[Discraft] Official Discraft ZONE Thread

[cooter]

I've got a question for you fine fellows. Why do you prefer the Zone over any other OS putter? I mean, I bag a Zone but I have honestly not had any experience with other OS putters. I am just curious as to why all the fanatics choose the Zone over other discs.

For me it's mostly feel. Love the shallow rim and flat top. It's a perfect diameter. It powers down better than others and goes farther as well. It takes the need of an OS mid out of my bag. One disc to do it all. Very predictable. Thrown low it will skip a few times, throw it a little higher and it will skip once, throw even higher and it sticks perfectly. The trust is always there too. I can throw it 75% or 110% and know the HSS is always there. The plastic is great. Similar feeling discs like the Envy (not near as HSS), Rhyno (not as stable and damn thumbtrack) or Harp (close but not as LSS) just aren't quite as good. Gateway has some nice OS approach discs but I don't like how they mold up in premium plastic and I hate using baseline for drives. Just nothing quite like it and I'm surprised it hasn't been copied more.

 

[ncgamedog]

^ THIS

 

[Stable]

Thinking about checking out a lighter weight ESP Zone. Maybe something in the 165g range. I've only used 174g ESP's.

 

[Van1]

For me it's mostly feel. Love the shallow rim and flat top. It's a perfect diameter. It powers down better than others and goes farther as well. It takes the need of an OS mid out of my bag. One disc to do it all. Very predictable. Thrown low it will skip a few times, throw it a little higher and it will skip once, throw even higher and it sticks perfectly. The trust is always there too. I can throw it 75% or 110% and know the HSS is always there. The plastic is great. Similar feeling discs like the Envy (not near as HSS), Rhyno (not as stable and damn thumbtrack) or Harp (close but not as LSS) just aren't quite as good. Gateway has some nice OS approach discs but I don't like how they mold up in premium plastic and I hate using baseline for drives. Just nothing quite like it and I'm surprised it hasn't been copied more.

This is a good point and my experience. If you don't want to carry both an overstable mid and an overstable putter, the Zone is perfect.

When I carry my full bag, 15-16 discs I go with a domey pig because I like it better for wind putting over the flatness of the Zone. Personal preference, I don't like putting with any flat disc for whatever reason. AND a Gator.

 

[Nasty Nate]

Right on. I still carry a Drone with my Zone as I can get it out further. Maybe that will change once my form improves. I use the Zone more as a short mid, anyway. Not really crazy about skips but that might be something to work into my game.

I keep saying I'm going to ace hole 1 at Sycamore Creek with my Zone! It'll happen! Some day...

 

[Keith H]

I have bagged zones for several years now. Started with a ProD, then pretty quickly to ESPs. I liked them for approaches, longish turning skips and shortish hyser drives but pulled them once or twice due to frustration with how hard the plastic felt and huge bounces and blowthroughs on good approach shots. Then I bought a pair of LE Cryztal FLX Zones. WOW! I still bag the ESP for drives and skips but all of the regular approach duties are now falling to the Cryztal FLX Zones. I am routinely hitting metal from 50-100ft out which is new for me. I can flex them around trees and the flight path is very predictable. Wind makes little to no difference, just a slight adjustment on approach angle. The great thing is when they hit metal they drop right there so the putt is like 2 feet. They are so easy to adjust speed, from inside 50 feet, I am getting them to slow and flare almost right at the basket and a much higher percentage are dropping in. I'm no pro, but for my game these are amazing discs!

 

[5QU166Y]

I have bagged zones for several years now. Started with a ProD, then pretty quickly to ESPs. I liked them for approaches, longish turning skips and shortish hyser drives but pulled them once or twice due to frustration with how hard the plastic felt and huge bounces and blowthroughs on good approach shots. Then I bought a pair of LE Cryztal FLX Zones. WOW! I still bag the ESP for drives and skips but all of the regular approach duties are now falling to the Cryztal FLX Zones. I am routinely hitting metal from 50-100ft out which is new for me. I can flex them around trees and the flight path is very predictable. Wind makes little to no difference, just a slight adjustment on approach angle. The great thing is when they hit metal they drop right there so the putt is like 2 feet. They are so easy to adjust speed, from inside 50 feet, I am getting them to slow and flare almost right at the basket and a much higher percentage are dropping in. I'm no pro, but for my game these are amazing discs!

To be honest, I'm surprised that ESP FLX Zones aren't in current production. It seems like the perfect premium plastic for an approach disc.

 

[Keith H]

To be honest, I'm surprised that ESP FLX Zones aren't in current production. It seems like the perfect premium plastic for an approach disc.

Agreed 100%, there is a place for ESP, but there is also a huge need for the softer FLX that will drop when it hits.

 

[ncgamedog]

To be honest, I'm surprised that ESP FLX Zones aren't in current production. It seems like the perfect premium plastic for an approach disc.

Agreed 100%, there is a place for ESP, but there is also a huge need for the softer FLX that will drop when it hits.

Yup!! I only use the CryZtal FLX ones and find them more useful than the ESP for my bag.

I'd love to try a ESP FLX version. I have a lifetime supply of CryZtal FLXs, but I'd still try the FLX ESP

 

[JedV]

Put the ESP back in the bag today for a tournament round... And am very glad that I did.

 

[Keith H]

Yup!! I only use the CryZtal FLX ones and find them more useful than the ESP for my bag.

I'd love to try a ESP FLX version. I have a lifetime supply of CryZtal FLXs, but I'd still try the FLX ESP

I understand that. I have a hard time not snagging every Cryztal FLX Zone 173-174 in smoke that comes up for sale. I don't ever want to run out.

 

[Keith H]

I tried out the Finnish
Putting game today (jyly) using my zones. I noticed after a few rounds that one of my esp zones flew very different than the rest. All 173-174. I got looking carefully and realized that the odd one out was much more domey than the others which are puddle topped. I have not noticed this prior to this point. It is less stable than the other zones. I guess I need to replace it for the game.

Next step is to compare it driving, if it is a bit less stable there it could be a very handy anomoly.

Not sure how it happened. Don't usually leave my bag in the car in the heat...

 

[cjman]

Most ESP zones with the raised "zone" within the rim have a small dome.
At AM Nats, I was told that this dome "issue" was going to be resolved in future runs.

 

[Keith H]

Hmm, I need to look at the rims inside my esp's. Thanks for the info!

 

[Keith H]

You are exactly right. No tooling in the rim is puddle topped, the one with tooling has a small dome

 

[tbird888]

I have more flat untooled ESPs that concave. None that have any dome to speak of.

 

[Keith H]

I have 4 total zones currently, 2 cryztal flx that are concave and 2 esps. 1 is concave, looks and flies just like the Cryztal flx and one that is a bit domey and flues different than the other 3.

 

[mattc]

I carry a Cryztal Zone in summer, and an ESP in the winter.
I switch because I have a hard time wiping all the water off of cryztal plastic to get them dry when it raining, it just seems to smear around.

I mostly use an opto pure or one my zones for 85% of my approach shots.
I have been looking for something in between the two stability wise, but nothing fits my game and hand very well.
So i ordered some lighter Pro D Zones, hoping they will beat into the perfect in between disc.

Will a Pro D Zone season up to have a little bit of glide, and a little less fade?

 

[bhadella]

I carry a Cryztal Zone in summer, and an ESP in the winter.
I switch because I have a hard time wiping all the water off of cryztal plastic to get them dry when it raining, it just seems to smear around.

I mostly use an opto pure or one my zones for 85% of my approach shots.
I have been looking for something in between the two stability wise, but nothing fits my game and hand very well.
So i ordered some lighter Pro D Zones, hoping they will beat into the perfect in between disc.

Will a Pro D Zone season up to have a little bit of glide, and a little less fade?

Pure - Envy - Zone is the combo. All feel relatively similar in hand, all hit on different stability levels and all are sneaky long for putters.

 

[dehaas]

I carry a Cryztal Zone in summer, and an ESP in the winter.
I switch because I have a hard time wiping all the water off of cryztal plastic to get them dry when it raining, it just seems to smear around.

I mostly use an opto pure or one my zones for 85% of my approach shots.
I have been looking for something in between the two stability wise, but nothing fits my game and hand very well.
So i ordered some lighter Pro D Zones, hoping they will beat into the perfect in between disc.

Will a Pro D Zone season up to have a little bit of glide, and a little less fade?

I'm wondering this as well, I just recently piced up a couple of baby blue pro ds, nice and concave. Ideally they'd retain hss and lose some lss.