[Innova] Favorite type of Roc

[XxInnovaxX]

is there a way to tell the weight of my roc without a scale? the weight has worn off over time and is no longer visible. i wanna buy a couple more rocs to play with and a want a couple that are the same weight as this one, any ideas?

 

[billnchristy]

take it to the grocery store with you...the self checkouts have scales built into the scanner...

 

[Three Putt]

this was my first ace disc, a yellow star teerex 172g, since then ive bought 2 or 3 other ones exactly identical and they all felt the same to me

The 1st run of TeeRex used a top they call the record top or zipper top. When you run your fingernail across it you hear a "zzzzip" sound like the old LP's used to make. Anyway, Innova had a supposed identical replacement top to the zipper top, so they made later runs with the replacement piece. It turns out the replacement piece was defective and the discs were actually less stable than a Wraith. They had a more stable "X" TeeRex mold, so they used that for a while. I think now they have re-tooled the whole thing, but I'm not sure about that. So there were three or four TeeRex molds used in the first year and a half that disc was out. From what I understood, the really flippy ones were mostly DX TeeRex.

Funny thing was, the replacement piece that was defective had been around for a while. It was the top piece for the Viking. They ran defective flippy Vikings for a couple years.

 

[XxInnovaxX]

take it to the grocery store with you...the self checkouts have scales built into the scanner...

haha nice...never woulda thought of that one

 

[XxInnovaxX]

wow three putt is just a fountain of disc golf knowledge...
lots of good info 3!! very interesting

 

[BrotherDave]

Hey 3 Putt, is there any way to tell if a Viking is one of the crappy flippy kinds by looking at it? Thanks.

 

[Three Putt]

Hey 3 Putt, is there any way to tell if a Viking is one of the crappy flippy kinds by looking at it? Thanks.

I asked an Innova rep about that. He said "Have you ever tried throwing them?"

In other words, no. The trick to telling the good TeeRexes if I remember correctly had something to do with the nose, so maybe there is a difference in the nose. I'm really just grasping at straws here, I haven't seen a Viking in years.

 

[A.Mutt]

I'd say the mold isn't the problem, it's that damn FLX plastic. If you got a Buzzz in Z or ESP or X or D it would probably be fine.

As someone that always carries a Buzzz in FLX, Z, and D I agree. I use the Z and FLX the most, but in different conditions. The FLX is my choice if I don't want a hard skip off any trees that it might find, or if the weather is crappy. The Z is a far more consistent version for me. But I do love that FLX plastic, when i release it right that disc has flown some great lines for me.

 

[garublador]

Man, I'm gonna fail this midterm.

There's really only one thing you need to remember: regular ol' DX, not too domey, not too flat.

 

[innova]

The main thing I look for in a roc is softer plastic.

I am not too fond of the stiff domey rocs that seem to be harder plastic?
Not sure how to accurately describe the difference in which plastics, but
I like soft rocs.

Glow rocs rock. I like the old special edition rocs.

Also, once a champion plastic roc really beats up... I mean REALLY beats in well, they are awesome, imho.

I like old beat up ontario rocs, and many other low cost soft plastic rocs, no matter where they are made.

I will give Discraft props... they have some awesome midrange discs.

 

[craigg]

The rocs I like best are the San Marino's from 1991/92 - stiff and very flat (red, purple, or blue were the best). Unfortunately my supply of these is near its end. Next best (for me) are just plain old DX Rancho - which are generally sort of a medium stiffness (has some rigidity to the rim, but are a little flexy in the flight plate).

To weigh your discs - go to the post office - there is always a scale out in the lobby and most will give you weight in both ounces or grams

 

[Three Putt]

The rocs I like best are the San Marino's from 1991/92 - stiff and very flat (red, purple, or blue were the best).

Those are they mythical Rocs. The purple or magenta (or whatever you want to call that color) San Marino's in the really stiff plastic. Even before the San Marino mold went OOP people were looking for those. Beadless Aviars and purple San Marino Rocs are the first discs I remember people paying serious cash to get.

 

[Three Putt]

There's really only one thing you need to remember: regular ol' DX, not too domey, not too flat.

Domey is what you really need to look out for. Too much dome was basically the problem with the Ontario's. Flatter is better. Too flat is better than too domey.

 

[billnchristy]

Why is it just Rocs have this status?

Also I noticed somewhere that the molds are a little different, for instance the stingray had a little lip on the bottom for the San Marinos but not Ontarios. My wife's stingray is a San Marino...if we went to a "modern" one, based on history of that factory, what differences would she experience?

 

[Three Putt]

Why is it just Rocs have this status?

Drivers are like fashion. They go out of style. Going to the park and using a Scorpion as your driver today is no different then going to the park wearing acid-washed jeans. People don't realize it, but chances are that in 10 years virtually no one will throw a Wraith. It will go out of style. The newest latest and greatest discs will take its place in your bag.

Putters are about personal choice. It has to be comfortable in your hand. You have to be confident in it. Your putter depends on who you are.

A midrange is the backbone of your game. It's your go-to disc. It's the disc you throw 50+% of the time. It's not about style or feel, it's about being able to put it right there the majority of the time. From the time it came out in the late 80's until the Wasp came out 15 years later, the Roc was unchallenged as THE BEST go-to disc in the game. When it came out it was basically a driver at the time, but as longer discs came out there was always still a use for the Roc, a reason to keep it in your bag.

I'll admit that if you started playing after the Wasp/Buzzz came out you might wonder why the Roc gets all this attention. If you started playing during the 15 years before the Wasp/Buzzz came out, you get it.

 

[billnchristy]

That makes sense.

I do notice that drivers from 2000 are midranges of today. I am frankly surprised that the gazelle is still called a driver since it teeters on that edge.

 

[Three Putt]

Also I noticed somewhere that the molds are a little different, for instance the stingray had a little lip on the bottom for the San Marinos but not Ontarios. My wife's stingray is a San Marino...if we went to a "modern" one, based on history of that factory, what differences would she experience?

Really, there has been no huge outcry from the Stingray faithful that the disc has been ruined. It's probably pretty similar. The reason I'm familiar with the situation with the Stingray top is becasue I throw Sentinels, and the Sentinels with the new top are slower and less stable. I like Sentinels becasue they are fast and overstable and cut into the wind great, so for me a slower and less stable Sentinel is a problem. Most people who throw Stingrays like the fact they they are understable, so a less stable Stingray might actually be better.

 

[Three Putt]

That makes sense.

I do notice that drivers from 2000 are midranges of today. I am frankly surprised that the gazelle is still called a driver since it teeters on that edge.

I don't really see that. To me the Gazelle is clearly a driver design. So is the Whippet, despite the fact that people try to call it an "overstable mid." They might be using it for that shot, but it's still a driver.

The discs that are "tweeners" to me are the old 21.7 cm drivers like the Stingray, Viper, Python, Raven, Cobra etc. Probably becasue of the big diameter, they really feel more mid-ish in the hand to me today than driver-ish. The first generation small diameter drivers (Whippet, Gazelle, Cheetah) all still feel like a driver in the hand to me.

 

[corsicana420]

Dx roc for me...Love it.

 

[Neophyte]

That makes sense.

I do notice that drivers from 2000 are midranges of today. I am frankly surprised that the gazelle is still called a driver since it teeters on that edge.

I think that the Distance Drivers of 2000 are the Fairway drivers of today. The TeeBird for example.