Need help completing my bag

[cabrando]

Quick intro - been playing for a month, I have no desire to play tournaments. The furthest I will probably go is joining the local league. That said my friends and I play about 3 times a week and I would of course like to get better.

Current discs and distances with on course and accurate throws

DX gazelle (172)- 225ft
DX roc3 (170) - 200ft
DX Aviar/whale

The local course is very short, wooded, and has some low ceilings. I'm looking for a disc that I can get in the 250-260 range. I know those current discs can get there with better form and I will be working on that also, I just compare it to how I started in ball golf, I couldn't hit a 4 iron properly in the beginning but sometimes it was the best available club.

I like discs that go straight or with a slight fade at the end and low flight. My gazelle is very straight, while my roc3 fades more at the end for me.

Discs I've tried
Champ Valkyrie - to much disc for me? Couldn't keep it low

Champ leopard - same as Valkyrie

DX teebird - liked for the most part but still got a little to high

I have only tried Innova as that's all my local store carries. Looking for suggestions from any manufacturer, Discraft in particular is intriguing to me. Also I prefer DX by a mile to champion.

Thanks all

 

[Toddinski]

I think the reason your gazelle isn't going further and the discs you tried were going up high was because of nose up throws. The valkyrie is a great disc. I've heard champion plastic is more overstable than DX, so I would pick up another valkyrie but in the DX plastic. Preferably a lowish weight.

As for what else you could add to your bag, I'd say some utility. An overstable midrange and/or putter could open up new approach lines and are even great for drives. A firebird is also a disc I believe should be in every bag.

 

[zontar]

a firebird is very throwable for someone in your position (or mine for that matter). if you know someone with one, give it a try.

 

[armiller]

I agree with Toddinski. It sounds like you have some nose-angle issues that are messing with your drivers. Some practice throws or even fiddling with your grip could help... When you do get those things figured out, the DX Teebird will be your friend: fairly straight with some fade at the end. Also, that Leopard will become a nice disc.

I think since you like DX you might revisit the Leopard in that plastic. The champion ones can be surprisingly overstable when new, but DX tends to be more friendly to newer players.

I'm kind of a Discraft fan. I could give you way too many suggestions, but I'd say a good starter for you would be a Comet, particularly since you play shorter, wooded courses. Give them a feel in the store and see if you like X plastic.

Keep having fun on the course. It sounds to me like you have a decent selection of discs for where you're at. Also I can't tell if you've worked on forehand or not, but work on throwing those. I think they're particularly helpful for approaches and getting around obstacles.

 

[cabrando]

Thanks everyone

I'm thinking the nose angle issue could be true when I go back and think about throwing those discs. I was trying to get max distance and I'm almost sure I was swinging my arm from low to high. That was at the start of my 2nd week of playing.

Now I probably over-corrected to much and throw mostly downward. My line is from my back shoulder to my forward pec.

I've read lots of good things on the firebird so that's definitely going on the list.

Armiller, can you elaborate a little? Would a comet be a better choice than a buzzz? I know nothing about Discraft discs, just know the buzzz gets a lot of love. Also on the plastics, there's no store near me that carries them unfortunately. Do they make something that feels like DX? I've thrown a friends star plastic and was not fond of that either, if that compares to their X plastic.

I've tried forehand but man I'm terrible at it, flies like I hit a ground ball to 3rd base.

 

[armiller]

Armiller, can you elaborate a little? Would a comet be a better choice than a buzzz? I know nothing about Discraft discs, just know the buzzz gets a lot of love. Also on the plastics, there's no store near me that carries them unfortunately. Do they make something that feels like DX? I've thrown a friends star plastic and was not fond of that either, if that compares to their X plastic.

I've tried forehand but man I'm terrible at it, flies like I hit a ground ball to 3rd base.

If you're already doing fine with the Roc3, I didn't think it was worth recommending a Buzzz. I love the Buzzz partly because of feel (it will feel quite a bit different in the hand, because there's no bead). I wouldn't discourage you from getting one, but it's more practical to stick with discs you can buy at your local store.

I recommended the Comet because it's a pretty unique disc. It has very good glide and also holds lines really well. It also tends to show you if your form isn't working, so that can be both nice and annoying as you're trying to improve your throws. Discraft does have a plastic kinda like DX (it's called "pro D" or "D") but most folks don't like it quite as much as Innova's DX. They make the Buzzz in D, but for some reason the Comet doesn't come in D. X isn't quite like star, but also not like DX. I like Z Comets too (a lot like champion). If you're champion Leopard feels ok, maybe you'd like Z plastic.

For forehand, it helps if you can find someone decent that can give you some tips. But even if you find someone, I'd recommend starting by learning to throw putters smoothly over a short distance. E.g. some folks practice forehand by throwing their putter to the next tee from the previous basket. Or you can just play short range "forehand catch" with a putter. When you can do that smoothly, you'll eventually be able to throw midranges and drivers.

 

[DiscGolfMaster]

A Firebird is a LOT of disc. Your distances with your current discs are pretty low and I think a Firebird would be a really bad choice. Not sure why anyone would suggest that disc if you're only throwing around 200ft. The Teebird can also be a bit of a meat hook when you can't throw very hard, I would stay away. A TL or TL3 would be better and easier for slower arms.

The Comet is great from what I've seen and heard, but can't speak from experience. One of the best low arm speed mid ranges is a dx cobra. Low arm speed fairway driver would be a dx leopard. Champ leopards can be pretty stable.

I take my own advice, not just give it. I used the Cobra for years, until I got tired of the dx plastic beating in so fast. I use a leopard3, just a little faster than the standard leopard. The sidewinder is one of my favorite distance drivers that I've ever thrown. I use it more as a fairway driver, it goes so far with little effort. And I also use and love my TL3. Great laser beam disc.

 

[Lynn LeFey]

Hey cabrando,

I'm also pretty new. Been playing only about 5 months, but have been playing a LOT in that time. I'm getting ranges similar to yours, and play on a course with a fair amount of woods. I'm JUST on the edge of getting my Champ Leopard to turn for me on a good throw.

I got a Mako3 in Champion plastic (low 170s weight) and I can't recommend it enough. It's speed 5, and I still can't roll it from throwing it too hard. It will fly DEAD straight if I do my job right. Often it has a bit of fade at the end. I threw a shot the other day that was probably 170 feet with a 5 foot ceiling. It was insanely flat. That's about the best I can do with it at my armspeed.

I have a Roc3 as my overstable mid, and like it a lot.

I tried a bunch of high speed drivers, and they just won't work for me. The thing with them going UP is a lot about control. It seems the faster they are, the pickier they are, and will climb if you don't throw them pretty dead level. That might just be me, though.

If you hit trees a lot, you might seriously consider trying GStar plastic. The DX feels nice, but beats to death super quick in heavy woods (in my experience... of hitting every stinkin' tree along the way). The Champion plastic took me a bit of getting used to, but now I love it, although I love Star/Gstar more.

So, there's my call. Get a Mako3. I'd say in Champion plastic, but in whatever plastic you like. I can't get it to go 250, but I can get it to go 200 dead straight.

 

[Stable]

A Firebird is a LOT of disc. Your distances with your current discs are pretty low and I think a Firebird would be a really bad choice. Not sure why anyone would suggest that disc if you're only throwing around 200ft.

Completely agree. There shouldn't be any talk of the Firebird in the 'Newbie' forum. Get a good mix of putters and mids that cover OS to US. Sticking with the slower speeds will help you keep control of them.

 

[cabrando]

Lynn you might have sold me on the mako3! I've been interested in that disc and you made a great case for it.

I ended up getting another teebird, but 164 this time. I'm having marginally better results with it. I also got an aero and I really like it.

Here's where I'm at currently

Teebird 164 - 230ft
Gazelle 172 - 225ft
Roc3 170 - 200ft
Aero 168 - 200ft

Is it normal for a beginner to have such close distances among all these discs? What does that say about my throw, other than it's new?

 

[PBokor]

Here's where I'm at currently

Teebird 164 - 230ft
Gazelle 172 - 225ft
Roc3 170 - 200ft
Aero 168 - 200ft

Is it normal for a beginner to have such close distances among all these discs? What does that say about my throw, other than it's new?

Says to me that you have developed consistency. No idea what 'normal' looks like, but here are my average field distances (ft) after 3 months of throwing.

143 Tee-Bird 178
150 Leopard 195
163 Roc 182
150 Cobra 186
150 Shark 183
175 Shark 186
146 Wolf 188
172 Whale 172
155 Wedge 186
150 Colt 172
150 Aviar 180
145 Birdie 150

I throw pretty slow, maybe 40-45 mph on average, add 5 mph (or 30-40 feet) for good tosses. On the soccer pitch, most of my discs land within a few steps of each other.

On the course, I trust some discs more than others and since I play mostly short, wooded courses, I opt for straight and controllable. My light Shark is much more accurate than my heavy one, even though field distance is almost identical.

 

[Unlimited]

I suggest mainly using your roc3 and aviar off the tee pad until you can get your aviar over 250-300 feet out straight. It will help with form and angle control on your releases making any disc you choose in the future easier to handle. Check out the right peck drill pdf for proper form and some drills. Playing 3 times a week should get the fundamentals down quickly as long as you look at your first month of it as drills to improve your long term success and not score(though you should have much more distance accuracy and lower scores in month). You should see distance difference in discs after you get the correct form.

Most people throw all discs about the same distance when they start because of form issues and/bad timing. As your form and timing get better and you start throwing as fast as your faster discs are meant to go they will have much more distance potential.

 

[cabrando]

My local store just got dynamic disc/westside/latitude 64 discs in. I bought the judge and absolutely love it. I went through what seems to be the normal cycle for beginners of buying a bunch of discs, they only had Innova previously. Which leads me to my current situation.

I just want to start fresh, I'm so confused with all the discs I have. Out of the dynamic/westside/latitude discs can you guys recommend 1 or 2 mids and a fairway driver setup. I have the putter already and want to keep my bag to 4 discs max for now.

Local course is tight, wooded, short for you guys but has some longer holes for me. Almost all straight, some dogleg left and one dogleg right but the leg doesn't start until about 240 out which is just over my max.

 

[Pymm]

I love the Claymore for stable mid and the Verdict for overstable mid. I use a River which I loved for a long time but lately just seems to want to go right and stay right. Glides forever though. I have it in 160g, so maybe one a little heavier might not turn over so much. Verdict is the best disc I own, I think. Great for forehand and backhand upshots and tomahawks. One hole I play at my local is a 165 foot tunnel and a tommy with that disc always leaves me a legit birdie opportunity. Dependably overstable and generally lands pretty soft. I have a Thief coming in the mail next week and I'm hoping it is similar in flight to the Verdict, just faster.