[Compare] Tern or saint?

[Weyums3]

I know they are different but I am going to get one of these today. I got a River a month ago and love it, so I am leaning towards the saint. But I also want a new big distance driver so the tern is appealing. I would consider myself around the intermediate level, I can't throw my Nuke well at all. I read that both can be used by less experienced players.

I was looking at the star lite Terns and wondering if they would be easier for me to throw....

 

[bradharris]

Based on your sig, I'd say the Tern probably fits better in your bag. The Saint may overlap a bit with the Teebird and Wraith.

 

[PMantle]

If you can throw a Wraith, you can throw a Tern.

 

[bobmcnelly]

I would say they have similar flight but the Tern being a solid 50' to 100' longer than the Saint. Both have a ton of glide. Unless your throwing over 325' on average the Tern won't be a whole lot different than your Boss or Nuke.

 

[whentherainscome]

The Tern is a lot of fun to throw. Give it some field throws to dial in the release angles a bit.

 

[Pwingles]

If you can throw a Wraith, you can throw a Tern.

This

 

[dantheman0721]

If you can throw a Wraith, you can throw a Tern.

If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!

 

[Qikly]

I'd agree that the Tern would probably add the most to your bag based on your sig, although it depends on what kind of courses you play: if you usually see tight and wood, the Tern won't come out all that much.

It should be noted that Terns vary a lot based on plastic. The Champs have a nice turn and reliable fade, and the Stars are way more understable. If you can throw 325'+ the Star Lite will likely be too understable to see much use. Champs are more versatile, Stars are better suited for players with less D.

How the Saint flies depends a lot on how far you throw. at 275'-300' it'll be straight with fade, like a Teebird. At 325'-350', it'll have a lot of turn but a decent amount of fade at the end. Tons of glide.

 

[Phlick]

Terns vary wildly plastic type to plastic type. I haven't thrown a starlight, but the few star and gstar terns I've thrown have been crazy understable (think Mamba/Avenger SS), while the champion/jolly launcher ones are pretty stable, and fly like a well seasoned destroyer.
IMO no bag should be without either a Valkyrie or Saint (max weight star or GL). This is my meat and potato workhorse fairway driver. Paired with a Teebird/Rival and Leopard/Patriot, this will complete your fairway driver lineup. Get a GL Saint.

 

[goosefraba1]

I throw both... I don't find a ton of overlap. Differs what plastic you are throwing them in. I bag 2 gstar terns, and JL tern, and a beat opto saint.

 

[46YearOldSlinger]

Both are great discs and both can be easy to throw (depending on Tern plastic). I agree the Saint is great "meat and potato disc" off the tee. It used to be my go to off the tee before they it was beat out by the Inertia but it was a close call and I still love my Saints.

The Tern needs more room to work but if you want the most distance from the least effort it's hard to beat a Tern. I've tried a ton of discs but the Tern is the longest. You can also almost custom pick a Tern for your arm due to the different weights and plastics. From most stable to least stable I'd rank them as follows:
Champ Tern
GStar Tern
Star Tern
Starlite Tern - I have a starlite 137 that if hyzerflipped just right will sail further than anything I've ever thrown. It's not for controlled tight lines but when you have an open field and want max D there is none higher in my opinion.

 

[mattc]

How far do you throw your nuke?

 

[bogeyfreetilinfinity]

TERN DOWN FOR WHAT!

 

[jrawk]

The JL tern i have is very flippy, but probably the consistently farthest disc I throw. I rarely use it and throw my saints more, but that is because i don't play courses regularly that require 400ft drives.

FWiW, my tern is very similar to my beat renegade, except the tern flies farther. *shrug* i have no idea why it just does.

 

[teemkey]

I throw two types of terns: champ and gummy champ. I throw them 300-320 and the gummy champ holds a tight s-curve when thrown low (~10' high), while the standard champ is straight with moderate fade with a bit of hyzer. F2 g-champs can be got from the Innova pro shop, and cfrs from Disc Golf Values.

For me, weight and wind both make a big difference for terns, with the standard champs more consistent.

I've never bonded with the saint, and generally throw an escape in that slot. On a course where I need more fade/hss out of the speed 8/9/10 fairway, I bag a sPD.

 

[Rob Ert]

For me, weight and wind both make a big difference for terns, with the standard champs more consistent.

Must be why I never took a liking to my Tern. Gummy, too light, too unpredictable. That said, buy a Saint. Or two or three. I'll never throw a Teebird again. I love the predictable nature of my Saints and Pros. Buy domey ones. M2C.

 

[scotnt73]

You said you love the river. I personally found the river so sneaky long that it overlapped the saint. So I'd go tern.

 

[46YearOldSlinger]

You said you love the river. I personally found the river so sneaky long that it overlapped the saint. So I'd go tern.

When I was throwing both Saints and Rivers I just assumed my Saints were longer. One day I field tested my Saints and my Rivers and found the distances much closer than I thought. The Saints were a little longer on average but not by much. So yeah, definitely less overlap by going with the Tern.

 

[PMantle]

The answer is Tern and Saint.