DWalk's Bag

[dwalk77]

Had a previous itb thread, but this one will be comprehensive and not limited to 2019.
Will use this for archiving my progression as well as for any feedback/suggestions

Vitals
- Years playing/experience: 3 years DG
- Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: ambidextrous
- Throwing Style: RHBH (primary), LHBH
- Distances:
RHBH: Wizard: 180'/200'; Buzzz: 200'/225'; Explorer: 280'/310'.
LHBH is about 50 feet shorter

Optional:
- Age: 34
- Sex: M
- Injuries/handicaps?: N/A
- Other sport proficiencies?: Baseball, beach volleyball

Goals
- Push out distance. Wizard to 250'; Buzzz to 275'; Explorer to 325'
- More accurate upshots from 200' and in.
- Field Practice once a week, during peak times of the year
- play 50 times a year, or ~4 times a month on average

- Long-term goal: have enough distance to incorporate a speed 11 driver. Break 400' distance

Current Bag:

Drivers
172 opto Explorer - light wear, workhorse driver
170 big Z Mantis - new, u/s driver for tailwind/calm conditions

Mids
172 ESP Buzzz - light wear, workhorse mid

Putters
173 ESP Zone - new, o/s putter for windy approaches or utility shots
175 SS Wizard - light wear, workhorse putter (approach putter and putting putter)



What I'm considering:

Drivers:
Heat - speed 9, u/s, tailwind, calm - think this disc could give me my greatest distance
River - speed 7, u/s -- have never thrown a disc with 7 glide. popular fairway driver. course I usually play at is not too long, I think this could be a good fit
Culverin - speed 9 - am starting to push my Explorer past 300'. this may be my next disc up for headwinds, windy conditions. don't think I'm ready for it yet, but maybe in the future

Mids:
Comet - seems to be an all-time favorite mid for several long-time players, but I think this would overlap with my Buzzz. Still want to try it. Don't play wooded courses often, but think it would be a good pick up for the times that I do
Verdict - seems to be popular O/S mid.

Putter:
Axiom Envy - popular putter. considering trying this as a throwing putter while still using the Wizard as putting putter. I don't like the idea of having 3 putters, but that is also probably the most important disc type. I like the Wizard as a throwing putter, but the Envy has a more shallow rim, and I'd be interested to see how I like the grip in comparison

Additional Thoughts
I don't have an O/S mid right now, but I also think the Zone is pretty close to being considered a "mid". I have an Anvil but I feel like there's too much overlap between it and Zone since they're both very o/s and speed 4. If I got a Verdict, it might fit b/c it could provide more distance than a Zone/Anvil.

Haven't tried the Mantis yet, it's on the way.

 

[Streets]

You build a bag similar to how I like to:

Stable/OS Control/Fairway Driver
Stable/US Control/Fairway Driver
Stable Midrange
Stable Putter

Keeping things as simple as possible while learning is great. I think the River would be a great compliment to the Explorer feel wise. The rims are similar widths, similar plastics.

 

[dwalk77]

You build a bag similar to how I like to:

Stable/OS Control/Fairway Driver
Stable/US Control/Fairway Driver
Stable Midrange
Stable Putter

Keeping things as simple as possible while learning is great. I think the River would be a great compliment to the Explorer feel wise. The rims are similar widths, similar plastics.

Absolutely. I'm very much in a learning phase right now. By limiting which molds/discs I throw, I am getting to know them very well, and it's incredibly helpful in monitoring my progress. And there's so many options within those molds I think it's worth taking my time exploring at least some of them.

I picked up a River today -- you're right, feels very similar to an Explorer, which I love.

 

[SD86]

The River is a great mold. I'm sure you'll enjoy it a lot. :thmbup:

 

[Streets]

Absolutely. I'm very much in a learning phase right now. By limiting which molds/discs I throw, I am getting to know them very well, and it's incredibly helpful in monitoring my progress. And there's so many options within those molds I think it's worth taking my time exploring at least some of them.

I picked up a River today -- you're right, feels very similar to an Explorer, which I love.

This philosophy will take you far...learn a few molds now, maximize what you can do with them and only add discs if you absolutely are missing a shot. No reason to have 10+ molds in your bag...really ever. Also, tailor your bag to the places you play.

 

[dwalk77]

have cut down on playing the last few weeks. It's been breaking 100 regularly, so a little unpleasant.
I did a field session the other day.

feel 100% on these:
go-to putter: wizard
go-to mid: buzzz
go-to fairway: explorer

I have 2 more mold slots I feel undecided about:
o/s putter/mid
u/s fairway

For the o/s putter/mid, it's the Harp vs Zone. I don't have a ton of throws with either of them. I did a field session the other day, and my initial impression was I favor the Zone. It feels better in my hand for the fan grip (I only throw bh), I guess b/c of the more shallow rim and being beadless. I had a cleaner release with it. Other than that, not much difference. I could see myself throwing either of these. For the time being, going to go out with the Zone for the next 10 rounds or so and really give it a try.

The u/s fairway is a new mold for me to try. Before I was discing up when I wasn't ready yet. I have 4 discs here: seer, river, mantis, and heat. Again, don't have a ton of throws with any of these discs, but I did do a practice session with them. I had thrown the seer before, and loved the lines I was getting, but felt the rim was too thin. The River also feels a bit thin for my liking. Even though it's similar to the explorer (same company, same plastic, same speed), it doesn't feel quite as beefy in my hand. The mantis feels better, and the heat feels the best as far as power grip in my hand.
I was surprised to find out that the Seer actually had the best flights for me. I got the best s-curves out of it.
I'm going to take these out for some more practice sessions to compare. For the time being though, for my rounds, think I'm leaning towards the Heat b/c it feels the best in my hand

 

[SaROCaM]

I have 2 more mold slots I feel undecided about:
o/s putter/mid
u/s fairway

For the o/s putter/mid, it's the Zone.

The u/s fairway is The mantis

^voting for these (out of what you listed)

 

[ryanrockmoran]

I have somewhat similar distances to you, and definitely recommend the Heat. Great glide and easy turn without burning on me too often. I have a River as well, and feel like it's more sensitive. It is good for form practice, but it definitely will turn over and crash on me fairly often. I also vote for Zone over Harp, but I don't think you can really go wrong with either.

 

[dwalk77]

I have somewhat similar distances to you, and definitely recommend the Heat. Great glide and easy turn without burning on me too often. I have a River as well, and feel like it's more sensitive. It is good for form practice, but it definitely will turn over and crash on me fairly often. I also vote for Zone over Harp, but I don't think you can really go wrong with either.

Thanks for the recommendation. I think I'll go out with the Heat for a round today. Seems appropriate too since we're around 100 outside..

 

[Meillo]

Your current bag makes a lot of sense. Don't overpopulate it! Rather swap discs instead of adding ones. None of your goals requires any change in your bag.


And btw: Work on your forehand! ;-)

 

[dwalk77]

Well, 2020 is here, and the weather is starting to get nice in my area. I was really happy with the progress I made last year. I went out for about 30 rounds and did 5 or 6 fields sessions. The practice showed. I shaved 5 strokes off my previous PB at my local course.

I went out for a few rounds recently, and have decided I'm going to try a change in my strategy/technique. I'm a natural lefty, but for whatever reason I've thrown frisbees RHBH my entire life. So this left me in a predicament for disc golf - I could throw a LHFH and RHBH. Because they both turn to the left, I still didn't have a shot that turned to the right. So the last few years I've been working on developing a LHBH. It's basically felt extremely awkward the entire way, and although I've made some improvements with distance and lines, it's been minimal.

So I'm going to try shifting my focus from the LHBH to learning a turnover shot with my RHBH.
That being said, I think it's now more important I have some u/s discs to work with in my bag. I liked keeping my bag small last year (it was mostly just Wizard-Zone-Buzzz-Explorer), but I think it's time for some expansion, both for more distance and more lines. I am going to try out a Meteor and Leopard3. And because I made progress with my Explorer last year, I'm also adding a few higher speed discs, Getaway and Beast. I might not have the full arm for them yet, but want to play around with them and see what kind of lines/distance I can get out of them.

Updated bag:

Putters
Wizard - putting putter
Wizard - approach putter

Mids
Zone - O/S mid
Buzzz - Straight mid
Meteor - U/S mid

Fairways
Explorer - O/S/Straight fairway
Leopard3 - U/S fairway

Distance
Getaway - O/S Straight distance
Beast - Straight/US distance

The red discs are new discs and ones I'm not settled on yet, but am going to give them a shot. They seem to be well liked.
I'm now at 9 different molds, which is a big jump from last year. I'm hoping this sort of setup can last for a while.

 

[SD86]

Well, 2020 is here, and the weather is starting to get nice in my area. I was really happy with the progress I made last year. I went out for about 30 rounds and did 5 or 6 fields sessions. The practice showed. I shaved 5 strokes off my previous PB at my local course.

I went out for a few rounds recently, and have decided I'm going to try a change in my strategy/technique. I'm a natural lefty, but for whatever reason I've thrown frisbees RHBH my entire life. So this left me in a predicament for disc golf - I could throw a LHFH and RHBH. Because they both turn to the left, I still didn't have a shot that turned to the right. So the last few years I've been working on developing a LHBH. It's basically felt extremely awkward the entire way, and although I've made some improvements with distance and lines, it's been minimal.

So I'm going to try shifting my focus from the LHBH to learning a turnover shot with my RHBH.
That being said, I think it's now more important I have some u/s discs to work with in my bag. I liked keeping my bag small last year (it was mostly just Wizard-Zone-Buzzz-Explorer), but I think it's time for some expansion, both for more distance and more lines. I am going to try out a Meteor and Leopard3. And because I made progress with my Explorer last year, I'm also adding a few higher speed discs, Getaway and Beast. I might not have the full arm for them yet, but want to play around with them and see what kind of lines/distance I can get out of them.

Updated bag:

Putters
Wizard - putting putter
Wizard - approach putter

Mids
Zone - O/S mid
Buzzz - Straight mid
Meteor - U/S mid

Fairways
Explorer - O/S/Straight fairway
Leopard3 - U/S fairway

Distance
Getaway - O/S Straight distance
Beast - Straight/US distance

The red discs are new discs and ones I'm not settled on yet, but am going to give them a shot. They seem to be well liked.
I'm now at 9 different molds, which is a big jump from last year. I'm hoping this sort of setup can last for a while.

Solid bag. I hope you like the Leopard3 as much as I do. :thmbup:

 

[Bardu]

Looks great! Wizard/Zone/Buzzz/Explorer is a great core. Just keep playing your game and find out what compliments your setup. As far as the RHBH and LHFH dilemna goes, I'm sure there are plenty of spots where each will be beneficial. I wouldn't force LHBH. Sounds like you're on the right track.

 

[dwalk77]

I've done some significant field practice the last 4 days..
Here's where I'm at now:

Putters
Wizard - putting putter
Ringer GT - approach

Mids
Buzzz SS - straight, u/s
Verdict - o/s

Distance
Mantis - straight, u/s
Getaway - o/s


I've slimmed down a bit from my last bag to 6 molds. I like to keep it simple and not have as many choices on the course, and I think the above discs should cover almost all the shots I need.

While measuring at field practice, with my drivers I'd say I was averaging about 270'. I had a few break 300', but that was 2 out of several throws. (Looks like I overestimated my distance in my first post...whoops). So that being said, I don't see any reason to worry about "discing up" anytime in the near future. Form, technique, and consistent lines are my priority now, not exploring discs.

I may try out a Valk or Beast in Pro plastic for a "max distance" sort of disc. I have a Star Valk, but the turn is minimal.
Other than that, I feel pretty solid about the bag. Think I should stick with it and go out for 10-20 rounds

 

[Meillo]

Think I should stick with it and go out for 10-20 rounds

Yes.

 

[dwalk77]

I went out for a round today and I'm really pleased with my performance. The practice paid off! I'm liking the bag setup

I've seen some others count how many times they use their discs. I probably won't do it on every round, but think it's a good idea and I tried it out today. Be interesting to compare across different courses as well. Today played at Greenbelt - open course, most holes in the 300'-400' range.

My results:

Wizard: 29
Ringer GT: 5
Buzzz SS: 1
Verdict: 1
Mantis: 4
Getaway: 11
Valkyrie: 6

No surprise that the Wizard dominates usage, as it should. I use it anytime I'm within 60 feet of the basket.
Getaway was most used driver. Multiple holes that require a left bending drive or that have some wind to them.
I did bring the Valk along today (wasn't sure about it previously), and I loved it. I'm going to stick with it. I get a little more distance and stability out of it than the Mantis. I'd really like to see this disc beat in a bit (in Star plastic).
Mantis came in handy for a few turnover shots.
Ringer GT was crucial for some of my approach shots

The 2 discs least thrown were the Verdict and the Buzzz SS, my 2 mids. Most holes felt too far to drive with a mid (more than 250) and too short to approach with a mid (within 150). When I throw a disc once a round, I start to question how useful it is. Granted, the 2 times I used them, I definitely preferred those discs for those shots. There are a couple of teeshots I wish I would have thrown a practice throw with the Verdict after the Getaway. If I extend my distance I could see myself using a Verdict on these holes. The Buzzz SS...almost felt useless today. The one time I used it I turned it over and it went in the creek. But I think it could be critical on a more closed/wooded course, or a course that has more holes that line up to the right.

 

[Meillo]

Your numbers look common to me. On different (types of) courses or different weather conditions, they might change, however, not necessarily the distribution, but the popularity of the discs.

 

[ray1970]

I like to keep a minimalist sort of bag as well.

I see guys I play with get to a tee pad or walk up to their lie and try to decide which disc they should throw.

There typically isn't much debate about what I'll throw on each shot because I don't carry a bunch of discs that all do similar things for me.

I will admit there are probably two discs that I carry that seldom get thrown. They stay in the bag for the occasional odd shot that I rarely need to throw or in case the wind suddenly gets stupid crazy. If I don't bring those discs with me then that will be the day I wish I had them.

Also, according to my math, that 270' you mentioned is a solid 300' or internet distance and the 300' real world shot is at least 350' in the virtual world.

 

[Casey 1988]

I've done some significant field practice the last 4 days..
Here's where I'm at now:

Putters
Wizard - putting putter
Ringer GT - approach

Mids
Buzzz SS - straight, u/s
Verdict - o/s

Distance
Mantis - straight, u/s
Getaway - o/s


I've slimmed down a bit from my last bag to 6 molds. I like to keep it simple and not have as many choices on the course, and I think the above discs should cover almost all the shots I need.

While measuring at field practice, with my drivers I'd say I was averaging about 270'. I had a few break 300', but that was 2 out of several throws. (Looks like I overestimated my distance in my first post...whoops). So that being said, I don't see any reason to worry about "discing up" anytime in the near future. Form, technique, and consistent lines are my priority now, not exploring discs.

I may try out a Valk or Beast in Pro plastic for a "max distance" sort of disc. I have a Star Valk, but the turn is minimal.
Other than that, I feel pretty solid about the bag. Think I should stick with it and go out for 10-20 rounds

Champion Valkyrie is going to generally be less OS then the Star.

 

[dwalk77]

Champion Valkyrie is going to generally be less OS then the Star.

Interesting, did not know that - thanks for the pointer