Do I need to disc down???

[Cook26]

I have a lot of high speed drivers (Wraith, Boss, Diablo, Archon, etc). I have been reading a lot on here about discing down to learn proper technique. With recent practice sessions, I have been able to throw the high speed discs around 350ft. My best so far is about 415, but the average is much closer to 350.

With the exception of YouTube videos and what I have picked up from here, I don't have anyone to help me. I have been playing 6-7 months and I am easily beating the two guys that showed me how to play.

Do I need to get away from these discs and work with lower speed drivers? If so, what would be a good bag setup? For the most part, I use the Wraiths and the Buzzz. I have been putting with the Buzzz recently as well; the shots feel better than with the Aviars. Here are the discs I have right now.

2 12x Star Wraith's
Star Boss
Star TeeRex
2 Star Destroyers
Star Beast
Star Archon
Gateway Diablo
Predator FLX

Buzzz FLX
Star Kite
DX Stingray
Pro Classic Roc

DX Aviar Putter
Star Aviar Putter

Any help would be appreciated. I am having fun playing and get out by myself usually 3-4 times a week.

 

[KingPariah]

I would suggest not putting with the Buzzz if you are looking for long term success in putting. Maybe the Aviar just isn't the right putter for you. Go to a store with a big selection (including discraft, gateway, innova) and hold a bunch of them and see which one feels right in your hand.

 

[Triflusal]

Yes. If you get out 4 times a week by yourself you can definitely improve with slower discs, particularly fairway drivers, because you don't have any. Pick up a gazelle or two in DX plastic at around 170g. Drop all of the high speed drivers and the kite. Use the DX aviar for putts and drive with the star Aviar.

Keep the predator around for utility shots, but look into getting one in Z plastic if you like it.

 

[New013]

you might feel more comfortable putting with a buzzz because it has a shallower rim, try out some putters with shallow rims.

 

[Jivecody]

You will develop bad habbits if you use higher speed discs and learn to compensate their fade for you poor technique. Not trying to rag on you as this is extremely common but most people don't stop to ask and just keep on going with that poor technique. it's fine if you are having fun and what not but if you are trying to develop your game you should tone it down and maybe keep one or two of those higher speeds in your bag to toy with at times. In my humble opinion i'd say stick with the wraiths, drop the boss completely, maybe try to use a destroyer but i wouldn't recommend it as i haven't seen you throw and most people that have claimed to throw 400+ I've never even seen throw 350. you can develop bad habits and using OAT to compensate for this lack of power in your throw as well as not yet developed higher spin/rotation on the disc which will cause it to fly correctly. a beast is an extremely straight driver (from my expierences) and you might be able to use that. My final couple of suggestions include dropping all but the wraith, and locking in and understanding discs that will teach you more about your techinque, style, and current level of power such as the three fairway drivers of a leopard, an eagle/tl, and a teebird. The buzzz is an awesome disc and think you should stick throwing something along the lines of the buzzz and classic roc (or a mako which is in my humble opinion a longer classic roc). as far as your putters go, it might feel more comfortable to throw with your buzzz for putting now but again that can develop bad habbits and truely just be wasted time that you could have been developing your proper putting game. If you want to improve your putting game it's my (again) humble opinion that you throw ONE kind of disc and get used to what that does and then get a small stock of them like 3-4 of the EXACT same putter (same weight, same feel, I even go with same color). hope some of this helps you and best of luck. great thing you asked this is a good place for information and it's always better to ask and use someone else's experience to your advantage.

 

[Cook26]

you might feel more comfortable putting with a buzzz because it has a shallower rim, try out some putters with shallow rims.

Any suggestions on a putter that would work? I like the buzzz rim because it isn't round. I feel like the shape of the rim allows me a better grip than the Aviars.

 

[Cook26]

You will develop bad habbits if you use higher speed discs and learn to compensate their fade for you poor technique. Not trying to rag on you as this is extremely common but most people don't stop to ask and just keep on going with that poor technique. it's fine if you are having fun and what not but if you are trying to develop your game you should tone it down and maybe keep one or two of those higher speeds in your bag to toy with at times. In my humble opinion i'd say stick with the wraiths, drop the boss completely, maybe try to use a destroyer but i wouldn't recommend it as i haven't seen you throw and most people that have claimed to throw 400+ I've never even seen throw 350. you can develop bad habits and using OAT to compensate for this lack of power in your throw as well as not yet developed higher spin/rotation on the disc which will cause it to fly correctly.

I can completely understand compensating with poor technique. Sidewinder22 directed me to the technique sticky and it helped a lot. I was getting a max of 300' using a strong arm technique. In the past couple weeks I have worked on acceleration and my snap. I'm getting much more torque from my hips/shoulders and it has added about 100' to my drive.

Before, the high speed discs would stall out and fade hard left. Now, they are going nearly dead straight and barely fading left. I can absolutely tell a difference in how the disc is being thrown. I'm not throwing 400' all the time, but I have hit it about 10 times now. The average is much closer to 350.

I threw a TeeBird that another guy had like I had been throwing the high speed discs and it flipped quick and drove into the ground to the right around 100' (I throw RHBH). Did I use poor technique or try to throw it too fast?

 

[Mike C]

I have a lot of high speed drivers.....Do I need to get away from these discs and work with lower speed drivers? If so, what would be a good bag setup? For the most part, I use the Wraiths and the Buzzz. I have been putting with the Buzzz recently as well; the shots feel better than with the Aviars. Here are the discs I have right now.

Any help would be appreciated. I am having fun playing and get out by myself usually 3-4 times a week.

I would recommend it. I'd make yourself putt with a putter too. I did what you're doing when I started out and I wish I had learned a putter sooner. Go buy a new putter if you have to, to find one that's comfortable to you, or just stick with the Aviar. But make your putter your most used disc. Putt with it, approach with it, and drive with it. Buy a second for driving if you have to, so your putting one doesn't get to beat up. Here's a bag I'd say you should try out:

DX Aviar - Putts
Star Aviar - Drives and approaches under 200' or so.
Buzz - Long approaches and medium length drives, anything under 275' or so.
DX Stingray - Understable utility mid
Predator - Overstable utility disc (Use for headwinds, not as main driver. Also utility shots like thumbers, certain roller shots etc.)
DX Teebird - Main driver. Buy a star one if you need the durability, otherwise just buy two dx and carry the 2nd when the 1st gets beat.
Pro or DX Leopard - More understable compliment to the Teebird.

You could also use Cyclones, Gazelles, Cheetahs and a number of other slow, controllable drivers.

Throw this setup until you are matching your current distances. In addition to the distance goal, try to learn to throw your Buzz and Aviars further, and learn to use them instead of drivers when possible. If you haven't started learning them, start trying FH and BH rollers, overhand shots, FH drives etc.

One last thing. Once a week or so, play a round with just your putters and mids, or just your putters. Play long tees with just them also.

--Personal anecdote you should probably skip over--

Disc golf is more about control than distance, as much as I hate to admit it (I love going to open fields and just throwing far ). Slower discs are easier to control. This is true for any kind of shot, whether a distance drive or a putt.

I used to max out around 350' and I can't even remember how many discs I tried in an attempt to find the one that would fly 400' for me. Roadrunner, Destroyer, Firebird, Surge, Beast, Force, Excalibur, Wraith and more. Then a few things happened to got me on the road to where I am today. I really started reading on DGR about discing down, disc selection, how to build a bag, how to tell if you're getting a disc up to speed and so on. I also had a friend remind me as he was teaching me the game, throw the slowest disc you can on a given hole.

So I took out my distance drivers based on their advice. I played with Rhynos, Rocs, Leopards, Teebirds and a Firebird for headwinds. I threw all of my distance shots with Teebirds and Leopards. I made an attempt to disc down on holes too. Hole #9 at my home course is a 325' dogleg right. I threw Valks, then threw Leopards, then Rocs, then Rhynos (Which didn't work well, but once I switched to Wizards they became my disc of choice for this hole), surprising myself each time.

What discing down taught me was to focus more on controlling my shots. When I was throwing those fast, overstable drivers for D, I was trying to torque them as hard as I could, because I've always been a brute force kind of guy. I just try as hard as I can at something until it works. But this didn't work. So after a lot of reading and practicing I learned how to control my power a little better. I went from flipping Xcals and Firebirds on every distance shot to throwing Leopards on flattened hyzers that never flipped over for the same distance. I went from "This disc isn't stable enough for someone as strong as me, too flippy" to I can throw any disc I want. I can also throw putters now as far as I threw the high speed stuff back then. I also found that mythical disc that gives me 400' +. It's any disc faster than my midrange.

EDIT:

I threw a TeeBird that another guy had like I had been throwing the high speed discs and it flipped quick and drove into the ground to the right around 100' (I throw RHBH). Did I use poor technique or try to throw it too fast?

Take all the drivers out of your bag, replace with a dx teebird or two, and don't look at this thread again until you can drive it dead straight.

 

[Speedly]

I threw a TeeBird that another guy had like I had been throwing the high speed discs and it flipped quick and drove into the ground to the right around 100' (I throw RHBH). Did I use poor technique or try to throw it too fast?

Poor technique, definitely. Teebirds should not turn a bit, even on long throws. Sounds like OAT, maybe?

 

[707_Roc]

Do I need to disc down???

Yes.

 

[Stoney311]

Any suggestions on a putter that would work? I like the buzzz rim because it isn't round. I feel like the shape of the rim allows me a better grip than the Aviars.

^^^^^ Maybe a Classic Roc? It's low profile.

 

[vandyfan]

Any suggestions on a putter that would work? I like the buzzz rim because it isn't round. I feel like the shape of the rim allows me a better grip than the Aviars.

I had the same issue. I was throwing a buzzz and I knew it would cause putting issues in the future. I went to the local disc golf store and literally spent hours trying to find the perfect feeling putter. I suggest you do the same thing. I wound up using a Rhyno and all I can say is my final score dropped almost 10 strokes. I sucked at putting and now I putt better than the people that introduced me to disc golf.

 

[DanJon]

Any suggestions on a putter that would work? I like the buzzz rim because it isn't round. I feel like the shape of the rim allows me a better grip than the Aviars.

R-Pro Dart.

 

[wlkent]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned them or not but the XD and Wedge both have a narrower rim. They both have a mid range feel to me and both are great putters.

 

[zepphead33]

All you need is a 4x Kenny Glow Aviar and a 2001 CE Roc. :|

 

[Cook26]

Looks like I'll be looking for some new putters and some lower speed drivers. I am going to get a Teebird or two.

What is the Discraft equivalent of a Teebird? I was thinking of trying a Comet, but it is a midrange driver. Should I go with a midrange or one of the long range drivers as a complement to the TB?

 

[Mike C]

A comet would be a great disc to get. Discraft doesn't have any drivers quite like the Teebird, but the Cyclone and XL can do some of the same lines.

 

[DanJon]

you could play anywhere with a putter, buzzz, comet and teebird. so i'd say a comet. a pro leopard would be a good compliment to the TB as well.

 

[Cook26]

A comet would be a great disc to get. Discraft doesn't have any drivers quite like the Teebird, but the Cyclone and XL can do some of the same lines.

you could play anywhere with a putter, buzzz, comet and teebird. so i'd say a comet. a pro leopard would be a good compliment to the TB as well.

Thanks for the advice. I will take this along with what you said earlier Mike and try to build my bag for the immediate future.

I think for the putter I will get two Soft Banger GT's. I like the feel of the groove top much more than the Aviar I have. I also putt on a hyzer line and I've been told they are good for that.

 

[eegor]

If you want to go Discraft instead of the Teebird (I'd get the Teebirds), a Z Stalker or XL would be a good choice.

Once the Teebird gets in the bag, it will usually stay there forever, unless you're and Eagle guy.