[Gateway] Wizard Selection & Procurement

[myllys]

New PW get really dirty don't they?

 

[thatdirtykid]

Even the worst Wizard is still grippier than the best Aviar.

I never understood the "firm" part being a must. That being said - there are certainly Wizards firmer than any Aviar.

The Wizard mold got tweaked quite a few years ago though, so there's actually two molds - the current Wizard mold (with thicker flight plate) and the old Proto Wizard mold, which does glide and fly farther - but will clover once they get super beat. The Nikko Wizards they recently ran (sold out) were run using the proto mold. If you somehow can find your hands on one of these, they are probably the Wizards you want.

Otherwise - I would recommend trying a Firm (relabel of Soft), SuperSoft, $ (Money), Organic, Special Blend, and Eraser Wizards. I know it's a lot, but once you figure out which one of these you like the best - it is super easy to stock up on them. The recent runs have all been consistent and not super different like the old years-past runs. If you like premium plastic - the new Diamond, Platinum, and HD plastics are all fantastic - but be forewarned, they do fly a bit shorter and do not glide as much as the baseline Wizards do.

I think there have been three the proto (thinnest), then the thinner than current and now current.

As far az PWs getting dirty, its nothing terrible. No worse than most any white putters.

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[mistabman]

As someone who lives down the street from the Gateway factory, I must caution you that the wizard road can be long and winding, but the end result often feels like a completely custom made putter just for you.

From your description, I'd say start with a stack of 5 different plastics/blends. My recommendation would be PW, stiff eraser, organic, firm, and SS. I will also second the suggestion of getting high shoulder wizards. To me they make better putting putters. I tend to think of low shouldered wizards as throwing putters.

From there, pick your favorite and get some pairs. If you fall in love with a particular plastic/run/stamp, get enough for a year or two. Something similar will come up eventually, but it may take a while.

They will often have sales on their website for 2 packs or 5 packs. Calling and placing a phone order might be your best bet though.

 

[pjhayes7]

That's kinda what I'm thinking too. I'll prob just take the plunge in the next day or so. Even discs I don't use I still like having... It's nice to have a huge stack of whatever when throwing in the field. And I can always try and sell or trade!

You can't go wrong with Soft/Firm (they recently changed the name to Firm but there are still plenty of Softs out there). Although you may get an outlier that is either dinner plate hard or one with a decent amount of give in the flight plate, you will 95% of the time get a stiff but not rock hard disc that also is not slick. I would say as stiff as most KC Pro I have felt and somewhere between KC and Yeti Pro for grip. I have never bought a Soft/Firm that did not meet the description I just gave you, and half or mine have been bought online.

 

[thatdirtykid]

I miss old mediums and firms. I get why they are gone but OG firms even made fossil feel like it had some give

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[CreemCheese]

Bear in mind that I live in Ohio, and in the fall, early spring, and all winter - SS and up are pretty much unusable (firm up too much). I use SSS, 4S, RFF, and Lunars those times of the year. So if you live in an area where you'll be throwing discs in weather 50F and below, there's nothing wrong with picking up multiple flexes of Wizards. I don't use the 4S and RFF in the summer as they are too floppy, and SSS can be too floppy as well, but once fall hits, those start coming back out.

I also live in Ohio, and use Fossil all year round. Firm and PW are equally good, I'm not too picky about it. But I'm a push putter and the 3S and floppier just don't work for me.

 

[SD86]

...life's too short to be super picky about Wizards.

Totally agree, but not in the way you might think. ^^^ This is one reason I did not adopt the Wizard as my putting putter.

(Having said that, I'm curious about the Pure Whites and may try one, one day...)

 

[SD86]

New PW get really dirty don't they?

I hope so. That would mean you've been playing in the DG dirt again, and that's always a good thing. :thmbup:

 

[Flick Maniac]

I would kill for a few Nikko Wizards. If I run into some excess money might even merit a overseas order.

 

[xare]

I also live in Ohio, and use Fossil all year round. Firm and PW are equally good, I'm not too picky about it. But I'm a push putter and the 3S and floppier just don't work for me.

I am a push putter too, but I do not like firm putters. I like Omega Supersofts too. However, I'm somewhat picky about exactly how floppy I like my discs. I like the putters to be able to taco with force, but not burrito floppy. If you can't make the rim touch itself (with enough force), it's too stiff for me.

 

[xare]

I miss old mediums and firms. I get why they are gone but OG firms even made fossil feel like it had some give

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Agree. Those old Mediums were ridiculous, the OG Firms even more so. Funny how people want g9i so much or PW or Fossil and yet they have no idea how stiff the old ones were. I have a Fossil Wizard that is super low shouldered, and only usable for throwing, not putting.

 

[xare]

Yeah I would say if at all possible, feel them up before buying. Of talk directly to a person that can feel them up for you and describe them and you can ask more questions. Stiff erasers are indeed superb if you can find them.

I dont like floppy putters and thus have tried to steer away from SSSS at least, but even in SSS there are some pretty darn stiff ones that I have grown to like.

I have 20 or so Wizards and still not sure what the "high shoulder" means...

I'll take a picture next time I can to illustrate what "high" and "low" mean.

 

[xare]

https://ibb.co/rZcs7V7

White is a first run Fossil Wizard. Low shoulder, better for driving. High shoulder on right is better for putting.

 

[Innova63]

......From your description, I'd say start with a stack of 5 different plastics/blends. My recommendation would be PW, stiff eraser, organic, firm, and SS.....

......They will often have sales on their website for 2 packs or 5 packs. Calling and placing a phone order might be your best bet though.

These parts are the best advice.

Calling Gateway direct and dealing with them will get the best results. Mike and the guys there are very helpful.

 

[thatdirtykid]

What do you like about the low shouldered for driving? I have 5 matching PW that were double stamped as seconds. They are low shouldered and not as stable as I want for driving.

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[thatdirtykid]

That said they are mis-trimmed too so maybe the little bits of bead cut out caused them to be less stable more than the shoulder.

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[icebat]

I've hear that mentioned a few times in here. What makes you say high shoulder is better for putting just out of curiosity? Seems like more of a personal preference thing. I honestly like low shouldered wizards for putting, but maybe i'm in the minority.

https://ibb.co/rZcs7V7

White is a first run Fossil Wizard. Low shoulder, better for driving. High shoulder on right is better for putting.

 

[tbird888]

I've hear that mentioned a few times in here. What makes you say high shoulder is better for putting just out of curiosity? Seems like more of a personal preference thing.

It is a personal thing. Opinions don't always read like opinions online.

 

[Three Putt]

As someone who lives down the street from the Gateway factory, I must caution you that the wizard road can be long and winding, but the end result often feels like a completely custom made putter just for you.

When I was young, single and had disposable income I lived in an apartment just South of Dorsett & McKelvey. If that was me today I'd own 200 Wizards. It's waaayyy too easy to pick out a stack there.

 

[Three Putt]

What do you like about the low shouldered for driving? I have 5 matching PW that were double stamped as seconds. They are low shouldered and not as stable as I want for driving.

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It's all subjective stuff, but for me the low shouldered ones were longer. If I had to call it something, I'd say the high shouldered ones lack some glide. I didn't find one to be more or less stable than the other that I recall really.

I used the high shouldered ones as putting putters and I didn't notice any difference in them, I just figured I had them and they were no worse for putting than the low shouldered ones so why not?

Now my shoulder is all fubar and they all fly more or less the same, which is another way of saying I can't really get any of them to fly like I used to.