Comet lovers

[Marmoset]

*****Preamble to the Comet thread*****
I started this thread because Comets are good discs and I think they are underrated. Not many people threw them when I started this thread... at least not that they'd admit to.

Golfers, regardless of skill level, are consistently looking for the same things:
a disc that goes straight
a disc that has no fade (or veeerrry little)
a great gliding disc
a disc that does anhyzers really well
a disc that will hold sweet lines without having to beat it in
etc.

I feel that Comets can excel at all of these demands and many more. This thread is dedicated to exploring the many things the Comet does well.

I can't say the Comet is the best midrange or the only midrange... there are other fanboys that will claim that for their favorite disc. But I do think the Comet is the best fit for:
1. my current skillset
2. my current priorities I look for in a midrange
3. the way I like to play my home course

If other people read this thread then I think they might realize there are alternatives to the other popular midranges and the Comet just might fill a slot they have been looking for.

Enjoy the thread, learn some stuff, ask questions, whatever.
Try a Comet... you just might like it.
*****now back to our regularly scheduled show*****

Yeah, I guess you could call me a Comet Lover!

I don't like playing tournaments. Not my "cup of tea". So I play rec rounds and I play with lots of different people; lots of time these are random people I happen to meet at hole #1.

There are a few things that *coincidentally* tons of DGers are looking for in their ideal disc: dead straight, little to no fade, a disc that will go to the right, buckets of glide, sweet flightpaths without having to first beat the disc, and highly accurate.

The Comet is a truly unique disc; I believe it fills all these voids in peoples' bags. The downside to the Comet is that unless you come from a lid/Ultimate background, there will most likely be a steep learning curve involved.

I have recommended ths disc to zillions of people. Some of those people buy one, others try mine. I have seen sooooo many people's first throws with the Comet. Most of the time they throw it very badly. The disc dives to the right, goes roller and I hear, "oh no, this disc is waaay too flippy for me." Then I take the disc from them and throw a 300'+ laserbeam to illustrate that the disc is more than capable if you take the time to learn it's nuances. That will usually impress them.

I am not trying to brag that I have a huge arm- I don't; the Comets use their tons of glide to get out that far.

I am not trying to say that I have flawless technique. Again, I don't; but I do have countless hours throwing Comets in field practice and on the course so my form is necessarily cleaner than some other DGers.

What I am trying to say is that there are huge rewards waiting for you if you take the time to fully learn the Comet. Your newly improved form will carry over to your other discs and they will also fly cleaner and further.

So even if the Comet doesn't stay in your bag, KEEP IT. It is at least useful as a diagnostic tool. As you realize OAT creeping back into your game, blow the dust off of your Comets and do some spring cleaning to your technique. Then go back to throwing your regular bag with improved results.

As a side note, most Comet Lovers I know didn't like the Comet when they first tried it. But they kept the disc, played for a year or two without it and then came back to it. I guess their form improved in between the first audition and the second so the disc plays more nicely the second time around. This is exactly how I rediscovered the Comet. Haven't looked back since.

Comet buyers guide
most overstable to least overstable:
Sparkle Z RRs- most overstable by a fair bit but they are still not even close to a new DX Roc
Old run Elite Z (stamped with the current Elite X stamp)- barely *but noticeably* more overstable than the new Z runs
New run Elite Z(stamped with the current circle stamp)
Tourney Pro- about the same stability as ESP but break in faster; I don't have much experience with these, ask Three Putt about them if you are interested.
ESP LE- about the same stability as TP but break in slower
Elite X- initially fairly overstable but break in to buttery goodness quickly. A little too quickly for some peoples' taste.

BTW, because of their overstability and relative torque resistance the Zs are not recommended as a diagnostic tool. Elite X works really well for this... and they are cheap! If you can get an X to fly straight for 300' then you are doing very well and you can pat yourself on the back.

Its not all roses- I don't want to lie to you. There are drawbacks to the Comet; here are a few. Because they are so straight, they don't teach you to play the fade of the disc. Because of their glide it can be more difficult to range them. Because of their straightness they won't stall around a corner nearly as well as other discs. Because they turn sooooo slowly they won't do multidirection shots nearly as well as other discs. Headwinds are tricky. Shots like these can be done with the Comet but it takes much more careful manipulation. Even though I don't have money riding on my rounds (like I said, I don't do many tourneys) I won't take a chance on a low percentage shot that my Comet doesn't naturally like when I have a disc in my bag that will do it much more readily.

This brings me to my last section, disc selection. Keep in mind that I play a super heavily wooded course that doesn't have much wind if at all. When I carry carry my normal weight bag (right now I only throw 150 class) I always have at least my beat 174 Elite X and my beat 176 ESP. They are a handsomely matched pair because the X is truly understable and the ESP is still very neutral despite 18 months of hard use and tree whacks. The ESP, despite being beat, still has fabulous distance potential and will hold a smooth hyzer when I need it to. I will add a new Z once in a while but I will usually reach for a new DX Roc if I need something more overstable than my ESP. Like I just mentioned, I will usually carry a DX Roc to go with the Comets. This disc opens up a few shots that are difficult with Comets. Stalls around corners, wind play, pulling out of turns, skips, hard turning hyzers, and stuff like that.

Thanks for reading, I know it got pretty long. I feel like this disc is highly underrated and it doesn't usually get a fair shakedown. I hope this review helps answer some questions for those who might be interested in trying it. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

Sun King just got another private stock batch of Z sparkle blues from Ron. $40 each.
I have never thrown Z Comets but I have a BUNCH of X's and ESP's. I hear the blue sparkles are the cream of the crop. Can anyone convince me this is worth it?

http://www.sunkingdiscs.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=619





warning: real men throw their rocs away

 

[Working Stiff]

Not worth it. Total production 500? Good luck ever finding a backup unless you are going to pony up for 4-5 of them now and hope you like them.

 

[mr.smOOOth]

I switch between a blue RR Comet and a red Z Comet. I like the RR, but the Z is just as good IMO. I mostly use the Comets for anny drives or straight upshots. They hold an anny line sooo nice and glide for days!
The blue RR does look pretty pimp with the blue sparkle plastic though!
It all depends if you want to spend the cash. I got 3 (one signed) from E Bay, and I don't think I spent more than $25 for one.

 

[SkaBob]

The Ron Russel Comets are very nice, and much gummier than normal Z Comets, but honestly...even as a Comet lover I can't say they're $40 nicer than the normal Z Comets I've got...

 

[Marmoset]

Are Z's different enough from ESP to warrant ebaying some? I am curious about the Z's but I don't want to pay a bunch for 'em if my stack o' ESP's are fairly identical in their flight path.

 

[SkaBob]

The Z Comet is an entirely different disc, really. It's got some serious fade to it and can take a heap of power...

All in all similar flight paths, but the Z one is definitely beefier.

 

[jeremy2]

I let Ron Russell throw some of my ESP Limited run Comets late last year and he seemed to like them. I really like the ESP Comet they hold any line.

 

[SkaBob]

The Z Comets are good if you want to use a comet with some wind and want a bit of resistance, but they don't fight as stiff a wind as a buzzz does, so it's hard for me to really keep one in my bag. I know lots of people who love 'em...

I like the ESP the best. The X are just a hair too flippy, and the ESP are just spot-on for me...

 

[gremlin75]

Are Z's different enough from ESP to warrant ebaying some?

If you already like comets it might be worth tracking down one in Z to try out but not for $40.

Like Bob said a Z comet will fight the wind a little better then an ESP comet but its still not a great disc to throw into the wind. I own a Z (One that I got off of Bob infact) but right now its not even in my bag. It had to much fade to take the place of my ESP comets and couldnt fit the wind enough to take the place of my D wasp.

 

[SkaBob]

If anyone wants to trade me one of those sparkle comets for one of my Z comets and $20, that's a price I'd be willing to pay for one :wink:

 

[Marmoset]

What is the Comet you are offering? Color, weight, stamp, wear, etc.

 

[SkaBob]

Brand new yellow, 175g Z Comet. Never been thrown, no ink. 10/10

 

[sleepy1]

I had never thrown a Comet before yesterday. During a game of Ript Revenge, I took SkaBob's favorite ESP Comet out of his bag for the remainder of the round. I was planning on just keeping it in my bag, but he made me play with it and I was simply amazed at the amount of glide and straight flight on this thing!

I threw it on a 320 foot hole (I think...is that right for hole 11, Bob?) and was 25 feet from the pin. That is NOT normal midrange territory for me! I watched it during the flight, and at the point where my Roc is usually on the ground, the Comet was still in the air with another 30 feet to go! Uh-May-Zing.

I'm not saying I'm ditching my Rocs just yet, but the throwing the Comet was a definite eye-opener.


sleepy

 

[Jkosk]

I am a Z wasp thrower, love the disc- it really takes my snap well and holds it's own for good 250-300 foot drives when need be. but I have been very interested in looking at a comet for straight to any lines.

 

[Scoot_er]

I think I like the X Comets better than the ESP as they are a little more HHS out of the box and a little firmer.

 

[Timko]

I think I like the X Comets better than the ESP as they are a little more HHS out of the box and a little firmer.

The best comets are Z Comets. Those guys can take some serious spin. They fly very similar to RR's, and don't cost $40 a piece.

 

[Scoot_er]

And are they in full production? If not I will just try to get some from my buddy Jim.

 

[Timko]

And are they in full production? If not I will just try to get some from my buddy Jim.

Nope. I only have 2 of the 8 I originally got left. Released in Fall of 2005 I think. Matt, you should try and get some if you're throwing the Comet. I think you'd like them a lot. Like a slightly more stable X that keeps that flight for a long time. The ESPs fly like the old powder Comets for me. While that's nice, the stability of the Z is nice too.

 

[SkaBob]

I've got an extra couple 175'ish Z Comets I'm doing nothing with if the offer's right...

 

[Jkosk]

I got my hands on a buddy's old comet that he disliked- I threw one throw with it today on uphill anny drive and parked it. impressed me because it held the line without landing on a serious roll, just a nice flat landing. it's not z or esp, but I doubt it is elite X either.

it is very old- the stamp is a purple stamp of 2 planets with a disc flying around it. old font- not a stamp I have seen discraft use as of late. (before my time in the sport for sure)

any idea what plastic this is?