[Innova] Is the Katana like cheating?

[optidiscic]

Throwing clean and flat is hard to do and the high speed understables will expose this flaw rather quickly. Some slower arms will not approach the speed to turnover the katana but the speed and glide will add dramatic d to their throw even with bad form.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

You bring up an interesting point, I've always wondered if 'Speed' refered to the speed of the disc or arm. You make it sound like two totally different properties of a disc. So, the Katana itself has a speed factor?

I've always took speed to mean if I slow my arm down and don't throw as hard, the disc properties are now irrelevant. But, if I throw a disc with my full arm motion (as a pro tester would) the disc now performs understable. You're saying there's an independent value for how fast a disc will go. Am I saying the same thing.....I just confused myself.

 

[optidiscic]

To me there is armspeed required and disc speed. The high glide and turn design allows a slower arm to not get so severely punished as he would with a low glide low turn high fade disc like a high speed max which will go very fast into a fade and into the ground. A katana will go very fast but may not experience the entire turn and might crash before a full fade is possible thus it mimicks a straight disc in a weaker arm.

 

[TxDiscGolfBoy]

Not the Katana.

The Ninja is the cheater disc.

I have 2 Katanas, both on my wall. Have had some nice shots with them, but would rather stick to wraiths and valks for that kind of distance.
...personally.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

Exactly...what you're saying is what I experience with the Katana. If I threw it wide open as hard as I could, it would go right. I can throw it with a lot of snap and less arm, and that thing is going straight as arrow. I used to turn over an old Star 172 Sidewinder as well, and now I can S it like crazy. I think the Katana has helped me with form much more than hurt.

I mentioned before, I wondered why more women aren't throwing it. I have yet to play somewhere and someone not ask me about what I'm throwing. Even Frank said to me at doubles, "You're rockin' those Katana's". The women I play with say they don't throw them b/c they are too overstable.

So let me ask you this...do you think maybe my arm speed is greater than their's or do I have worse form?

 

[climbingbubba]

What did the throw look like?

It looked like a straight low line with a wicked hyzer spike at the end.

This disc is not for you.

I couldn't agree more. It was definately the worst purchase to date for me.

I ended up picking up a lat64 opto River, an avenger SS, and put my dx leopard back in my bag today. I was getting all of them well over 300 feet and even over threw a 300 foot basket by 30 feet with the avenger ss and 75+ feet with a hyzer flipped leopard.


so the katana is not for me and probably never will be.

 

[Valktastic]

Steroids yes. Katana No. In a year or two they will have another disc that goes farther and better and the same question will be asked about it.

See valkyrie, wraith, boss when they first came out.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

Man...fork in the road...will the Katana change the Face of DG???? I go back to Nadal, he is using the lightest racket, with the smallest grip, the tightest strings.....what's wrong with technology?

I have aced a 290 foot hole with one and I'm close to deucing a 320 ft slightly uphill hole. Not to mention my All Divisions CTP at my last PDGA on a 276 ft hole. AND this tournament included some good ones...I even saw Frank D's name two spots above mine

I must say something else here, just b/c it's an awesome accomplishment...Brian Schweberger played that tourney too. Just wanted to slip that in there.

 

[optidiscic]

Man...fork in the road...will the Katana change the Face of DG???? I go back to Nadal, he is using the lightest racket, with the smallest grip, the tightest strings.....what's wrong with technology?

I have aced a 290 foot hole with one and I'm close to deucing a 320 ft slightly uphill hole. Not to mention my All Divisions CTP at my last PDGA on a 276 ft hole. AND this tournament included some good ones...I even saw Frank D's name two spots above mine

I must say something else here, just b/c it's an awesome accomplishment...Brian Schweberger played that tourney too. Just wanted to slip that in there.

So this disc has allowed some lesser players previous unattainable distance and succes?

 

[U_NICED_ME]

I don't know that I'm lesser, I've always showed promise

 

[climbingbubba]

I don't know that I'm lesser, I've always showed promise

how are you throwing a katana for only 290 feet and not having it hyzer like crazy at the end? are you just throwing a low lazer at it or what? Im now throwing BH between 300 and 350 on a good throw and couldn't even come close to throwing the katana right.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

I guess it just suits all my throwing properties. And, these are beat Pro-Katanas so I think they lose some of that skip after a while.

 

[optidiscic]

how are you throwing a katana for only 290 feet and not having it hyzer like crazy at the end? are you just throwing a low lazer at it or what? Im now throwing BH between 300 and 350 on a good throw and couldn't even come close to throwing the katana right.

I think plastic types, stage of wear and weights have a lot to do with this. Also if you throw it low to the ground it won't have as much time to goof off in the air.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

Are you just throwing a low lazer at it or what?

That is a good line with a Katana, catch a good tailwind and the thing is like a missle.

 

[climbingbubba]

i got a pro katana today but it seemed way out of my range. Its funny how some discs work good for some people's style but not others. So if anyone wants a slightly used Pro katana let me know ha ha

oh well, im really stoked on the opto river and the avenger SS right now.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

i got a pro katana today but it seemed way out of my range. Its funny how some discs work good for some people's style but not others.

Well, I can say that sometimes it takes weeks or months for a disc to do what you ultimately want it to do. Everyone needs to learn to be patient with their discs. Study the flight charts, evaluate your needs, and then expect that eventually you will get the disc tuned to the desired flight patterns.

I'm not saying the Katana is right for you, just offering advice b/c you gave up on a disc so easily. You bought it today and already you are done.

 

[climbingbubba]

Well, I can say that sometimes it takes weeks or months for a disc to do what you ultimately want it to do. Everyone needs to learn to be patient with their discs. Study the flight charts, evaluate your needs, and then expect that eventually you will get the disc tuned to the desired flight patterns.

I'm not saying the Katana is right for you, just offering advice b/c you gave up on a disc so easily. You bought it today and already you are done.

I do understand that it could maybe become good but thats alot to gamble on if i did use it for months and tons of bad throws and having it never turn out like i want instead of using a disc that i can pick up off the shelf and throw good right away (like the lat64 river, leopard, and avenger SS). I guess thats why some people get really pissed when they lose their discs. for me its no big deal cause i can just drop 10 more buck on a new one that should fly about the same as the one i lost.

I agree on the patience thing though. I should have been more patient with the discs i had and never bought the katana. I have a whole milk crate full of discs that wont be used anytime soon (most of which would make more sense than the katana at this point in my game though)

 

[climbingbubba]

Also im not trying to say your wrong or argue with why you like. I know sometimes its hard to distinguish what people are trying to say over the internet. im just pointing out that it was definately not for me and my style. Im still really new to this sport and was not ready for the katana.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

No, I understand what you are saying, completely. Hold on to some things, when you are ready for them you will be glad you have them. Also, another thing, when trying out something like a driver...go for the cheap plastic and lighter weights. That will give you an idea of how something heavier in premium plastic will fly once beat in and won't cost you a fortune.

I started with a 150 class R-Pro Katana and now throw a 169 Pro. I still have my longest throw ever with the 150 but...it was too unpredictable and flipped over. BUT, I knew after seeing my max distance that this was the disc for me, then I just upgraded

 

[skurf]

That is a good line with a Katana, catch a good tailwind and the thing is like a missle.

I don't like that low line-drive shot with the Katana. I've thrown that line before with a hyzer-flip, but it's not the easiest shot for me to control-- not enough hyzer and it turns over into the ground before it really gets going and too much hyzer and it will have a humongo skip off to the left. I have a bag-full of discs that can do that shot better at maybe 5'-10' less total distance.

My favorite shot with the Pro Katana (and the one that goes about 40' further than any other disc) needs a lot of room to work, but it's actually a line that I can use at a lot of courses around here (actual golf lines not just open field holes). I give it a flat release and try to get around 50-60 feet of air under it. What this disc does better than any other disc is turn so you have to give it enough height for it to run its full course and not be cut short by the ground, and with enough height it will still fade back at the end for some extra D.

Take Hole 12 at Circle C-- I'll throw the Katana from either the short or long tee on this hole, but the short tee shows a great example of the type of golf line this disc opens up for me; the long tee is throwing down a hill over a bunch of trees.

Hole 12 @ Circle C (474')- Throw high and to the left of the Oak in the middle and let it snake its way around the tree and back to the fairway.

Hole 3 @ Searight (534')- I don't throw it as high because I don't want it to fade left at the end on this one...maybe 35' with a flat release.

Hole 1 @ Circ Hill at Circle R(608')- The angle of that hill is about the angle that the Katana turns at so I'll throw it up the hill and have it turn back down the hill hopefully making it through one of the gaps in the tree line on the hill. A little bigger arm and I could be throwing over those tress on the hill.

Ahhhhh!!! This disc is so much fun. I could go on and on about the holes around here that it kicks ass on.