Wedge it does sweet stuff. 150 Teebird is decent for adults that wanna throw FH and some BH. Roadrunner is one that I recommend a lot too.

 

[elmexdela]

idk my champ leopard is pretty OS right now. i havent been in a wind yet i cant tame with it.

think im ready for a destroyer? i think so. is the good ones *d? s/ds? e*ds? backstamps? Vulcan top? new stamp avery? old stamp avery?

 

[discguy42]

I voted Leo. I started with a DX Cheetah as my first driver I actually learned to throw with. The 'Bird was the first disc I learned to throw straight too.

I do recommend Leos and Cheetahs to the beginners I sell discs to though.

 

[46YearOldSlinger]

I voted Leos but Rivers would be a good pick too. Both of these have minimal fade even without much juice on them.

 

[eegor]

I voted for the Leopard. If I were to buy a good friend their first driver, I would buy them a Polaris LS. It's easier to control than a Leo and will fly as far. That said, it's just easier to get your hands on a Leo in the plastic of your choice.

 

[TAFL]

I voted "Other" because I think a Stingray would be one of the best beginner drivers. The only problem I see with that is that the Stingray is considered a mid these days. D'oh! One of the signs of old age...

That said, for the folks I got involved in throwing recently, I've been handing them Leopards or Cheetahs or Archangels as drivers, because that's what we have in abundance in the bag of extras. I'm thinking about laying in several Stingrays, though, just to use them as the gateway drug...er, disc to get folks hooked easier.

My first driver was an XD, the first actual golf disc I ever owned; it was also my first mid and first putter, for the same reason. Was a wonderful replacement for the Whamo lid, of course, on all counts. There weren't many options to be had at the time. When the Stingray was introduced, it quickly became my favorite. Shoot, even after the Eclipse was introduced and began my primary driver, I kept Stingrays in the bag for regular use.

Damn, I think I'm gonna sing some Kum Bah Yah and order a Stingray....

 

[mball1684]

Discraft Cyclone

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

My first driver was a 164 DX Leopard. It started off "super beefy" and by the time I had figured out how to throw it was broken in enough to compliment a Champion Eagle. It's like a disc with training wheels that can still be useful later down the road.

 

[Jabumbo]

I'm with you, TAFL. I might not go quite as far back as you, but my first "driver" was a Stratus and it dominated the bulk of my tee shots for years.

Once I graduated though, I split between the Leopard and the Cheetah for a while. The Leo was definitely the easier of the two for me to control so that's what I'd suggest for a noob.

 

[tmaniac]

I am making this transition as well... I am really liking the Pro D Cyclone, but still evaluating other discs. Take with grain of salt as I am a noob.

 

[BrotherDave]

Never did like the Leapord, but the KC Pro Eagle was one of my reliable first drivers.

You proved the thing I was going to post, I voted Leopard with BH peeps in mind but starting FH an Eagle or Teebird would be more forgiving.

 

[Ted Bratton]

Wow the diamond gets no love! I've found for most new players whether they be male, female, athletic or hopelessly unathletic, who start with backhand a 160 diamond works so extremely well. With a little coaching they can repeatedly make it turn slightly and come back a little for a max control, straight, max distance 250ftish shot with total ease. It is an amazing teaching tool. This is probably true for a lot of blizzard and star light slow drivers. base plastic discs work well too. I always recommend to new players with some cash to spend two dx aviars, a kc aviar, a kc roc, an x comet, two 160 diamonds, and yes a faster heavier driver like a tp king for some overstable/skippy shots and to teach them how to throw the advanced flat, fast, and level shots that will turn slightly and come back hard and skip like the shots they see us throw. Plus a king will really, really scratch their itch for a "speed 16" disc haha. But most people don't have the addiction nor the cash and we usually just give them random discs or sell them cheap instead lol.

 

[Shamis]

I find valks incredibly easy to throw. I'm not a new player, but just recently put one in my bag. flies pretty far with relatively little effort, doesn't fade out hard, and doesn't turn over too easily even with a little OAT. I'd recommend it.

 

[Peter S]

Archangel was my go to distance disc my first few years. Speed 8 so you do not have to crush it. Understable enough for beginners. Does not have much fade at the end so you can learn how to throw straight & once worn can begin a hyzerflip.

 

[TAFL]

I'm with you, TAFL. I might not go quite as far back as you, but my first "driver" was a Stratus and it dominated the bulk of my tee shots for years.

Once I graduated though, I split between the Leopard and the Cheetah for a while. The Leo was definitely the easier of the two for me to control so that's what I'd suggest for a noob.

I bought a Stratus when that model came out and liked it, as it reminded me of a Stingray. I gave that to a friend's son who got interested in playing after watching me throw some practice drives. He got decent results with it at the outset.

And I replaced the Stingrays and Eclipses with Leopards and Cheetahs, when those came along, which is why we still have old Leopards and Cheetahs.

 

[Jintaq]

ALWAYS get a slow and mildly understable fairway for new players first. Teaches so many things while giving great rewards for control AND distance.

If they crave some stability, but don't have the form/arm yet, utilize a more overstable mid range.

The leopard fits this category perfectly. If you don't use Innova, anything basically just like it will do. There is no magic to the Leopard, its just at a sweet spot for stability and speed. Most of the other drivers from other manufacturers do run a bit faster than the Leopard though, which is why the Leopard really stands out as beginner friendly. Like many, learning the game on a Leopard will keep you throwing the mold long after you have added in higher speed and higher stability discs as a great go to for straight to turnover niche shots.

My recommendation for new players is always the same. 3 discs. Understable fairway, overstable mid, any conventional putter that feels good in hand for them regardless of flight path or stability. I carry lots of FD jackals in different plastics and wear, as well as Pains in similar states. Lend out my 2 least stable of both. Usually rely on others to lend out the putter at first as my personal putters, Swans and Sinuses, are not exactly typical and a bit extreme on the stability spectrum. Swans will do in a pinch though.

 

[BuzzzChief]

I voted leopard because I think it's the best thing for someone's form in the long run. But the more I think about it, the more I feel like the best beginner disc is one that gets someone hooked on the game and wanting to improve. And when your buddies are throwing horrible OAT sidearm Bosses (or some other garbage) 300'+ and you can't throw more than 200' with your Leopard, you're going to get frustrated and not enjoy the game.

When I started out, I cycled DX eagles. I carried 3 of them, with one midrange and 2 putters. A fresh one is overstable enough that you can still crank it over with terrible form and get some decent distance to make the game fun, but a beat one is understable enough to promote the development of good form. Once I was throwing far enough, I added a 165-ish Champion Eagle. Then a Firebird. Then I stepped up to the high speed stuff (which was something like a Beast at the time).

Changing my vote to Eagle.

 

[IHearChains]

When I first picked up a Star Roadrunner it changed my game...they are still regulars in my bag 7 years later, wish someone had suggested them when I first started, a couple years before that. Valk would be a close second.

 

[JeremyKShort]

JLS.

 

[zendragon]

A borrowed JLS was my first driver. My wife started with a 150 Valk. Both were pretty great to start with. I would have preferred to start with a Buzzz as my first driver. Forget the title, call it a driver for a new player and be done with it.

I still remember in my first year of playing, I had 5 or 6 discs, mostly drivers, I ran into a guy on the course playing with just a Buzzz. He had been playing for 2 years at the time and said it was the only disc he ever used. He tore the course apart with it, outdriving me by 50' easily on every hole and shaping every line he needed with that disc. I have yet to play a course that needed a driver on every hole, and a lot of courses need one maybe on one or two holes.

Mids are more controllable and make the game more fun for a newbie starting out.