Introduction - New Girl from San Diego

[Tim_the_Enchanter]

The Leopard is indeed a great disc, it was the first I really started to "get it" with, and it stayed in my bag a long time. The problem with it is that it was created when there was no such thing as Champion plastic, and wasn't designed for that particular blend. When it's made in Champ, the flight characteristics change significantly (it's the case with a lot of older models). I haven't found a Leopard in premium plastic that flies like a good old DX one. If you want a disc that flies similar but in a more durable plastic, you'll have to look for a different mold. Incidentally, that River you're throwing is probably going to be one of the closer comparisons. You might try that in different plastic types at some point to see how they compare.

There are a few different flight charts out there that compare discs from different companies to help you narrow down choices, I find Marshall Street's to be one of the easier to navigate, especially for noobies. (Ctrl + F is your friend).

 

[McCready]

Just keep throwing DX/base for now. You most likely are not throwing hard enough to damage/break-in those discs very fast, and you will not be blowing as much money buying premium plastic that you don't want to throw because they don't work for you. Get used to the DX's, then when you get more experience you will know when to start moving into more premium plastic. I also suggest 150 class drivers, and mids around 170 for you. X Comets are great, I would also suggest to you an X Stratus. Good luck and have fun.

I would second the X Stratus recommendation. Flies straight without needing a ton of power, and great glide. Excellent to throw on an anny line too. And it has a shallow rim so it's great for smaller hands. Big fan.

 

[Jhamed16]

Thank you all for your suggestions! I borrowed a leopard and definitely miss it, thanks to Eric I'll be getting another and a comet. One of my buddies has a mamba that I'm going to try and I'll look into the Stratus to see if I like it.

 

[pecosROB]

Welcome to the forum and Disc Golf! I just started last year and love the sport so much I decided to start selling discs! Sounds like your bag is off to a good start!

 

[4ormal]

I would second the X Stratus recommendation. Flies straight without needing a ton of power, and great glide. Excellent to throw on an anny line too. And it has a shallow rim so it's great for smaller hands. Big fan.

+1 totally on this. I just discovered the Stratus and I'm hooked. Its a great mid range for slower arms.

 

[DiscFifty]

hmm..I would just buy a stable putter and go throw that for a few weeks instead of worrying about all this variety of discs at this early stage. Once you can throw that putter level, straight, then start looking at other discs. If you are set on buying a bunch of plastic, start with understable discs in the 130-150g range. (Mambas, Leopards, Wombats, etc) They will be much easier to throw. Yah...you want to combine fun while learning the game so get out there and throw whatever you want, but you'll do your form good by just mainly focusing on a putter for a while until you can throw it straight, level, (about 6-10ft high) out to 150-200ft. Welcome, hi, all that good stuff!

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

^^ I agree with this, but at the same time it is more fun to go play rounds with your full arsenal sometimes.

I think theowing with putters to improve form is great advice. Do so a few rounds, and in field practice as well and it will improve your form. But I also think there is merit to playing a few rounds with a variety of discs and throwing that variety in field practice also. Throwing putters will improve your form for sure, but throwing a variety of discs helps you learn your discs as well, and shows how shots can be shaped left, right, straight, s-curve, et cetera.

I personally think that one of the most important things to learning this sport is playing with others. If you get a chance to play with some different people do so, I think it can improve your game a lot quicker and better than practicing and playing alone. My $.02.

 

[simpletwist]

All the light "beginner friendly" discs from Lat64 are worth a look. My wife particuarly loves the Diamond and the Pearl, both around 150g. And the 150g Truth is a great alternative to a Buzzz.

I agree that the Leopard is a great driver and something to reconsider if your Champion was much over 160g. Stick with a Leopard in the 150 range. I prefer the Champion and even better Star plastic though. Sure they take a little longer to break in but worth the time and effort getting them to that perfectly seasoned feel.

Good luck and welcome to the site.

 

[Dan Ensor]

^^ I agree with this, but at the same time it is more fun to go play rounds with your full arsenal sometimes.

I think theowing with putters to improve form is great advice. Do so a few rounds, and in field practice as well and it will improve your form. But I also think there is merit to playing a few rounds with a variety of discs and throwing that variety in field practice also. Throwing putters will improve your form for sure, but throwing a variety of discs helps you learn your discs as well, and shows how shots can be shaped left, right, straight, s-curve, et cetera.

I personally think that one of the most important things to learning this sport is playing with others. If you get a chance to play with some different people do so, I think it can improve your game a lot quicker and better than practicing and playing alone. My $.02.

Most of the women I've worked with had more of a problem with nose angle and using too much hyzer, rather than OAT. So the putter work usually isn't as helpful for them. Testosterone filled hulk-smashing guys usually need the putter work most.

None of the discs mentioned thus-far will be detrimental to your form, imo.

 

[BrotherDave]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I went out to play at Morley field yesterday and there were so many trees! My DXs got beat up and will wear down a lot faster if I keep going there. I think I'll go to a different field until I get better, and as my discs wear down I'll look into replacing them with the Pro o G star plastic. Thank you all, it's all really helpful information!

DX and other facsimile plastics are great for beginners but if you're playing a course with lots of trees or rocks you might be better off learning with the Champ/Opto/Z/Star/Gold Line etc plastic so the flight patterns don't change quickly on you. You can get x-out and factory 2nd Champ discs for about the price of DX if you hunt around the big online stores. Plus, there are always the Used bins at Play It Again Sports et al for cheap plastic that's already beaten in for you.

It's important that a disc give you accurate feedback so you can adjust your form accordingly. If a disc beats up too quickly it can be difficult to tell when it's the archer or the arrow. Between beat used discs, understable discs and light discs you should be able to find some premium plastic options to learn how to throw with. Once you start to get the basics down, i.e. somewhat avoid those pesky trees, then you can grab some multiples in DX and really hunker down on the technique.

 

[Jhamed16]

Wow, thank you all for the advice!!

 

[Stone County Flyer]

Try an mvp amp in neutron plastic. This disc can fly flat, turnover, or hyzer just using varying release angles. It also has great glide. You could start with a lighter weight.