Herb's 2018 ITB

[HERB brooks]

Vitals:
Years playing/experience: roughly 4 years
Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: right-handed
Throwing Style: 66.67%-RHFH, 33.33%-RHBH
Golf Distance (avg/max') FH: Pig: 250/275'; OLF: 325/375'; Wraith: 350/400'
BH: Omega: 225/260'; Buzzz: 250/290'; FD: 300/325'; Tern: 325/375'
Optional:
Age: 30
Sex: M
Injuries/handicaps?: Nothing major
Other sport proficiencies?: Lacrosse, Hockey
Additional Information: I'm looking to use the winter months to experiment with my bag and maybe try a few new discs. This will be the first year that I plan to compete in sanctioned tournaments.
What do you like/dislike about your current bag?:
-Need to settle on a fairway lineup that will complement my control driver setup of OLFs and Firebirds.
-Would like to add a disc or two for OS max distance shots, something that is more stable than the Wraiths I bag.
Specific areas of desired feedback: Gaps or redundancies in the lineup, this is mostly a thread where I can track what I've been throwing throughout the year, but any feedback is appreciated.
Immediate and long-term goals:
-I would like to continue develop my backhand game more, as I still throw farther FH. Ultimately I'd like to throw 400' regularly with both FH and BH.
-Develop a stronger mental game by not losing focus after bad holes/shots.
-Spend more time in the field, rather than playing rounds all the time. My field session are too few and far between.
-Learn to throw BH rollers and incorporate them into my game.
-Become PDGA member, play in multiple sanctioned tournaments, and earn a 900+ rating.
-Improve my putting from inside the circle, especially from 25 ft to circles edge.

Bag:
Drivers
171g Champion Tern (7/10)- Max distance BH driver, very workable
175g Star Wraith (7/10)- Workhorse FH distance driver, BH drives with headwinds
171g Pro Wraith (7/10)- More US than the Star, also used for thumbers/tommy/ utility work
174g MOLF 1.3 (8/10)- Slightly OS control driver, mild headwinds or hyzer finish
175g MOLF 1.3 (6/10)- Workhorse FH control driver, broken in to a longer Teebird flight, one of my favorite discs in my bag
160g MOLF 1.1 (7/10)- Broken in OLF, more turn and less fade than the others, workhorse BH control driver
175g Sexton Firebird (7/10)- Reliable straight to heavy fade FH, spike hyzer BH
166g Champion Firebird- (7/10)- FH rollers, skip shots, grenades, other OS utility shots
175g Champion Roadrunner (8/10)- Tailwind driver, hyzer flips, turnovers
175g S-FD (7/10)- Workhorse BH fairway, FH turnovers

Midrange
172g Big Z Comet (8/10)- Hyzer flips, tailwind mid, helps keep my form clean
175g Jawbreaker Buzzz (5/10)- Workhorse BH midrange
179g Elite Z Buzzz (8/10)- More OS than the Jawbreaker, durable for wooded or rocky courses

Putt & Approach
175g Factory Store Pro Pig (7/10)- FH approach or tee shots from 275' and in, BH skip approaches
175g Factory Store Pro Pig(5/10)- Hit & stick hyzer approach shots, able to shape lines better than the newer Pig
175g Omega Supersoft 1.46 (7/10)- Main Putter
175g Omega Lunar Supersoft 1.2 (7/10)- Main approach disc, hit & stick driving putter
175g Omega AP 1.15 (8/10)- Durable driving putter for wooded or rocky courses, touch FH upshots, short FH rollers

On the whole I'm pretty pleased with how my bag is shaping up for the 2018 season. The Omega, Pig, Buzzz, OLF, and Wraith constitute the core of my bag, as they are all molds that I can throw both FH and BH on a variety of lines. My Comet and Firebird are less used discs, but each fill an important role in the bag and are very dependable when the winds begin to pick up on the course. I don't intend to change any of these 7 molds out for new ones this year (may happen anyways).

The three molds that I may look to change or remove are the Tern, Roadrunner, and FD. I typically get the most distance on BH throws with my Tern. On the other hand I really like Pro Wraiths for Tern-like flight paths with the added benefit of more dependable fade. The Tern may be a logical place to trim the fat. I enjoy throwing the Roadrunner and FD; however, I feel like I could stand to re-evaluate my fairway driver choices. The FD is a good neutral complement to the OLF, very useful both FH and BH. I don't throw BH anhyzer shots very well, and so I find myself needing something more US than a FD to round out my fairways. Wound up buying the Roadrunner to fill this role, but thus far I find they are not as understable as advertised (I've tried several so far, only a starlite was flippy). I plan on buying a few JLS to potentially replace my FD and Roadrunner. The standard plastic beat into a great turnover disc, especially in the 160s, while the heavy QJLS should work for FH shots. This would allow me to cover all fairway shots, while having a more defined distance gap between the JLS and my OLFs (FD and Roadrunner both encroach on OLF distance). Who knows, I may keep all three molds in the bag...I like throwing all 3.

One mold that will be added is an overstable max D driver, primarily for FH shots. The Wraith is a great driver for max D FH and BH, but doesn't always hold up into a strong headwind. I bought a PFN Star Xcal for cheap at PIAS, which was magical for these shots. Unfortunately, I no longer have the Xcal but am looking for something similar (will potentially try out the Outlaw, Force, PD2, newer Xcals, Destroyer, Scorpius, Enforcer, etc...). Ideally this disc will have the long straight flight with strong HSS similar to PFN Xcals, I would prefer not to chase OOP plastic.

 

[HERB brooks]

Bag for this weekend:

3x Omega (2x-Supersoft, 1 AP)
2x Pro Pig (Factory Store)
1x Big Z Comet
2x Buzzz (1 Jawbreaker, 1 Elite Z)
1x MJLS
4x MOLF (2x-1.1, 2x-1.3)
2x Firebird (1 Sexton, 1 Champion)
2x Wraith (1 Pro, 1 Star)
1x Champion Tern
2x ESP Force

Decided to pull the Roadrunner and FD, and replace them with an old JLS that I have been throwing on and off since November. This JLS is a no run in Millennium Standard plastic at 165g, which allows me to use it for a variety of straight to US lines (very easy to stay in the fairway throwing the JLS). I plan on buying a couple more MJLS here in the near future, perhaps also a Quantum for a more stable variant. I find this JLS much easier to control when throwing with anny than my removed fairways (FD & Roadrunner). If they are passable for hyzerflip FH shots, then I will have to give them an extended run as my straight fairways this Spring/Summer.

I also bought a few OS distance drivers throughout January to complete that portion of my bag. The first was a pinnacle Outlaw (white, 169g), which I found to be too similar to my Wraiths. It would pop up and ride a controlled turn with a mild and dependable fade, but that's not really what I'm after. Seems like a good mold, especially if there are more beefy versions, but I'd rather just stick to Wraiths. Next, I tried a C Line PD2 (175g), which was downright emasculating. The one I tried had minimal glide and started to hyzer quickly, it reminded me of throwing an Ape. The flight pattern was reliable, but I wasn't getting much past Firebird range, so the PD2 is not going in the bag either. I may work with these discs again, but its not a priority at the moment.

I also was able to find a pair of ESP Forces (168 and 170g), which seem to be close to what I'm looking for. They are very LSS, but will ride straight for much longer than the PD2. The Force also have significantly better HSS than the Outlaw from my observation. This has been the closest to the PFN Xcal that I have found thus far (the Force lacks a bit in the distance department, but holds a near identical line). I will be using the Force for the time being as my wind fighter/ OS driver for distance shots. However, I should try to pick up a few more Xcals in the future, to see if the newer runs are close to the old ones. From what I have heard the older Xcals fly differently, but I would like to see for myself.

 

[discerdoo]

Wraiths are my max distance driver, I have quite a few in various weights and plastics. The most OS that I've run across is a max weight MF Champion. I always have a Wraith or two in the bag when it's warm but the MF is too beefy for my arm currently.

 

[HERB brooks]

Played in the local Ice Bowl at Cottonwood Creek Park this past Saturday. It was a pretty damn windy round, 15-25 mph winds sustained throughout the tourney. I wound up tying for 5th out of 20+ in intermediate, playing very cautious and conservative in the wind...didn't have a particularly good round but did a good job of damage control most holes, avoiding big numbers.

Bag:
Drivers
170g ESP Force (9/10)- Very OS, strong headwind FH distance driver
168g ESP Force (7/10)- More turn than the other Force, BH strong headwind shots
175g Star Wraith (9/10)-Beefiest Wraith, still very new
175g Star Wraith (7/10)- Workhorse FH distance driver, BH drives with headwinds
171g Pro Wraith (7/10)- More US than the Star, also used for thumbers/tommy/ utility work
174g MOLF 1.3 (8/10)- Slightly OS control driver, mild headwinds or hyzer finish BH & FH
175g MOLF 1.3 (6/10)- Workhorse FH control driver, broken in to a longer Teebird flight, one of my favorite discs in my bag BH & FH
175g MOLF 1.1 (8/10)- Workhorse BH control driver
160g MOLF 1.1 (6/10)- Broken in OLF, more turn and less fade than all the others
175g Sexton Firebird (7/10)- Reliable straight to heavy fade FH, spike hyzer BH
166g Champion Firebird- (7/10)- FH rollers, skip shots, grenades, other OS utility shots
175g Lunar Quantum JLS (9/10)- workhorse fairway driver, turnover FH
164g MJLS (6/10)- Tailwind fairway driver, hyzer flips, turnovers

Midrange
172g Big Z Comet (8/10)- Hyzer flips, tailwind mid, helps keep my form clean
180g Elite Z Comet (9/10)- Holds straight longer than the lighter Comet
175g Jawbreaker Buzzz (5/10)- Workhorse BH midrange
179g Elite Z Buzzz (8/10)- More OS than the Jawbreaker, durable for wooded or rocky courses

Putt & Approach
175g Factory Store Pro Pig (7/10)- FH approach or tee shots from 275' and in, BH skip approaches
175g Factory Store Pro Pig(5/10)- Hit & stick hyzer approach shots, able to shape lines better than the newer Pig
175g Omega Supersoft 1.46 (7/10)- Main Putter
175g Omega Lunar Supersoft 1.2 (7/10)- Main approach disc, starting to take over as main putter too
175g Omega AP 1.15 (8/10)- Durable driving putter for wooded or rocky courses, touch FH upshots, short FH rollers

There have been a few slight changes to my bag. I decided to pull the Champ Tern out of my bag as an experiment after the Ice Bowl, as I was rarely throwing it...and can throw a Wraith just about as far BH anyways. The Tern had a slight bit more distance potential, but the Wraith is more predictable. I enjoy throwing the Tern, but doubt that I will be missing it much if at all during this experiment. Also, I figured that I should add in a few extras of discs I carry, making sure i have 2 of each mold bagged. Eventually, some of the extra copies may come out of the bag, but as I gear up for tournament season this year I'd like to make sure I have reliable backups.

I'm very happy with the bag as its configured currently, and am confident in all my bagged molds. My 2 newest molds, the Force and JLS, are working well and I will commit to using them, for the next few months for continuity (I may revisit some other fairway & OS max D molds in a few months). Set a new personal best yesterday, shooting -8 at The Aviary during another windy round. Hopefully I can keep some momentum going this month, as I will be playing my first sanctioned event there at the end of the month.

 

[HERB brooks]

It has been a while since my last ITB update. Played in my first ever sanctioned tournament on April Fools Day at the Aviary, had a blast. I wound up 6th out of 23 in intermediate. Started both rounds very poorly, blew any chance to compete for the lead with terrible front nines both rounds (+10 combined on the front 9...yikes). Luckily I was able to settle in and shoot much better on the back nine each round (-5 combined, hit big jumpers on 10th hole of the round both times to get some momentum). I didn't bring my A game, but feel fine with my first tournament (averaged 905 between the 2 rounds).

My bag has stayed very consistent since the last update, I replaced an OLF with another Sexton Firebird but that's been the only change over the last 3 months. Now that the summer heat is here, I plan on switching out the Supersoft Omegas for Delta T Omegas. The Supersofts will be relegated to colder weather putters, as they get waaaay too soft & floppy in 90 degree weather. I'm hoping to compete in another 3-4 sanctioned events this year and want to keep variables to a minimum.

Bag Since Last Update

3x Omega (1 Supersoft, 1 Lunar, 1 AP)
2x Pig (1 Factory Store Pro, 1 R-Pro)
2x Comet (1 Big Z, 1Elite Z)
2x Buzzz (1 Jawbreaker, 1 Elite Z)
2x JLS (1 MJLS, 1 Lunar QJLS)
3x MOLF (1-1.1, 2-1.3)
3x Firebird (2 Sexton, 1 Champion)
3x Wraith (1 Pro, 2 Star)
2x ESP Force

 

[HERB brooks]

A few slight changes in the bag since the last update, but the vast majority remains the same. I switched to Delta-T Omegas as my main putter for the summer months, as the Supersofts were becoming too soft for my liking. They are already quite soft, but the summer heat made the hand feel something I wasn't comfortable with, hence the switch to a harder plastic. I have also rotated out some of my older throwers with backups (OLFs, Wraiths, Pigs, Comets).

I recently played my second sanctioned event a couple weeks ago, this one at my home course Widefield Park. I placed 4th out of 16 in intermediate this time around, 5 strokes off the winner. My putting prevented me from making a legit push for the win, but otherwise I played fairly well. I'm hoping to play a couple more events here in the next month, but I may wait until the B tier in October to play my next event. I plan on keeping my bag as constant as possible until that point, but will try out a couple new molds in beer rounds throughout the summer (possibly trying out the MD3, Caiman, Mortar, BB Omega, Omega Driver, Aries, Shryke & revisiting the Cro, Xcaliber)

Bag:
Drivers
170g ESP Force (8/10)- Very OS, strong headwind FH distance driver
168g ESP Force (7/10)- More turn than the other Force, BH strong headwind shots
175g Star Wraith (8/10)-Beefiest Wraith, still very new
175g Star Wraith (7/10)- Workhorse FH distance driver, BH drives with headwinds
171g Pro Wraith (6/10)- More US than the Star, also used for thumbers/tommy/ utility work
174g MOLF 1.3 (7/10)- Slightly OS control driver, mild headwinds or hyzer finish BH & FH
175g MOLF 1.3 (6/10)- Workhorse FH control driver, broken in to a longer Teebird flight, one of my favorite discs in my bag BH & FH
160g MOLF 1.1 (6/10)- "Flippy" OLF, more turn and less fade than all the others
175g 2018 Sexton Firebird (8/10)- Reliable straight to heavy fade FH, spike hyzer BH
171g Champion Firebird- (7/10)- FH rollers, skip shots, grenades, other OS utility shots, FH headwinds & spike hyzer
175g Lunar Quantum JLS (8/10)- workhorse fairway driver, turnover FH
164g MJLS (6/10)- Tailwind fairway driver, hyzer flips, turnovers

Midrange
172g Elite X? Comet (5/10)- Beat to hell old school Comet, very flippy
180g Elite Z Comet (8/10)- Hyzer flips, tailwind mid, helps keep my form clean
175g Jawbreaker Buzzz (5/10)- Workhorse BH midrange
179g Elite Z Buzzz (7/10)- More OS than the Jawbreaker, durable for wooded or rocky courses

Putt & Approach
175g R-Pro Pig (7/10)- FH approach or tee shots from 275' and in, BH skip approaches
175g R-Pro Pig (5/10)- Hit & stick hyzer approach shots, able to shape lines better than the newer Pig
(2x)- 175g Delta-T Omega (7/10)- Main Putters
175g Omega Lunar Supersoft 1.2 (7/10)- Main approach disc, main putter in cooler weather
175g Omega AP 1.15 (5/10)- Durable driving putter for wooded or rocky courses, touch FH upshots, short FH rollers, recent PIAS find.

 

[Muddyboots]

Are your ESP Forces newer stamps or old style?

 

[HERB brooks]

Are your ESP Forces newer stamps or old style?

They are an older run of Force. I'm not sure how old they are, got them both used. One has a tourney stamp from 2011

 

[Muddyboots]

I assumed as much. Those sub 170 older ESPs are pretty amazing discs. The new ESPs with the bar stamp are hard if not impossible to find below 170. They (newer) also have more dome, which imparts some impressive glide. I'd love to find some lighter weight, domier ESP Forces. Happy Hucking, Herb.

 

[HERB brooks]

Hit my second ace of the year today at The Aviary on hole #7 with a Pro Pig. I have to get some more Pigs as thats now my third Pig ace out of my seven career aces (I retire ace discs now after losing a beloved Ace Pig).

Recent Bag:
3x Omega (2 Delta-T, 1 AP)
2x Pig (2 R-Pro)
2x Comet (1 Big Z, 1 Elite Z)
2x Buzzz (1 Jawbreaker, 1 Elite Z)
2x JLS (1 MJLS, 1 Lunar QJLS)
3x MOLF (1-1.1, 2-1.3)
2x Firebird (1 Sexton, 1 Champion)
3x Wraith (1 Pro, 2 Star)
2x ESP Force

I have been committed to this setup of 9 molds since February, which won't change until after tournament season is over. My last event I have signed up for is late October and would like to keep my core lineup the same for consistency's sake. I find the Omega to be a do it all type of putter that I am comfortable with on the green and off the tee. My putting has been steadily improving since making the switch from Wizards, and I am able to beat them in to understable much easier. Pigs, Comets, and Buzzz are a fantastic combo for my midrange needs. Between these 3 molds I have all my shots covered up to 300' (past that I'm likely to opt for a fairway unless there is a tailwind or drop off in elevation). My JLS, OLF, and Firebird combo is also very effective, although I need to get a couple more beat/ light weight JLS incase I lose my flippy MJLS. Wraiths have been my go to for distance drivers for the past couple of years now, they just aren't OS enough for me to cycle them like Destroyers can be cycled (I don't intend to switch to the Destroyer at the moment). While I really do like the Force, it is the only mold that could be in danger when I start to experiment with new molds in the fall/ winter.

Recent Experiments (mostly tournament winnings):
1x Color Glow MD3 (Crowned Eagle)- nice mold, but I prefer the Buzzz and Pig for the lines that my Crowned Eagle flies. Would be completely unnecessary in my current set up, but I may throw it in a travel bag.
1x Tournament World- the rim feels massive in my hand, and is much too overstable for my liking. A zero percent chance that this mold will ever end up in my bag.
1x Neutron Catalyst- gifted to me by a friend, I normally wouldn't throw anything this fast, but I can stretch this out a good 25-50 feet past my Wraiths on a consistent basis. Nice mold with huge distance potential.
1x Eclipse Octane- I bought this after playing a couple rounds with the aforementioned Catalyst and wanting something with a bit more stability. This is pretty close to the perfect distance driver for me at the moment. Borrowed one from the same buddy, and put a FH pin high on the 440' hole #14 at Rampart Park for my first ever birdie on that hole. This will get a good look as a max distance disc.
1x Star Shryke- kind of between the Catalyst and Octane in terms of stability, with comparable distance. The Shryke will also be getting an extended tryout as a max D disc later in the year.

 

[Brockness Monster]

Hit my second ace of the year today at The Aviary on hole #7 with a Pro Pig. I have to get some more Pigs as thats now my third Pig ace out of my seven career aces (I retire ace discs now after losing a beloved Ace Pig).

Recent Bag:
3x Omega (2 Delta-T, 1 AP)
2x Pig (2 R-Pro)
2x Comet (1 Big Z, 1 Elite Z)
2x Buzzz (1 Jawbreaker, 1 Elite Z)
2x JLS (1 MJLS, 1 Lunar QJLS)
3x MOLF (1-1.1, 2-1.3)
2x Firebird (1 Sexton, 1 Champion)
3x Wraith (1 Pro, 2 Star)
2x ESP Force

I have been committed to this setup of 9 molds since February, which won't change until after tournament season is over. My last event I have signed up for is late October and would like to keep my core lineup the same for consistency's sake. I find the Omega to be a do it all type of putter that I am comfortable with on the green and off the tee. My putting has been steadily improving since making the switch from Wizards, and I am able to beat them in to understable much easier. Pigs, Comets, and Buzzz are a fantastic combo for my midrange needs. Between these 3 molds I have all my shots covered up to 300' (past that I'm likely to opt for a fairway unless there is a tailwind or drop off in elevation). My JLS, OLF, and Firebird combo is also very effective, although I need to get a couple more beat/ light weight JLS incase I lose my flippy MJLS. Wraiths have been my go to for distance drivers for the past couple of years now, they just aren't OS enough for me to cycle them like Destroyers can be cycled (I don't intend to switch to the Destroyer at the moment). While I really do like the Force, it is the only mold that could be in danger when I start to experiment with new molds in the fall/ winter.

Recent Experiments (mostly tournament winnings):
1x Color Glow MD3 (Crowned Eagle)- nice mold, but I prefer the Buzzz and Pig for the lines that my Crowned Eagle flies. Would be completely unnecessary in my current set up, but I may throw it in a travel bag.
1x Tournament World- the rim feels massive in my hand, and is much too overstable for my liking. A zero percent chance that this mold will ever end up in my bag.
1x Neutron Catalyst- gifted to me by a friend, I normally wouldn't throw anything this fast, but I can stretch this out a good 25-50 feet past my Wraiths on a consistent basis. Nice mold with huge distance potential.
1x Eclipse Octane- I bought this after playing a couple rounds with the aforementioned Catalyst and wanting something with a bit more stability. This is pretty close to the perfect distance driver for me at the moment. Borrowed one from the same buddy, and put a FH pin high on the 440' hole #14 at Rampart Park for my first ever birdie on that hole. This will get a good look as a max distance disc.
1x Star Shryke- kind of between the Catalyst and Octane in terms of stability, with comparable distance. The Shryke will also be getting an extended tryout as a max D disc later in the year.

Congrats on the ace! I just ordered a couple of Pro Pigs to try out for Approaches. How do the R-Pros fly in comparison and what do you use them for?

 

[HERB brooks]

Congrats on the ace! I just ordered a couple of Pro Pigs to try out for Approaches. How do the R-Pros fly in comparison and what do you use them for?

Thank you, Both the Pro and R-Pro fly the same from my experience. The R-Pro tends to beat in faster than the Pro and is more prone to taking damage on hard tree hits. Really beat Pigs will retain their HSS but lose some of the late fade.

I mostly use my Pigs off the tee FH on 275' or shorter holes, and typically like to have a newer Pig for when I really need the LSS. I also bag a more beat in Pig for FH flex upshots and BH hyzer lines. I prefer the feel of the Pro plastic, but am trying to work in some new discs now that I retired my straighter Pig (my last Pro). R-Pro will beat in quickly enough, while it took about a year and a half to knock much stability off my Pros.

 

[HERB brooks]

Recent Bag:
4x Omega (2 Delta-T, 1 Quantum, 1 Lunar SS)
2x Pig (2 Factory Store Pro)
2x Buzzz (1 Jawbreaker, 1 Titanium)
2x JLS (1 MJLS, 1 Lunar QJLS)
1x Star Roadrunner
3x OLF (1-Sirius, 2-Standard)
2x Firebird (1 Sexton, 1 Color Glow)
3x Wraith (1 Pro, 2 Star)
1x ESP Force

Started to rotate some backups into my main bag for the last couple weeks. I also lost the Big Z Comet, which I will need to get a replacement for here eventually. I really enjoy throwing the Comet but am not going to bag one here for the time being. Its becoming an annual tradition to remove either the Buzzz or Comet for brief periods of time and later determine that I want both back in my bag.

The Roadrunner has been my most recent addition, as I haven't bagged a Star Roadrunner for quite some time. I find myself using it FH for strong tailwinds, hyzerflip to turnover wooded lines, and touch upshots. I have been very impressed with how good the Roadrunner has been performing for me and am throwing the JLS pair less as a result. I will be bagging both here for the offseason, and may remove one of the two molds here in the future. The molds are different enough where they could coexist in the bag without too much overlap so we'll see.



Visiting family down in Austin, TX I typically take this bag (or something close to it) with me, and try to play a couple new courses. This Time around i played Met Center and Searight, having played Roy G and Circle C the last trip on down (All are very enjoyable courses).

1 Gummy Quantum Omega- something durable for all putter shots
1 R-Pro Pig- always going to carry a Pig in any bag
1 Elite X Comet- all midrange shots
1 Elite X Mantis- this mold is an old favorite of mine, very solid workable fairway both FH & BH, something i may consider putting in the main bag
1 Gstar Thunderbird- great disc but I'm committed to the OLFs, very enjoyable mold to throw for straight to fade lines & big hyzers
1 Star Firebird- always going to bag a Firebird
1 Star Teerex- the Teerex is exclusively for throwing down in Austin, I used to bag this one a couple years ago, but pulled it due to it being OOP

 

[HERB brooks]

3x Omega (1 Quantum, 1 Lunar SS, 1 SS)
3x Pig (1 Pro, 2 R-Pro)
2x Buzzz (1 Jawbreaker, 1 Titanium)
2x Roadrunner (1 Champion, 1 Star)
3x MOLF (1-1.3, 2-1.1)
2x Firebird (1 Sexton, 1 Color Glow)
3x Wraith (1 Pro, 2 Star)
1x ESP Force

I have heavily rotated my putters in the past several weeks. Supersoft Omegas are back in place of the DT for winter months. Its becoming difficult to find the Lunar SS Omegas anymore, hopefully they will run some more in the near future. I may look into trying out the ET plastic at some point this winter as well. The newest Pro Pig to my bag, is oddly straight after a couple months use (not a bad thing). I can't remember one beating in this quickly, I'll have to test the rest of the small stack I got from the factory store and see if that one is a unicorn. I have added the 2 R-Pro from earlier in the year back to the bag for comparison.

I have temporarily replaced the 2 JLS in my bag with 2 Roadrunners. I didn't use either JLS too often, and should be able to get by using a Buzzz/Roadrunner/OLF in situations that I threw the JLS before. So far, there have been maybe 2-3 shots in the past 2 weeks since the JLS left the bag where I found myself missing them ( I do like throwing the JLS, they just might not be all that necessary). My goal for the rest of 2018 is to settle on my fairway lineup. OLFs and Firebirds are locked in to their roles, while the FD/JLS/Mantis/Roadrunner are all candidates to round out the lineup.

 

[HERB brooks]

3x Omega (1 Quantum, 1 Lunar SS, 1 SS)
-Been switching between a combo of Supersoft, Lunar SS, and Delta T for the past month. May just decide to split the difference and carry one of each. Then again, I could just add an extra thrower into the mix and roll with 4 Omegas. Weather can be unpredictable in CO, might not be a bad idea to mix hard and soft plastic.

3x Pig (1 Pro, 2 R-Pro)
-I will most likely cut this back to 2 Pigs in a month or two. The red Factory Store Pig throws forehand like a torque resistant Omega, definitely a unicorn. Its barely 3 months old and is already the straightest throwing Pig I've ever owned. I'm still adjusting to the lack of fade with that one.

2x Buzzz (1 Jawbreaker, 1 Elite Z)
-One straight to US, the other straight to OS. These haven't been getting thrown very much recently. I still like them, but they usually only come out a couple times per round. Dabbled with throwing an old 167g DX Roc this weekend too, good stuff. I should throw midrange discs more often than I do, they are fun to throw.

2x Roadrunner (1 Champion, 1 Star)
-I have thrown these two a whole bunch the last month to test them out and am impressed by their versatility. I throw them FH at least as often as BH, if not more. The Champ is noticeably more stable than the Star, but both play just fine both BH & FH. I use these often from bad lies, or with bad footing on icy teepads. Roadrunners are most definitely staying in the bag, perfect US utility & more.

4x OLF (3x MOLF, 1 QOLF)
-This is another slot that will almost certainly be cut back to 3. I added in the Zippertop QOLF just because it had been too long since I had thrown it, and wanted to give it a spin. The 3 MOLFs are split between a 1.3 and a pair of 1.1s (160g and 173g). I also need to throw these more often. I've been trying the Roadrunner and Firebird in many more situations now where I would have previously thrown the OLFs.

2x Firebird (1 Sexton, 1 Color Glow)
-One beef, and one more workable (non-Sexton color glow is the more OS). I throw these a whole lot when I'm playing safe and needing to stay in bounds. Both are trustworthy into a headwind, and make for perfect utility discs.

4x Wraith (1 Pro, 3 Star)
-These range in stability from slightly flippy to OS. The pro is the US Wraith, one that I can get to flip and fly backhand (only FH in a strong tailwind). I added in a Pop Top Star Wraith that a buddy from league sold me at the beginning of the year. It is pretty OS for a Star Wraith, enough where I've removed the Force from my bag. Nothing wrong with a bagging an OS distance driver, but I should be fine throwing Firebirds in headwinds and playing more conservatively when I would normally reach for the Force.

 

[riltim]

Interesting that you could cover your JLS shots with a RR. I bag both and for me the JLS gets used as a longer Buzzz. I throw the JLS a lot if I could reach it with my Buzzz but need to keep it low. My Roadrunners are for turnover shots or long downhill hyzerflips; ride the hill 10' off the ground and land flat.

 

[HERB brooks]

Interesting that you could cover your JLS shots with a RR. I bag both and for me the JLS gets used as a longer Buzzz. I throw the JLS a lot if I could reach it with my Buzzz but need to keep it low. My Roadrunners are for turnover shots or long downhill hyzerflips; ride the hill 10' off the ground and land flat.

My hometown is 6000+ feet above sea level, so that helps the Roadrunner stay straight for me. I could add the JLS back into the bag, as there's a definite gap between my most beat OLF and most stable RR. I feel pretty comfortable manipulating the release angles with those discs to cover any gap between them. I do like throwing the JLS, so they will probably get a run again in the future (or the Mantis, need to give those an extended run too).

 

[HERB brooks]

Hit my 3rd ace of the year on Sunday, on laughably short hole 8 (~140 ft) at Cumberland Green. Looked good the moment it left my hand, soft FH with my most beat in Pig. I went on to shoot a new PB of -13 that round, overall a pretty good day of DG. Gonna carry this bag for the remainder of 2018:

4x Omega
2x Pig
2x Buzzz
2x Roadrunner
3x OLF
2x Firebird
4x Wraith

I may throw a Birdie/Sonic/Piranha in the bag for ****s and giggles.

 

[HERB brooks]

With the last weekend of 2018 here, now is a good time to reflect upon my stated short term/ long term goals from the first post. I definitely feel like I have improved in 2018, but could do plenty more practicing to improve even more next year. I feel like I didn't do a very good job of sticking with some of the goals, but that will give me something to work on in 2019 also.

Additional Information: I'm looking to use the winter months to experiment with my bag and maybe try a few new discs. This will be the first year that I plan to compete in sanctioned tournaments.
What do you like/dislike about your current bag?:
-Need to settle on a fairway lineup that will complement my control driver setup of OLFs and Firebirds. Should be all settled by now, added in Roadrunners, may add a FD/JLS/Mantis if needed
-Would like to add a disc or two for OS max distance shots, something that is more stable than the Wraiths I bag. Force work very well in this slot, so does the Xcal. Wraiths should be stable enough unless the headwind is ripping though.

Immediate and long-term goals:
-I would like to continue develop my backhand game more, as I still throw farther FH. Ultimately I'd like to throw 400' regularly with both FH and BH. I'm not at 400' BH regularly, but can hit it with Wraiths when I get it right. BH still isn't consistent enough for my liking, so this will be a continued point of emphasis in 2019.
-Develop a stronger mental game by not losing focus after bad holes/shots. Could stand to be better mentally, but I have made good progress with this goal. Buying Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect was an eye opener.
-Spend more time in the field, rather than playing rounds all the time. My field session are too few and far between. I did a terrible job committing to a good practice routine. If I want to actually get better and compete in advanced this year, I have to focus on field sessions
-Learn to throw BH rollers and incorporate them into my game. Didn't really get around to trying the BH roller this year, will have to work on those in 2019
-Become PDGA member, play in multiple sanctioned tournaments, and earn a 900+ rating. I didn't become a PDGA member, but I only played in 2 events this year. My rounds all ranged between 893-914 in those events so I would have been fairly close to 900 rated, though in a very small sample size. I would like to play 5 events this year so that the PDGA membership pays for itself.
-Improve my putting from inside the circle, especially from 25 ft to circles edge. Still room for improvement, but this is one area that I have made significant progress from the start of the year. Circles edge still gives me trouble though, would rather have an 11 meter putt than a 8 or 9 meter so that I can jump putt.