Utility discs and their uses - from putters to drivers

[Crosseyed0811]

A buddy of mine who used to play casual rounds in the past, but doesn't play any more, has a sweetly seasoned 166 Pro Rhyno. I'm trying to convince him to let me have it. That would be a sweet utility disc for tricky approaches and fast greens.

I'd try to get it before Brett Allen finds out its somewhere near by... I think he can smell them...

 

[practically invincible]

I have 2. A wizard that is so beat the bead is nearly gone, which as mentioned, floats with very little power behind it.

My second is a 170g 12x Firebird Champ (I lost my 11 and I'm cheap) which is perfectly flat. It started as a thumber only disc, and now gets tons of use on a variety of tosses. My favorite trick recently is throwing a very gentle tomohawk releasing just over the head and letting it land on the dome, like a scoobie, instead of continuing the flip. You get a little slide, but it has a predictable stopping distance. Parking an approach in weird tree conditions etc is nice when you don't have to worry about skipping away. I use my hardcore turnover Champ Roadrunner for some of these shots as well, and rollers.

 

[discpunk26]

I think Mark Ellis nailed this one on the head. I believe a utility disc should do damn near any thing. I have 4 discs in my bag that I really count on for given situations. My distance driver is a Z force that has been in the bag for about 2 years, when I throw it flat it holds a long turn over before landing flat so most times I throw long sweeping hyzers with it. I have this same setup with a z Pred, Z hornet, and pro d zone. A utility disc in my mind is something you reach for when your unsure, because you can make it do what you want it to do.

Some of the posts, to me, seem like get out of trouble. I guess that is because, I look at a utility disc as something that does it all. One disc that you would throw on a hole that is between 250' and just shy of 400' that does it all (hyzer, straight stable, turnover, thumber, tomahawk). What one disc do you count on to do all this?

 

[Fightingthetide1]

That's a good point. I think of a utility knife as a knife that will do whatever you need it to. So yes, a utility disc should be one that does just about anything within range of reason - you wouldn't expect a utility disc to be a 400' driver and a putter in one. So for stupid-overstable discs, like Firebirds and xXx's, maybe they should just be called specialty discs. In the end it's just semantics.

Verbage aside, I think it's been insightful to hear about how important a super-flippy disc is in one's bag. I stil have yet to put one in mine, but plan on letting my DX Eagle-x fill that role once it get's there. Does anyone see a need to have multiple thrashed discs across a range of speeds?

 

[warobert]

I only have one super thrashed disc in my bag but I do carry a silly overstable mid, slow driver, and fast driver because they are all useful for crazy shots to get out of the thick woods that I always find myself in as a mediocre player in NC

 

[Widdershins]

Does anyone see a need to have multiple thrashed discs across a range of speeds?

Well, yeah. You might need to bend an anhyzer line on a short shot, a medium length shot or a long shot. The faster the disc the farther it travels comfortably. So if you only have one flippy disc in the bag you have covered only the range appropriate for the speed of that one disc.

Normally an elephant does not fly like an eagle. Normally an eagle does not swim like a fish. Your girlfriend never ever thinks like you do. The universe as we know it has its limitations.

You cannot make a putter glide like a driver. You cannot make anything fly as sweetly as a Rattler. :lol: (Sorry, I snuck that one in. It is true though.)

So of course you need flippy discs at every speed. Unless, of course, you have such supreme skills that you vastly outclass your competition ( because it is possible to force over overstable discs and hit magical lines even if it takes the finest shot of your life). But if you possess such supremacy then why not tie you wrists and ankles together and set course records, just showing off, ya know?

 

[Danforth]

I always found the 150 class Aero to be a great, low power touch disc. You can use it to do trick shots no other disc can do.

 

[himynameismatt]

I think everyone is looking at this wrong. Everyone is listing really understable and flippy versions of discs they use at a variety of ranges. I'd rather sacrifice an understable disc's versatility for an overstable disc's predictability in my utility slots. For instance...I have a fairly worn in ESP Pred and Zone I use for a variety utility throws which to me are usually tommies, thumbers, flicks, flexes etc. When I'm getting outta trouble I need to know where my next shot is going to land and a thrashed disc probably won't be what I'm reaching for because of that.

Not saying a really thrashed and flippy disc isn't good to have in your bag I carry a couple, but theyre just not what I look for when it comes to utility.

 

[Frank Delicious]

A stable version of my normal disc isn't really in the utility slot b/c it gets thrown a decent amount. My newer eagles, orions and preds aren't really utility discs as they are used a whole bunch on the course. The super flippy valk and EL in my bag though come out like once a round or so for some crazy line.

 

[JoshEpoo]

I think everyone is looking at this wrong. Everyone is listing really understable and flippy versions of discs they use at a variety of ranges. I'd rather sacrifice an understable disc's versatility for an overstable disc's predictability in my utility slots. For instance...I have a fairly worn in ESP Pred and Zone I use for a variety utility throws which to me are usually tommies, thumbers, flicks, flexes etc. When I'm getting outta trouble I need to know where my next shot is going to land and a thrashed disc probably won't be what I'm reaching for because of that.

You needed the predictable disc before you landed in jail. Once you're there, all bets are off. Lots of people throw understable stuff because they go farther, and can be thrown on weird lines, with less power, which is often a concern when you're in a tight spot.

 

[Widdershins]

I think everyone is looking at this wrong. Everyone is listing really understable and flippy versions of discs they use at a variety of ranges. I'd rather sacrifice an understable disc's versatility for an overstable disc's predictability in my utility slots. For instance...I have a fairly worn in ESP Pred and Zone I use for a variety utility throws which to me are usually tommies, thumbers, flicks, flexes etc. When I'm getting outta trouble I need to know where my next shot is going to land and a thrashed disc probably won't be what I'm reaching for because of that.

You needed the predictable disc before you landed in jail. Once you're there, all bets are off. Lots of people throw understable stuff because they go farther, and can be thrown on weird lines, with less power, which is often a concern when you're in a tight spot.

Well said, CatPredator.

The longer players play and the more skilled they become, the more they turn to understable discs and lines. Of course when I mention "understable" discs, I mean understable based on the power and form of an individual player. A disc which is understable in my hands may not be that way in yours and visa versa.

Early on in many player's careers they figure out overstable lines. Overstable discs have a mind of their own. As they slow down in flight they will hyzer out. But the tunnel or the line you are looking at may not finish in that direction. Overstable discs are more forgiving of poor releases and flutter (oat). This is why many players with marginal forehand skills turn to them.

Understanding and mastering understable discs and lines is a natural progression of skill. As with any skill the sooner you start practicing it the sooner you become adept at it. Smoother, truer, cleaner lines will emerge from understable discs than from overstable discs. The more precise a line which is needed for a particular shot (especially one with tricky bends or is dead nuts straight) the more valuable that beat up disc becomes.

This does not mean an overstable disc has no value. They are very valuable in their place: fighting wind, hyzering hard, skipping around a corner, etc. Not using an overstable disc in its place is just as big a mistake as using it too often.

When you are getting out of trouble your line is often dictated to you by the obstacles in front of you. For this you need a malleable disc, not one with its own agenda.

 

[himynameismatt]

I'm totally capable of bending and working understable discs however I just feel more comfortable wrapping my Zone around a couple trees on anny flex than an understable S Curve. I know the Zone will comeback at the end not always the same for a really beat up discs.

Keeping discs in your bag that ride the fine line of being surgically precise or flippy junk is a harrowing prospect in the Oregon Woods, Pretty much all I throw are 350'-450' Tunnels at my home course and one round of plinko off the trees and that beautifully seasoned disc is now a roller.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/media.php?id=55&mode=media&view=hole&hole=15&page=1#

Hole 15 Pier Park, a 452' Tunnel Shot. I usually end up in putting range if I'm lucky however more often than not I'm over to the right side of the fairway (LHBH) where getting up and down quickly on a right fading hyzer that flies back out over the fairway and fades somewhere in the putting circle.

However different discs for different parts of the country I'm sure. "In jail" probably is probably a little bit different depending on what part of the country you happen to live in. Luckily we don't have a lot of thick brush. Just 100' tall evergreens that can be 5-6ft across.

 

[colombo117]

I have rarely had a perfectly seasoned disc get wrecked on one throw, they usually just get better. We have holes like that around here and I often throw understable dx or d discs on them because that's what I like to do. I like being able to make the disc fly how I want it to. Some people throw the predictable stable stuff and sometimes I do too. Personal preference I guess.

 

[himynameismatt]

I have rarely had a perfectly seasoned disc get wrecked on one throw, they usually just get better. We have holes like that around here and I often throw understable dx or d discs on them because that's what I like to do. I like being able to make the disc fly how I want it to. Some people throw the predictable stable stuff and sometimes I do too. Personal preference I guess.

I didn't say one throw. But on a hot day in the Oregon woods I've absolutely destroyed DX and Pro plastic discs one hit. A really bad round of plinko off the trees and even new premium plastic will get beat up in a few rounds here. We all have those rounds where our disc just seems like it's a wood-seeking missile.

 

[JoshEpoo]

I'm totally capable of bending and working understable discs however I just feel more comfortable wrapping my Zone around a couple trees on anny flex than an understable S Curve. I know the Zone will comeback at the end not always the same for a really beat up discs.

Keeping discs in your bag that ride the fine line of being surgically precise or flippy junk is a harrowing prospect in the Oregon Woods, Pretty much all I throw are 350'-450' Tunnels at my home course and one round of plinko off the trees and that beautifully seasoned disc is now a roller.

A lot of times you don't want your disc to come back. If your drive ends up to the right of the fairway, and your upshot flexes out, you can easily end up to the left of the fairway in a worse spot than you started out...

I live in MN, and Blue Ribbon Pines is my home course. It's almost entirely narrow tunnel shots, and it's completely lined with trees. Throwing overstable plastic down long corridors is a great way to end up skipping out of the fairway. Premium plastic discs will last for years and years without turning into rollers. Good luck throwing an off balance-get-out-of-trouble shot hard enough to damage a Champion plastic driver...

It's really not that fine of a line between precise and junk either. Nothing wrong with having options, or your own style of play, but in the context of this thread, a Zone is more of a workhorse than a utility disc....

 

[money 21]

I'm totally capable of bending and working understable discs however I just feel more comfortable wrapping my Zone around a couple trees on anny flex than an understable S Curve. I know the Zone will comeback at the end not always the same for a really beat up discs.

Keeping discs in your bag that ride the fine line of being surgically precise or flippy junk is a harrowing prospect in the Oregon Woods, Pretty much all I throw are 350'-450' Tunnels at my home course and one round of plinko off the trees and that beautifully seasoned disc is now a roller.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/media.php?id=55&mode=media&view=hole&hole=15&page=1#

Hole 15 Pier Park, a 452' Tunnel Shot. I usually end up in putting range if I'm lucky however more often than not I'm over to the right side of the fairway (LHBH) where getting up and down quickly on a right fading hyzer that flies back out over the fairway and fades somewhere in the putting circle.

However different discs for different parts of the country I'm sure. "In jail" probably is probably a little bit different depending on what part of the country you happen to live in. Luckily we don't have a lot of thick brush. Just 100' tall evergreens that can be 5-6ft across.

being another oregon guy and very familuar with pier i have to agree with himynameiematt the trees here eat plastic in the heat. I turned a fresh molf into a roller one throw on hole 13 that caught a root this year in the naac. but i think the courses around here call for both end of the spectrum. i throw my wedge and trident a lot more on the courses around here then i do when i go to the mid west or south.

 

[himynameismatt]

I'm totally capable of bending and working understable discs however I just feel more comfortable wrapping my Zone around a couple trees on anny flex than an understable S Curve. I know the Zone will comeback at the end not always the same for a really beat up discs.

Keeping discs in your bag that ride the fine line of being surgically precise or flippy junk is a harrowing prospect in the Oregon Woods, Pretty much all I throw are 350'-450' Tunnels at my home course and one round of plinko off the trees and that beautifully seasoned disc is now a roller.

A lot of times you don't want your disc to come back. If your drive ends up to the right of the fairway, and your upshot flexes out, you can easily end up to the left of the fairway in a worse spot than you started out...

I live in MN, and Blue Ribbon Pines is my home course. It's almost entirely narrow tunnel shots, and it's completely lined with trees. Throwing overstable plastic down long corridors is a great way to end up skipping out of the fairway. Premium plastic discs will last for years and years without turning into rollers. Good luck throwing an off balance-get-out-of-trouble shot hard enough to damage a Champion plastic driver...

It's really not that fine of a line between precise and junk either. Nothing wrong with having options, or your own style of play, but in the context of this thread, a Zone is more of a workhorse than a utility disc....

Not to sound elitist, because I'm not but I played about a dozen courses all over Minnesota last summer, my mom grew up in Tyler,MN if anyone is familiar with that area...You really have nothing that compares to the woods we have. That isn't smack talk it's just true. Even what's considered a tight, technical, wooded course out there is wide open compared to what we're playing in. Disc wear happens fast.

It just sounds like my definition of what a utility shot is slightly different than some of you other guys which is fine, after all these are discussion forums.

 

[hyzerkite]

I chop roll ESP Zones when I get into a pitch out situation, and I have saved pars that look impossible here in Charlotte. I always have a dead straight FLXBuzz in my bag for the occasional anhyzer forehand too. It takes a good while to make the FLXBuzz beat to a desirable stability, but it is worth climbing through swamps and throwing things in trees to retrieve your discs, so you can keep them on a constant beautiful decline. I use flippy drivers(Archon, Northman) for tunnels with low power and zero fade with distance. If there is a utility disc in my bag it is my Zones. I dislike pro-d plastic in every Discraft disc I have owned over the years, but the Zone is magic. Looking at one on the wall with "first ace Renny #6 flick" written on it as I type. I beat that pro-d Zone in so badly it was twisted, and still held its fade. Deadly overstable and slow speed makes a good disc for trouble shots and dependable flights.Real flippy plastic is too unreliable for most placement shots in tight situations for me. I carry a lot of staples in my bag that get replaced, and an equal amount of different manufacturer's discs for curiosity, and sacrifice situations. My putters, my progressive row of star and pro destroyers, and my beat FLX Buzzz will not fly over water and get thrown over swamps. I will take the chance on my brand new disc before an older one, which makes the brand new discs all utility discs, until they gain my respect.

 

[jubuttib]

Wow, eleven different driver molds, nice.

 

[money 21]

i doon't think my weekender bag would hold them.