Driving Putter

[Ryan C]

I know there is a lot of hate around here for FLX plastic, but if you want an all discraft bag, give the FLX challenger a try. They vary somewhat in stability, but if the ones that I have are any indication, try picking up a sky blue one in the 173-175 range. That one flies like my pro D challengers did, and the plastic is very tough. If you don't mind the feeling of FLX plastic, go for it! Mine almost felt like normal ESP anyway. Not really floppy at all.

 

[Dump Truck]

The best driving putter of all, of course, is the Ion.

Yep... surprised it took that long for someone to say ion.

Ion's are workable on more lines than any other putter i've thrown, have more glide than most, and the outer ring of grippy plastic really helps to grab the chains.

 

[jubuttib]

Just got a Prodiscus JOKERi today, and while I've yet to throw it more than half a dozen times, it seems a very good flier, and the plastic is bliss. Really grippy, and firm enough for my purposes. Probably won't hold up that well though. Need to experiment some more, but it might have a chance to get in the bag with the ION.

 

[ChampionMonarch]

thanks for all of your suggestions! I've added an M Wizard, and X-Link Ridge to my list so far.

I was wondering about the Ion. how big of a difference is there between "soft" and "medium"? is the soft super floppy and the medium less floppy? is the disc's flight affected by the different plastic?

 

[discspeed]

thanks for all of your suggestions! I've added an M Wizard, and X-Link Ridge to my list so far.

I was wondering about the Ion. how big of a difference is there between "soft" and "medium"? is the soft super floppy and the medium less floppy? is the disc's flight affected by the different plastic?

The soft is like gummy champion plastic. It can be bent in half relatively easily, but does not droop when held in the hand. The mediums are about the stiffness of an average champ/Z plastic disc. So it's not super stiff, but it's still rather rigid.

Flightwise the softs have more turn and fade and the mediums are straighter. The softs fly a bit faster and farther, but the mediums are more accurate imo (slower, stay on line better).

 

[JR]

Just got a Prodiscus JOKERi today, and while I've yet to throw it more than half a dozen times, it seems a very good flier, and the plastic is bliss. Really grippy, and firm enough for my purposes. Probably won't hold up that well though. Need to experiment some more, but it might have a chance to get in the bag with the ION.

To me it seemed to drive from snow running like a cross between an Ion and KC Pro Aviar. More tolerance to bad throwing than the Ion and no grip issues or scraping along the fingers. Less flip for me than the Ion maybe 20-30% from the Ion toward KC Aviar in HSS and halfway between Ions and KCs in LSS. I wouldn't want to hit trees or rocks in drives with it even in freezing conditions. It's gonna get softer in the summer so committing to it may be problematic in the long run. For approaches and putts in the winter it's great. I think i need to sharpie some color to it though.

 

[Stover]

I was rocking a discraft only bag for most of the year. Because of this I started throwing the Ringer. Even now that I finally gave in and started throwing other brands I still drive with the Ringer. It has a shallow rim which is my only problem with it. However, it flies perfect for me. I found Zones to be too overstable and challengers to be too understable.

 

[ChampionMonarch]

NOOOOO!!! I had an awesome unique Ridge picked out on DGC but someone went and bought it. it was all swirly and different shades of green.

but in retrospect, a camo kelly green disc would probably be a terrible idea.

 

[ChampionMonarch]

well of all the discs I asked for, I somehow ended up with an Evo HPP Wizard

but I'm a little confused. I thought Evo HPP was the polyurethane plastic, and was clear like champ or Z plastic? the one i got is definitely opaque, and feels more or less like ESP/star plastic

 

[Crimson75]

So could someone do an intense, objective head-to-head comparison between the ion and the pure? I am more curious about an off-the-tee comparison...thx

 

[Apothecary]

best: ion. particularly the med.

worst: anything by vibram.

 

[Peot]

I was rocking a discraft only bag for most of the year. Because of this I started throwing the Ringer. Even now that I finally gave in and started throwing other brands I still drive with the Ringer. It has a shallow rim which is my only problem with it. However, it flies perfect for me. I found Zones to be too overstable and challengers to be too understable.

You sure about this?

well of all the discs I asked for, I somehow ended up with an Evo HPP Wizard

but I'm a little confused. I thought Evo HPP was the polyurethane plastic, and was clear like champ or Z plastic? the one i got is definitely opaque, and feels more or less like ESP/star plastic

Like all of their plastic, Evo varies from mold to mold and run to run. Good rule of thumb with Gateway is only to buy if you can get your hands on it first.

 

[JR]

So could someone do an intense, objective head-to-head comparison between the ion and the pure? I am more curious about an off-the-tee comparison...thx

Objective schmocjective the objective is to throw the round with the fewest strokes It depends on you and the course and conditions which one would give the lowest score. Unfortunately i lack snap or get drag from the bottom of the disc to the fingers or both plus possible other reasons why i flip Rocs (not Buzzzes), TBs (not new Stalkers), Wizards, Ions and Pures, broken in FR Ringers among others not Rhynos or Ridges. So YMMV and take it with a grain of salt because others have reported better results.

Once i put the right amount of hyzer to compensate both Ion and Pure fly well. Pure glides less and drops sooner for less D and flips more with less fighting back. In putting it's a style and preference thing to pick the glide of the Ion vs the sinking of the Pure. Both fade fairly little and Pures fade more in putts and drives. Especially when thrown higher the differences start to magnify. Pures are easier to grip for me. The difference in HSS and margin of error is significantly in favor of the Ion if you can get even a half decent grip from it. All but the largest hands should grip the Pure much more easily because the size and shape is much more universally grippable. It's a word you read it on the Internet

Neither likes to be driven with in winds. Both can be used in mild winds as a putter. Because of the lesser glide and heavier fade Pure has fewer and shorter blow bys and won't get flipped over as easily. Despite the added gyroscopics of the Ion.

 

[JHern]

I have found exactly one Pro Challenger that was over-stable, as advertised. When I say over-stable, I mean that the disc will eventually fight to fade out at the end of the flight. It will flex out. This was the most fantastic driving putter I ever threw, given to me by a buddy who drives putters a lot...he told me that particular putter had gotten too beat in for him, so he no longer needed it. Unfortunately, I bought about 10 Pro Challengers after that, seeking to find more of the same and get into a rotation, but every single one of them was only stable (i.e., straight, no fade, like most Wizards) and some were even under-stable. Oh well.

Now I use Wizards for everything, and have been lucky enough to get my greasy hands on some sweet specimens of this particular species, some of them even begin to fade slightly on long flights, giving a nice tight S-line when thrown with a tad anny release.

 

[Trey1331]

P2 and P1 baby! These things have GLIDE! I'm having waaaay too much fun throwing these. Stable and without a bead is really cool!

 

[JR]

Trey if you don't mind a step up in HSS and LSS another Finnish disc meets the no bead and stable (actually slightly overstable) criterion: Prodiscus Jokeri.

 

[jubuttib]

P2 and Aviar P&A baby! These things have GLIDE! I'm having waaaay too much fun throwing these. Stable and without a bead is really cool!

FTFY. Though definitely keep buying the P1, Jussi deserves the money! =)

Trey if you don't mind a step up in HSS and LSS another Finnish disc meets the no bead and stable (actually slightly overstable) criterion: Prodiscus Jokeri.

I was thinking the other day that the JOKERi has what the P2 left me hoping for: A tad more (over)stability and a low profile...

 

[mickas1]

P2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11!1!!1

Tons of glide/distance potential, very controllable, and enough fade to let it fly correctly in moderate winds.

What more could you ask for?

 

[Cr1mson3lbow]

Have you ever thought about trying out a Banger GT? I use a soft Banger most to all of my upshots 180 or less. Holds any line you put it on, and still finishes with a hyzer. Ive thrown mine in the field up to 320 ft. Just a thought..

 

[XCyclone]

Does anyone drive with the eraser sss Wizards? I got a couple in the other day and they are probably one of the best feeling discs out there. So nice I ordered a few more. Chalky/grippy, I've never felt anything like it. I had originally bought them for putting because of the snowy conditions here, but now I'm thinking I'll drive with them. My only worry is the durability. Anyone know how these hold up after tree hits?