New(ish) player. Rate my bag, tips, idea(r)s

[myjambandbetter]

Top o' the mornin'. I am new around here and have been lurking for a minute.

(Finally) got my 1st round of 2010 in Weds in a muddy soupy mess. Decided to leave my bag at home and played with a Soft Magnet and 150 Ch. Sidewinder and of course a towel.

I should probably begin with a disclaimer. I picked up DG after about a 6 yr hiatus after I found 2 discs in my spare tire wheel well when I was cleaning out my car. A trip to the DGC every day for the next 3 weeks and I was pretty much hooked. I was picking up discs along the way (Craigslist from a guy who had been playing for 20+ yrs and got my on the right path), Dick's Sporting Goods (I had to use the Innova Chart to help and cross referenced that with a post it note with what I "thought" I needed, Play It Again Sports had some $7 X Outs and then at out local DG Store here in Columbus, OH.

I lost a few along way, taco-ed a DX in a tree, chipped a few DX in the woods. Someone told me "The first thing you should do is get rid of all that DX plastic" so I obliged.

SO- I am here to ask for help to "even" out my bag for 10-12 discs. I can consistently throw 305-325 and consider myself a better up-shot/finesse player than a power ripper.

Here's what I've got and I'd like the fantastic community here to give some advice on what I should do. (Get rid of that you idiot, it overlaps, too fast of disc for you, I bet you would drop a few if you picked up this....)

Ch. Orc 172 (consistently inconstant)
Star Destroyer 166 (Just figured out how to get this going but this one I had a hard time flexing out)
Ch. Groove 173 (taking up space)
Ch. Boss 171 (taking up space)
Ch. T Bird 170 (2nd "go to" for longer shots
ESP SS Avenger 174 (picked up late fall and still working on this one)
Ch Sidewinder 150 (most confident)
DX Shark 170 (This one is coming along)
Z Buzz 176 (seemed heavy to get going and honestly wanted to see what all the 'buzz" was about)
Wings and Rings ROC 165 (finess king for me, perfect for upshots that require a little more wrist and less arm)
DX Stingray 172 (haven't found a use for this one yet)
Soft Magnet (2) (moved away from the Aviar mid way through last summer and at some points felt a better approach than my ROC).


So, please help maybe with some discs I can use off the tee or 2nd shots (non up-shot/ go for it shots).

I feel like when I play a round, I have discs in my bag that take up space with the majority of my rounds the TBird/Sidewinder/ Shark/Rock/ Magent.

Thanks so much for this nOOb.

 

[biodarwin]

I would drop these completely
Ch. Groove 173 Epic fail @ disc making...
Ch. Boss 171 Slightly outside your distance range
Ch. Orc 172 No reason to use a disc you don't like, you have enough of them to choose.
DX Stingray 172 Overlap

Pick one of these molds - Mid-Range
DX Shark 170
Z Buzz 176
Wings and Rings ROC 165

Pick one of these molds - Understable
Ch Sidewinder 150
ESP SS Avenger 174

Keep these
Star Destroyer 166 Headwind
Ch. T Bird 170 Stable Distance
Soft Magnet (2) P&A


There is many different routes you can take, but you have a lot of overlap and a lot of molds. This would be a good start to cleaning it up.

 

[myjambandbetter]

Should I look to a Katana? From description it looks to fit my game.

 

[Widdershins]

Before you toss anything out of your bag give them a try out, a chance to prove themselves. YOU don't want to be replaced without a fair chance to prove yourself and neither do your discs.

Go to a flat, open field with some trees in it. Throw every disc you have as flat and straight as you can at medium driving power (80-90% or so), including the DX discs you have removed. Then do it again and again. Pay attention to how they fly, keeping in mind that any shot you release poorly is not the fault of the disc. After a couple back and forths you should know what is working best for you at the moment.

Now set up an anhyzer route (for rhbh, pick a tree and make it pass to the left side and finish to the right), at a comfortable distance for a driver for you. Choose among your likely candidates and give them a chance to make the starting line-up. Go back and forth a few times. From your earlier tests you already know which disc(s) do best on straight and hyzer lines.

Now do a try out for your mids: both a straight shot and an anhyzer. Create a straight line (between two trees at the distance you would use a midrange disc) and an anhyzer line and test out your mids.

The stuff which doesn't work, toss in the trunk but don't forget about them. You still need risk discs and as your strength and form improve the ones too overstable to be useful today may fit in a future starting line up.

You can get a lot of advice from people who have never seen you throw but nothing trumps what you will witness with your own eyes. You will also improve your own game just by practicing a flat, straight shot. This shot is the key to developing an overall game. This is your bread and butter. From there slight changes will give you the other shots.

 

[myjambandbetter]

I like the idea of giving all the candidates an equal chance to make the bag.

My DX Valk and DX Wraith are in pretty bad shape (not as bad as some of the other DX plastic I've seen) but they don't fly in a way that resembles how I remember. Should I still consider? Or trying to find replacements for the same exercise?

I also think that by playing my home course 90% of the time, I tend to think "Hey, this would be a perfect fit for this shot" when in all actuality its not.

 

[Danforth]

Ch. Orc 172 (consistently inconstant)
Star Destroyer 166 (Just figured out how to get this going but this one I had a hard time flexing out)
Ch. Groove 173 (taking up space)
Ch. Boss 171 (taking up space)

^^ Get rid of these

Ch. T Bird 170 (2nd "go to" for longer shots This should be your main driver
ESP SS Avenger 174 (picked up late fall and still working on this one)This should be your open distance disc
Ch Sidewinder 150 (most confident)This shold be your long range turnover disc
DX Shark 170 (This one is coming along)This will wear into a straight mid

Keep all of these

Z Buzz 176 (seemed heavy to get going and honestly wanted to see what all the 'buzz" was about)this will make a nice slightly overstable mid
Wings and Rings ROC 165 (finess king for me, perfect for upshots that require a little more wrist and less arm)This will overlap with your Shark, choose one
DX Stingray 172 (haven't found a use for this one yet)This will make a nice turnover mid
Soft Magnet (2) (moved away from the Aviar mid way through last summer and at some points felt a better approach than my ROC).

You need to add a heavy, overstable meathook for into the wind distance. I'd suggest a Champ Firebird, Z Predator or XXX and get one @ 175g.

 

[Frank Delicious]

Mid-Range
DX Shark 170
Z Buzz 176
Wings and Rings ROC 165
Ch Sidewinder 150
ESP SS Avenger 174
Star Destroyer 166 Headwind
Ch. T Bird 170 Stable Distance
Soft Magnet (2) P&A

This would actually be a pretty solid bag and would let you figure out what you like and dislike. As you throw the discs you would figure out what characteristics fit your game and what don't.

p.s. don't buy a katana buy a valk or XS.

 

[myjambandbetter]

Thanks for all of the tips all.

I am glad to hear I should drop the Groove, Boss and Orc. I think I've got a whopping $21 invested there (Play it Again had a Ch priced at $7).

I use my Roc and Shark in different situations as well as the Buzz.

Now with the extra discs, do I need to pick up a back up? and if so, keep the same weight +/- gram or 2?