[Innova] Stingray Love

[banknwank]

I thought a little classic disc chat might be fun for a change. I would assume this was an early 90s disc? It was labeled as a driver back in the day and now considered a under stable mid. And under stable it is. It's early life as a driver shows in my game as it is one mid I see 300 with regularly . I think this disc should be a highly recommended "beginner" driver. The under stability helps fight off the beginner hyzer blues, capable of greater distance than most beginners can throw, and becomes an easy turn over disc as it breaks in. Still my go to for turn over drives cause I know I can get it to turn and Finnish right every time I want. I just put a fresh 180 in the bag and it holds up nice and straight for 300 with a little fade Finnish. My wife can get her 150 stingray to turn at only 200 ft of power. And did I mention glide?

 

[sprintermatt]

I keep a variety of Stingrays in the bag. two Champion, one Star "bluntnose", and a Super Stingray. They are my answer to "righty holes"

 

[Buiscutboy]

I like my Stingray. It's just about the only non-putter disc I can throw backhand. It was also one of the first discs I bought. Along with a Polecat And a Banshee. Good for backhand turnovers, and monster (lol) backhand drives.

 

[Agricolae]

Stingrays rock. Stingrays in DX plastic rock. There are many different molds called "Stingray".

 

[luckless_pedestrian]

Love the Stingray. One of the first discs I lost and the first one I bought a replacement of. Anyone with an unreliable forehand (me!) needs one of these. So, Matt, how do the different plastics fly? I'm guessing the Champ will fade a little at the end?

 

[superium]

I retired my old champ stingray and replaced it with a Tursas. Very similar in flight and don't miss my stingray at all if you're looking for more options and different plastics.

 

[astomps]

have just started throwing a dx stingray a bit and its an interesting disc

 

[Broken Shoulder]

Older DX Stingrays make excellent rollers.

 

[sprintermatt]

Champion Stingrays have an amazingly long useful life. New they are one of the best straight woods discs. They have an easy to release rim, don't require a lot of power making them perfect for hitting tight wooded lines. as they get more used, they develop a long slow turn, one that you can control with a touch of hyzer, or thrown high, they will perform almost unending turning shots that glide forever.

My Star Stingray has been in the bag since about 2006. It was dead straight to start and took a long time to beat in. As I said it is the blunt nosed variety. I recently got a few more of these as they are a little hard to come by.

I really like a fresh Champion Super Stingray as my go to straight power mid. They hold up in the wind, have great glide and when they fade, it's subtle but predictable. They also work well at a variety of powers, and hold an anhyzer well. I tend to cycle out of them as they do get straighter with age, which is great if you are looking for a dead straight Mid. I have Makos and Coyotes too so I tend to keep a pretty new SStingray in the bag.

 

[ncgamedog]

I've been contemplating picking up an older champ or Star Stingray. As my skills have developed, I'm beginning to be successful using different power levels. I have discovered a new appreciation for Understable discs. I've been hurling my Teebirds and Destroyers, and getting very good distance for some time now, but a round of golf wears me out lol.

Now I've started using my Leopard, SW, and beat to heck S-TD to amazing success at like 70% power. The gained accuracy is so awesome! I just had to get over the fact that I had to add really crush a disc to get 400' out of it. Once I put that to bed in my head, it opened up a new layer to my game. Its nice to have the power on tap, if I need it. However, WOW its so nice to feel like I just barely snapped my Leopard and watch it glide for days =-)

Its almost more fun to just vary my power and release angle using the same disc to get a ton of differnt BH shots.

For example I have been using my Zone for shorter annys (~200') and EVERYTHING has to be perfect to get the flight I want. I put too much angle on a shot like this recently, and my buddy handed me a well seasoned ESP Meteor, and said "Throw this like your leopard". I watched that thing sail around a horseshoe dogleg and land parked under the basket! It opened up a whole new approach to my game.


OK blah, blah, blah...

How does the Meteor compare to a Stingray? I'm assuming its Toe-may-toe / Toe-mah-toe

 

[banknwank]

When I first started playing, under stable stuff was only to help keep a disc in a reasonable flight , not necessarily get a big turn, as I did not have the power or teqnique for turning anything. I will never forget the first time I put enough pull on my stingray to get a gigantic turning drive. Of course it blew by my 225 (long hole at local beginner course that's now a putter)target by a mile and finished ob two holes to the right...... That was the moment I got hooked on the graceful flight and glide of a stingray. Plus, I just threw that thing a mile! Still have my first sting ray and it became my first ace disc. Now that it's got some wear, it turns with ease. It's a little touchy and gonna begin cycling a new 180g soon. I love giving the ray a firm throw at about 10 ft off the ground. At about 50 ft, the disc suddenly tilts to the right and begins its turn. And it stays turned and glides out to a flat touch down. I also love to throw it stupid high on a hyzer flip ,that would be a turn and burn if thrown low, and watch it roll all the way over to a steep anny before it flexes back to a gental touch down right around 300 ft. It can be hyzer flipped to a low laser, but not the high percentage shot with a well worn stingray . My fresh 180 ray can stand up to my arm for straight drives around 300 right now, but not really the shot I like to use my ray for. I am hoping the 180 will be able to be be thrown on a touch longer anny line once it starts to turn a little easier. If your a Discraft guy, My z glide is similar in flight to my stingray . Sounds like a meteor is similar also but I haven't thrown a meteor yet.

 

[ncgamedog]

^ Awesome Response!! Thanks

Yeah, I'm not really overly loyal to any particular brand. Although the majority of my bag is Innova.
I do seem to really like a few of the DC mids. Not the typical Buzz/Comet though. I really like the Wasp as my OS Roc, and the Zone is a disc I won't play a round without.

The Meteor is pretty awesome too, its shaping up to be a real game changer for me. Probably, just the slot in general is the true game changer. I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for a cool old Stingray to compare the Meteor with.

I do always like to give an Innova mold a chance to make the team =-)

 

[DesertFox]

Used to be big on the Comet for turning duties, then I got a 180g Dx Stingray...

It suits my game better.

 

[GLong]

best beginner disc IMO, but incredibly useful for a variety of abilities. it has saved me many strokes from bad lies. with a little seasoning, it flies straight with little power.

 

[zenbot]

I have an older gummy star Stingray. It's an amazing disc if I have limited arm movement. It glides forever.

 

[JRW III]

The Star Stingray has been in my bag since 2009. No other disc has been in my bag longer.

 

[goosefraba1]

Love me a stingray... I bag a beat to **** DX stingray that probably weighs in at 5 grams less than original... now I have an old ontario star stingray. These discs are money.

 

[Jimb]

It was only a matter of time before I chimed in on this thread.

I'm not a collector, or anything like that. But I've expressed my love for the Stingray in many a thread before. I have a friend who hates my beat in DX Stingrays (and Aviar P & As) because he doesn't have the same kind of shots (or discs) in his bag. Wonderful, low to moderate power, controlled turn.

And the Star variant is my go to mid unless I need something overstable. It's so versatile. Great flat release or Hyzer flip to beautifully straight lines. Down hill for gentle turn. Anhyzers when I don't want it to fade back. It's just tremendously versatile for me.

The Star has virtually replaced the FLX Buzzz in my bag and the Buzzz is collecting some dust. And if I had to throw a one disc round, it I wasn't throwing a Star Aviar P & A and needed more distance, it would be the Star Stingray.

 

[waltny]

I would agree with the meteor comments. In both ESP and Z with low power and decent snap you can get nice s curves. I threw the DX sting ray for a while, but it couldn't handle the mature forests (...along with my errant throws) and quickly looked like the dog got ahold of it. If the super stingray in champ plastic flew like the DX one I'd throw it, but I can find a z meteor just about anywhere and expect similar flight characteristics to the DX stingray.

 

[paulw]

um . .. . didn't want to start a new thread, but dx stingrays, supply chain issues?

If you ever get frustrated with disc golf (as I often do . . . ) just throw dx stingrays until the frustration eases. DX stingrays are the secret to fun. DX stingrays don't exist so you can rule the world, they exist just to make you smile. They're a better mousetrap.

Ok, why this post?

I usually just go to an online vendor and buy how ever many dx stingrays I need to get free shipping because it's a choice. .. . . . I have money . . .. . it's not a big deal ($50 or so . . .) and a week or so I have more dx stingrays.

Um . .. .. . . . .. so based upon 10min or so of an old guy looking to spend money there aren't any . . .. anywhere . . . . . where my Stingrays at?

FYI you can suggest any/all molds/plastic/manufacturer but I'm not trying to replace dx stingrays, I'm just trying to find them on an e-tailer's shelf . . .. and if they're not there, hope someone knows when they'll arrive.

(I have lots of them stashed in lots of places and can make the wakening without much of an issue . . . .I just like to get another 5 or 10 for the flock every once in a while and exhale. . . . )