Just discovered Discraft discs!

[speedyB]

I've only been playing DG for about a month, and the addiction has set in. All I want to do is play disc golf. I've accumulated a random assortment of about 13 discs in the last few weeks, and now that I found a proper form and educated myself on what constitutes a proper bag I'm looking to put a real bag together.

I started out buying some used discs, an Innova starter pack, and some other random discs. Some were way beyond my ability, like the Avenger. My best throws were with the beat 166 Cobra I bought used and the 150 DX Leopard that came in the starter pack. I decided this morning to stop at my local sporting goods store (Sports Basement in SF) and saw they had a bunch of Discraft stuff. I bought the starter set plus a 173 Z Buzzz SS. Played a round after work today and WHOA. Best round yet. I love the 166 Pro-D Cyclone. The 173 Z Buzzz SS goes exactly where I want it to go. With the 150-class Innova starter set it was almost too easy for me to turn the Leopard which resulted in many shots which ended-up further right than I wanted.

Help me figure out what to set aside and what belongs in the bag! In particular I'd like to know why I should include each disc. Am I missing anyhting? The more minimalist the better (I've been playing all rounds with putter-mid-driver only).

Vitals:
Years playing/experience: 1 month
Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: right-handed
Throwing Style: RHBH (RHFH or OH only when absolutely req.)
Golf Distance (avg/max) for putter/mid/driver: APX: I never drive with my putter; Buzzz: 175/225'; Cyclone: 200/250'


Other Info:
Age: 27
Sex: M
Injuries/handicaps?: Broke my right clavicle, scapula, and a few ribs in 2009
Other sport proficiencies?: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking
What do you like/dislike about your current bag?: Too many discs above my ability level, but not sure what to do with 150-class stuff (do they have a place in my bag?)
Specific areas of desired feedback: Want to figure out a 5-6 disc bag that will work for an amateur like myself
Immediate and long-term goals: Improved putting in the short-term. Extend distance and learn to throw faster drivers in the future.


Current Bag:

Driver:
166 Pro-D Cyclone (new) - main driver (love this disc) - but I guess I need something longer for for L-R drives

Mid:
173 Z Buzzz SS (new) - main mid (love this disc) - don't feel the need for anything else

Putters:
173 Soft X APX (new) - main putter (love this disc) - don't want to have more than one putter in the bag

Extra Drivers:
168 Champ Leopard (new) - not consistent with this disc, throws more stable for me
150 DX Leopard (new) - too little HSS to be main driver
168 Champ Valk (new) - still seems too fast for my skill level
175 Champ Wraith (used) - found this, no name, haven't even tried to throw it
164 FLX Avenger (new) - bought this when I didn't know any better, would love to have a use for it though

Extra Mids:
166 Dub-Circle Cobra (beat) - big S-curves when I throw this guy (not sure which plastic)
150 Pro-D Buzzz (new) - came in starter pack, haven't thrown it yet
150 DX Shark (new) - came in starter pack, not very consistent with this disc

Extra Putters:
168 Star Aviar P&A (new) - former main putter
150 DX Aviar P&A (new) - used for one round only, seems too light

 

[Mabuku1]

You will need more than one putter in your bag if you plan on practicing your putts.

The leopard is an understable disc, so I think you are confusing stable and understable flight patterns. It is a great driver foranything under 300'. That should stay in the bag and get thrown from the tee till you get it's flight path down.

The shark is a good midrange disc and the cobra as well. Those two and the buzzz kindof cover midrange pretty good.

The rest of your drivers are too fast for you untill you can bomb your midrange discs close to 250'-300'.

You are just starting out, so you will be discovering a ton of new tricks each of your discs do. Just keep using them all and you will like them all. Watching youtube pro's clinics will help you throw farther and more consistantly.

Good luck!

 

[Mabuku1]

On another note. You state that you just discovered discraft. Keep in mind that there are dozens of companies that have incredible discs for all ranges. I suggest finding a store that hase a decent selection of companies. Innova and discraft are not the "be all, end all" of disc golf.

 

[speedyB]

Thanks for the recs.

You will need more than one putter in your bag if you plan on practicing your putts.

Great point. I guess I should say I want to stick to one putter mold.

The shark is a good midrange disc and the cobra as well. Those two and the buzzz kindof cover midrange pretty good.

Is it worth keeping all three of the Buzzz SS / Cobra / Shark in the bag? Do they serve rather different functions? And while the Shark is the most stable, it's only 150 and seems to get knocked around by the wind...

The leopard is an understable disc, so I think you are confusing stable and understable flight patterns. It is a great driver foranything under 300'. That should stay in the bag and get thrown from the tee till you get it's flight path down.

What I should have said is that in the Champ plastic, the Leopard seems a lot more stable than I'm expecting - it barely turns for me but still fades a bunch. That's not the case with the 150 DX Leopard (even the 166 Pro-D Cyclone seems to fade less than when I chuck the Champ Leopard).

In the interest of minimalism, what about playing with this bag for a while (assuming I can get that Champ Leo to behave understable as expected):

Drivers
166 Pro-D Cyclone - main driver
168 Champ Leopard - L-R turnover shots
164 FLX Avenger - for practicing big D fade shots

Mid
173 Buzzz SS - seems versatile enough to focus on playing just with this for now

Putter
173 Soft X APX - all putting needs (should get more to practice)

 

[coreyzd]

I say forget the champ Leo. It'll be a long time before it becomes understable for you. Your best bet is to keep using that pro-d cyclone until it beats in enough (shouldn't take too long in pro-d.) Once that happens, grab an elite-x cyclone around the same weight for your new "main driver" and begin the cycle. Elite-x is a lot nicer than pro-d but still beats in reasonably fast.

The avenger is probably a little too fast for ya right now. I have to suggest a teebird for this slot, it's one of my favorite discs and I personally believe it can't be beat for the stable/overstable fairway/distance slot. If you want to stick to discraft, then maybe a stalker or tracker would do the trick.

As for the mids, stick with the Buzzz ss until you start to feel a need for a shot that you just can't seem to pull off with it. It's a pretty versatile disc and should work fine as your only mid right now.

I'd definitely pick up some more apx's for practice. You should also try to start driving with them, at least in field practice if not on the course. The DGA Reef in SP plastic is actually an apx (even says so on the bottom) in Z plastic. I've never tried one but it could be a nice driving putter for ya.

 

[atvan]

I've only been playing DG for about a month, and the addiction has set in. All I want to do is play disc golf. I've accumulated a random assortment of about 13 discs in the last few weeks, and now that I found a proper form and educated myself on what constitutes a proper bag I'm looking to put a real bag together.

Vitals:
Years playing/experience: 1 month
Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: right-handed
Throwing Style: RHBH (RHFH or OH only when absolutely req.)
Golf Distance (avg/max) for putter/mid/driver: APX: I never drive with my putter you should; Buzzz: 175/225'; Cyclone: 200/250'

Current Bag:

Driver:
166 Pro-D Cyclone (new) - main driver (love this disc) - but I guess I need something longer for for L-R drives

Mid:
173 Z Buzzz SS (new) - main mid (love this disc) - don't feel the need for anything else

Putters:
173 Soft X APX (new) - main putter (love this disc) - don't want to have more than one putter in the bag yes you do, driving putters is amazing

Extra Drivers:
168 Champ Leopard (new) - not consistent with this disc, throws more stable for me
150 DX Leopard (new) - too little HSS to be main driver (At the distance you're throwing, this should be great. Smells like OAT- Off-Axis Torque.)
168 Champ Valk (new) - still seems too fast for my skill level
175 Champ Wraith (used) - found this, no name, haven't even tried to throw it
164 FLX Avenger (new) - bought this when I didn't know any better, would love to have a use for it though

Extra Mids:
166 Dub-Circle Cobra (beat) - big S-curves when I throw this guy (not sure which plastic)
150 Pro-D Buzzz (new) - came in starter pack, haven't thrown it yet
150 DX Shark (new) - came in starter pack, not very consistent with this disc

Extra Putters:
168 Star Aviar P&A (new) - former main putter, new sriving putter
150 DX Aviar P&A (new) - used for one round only, seems too light

Throw what is in blue, feel free to leave behind what is in red.

 

[speedyB]

Thanks for the feedback, this is great.

So when do I drive my putter?!
http://www.sfdiscgolf.org/images/ggpdgc_scorecard.pdf

 

[prerube]

I drive with my putter on short straight shots. 220 foot tunnel shot is going to be a putter shot for me. Over 220 I start thinking about pulling out a mid. For open shots it depends on the hole and the wind.

 

[curveball4]

You could try a 165-170 Pro Leopard, more of what a Leopard should be compared to Champ or Star. When I threw Leos pros are all I carried. Great grip, great glide

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I'm a BIG fan of the APX... for putting; love it from 50' or so and closer, but personally, I don't like it a driving putter or upshots much past 50' or so... Challenger all the way for those. I find the APX turns over too much when you put a bit of "oomph" behind it.

I love my APX... but I can't live without my Challenger. That's my upshot disc 9 outta 10 times.



I like Buzzz's, but you might want to get an overstable compliment, say a Wasp, Hornet or Drone.
You will find it quite usefull to have one in your bag.

 

[jtrod]

Welcome to the game, Ive only been playing for about 8 months and my bag has changed over time, but what seemed to work for me at the start was the following:

Mids: Buzz SS Z great disc, this will stay in your bag for a while. The Shark is very similar the the Roc and i had a heavier 167.

Drivers: Archangel 168, an understable 8 steed disc that got me some distance at the beginning. Teebird 171, a solid utility driver that will probably stay in your bag forever and its only a 7 speed driver. Wraith 175, this is the driver that I learned how to throw sidearm/flick.

Putter: This is a feel thing and each person likes what they like, find what feels right in your hand and stay with it, I tried an Aviar 173, then to a Rhyno 171, then started using the midrange Mako as my putter, but I have been using a Legacy Clozer 175 for the past few months and I love it. I just bought a second one because I plan on staying with it.

Go to a park and throw all your discs for practice.

 

[speedyB]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I went out with a four-disc setup (Cyclone-Leopard-BuzzzSS-APX) and had a worse round than with just 3 discs. Went back to three discs only and was more consistent. Decided to keep it simple for now and stick to Cyclone-BuzzzSS-APX only until I feel super-confident with those.

My dilemma now is that I discovered in one hour of field practice throwing RHFH I can throw farther and more consistently than I can throw RHBH after a month of regular practice...going to go post in the technique forum...

 

[speedyB]

More field practice, more questions. Currently considering one of the five following novice bag setups. I plan to go out tomorrow and play with all these discs but if you have suggestions I'm all ears.

1: 150-Class w/ Buzzz (BH)
150 DX Leo
150 Pro-D Buzzz
150 DX Aviar

2: 150-Class w/ Shark (BH)
150 DX Leo
150 DX Shark
150 DX Aviar

3: 150-Class w/ Buzzz + Shark (BH)
150 DX Leo
150 Pro-D Buzzz -- understable
150 DX Shark -- stable
150 DX Aviar

4: Mid-Weight Mix (BH)
150 DX Leo
166 DX Cobra
168 Star Aviar

5: Buzzz SS (Forehand-Only)
173 Z Buzzz SS
168 Star Aviar

 

[412Disc]

welcome to the sport

 

[Dan Ensor]

I'm a BIG fan of the APX... for putting; love it from 50' or so and closer, but personally, I don't like it a driving putter or upshots much past 50' or so... Challenger all the way for those. I find the APX turns over too much when you put a bit of "oomph" behind it.

I love my APX... but I can't live without my Challenger. That's my upshot disc 9 outta 10 times.

APX is awesome. It barely turns at all. Even at 300+ its turn is mild, and it can fly on a gentle hyzer the whole way. Maybe 10 degrees of turn, at the most. It's great to have a putter you can throw hyzer and not have a hard fade at the end, and the APX filled that role for me beautifully. You should definitely try it out as a driving putter, and make your own decision.
At 250 or less, it won't turn. If it does, it's because of flawed form.

 

[Murderous Monkey]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I went out with a four-disc setup (Cyclone-Leopard-BuzzzSS-APX) and had a worse round than with just 3 discs. Went back to three discs only and was more consistent. Decided to keep it simple for now and stick to Cyclone-BuzzzSS-APX only until I feel super-confident with those.

My dilemma now is that I discovered in one hour of field practice throwing RHFH I can throw farther and more consistently than I can throw RHBH after a month of regular practice...going to go post in the technique forum...

You're over-thinking this. You're just starting out, and you're here which will save you a ton of headache, but once you find the Marketplace, NOT a lot of money.

I'm a bit new, but I've picked up a ton of good pointers since I joined the site.

Putting- If you like the APX, pick up 2 more in the closest weight you can. This way when you go to practice, you're not continually going after a disc. Start close, become confident, then move further out. Definitely try to drive with them, I drive with my Ion as do a lot of others, as well as the Anode if the APX doesn't work out for you.

"Drivers"- Stick with fairway right now, ie. Teebird or Leopard (from Innova) or your Comet, as someone else said, shelf the Valk, Wraith, Avenger. You could even put them on the Marketplace and see if you can trade for a teebird or a couple of APXs, etc. I'd really recommend a Teebird (in DX) as these guys are workhorses and I would recommend looking in the 160s.

RHFH vs. RHBH- Personally speaking, I started FH because I couldn't BH for the life of me. I developed a FH, but then I noticed it was just plain sucking for distance and I was falling way behind my buddy who BH. So I said I would only BH rounds. This helped me build my BH. Now I really only use my FH for approach shots or trouble shots, otherwise it's BH.

Keep practicing, don't over-think too much and HAVE FUN! Also, I'd really recommend checking out the Marketplace and see what you can acquire!

 

[speedyB]

You're over-thinking this.

^^^ This!!!

I am back to working on my BH after the flood of recommendations (including in this thread).

Bag is now:

166 Pro-D Cyclone (slightly used)
166 DX Cobra (beat)
168 Star Aviar P&A (like new)

I played a 150-class round yesterday, but I like the weight of these 166-ish discs better (seem more predictable and my release is better).

I have my best success with the Cobra, probably because it's the first disc I got and so I'm most accustomed to it. I played again this morning with the above bag and had some good tee-shots with the Cyclone, some great throws from the fairway with the Cobra, but my approach game is horrendous. Putting is hit or miss. Some drives still go awry. I threw this morning with Bonopane grip for every throw except for the Aviar, where I went fan grip. This helps solve my nose-up issues, but doesn't feel "right" still.

Plan of attack: transition to stacked fan/fork grip and play 1-disc rounds. I"ll play tomorrow (Tuesday) with the Aviar, Wednesday with the Cobra, and Thursday with the Cyclone.

I went to the field after playing this morning and I think I got the stacked fan/fork grip to work by putting hardly any pressure on my pointer finger -- the rip comes primarily from the rest of the grip. For some reason any grip that involves my pointer finger results in wildly inconsistent throws.