[Help] How do you decide what to bag and keep it in there?

[rusch_bag]

I have a very indecisive personality and really like to try way too many different types of discs from whatever manufacture. I can't keep my bag the same for more than a round and obviously I would play better if I kept my bag the same for an extended period of time. With so many viable options these days how do you keep your bag the same and how do you decide what to bag?

 

[swhite]

A lot of trial and error for me.

I don't ever ask other people how discs fly; I find out for myself. This means that lots of molds get tried. Most don't stick, but some do. A mold has to work out well for me in order to remain in the bag.

 

[rusch_bag]

A lot of trial and error for me.

I don't ever ask other people how discs fly; I find out for myself. This means that lots of molds get tried. Most don't stick, but some do. A mold has to work out well for me in order to remain in the bag.

I try way too many discs and I like way too many of them too. That leads to my wallet getting a lot thinner. I am pretty good at sticking with mold minimalism, but you can build a solid bag from 10+ companies these days. I got really sucked in to the discraft bandwagon and they have some nice discs, but I am already missing other molds from other manufactures that fly pretty much the exact same. I put the same disc in my bag with a different name over and over. I want to pick one final bag, but I have no idea how to narrow it down and stick with it.

 

[aphilso1]

I actually keep a spreadsheet of all the discs that I own, organized by stability and speed class. I then color code discs as either:
-green (core part of my bag)
-yellow (in the rotation)
-orange (only bag in specific situations, such as discs that I only use in the snow), and
-red (don't plan to bag again; available to sell or trade)

My 'green' discs are typically my most thrown and trusted. I almost always carry them, and they make up about 2/3 of my bag.
Most of the remaining 1/3 of my bag are from the 'yellow' category. Some of those are discs where two discs share the same slot in the bag. For example, a beat Getaway and fresh Escape have similar stability but with slightly different finishes...I rotate which one gets bagged on a given day. Others are backups of a 'green' disc, and I'll swap it in every once in a while just to stay familiar with it.
Currently with snow on the ground I'm bagging more of my orange category than normal. It's kind of nice, because those are discs I used to really like but for whatever reason I moved away from. It's like a mini reunion. Also I don't care as much if I slip on the ice and griplock them into a snowbank, never to be found again. These are also discs that I'll travel with since I have a tendency to lose discs on unfamiliar courses.
At the point I realize that I wouldn't bag a disc in any situation, it gets bumped down to the red category. On the rare occasion that I lose a disc and it's returned, I reward the finder with a disc from my red stack. I've also given a bunch away to people that are just starting out.

 

[RocBottom]

I use to buy discs left and right and had at least a new disc in my bag every round. After a while you tend to figure out which discs really work for you. I've never had a "set bag" but I do have at least 12 discs that are mainstays in my bag.

 

[Twmccoy]

This is actually a pretty good question. I think everyone in DG has the desire to constantly try new molds and see how they stack up against what you currently bag.


I generally bag discs based on the following:

How consistently I can put the disc on the line I want. I don't want to throw a disc and have it do different things every time I throw it. This mainly comes into play with stable or understable discs. I don't want a disc that randomly flips at the wrong time.

How readily available the disc is. Just about every disc I bag I have backups for. I don't want to throw something super rare that's impossible to replace.

How a disc performs in wind. This is very important. If I'm looking for an overstable fairway or distance driver I don't want a disc getting flippy in headwinds. Same goes for downwind. I want something understable that will flip up and ride nicely. I also tend to stay away from mids that get tossed around too much by wind.

What plastic a disc is made of. I bag premium plastic. I don't like trifling with pro, DX, or X. I think that plastic gets destroyed too quickly and it isn't worth the hassle.

Sheer distance: This isn't the #1 thing I look for in a driver, but it is still important. For an open hole you want a driver you can absolutely lean on for big yards.

I don't change my bag up often. A disc has to absolutely blow me away on the course in a tryout for me to start bagging it. That said, if I notice I'm consistently throwing some mold in my bag poorly I'll start looking to replace it. Most of the molds in my bag have been there a long time.

 

[slowplastic]

I think of discs in slots. If it fills the need of "neutral fairway" or "OS wind fighter" or whatever it doesn't matter to me what the stamp is on it. That stops me from needing to keep tweaking things, just knowing it would take that same slot as something I already have and use.

If I'm between two discs then I see if one is better for both BH and FH for me since I throw 50/50. I also compare wind resistance or effective power range. Then I look at plastic durability, especially to compare if it's something I want to stay the same for a long time like a beefy driver, or if it's for a slot that would pick up a ton of distance so a bit of a beat in would be ok.

Basically I just feel like I need to look forward to throwing whatever disc is right for the line in front of me. If I am worried about it doing something weird when I take it out of the bag, then I get the itch to try something new in that slot. Otherwise I know that a new stamp won't change how I throw.

 

[Jowie]

I used to carry 20 discs and a buddy suggested that I might try to narrow it down. What I did was take my favorite 6 discs and only play with them. If I noticed a gap or missing shot, I approached it one at a time. That approach worked well for me. Now I still am at 6 discs and 5 molds and I am much more confident with my shots. I recommend trying to find the discs you like to throw the most and working out from there.

 

[etdefender19]

One of the things I love about this sport is that building the "perfect" bag for me requires a lot of tweaking and trying new molds
I'm pretty settled now, but I've spent a lot of money over the last three years getting it that way
I did the spreadsheet thing for a while but now have settled on a list
After every round, I look at the list - particularly discs I didn't throw that round - and see if changes can be made and go from there
OCD and ADD, both of which I have a touch of, are a blessing and a curse in this instance

 

[Moose33]

For me, it was essenially trying discs until one of te did the thing I wanted it to do. And they typically stay that slot unless they go OOP(Trident), the mold changes/new run is less good(Ape), or I just try something that is just serendipitously perfect(Stego).

The only thing that I can't ever say is unlikely to change is putters. I've tried tons and like the Atom and Swan2 the most, but I don't know that I have any disc at this point I would say is MY putter.

 

[Casey 1988]

This is actually a pretty good question. I think everyone in DG has the desire to constantly try new molds and see how they stack up against what you currently bag.


I generally bag discs based on the following:

How consistently I can put the disc on the line I want. I don't want to throw a disc and have it do different things every time I throw it. This mainly comes into play with stable or understable discs. I don't want a disc that randomly flips at the wrong time.

How readily available the disc is. Just about every disc I bag I have backups for. I don't want to throw something super rare that's impossible to replace.

How a disc performs in wind. This is very important. If I'm looking for an overstable fairway or distance driver I don't want a disc getting flippy in headwinds. Same goes for downwind. I want something understable that will flip up and ride nicely. I also tend to stay away from mids that get tossed around too much by wind.

What plastic a disc is made of. I bag premium plastic. I don't like trifling with pro, DX, or X. I think that plastic gets destroyed too quickly and it isn't worth the hassle.

Sheer distance: This isn't the #1 thing I look for in a driver, but it is still important. For an open hole you want a driver you can absolutely lean on for big yards.

I don't change my bag up often. A disc has to absolutely blow me away on the course in a tryout for me to start bagging it. That said, if I notice I'm consistently throwing some mold in my bag poorly I'll start looking to replace it. Most of the molds in my bag have been there a long time.

I am about the same way except I tended to hang on to discs in my bag that do not work for me like I did with the Stingray up to end of 2017. I did try in 2018 the Shark 3 as I wanted a less putter glide mid rage of the Shark still in bag and I got the Stalker to replace the XL in Z that was worn in to be even slower then when new and the Z Stalker flies the way XL in a Pro D new and then ESP fly but no dump at the end, I still have ESP XL bag for winter/water use. That was my changed that and I did get an Archer in 2017 for both a more right flying disc and a roller as my replacement for a X plastic Express, and uncomfortable disc I only used for the right shot. I hardly ever change disc molds out of my bag though I have switched plastic types for some discs, the Putter Magnet was in Pro D with the stiff pre 2006 as the shorter range disc now main putters as of August 2017 they are 2 Jawbreaker as one of the discs the modern softer Pro D Magnet warped on a putt I was trying to hyzer putt around a tree but hit the dang tree instead so the newer Pro D magnet is long gone. So I do change discs and get new plastics for discs. In 2016 I got a Star Shark for my bag as the Pro was getting to be straight and not OS like I needed for some parts of play.

yeah lots of trial for discs was needed to keep them in the bag in the 2000's. However I kept discs in the bag too long that were not working as I still do today. The putting putter being a Discraft Putt'r in soft X that did not work for me was one that was in the bag for a long time before I gave on the mold about 2.5 years in the 2000's. Also had a DX Stingray or two in my bags since 2003 not the same one but rather different discs up to 2017 as well as weights before finding out the mold was not going to ever work for me.

 

[Bogey B.O.B.]

I didn't play for about seven years due to back injury and when I return to the game four years ago the disc market had exploded. Knowing that I had a similar personality to the OP, I decided to stick to one manufacture to narrow down the options.

Looking at my old bag I realized that most of the molds that I really clicked with were Discraft/DGA and I went with it. I have stuck to the plan and it seems to have really worked well for me. A few new molds a year is enough to keep me interested but it's not going to hurt my wallet. My lineup changes a bit here and there but nothing drastic.

I don't necessarily feel that any particular manufacturer is better than another. It just comes down to personal preference. For me, my "brand loyalty" is about keeping it simple.

 

[zontar]

enjoy swapping out molds now and then. yeah, I think I might play SLIGHTLY better if I stuck to molds a little more, but I like the fun/experimentation/challenge of trying different stuff and revisiting old friends. if you do it long enough you'll start to learn to throw unique lines with discs you wouldn't expect.

 

[rusch_bag]

I also just realized you guys are probably the worst people to ask, because you are the other crazies like me that are on a message board to talk about frisbees. You all are the ones trying everything with me. I think part of the theory crafting and the process of putting together a bag that can complete every shot is just as fun for me as actually playing the game. I think the hardest part for me to maintain is that I can go and shoot well with a bag of discs I have never thrown before as I have a general idea of how they are supposed to fly based on what I read here and the flight numbers. I think I also get satisfaction from pissing people off on the course by beating them with discs I haven't ever thrown. I think I have a problem.

 

[Casey 1988]

I didn't play for about seven years due to back injury and when I return to the game four years ago the disc market had exploded. Knowing that I had a similar personality to the OP, I decided to stick to one manufacture to narrow down the options.

Looking at my old bag I realized that most of the molds that I really clicked with were Discraft/DGA and I went with it. I have stuck to the plan and it seems to have really worked well for me. A few new molds a year is enough to keep me interested but it's not going to hurt my wallet. My lineup changes a bit here and there but nothing drastic.

I don't necessarily feel that any particular manufacturer is better than another. It just comes down to personal preference. For me, my "brand loyalty" is about keeping it simple.

That is my bag, I stuck with 99% Innova and Discraft as those discs were the top brands when I started in 2003. I do have a Lighting disc in my bag #2 Upshot in Prostyle for Uphill and Downhill putting but because it was a good disc and I might get my Jawbreaker putter for longer putts and Hazard once that is too floppy for my main longer putter. I have used Gateway Wizard and Lighting discs the #2 driver a disc like an XL as well. Now I keep a mostly simple bag since late 2000's In 2009 to 2014 I totally stopped Disc Golf but in 2015 I looked at all the brands and since then the market mostly Outside USA made discs has exploded as well as a few brands newer in the USA as well as mini side brands for some companies.

 

[Twmccoy]

I used to carry 20 discs and a buddy suggested that I might try to narrow it down. What I did was take my favorite 6 discs and only play with them. If I noticed a gap or missing shot, I approached it one at a time. That approach worked well for me. Now I still am at 6 discs and 5 molds and I am much more confident with my shots. I recommend trying to find the discs you like to throw the most and working out from there.

I think mold minimalism is a good thing. It reduces confusion and forces you to become extremely familiar with the few molds you do carry. You end up becoming a more versatile player when you have to use discs for shots you might not otherwise.

I think a lot of players carry far too many discs when they play. You end up overthinking every shot and always wonder whether you're selecting the right disc or not.

 

[Twmccoy]

I also just realized you guys are probably the worst people to ask, because you are the other crazies like me that are on a message board to talk about frisbees. You all are the ones trying everything with me. I think part of the theory crafting and the process of putting together a bag that can complete every shot is just as fun for me as actually playing the game. I think the hardest part for me to maintain is that I can go and shoot well with a bag of discs I have never thrown before as I have a general idea of how they are supposed to fly based on what I read here and the flight numbers. I think I also get satisfaction from pissing people off on the course by beating them with discs I haven't ever thrown. I think I have a problem.

I think disc golf is one of those games you kinda have to discover yourself. You have to determine how much time, money, and physical/mental fortitude you want to devote to it. I agree that no one can really tell you how many discs to carry or of what mold.

I also agree that its sometimes fun to go out with unfamiliar discs and see what they do. Oftentimes I'll toss 1 random disc in my bag for a "tryout" of a couple rounds. Usually the disc gets used for those two rounds only. However, I've discovered a few real winners that way and they made the bag. Half the fun of DG is trying new discs, and I've tried a great many to find the ones I currently bag.

There are so many redundant options on the market now that its pretty much impossible to find 1 disc that flies noticeably better or worse than other similar models. It all comes down to which brand/molds you ultimately decide to bag and try to get consistent with.

 

[Casey 1988]

I think mold minimalism is a good thing. It reduces confusion and forces you to become extremely familiar with the few molds you do carry. You end up becoming a more versatile player when you have to use discs for shots you might not otherwise.

I think a lot of players carry far too many discs when they play. You end up overthinking every shot and always wonder whether you're selecting the right disc or not.

Problem is that some of those players with far too many discs have a mold for every shot type scenario and often but not always have from throwing putters to fastest drivers on the market. I kind of do that with 10 molds but then I have less molds then one with far too many discs just have a lot of discs as some are in different plastics and then Backups of discs if the disc only comes in one plastic type or I like that disc in only one plastic type.

 

[Jolt]

Building the "perfect bag" is a fun sport in it self. . . and i LIKE to test disc, i basicly have someting new to test every time i go out to throw. . i just love testing discs
Sure its expensive, but most sports are.

 

[mball1684]

For me, it's a step by step process. It starts with what brand/brands I wanna throw. Then it goes to what 4 primary molds I like (driver,FH disc,mid & putter). After that I fill in the secondary slots (fairway, approach, OS mid, roller, utility). One I get the molds hammered out it's a matter of plastic preference for flights. Then lastly I figure out how many of each mold I want in the bag and I'm set. This process is usually about 4-6 weeks with about 4-6 rounds in there. Plus pitting & field work.