Do 'soft' plastic putters catch chains better?

[riltim]

I think soft putters definitely catch the chains better than firmer putters, but I don't consider that a good thing. Firmer putters will spin a bit in the chains and drop while softer putters will catch and kick a bit.

A good example of this would be to take two putters and try to backspin one like a wheel on the top of another. Firmer putters will spin in place for 1-2 seconds before rolling off while softer putters will roll off as soon as the two touch.

 

[captain jack]

I think if you hit square on the chains its all apples.
Softs will do things firmer discs wont, like deform and go through the sides of the basket. My soft has also demonstrated the ability on many occasions to hit the rim, then pole vault up and into the basket. Firm don't do that.
Soft will deform with a hard launch, which may affect its flight.
Soft comes off the fingers differently than firm, and requires adjustment, especially if going back and forth between both formulas.

 

[Putt for D'oh]

Thread is longer than I feel like reading but I thought the main reason people who putt with really soft plastic was to prevent a roll away on a miss rather than grabbing chains. Most of the courses near me have several death putt, or just very slopped greens so banging the chastity belt or the front rim quite often your next putt will be >50' out. The super soft plastic has more tendency to just sit where it lands on those.

 

[jtsteez]

Thread is longer than I feel like reading but I thought the main reason people who putt with really soft plastic was to prevent a roll away on a miss rather than grabbing chains. Most of the courses near me have several death putt, or just very slopped greens so banging the chastity belt or the front rim quite often your next putt will be >50' out. The super soft plastic has more tendency to just sit where it lands on those.

This is why I throw a SS Judge. I can run every putt and not be hurt too terribly if I hit the bogey band or skip off the chains.

I threw an aviar for a while and would kick out and roll and roll and roll on occasion. With the super sorts I can be much more aggressive.

 

[RomServo]

I putt with Jawbreaker Magnets because of the way it leaves my hand, not so much the way it stays in the chains. I do feel like the plastic helps it grip the chains more than Pro-D, but that might be because of the way its leaving my hand more consistently. I cant seem to get a good grip on Pro-D, so i get better distance and accuracy with JB. Either way, its grippy but firm. Perfect balance IMO. :thmbup:

 

[Alexplz]

I voted yes - however the small advantage of a soft putter catching chains better I think will be overshadowed significantly by the factor of comfort and familiarity with your putter. So basically choosing a putter based on how it catches chains is a fool's errand - but if it turns out you are most comfortable, accurate and consistent with a nice sticky putter, bully for you! :thmbup:

Personally I dig regular old base plastic - give me DX, Pro-D, or Prime and I'll be happy. :hfive:

 

[ericb45696]

Has anyone come up with and made a machine that throws discs? I would think you would want something like that to do the testing.

I think there is a video or two around on YT of a guy who made one. I wanna say it was in Australia and his nickname is 'Dingo' ? Seriously, it was kinda cool.

 

[Casey 1988]

I putt with Jawbreaker Magnets because of the way it leaves my hand, not so much the way it stays in the chains. I do feel like the plastic helps it grip the chains more than Pro-D, but that might be because of the way its leaving my hand more consistently. I cant seem to get a good grip on Pro-D, so i get better distance and accuracy with JB. Either way, its grippy but firm. Perfect balance IMO. :thmbup:

It is the perfect balance :clap: though I still have an old Hard D Magnet that is Very stiff for windy conditions or the Jawbreaker Magnets get too soft in hot weather. I never liked the Soft D magnets as a main putter as they were too soft for a smooth release. The new Jawbreaker Magnets feel like the Lighting Rubber Putters when they added the DuPont material to the disc but not as slick in the very beginning. Those Rubber Putters with DuPont in them had a thin layer of smooth something that has to be worked off before the disc feels like the Jawbreaker Magnets. Also the Pro-style Plastic for some of the putters from Lighting had this Jawbreaker feel but with a bit more flex to the disc then I would have liked. Now I think these discs the Jawbreaker Magnets will work for most players that used the Soft D Magnets and those that used the hard D Magnets as well, unless they only use the older style hard D plastic that are very stiff Magnets only.

I had to make the ring on both Jawbreaker discs as if it were a D Magnet to help where the placement of the thumb goes.

 

[Casey 1988]

I voted "the same", as I've seen no difference (disclaimer: most of my experience is with Classic vs. Classic Blend).

The pros tend to use firmer plastics such as Classic/ZeroHard/BTHard, or KC Pro/McPro, etc. There may be pros that use soft plastics, but I'm not sure of who they are.

The pro Juliana Korvar uses her own brand of disc, it is a soft Pro plastic Putter Aviar P&A big bead.

 

[disclover55]

I am a fan of the xt nova with 2 types of plastic hard on the inside and soft on the outside. it's a straight disc and I have a lot of confidence in either making them and or having a limited roll off. When you hit the chains it sounds very different. Gimmicky maybe , effective for me in certain conditions.

 

[2naphish]

I tried the really soft putters for about a year when they first came out. then I found what worked for me. an Omega 1.2. medium firmness but a gummy texture in the hand. I had a few left over from a tournament I ran so for the next 15 years that was all I ran chains with. too bad they are all gone and that plastics patent was bought and put on a shelf (or so Rick Rothstein told me). now I use a Firm Summit which has really impressed me in hot humid conditions and a medium Sole for cooler weather play. for headwind putts I use a R-Pro Pig that's well seasoned and I can't remember a single spit out with it but is too overstable for me on typical days.

 

[Casey 1988]

I tried for a while after using an old pre DuPont Rubber Putter 172 grams , my moms approach disc now, then a 172 gram G9i Wizard that was great till it broke in then it was just an approach disc that was not great for that either still have it just outside my bag. Then after that I used a max weight Putt'r probably a second run that was too soft to work as a putter as the disc did a slight concave in and thus needed extra power to fly as a putter, and the Roach was still 10 years away. Then my brother had the Magnet and old stiff hard D Magnet not being used so I took it and used it as my disc, got another hard one like it lost that then till I got my Jawbreaker Magnets I had a orange Magnet that was my Putter and was like the same stiffness as the Jawbreaker Magnet but not as grippy as a the Jawbreaker disc disc but grippy in a good way. I find the stiff is good but they do not make the old super stiff hard D Magnets, the Jawbreaker Magnets are as stiff as the newer hard D Magnets but with a better grip for the Jawbreaker Magnets. I had to though make the ring for the Magnets same distance from the center as the D Magnets as I use that ring to put my thumb just before it. Wish the Magnets in the Jawbreaker plastic had the ring so I did not have to spend 1/2 hour getting the rings right on the Jawbreaker Magnets

 

[SD86]

The pro Juliana Korvar uses her own brand of disc, it is a soft Pro plastic Putter Aviar P&A big bead.

True. Some JK Aviars I held recently felt a bit like XT plastic. But they are softer than KC Pro Aviars, fer sure...

 

[Casey 1988]

True. Some JK Aviars I held recently felt a bit like XT plastic. But they are softer than KC Pro Aviars, fer sure...

I think they based the XT plastic off the KC Pro Aviars, trying to get them that stiff but in a plastic that feels like it is the XD plastic but tough like the hard Pro plastic.