why do companies even make drivers?

[BirdieMachine]

There are quite a few women who can throw over 400. Just cause you can't do it does not mean that everybody else is just using "internet distance"... And wtf is "real life people"? Quit making excuses and go practice...

Really just a few but whose counting. The guys on the other hand.......

http://www.pdga.com/2014proworlds/fieldevents

 

[jrawk]

some people I know have huge hands... they could probably palm a high-school text book... and they all prefer wider rims for grip comfort.

Me, I wear medium gloves and I can barely grip anything over 20mm (speed 10). It's because I get better grip with speed 9 & 10 drivers I can throw them farther and more accurate than speed 12 and 13 drivers.

 

[cjdiscgolf]

Disc Golf Course Review Forums at it's finest ITT.

 

[rhatton1]

There's loads of good answers in this thread but one thing that seems to have been overlooked.

Most answers seem to be related to using discs on the course rather than the practice field.

On the course I take a full bag of different discs ready for any situation - I might pull out a high speed driver for a 100' shot, if that shot is to get through a 2' gap under foliage, skip on a dirt path and pop up towards the basket for that got to make 2 (it will almost certainly not work but in matchplay it might be the only way to try ) I can do strange skip upshots with my Boss I couldn't do with my Teebird

On the practice field though if working solely on form that is where the putters/mids and fairways come out, preferably a number of the same mould These are much better for working on form as they are consistent, so if something changes in their flight it is because YOU changed something dramatically enough to affect an otherwise stable consistent disc. Doesn't matter if that change is good or bad, you know it was you that did it. With high speed stuff, the change can be tiny and have a dramatic effect and not give you good feedback. Worse still is you will work out ways of throwing them that will work but will not allow your game to develop further as it will produce bad form habits. After years of playing if I am doing form work I try to avoid faster discs, I used to use them for form work and wish now that I hadn't

It's also much easier to snap a smaller rimmed disc as you need less grip strength to hold onto it through the pivot. Stronger snap gives you more spin and more control over the flight of a disc.

Basically, learning good form is easier with slower discs and much easier if you attempt to do this in a field rather than on the course.

Most people though will be perfectly happy never practising and hitting the course up with their bosses and nukes throwing OAT'd 250' drives and producing bad form which will never let them throw a putter straight.

And that's fine too.

 

[Nasty Nate]

I generally reach for my Teebird around 270+ because it's easier for me to throw it at that range instead of maxing out a Mid to get there.

For me it's generally:
Putters 0'-220'
Mids 220'-270'
Fairways 270'-350'
Distance 350'+

Granted some of those might change depending on the situation, but I am not one to say how I throw my putters for anything under 400'. Sometimes it's easier to throw a faster disc to get there instead of cranking a slow disc as hard as you can.

I'm hoping to increase my distance next season as I've been crazy about fixing my form.

 

[threevok]

Basically, learning good form is easier with slower discs and much easier if you attempt to do this in a field rather than on the course.

Plus you don't have to walk as far to pick up your discs.

 

[Pbmercil]

There are quite a few women who can throw over 400. Just cause you can't do it does not mean that everybody else is just using "internet distance"... And wtf is "real life people"? Quit making excuses and go practice...

What exactly qualifies as "quite a few" to you? Honest question, because I don't think there are more then 5 or 6 women at the absolute max that can consistently throw 400 in a field. If your talking legit golf drives over '400 its probably less then that.

For the record I can throw 400 feet. I can't get very far past that even on my best days, but I can hit 400 foot shots. But I get sick of the egos on this board that treat 400 like its no big deal or that everyone can do it, that's a misrepresentation of the sport as a hole.

 

[MarkDSM]

I generally reach for my Teebird around 270+ because it's easier for me to throw it at that range instead of maxing out a Mid to get there.

For me it's generally:
Putters 0'-220'
Mids 220'-270'
Fairways 270'-350'
Distance 350'+

Granted some of those might change depending on the situation, but I am not one to say how I throw my putters for anything under 400'. Sometimes it's easier to throw a faster disc to get there instead of cranking a slow disc as hard as you can.

I'm hoping to increase my distance next season as I've been crazy about fixing my form.

Best post of the thread.

Gold Star post:clap:

/also: Wind
//also: Standstill throwing conditions
///also: Rollers
////also: Skip shots
/////also....

 

[Kodachrome]

For the record I can throw 400 feet. I can't get very far past that even on my best days, but I can hit 400 foot shots. But I get sick of the egos on this board that treat 400 like its no big deal or that everyone can do it, that's a misrepresentation of the sport as a hole.

Eeeeeeh. It's a big deal as a personal achievement, but it's definitely not anything special when you consider the sport at a competitive level in general. Many can throw that far, and that's just real talk. Not demeaning anybody's ability.

 

[Phule77]

This is my first year throwing seriously, and speed 9 discs are seriously pushing it for me. I can throw often throw a Vector or Envy as far as an Inspire or Amp most of the time, unless I happen to get a lucky shot. I'm just starting to get my form down with my reach back, and it's probably going to be next summer before that's anything like normative.

But I have friends who can throw 400+ with no issue, especially on forehand throws. They love 13+ speed discs, and can make them do simply incredible things, whereas if I try to throw anything 10 and over, it mostly just meat hooks on me.

I do play games where I just work with putters or midranges, for the fun of it, and to look at how I throw. I think...you have to sort of get an idea of what you're capable of, and work at it.

Nothing burns me up more than seeing guys out on the course with their girlfriend, and they've given her a 13 speed disc, and she's hooking it hole after hole. You know she's not coming back of her own will, she's not enjoying this, while he flings plastic 300 feet out. People need the tools to meet what they can do, and work toward what they will be able to do.

 

[Twmccoy]

Based on what I see in stores and on the course, drivers sell way better than mids or putters. Hell, sometimes I'll see people on the course with all drivers and no mids or putters.

The great majority of disc-ers are woefully misinformed on what disc they should be using for a given shot. I see people using Nukes on 220' holes, and they still can't reach the pin.

But, in answer to the question of why they make drivers? Because they sell like crazy and are fun to throw.

 

[mark996]

Based on what I see in stores and on the course, drivers sell way better than mids or putters. Hell, sometimes I'll see people on the course with all drivers and no mids or putters.

The great majority of disc-ers are woefully misinformed on what disc they should be using for a given shot. I see people using Nukes on 220' holes, and they still can't reach the pin.

But, in answer to the question of why they make drivers? Because they sell like crazy and are fun to throw.

I see that, but I consider them just out to spend time with friends and jack around, not anyone you'd see coming around here or looking up information on discs. Like today I ran across 3 boys just messing around, all 3 had drivers and were just throwing at will. No biggie, just not someone who's going to take the time to research what to throw and how to throw them. I don't know if they're misinformed as much as just not caring about how or what they're throwing because they're out there just to screw around with buds.

 

[natedg1976]

OP, I felt the same way as you when I first got on these forums. I will say anyone who told you don't throw drivers until you can throw a mid or putter 400 is full of rubbish. I would have handed them a putter and said lets see it. Now, I was one of the unfortunate ones that bought a destroyer as my first driver. But, I also bought a putter(polecat), mid(skeeter), and fairway(leopard). Thank goodness I did. I found right away that the putter, mid, and fairway were producing better results. I could throw them straighter, further, and with more accuracy than the destroyer. So, I put the destroyer up. I worked with jusst three discs for four months. Then I bought a Valkyrie. By god, I could throw that Valkyrie. And it was actually taking the flight path shown. These days, I carry three destroyers because I can throw them now, but I carry five Valkyries in various stages of wear. Sure I can't get my destroyers out further than the Valkyries. But I get consistently better accuracy with my Valkyries. And don't let anyone tell you speed 9 is not a true distance driver. At one time a Valkyrie held the world distance record with a throw of 820'. Not by me. It took me a lot of practice, but it was well worth it. If the whole is under 280, I can confidently pull out a putter and know I will have a great chance at birdie. 281-325 and out comes a mid. Just keep practicing op and it will all fall into place.

 

[mark996]

Nate that's part of my game, one of a few, that's lacking. I still throw mids on shorter holes, I just can't seem to throw a putter for distance.

 

[natedg1976]

As an edit I meant to say sure I can throw my destroyers farther than my Valkyries. Not can't. Lol.

 

[natedg1976]

Nate that's part of my game, one of a few, that's lacking. I still throw mids on shorter holes, I just can't seem to throw a putter for distance.

It was not until the last two months of this past season( I don't throw in the winter) that I was truly confident driving a putter. Mainly because it took me that long to find one I was comfortable driving with. If you have not tried an envy, do it.

 

[ryanwilli7]

I think everyone's first disc should be an Ape...

There are so many great beginner fairway drivers, its silly to say just throw mids and putters.

 

[mashnut]

FWIW, most of the advice I've seen has been that new players work their putters and mids in field work, not that they never throw an appropriate faster disc if that's what they want to do on the course. Especially early on you'll get a lot more out of practicing with discs that show more form flaws and are an appropriate speed that the player can actually shape different lines with them. For many new players that doesn't include anything faster than a mid.

That said, obviously you should do whatever keeps disc golf fun for you. If that's throwing nothing but drivers, that's perfectly fine with me and I assume it's perfectly fine with the people giving form advice on the forums. If you're not looking to improve and just want to throw the discs you like then maybe you shouldn't be asking for that advice though...

 

[1978]

So being new of course I am looking at as much information I can. The constant thing I keep seeing is people saying "Don't throw anything but putters and mids. Unless you can throw 400+ dont even think about drivers." If this is true why does anyone ever need a driver? Why do companies keep coming out with faster ones? And then why does everyone's ITB's have drivers? If the average dg hole is under 400 feet shouldn't all we really need is putters and mids? But you all still throw faster stuff. It all seems very hypocritical to me.

The companies produce what people will buy, period. If no one used drivers...they wouldnt manufacture them.

Additionally many high speed drivers actually fix poor form. A chopping anny sidearm (that is common to under skilled players) is righted by a disc too fast or overstable and they actually get good distance that way, with bad form on open holes.

 

[1978]

As an edit I meant to say sure I can throw my destroyers farther than my Valkyries. Not can't. Lol.

I can't and I've got an OK arm.