[Drivers] Your GoTo Speed 9/10 Driver

[VictorB]

So I'm trying to fill a crucial spot in my bag: A reliable speed 9 or 10 driver for straight flight with a reliable fade. Not talking Firebirds here obviously. Right now I'm going back and forth between a Lucid Escape and a Champ Thunderbird which I'm working on breaking in. I'm liking the Escape but wanted to get some other opinions as well.

PDs. Lots of PDs.

I carry about 5 in my bag. 2 pPD - one new one worn, 2 sPDs - one new one worn, and 1 cPD.

Covers basically all of my drives except stuff that I want to turn and not fade out, then I use the slower FDs for those most of the time.

 

[Kodachrome]

You are looking for a pd or a qolf. Probably a pd. /thread.

 

[Hoss22]

I throw saint pros for this spot now. About 3hrs ago, I was all over the avenger though...absolutely amazing disc. At 350-375' that thing would go perfectly straight with a reliable fade every time. Loved those discs. Now I want to throw them again.

 

[Dr.Smooth]

VIP plastic Saint Pro. Has to be a domey one for me. May not be quite speed 9/10 though but very close.

 

[cooter]

I cycle through Tee Birds like crazy. I've always got 3 in my bag for flippy, dead nut straight and then pure hyzer line. My Escape is still dead nut straight with decent fade. My flat top Firebird is just too damn beefy unless I'm in a monster headwind. Looks like I'll be trying out some Orcs, PD's, Saints and possibly a Viking.

Orcs and Vikings are really good discs and you can't go wrong with them but they feel like old technology after throwing a PD and Thunderbird. Try the PD first. Just my 2 cents

 

[Mocheez]

Any love for the Discmania CD? Isn't it basically a Viking?

 

[@iDiscGolf]

Any love for the Discmania CD? Isn't it basically a Viking?

I've never got a chance to check out a Viking. But, yeah the CD is a great disc. Really controllable. Anyone know what the top/bottom innova combo for the CD?

 

[corin_brown]

Wow, I've never seen/heard so much Orc talk in my life. I think I can count on my hand the number of times I've seen this disc being used. Guess I gotta get one see what all the hubbub is about.

Loving all the lusty Destroyer, Wraith, Boss recs in this thread to an OP looking specifically for speed 9, 10 discs.

My non-Firebird speed 9, 10 discs are the Champion Starfire & Thunderbird. And for the life of me, I can't understand why the Starfire gets almost zero respect. Seeing it pop up in this thread a couple of times is heartening but has basically been the only time I've seen the mold mentioned. Anyway, the Starfire is a workhorse for me. BH, FH, turnover shots, straight tunnel shots, hyzer shots - it's relentlessly versatile & extremely dependable, Don't know what I would do without it. Sure hope they never stop making them.

As for the Thunderbird, I've had one in my bag for 2015 and have been feathering it into my game slowly with good results. The Thunderbird is just a shade less stable than the Starfire, otherwise their performance is quite similar. Excellent disc.

 

[Snap-it]

Orc is a good choice as a longer PD/OLF. Overlooked driver once the Wraith came out.

 

[Horsman]

PD, Thunderbird, H4, Saint, Saint Pro, Convict, OLF, Riot, SL, FL, Viking, XS, Beast, Orc.

Theres a lot fo options out there. Find the one you like the feel of and go with it. You can get all of these discs to do the shot you want to do, it just depends on your throwing style and how you want the disc to feel.

 

[BuzzzChief]

Simplest answer is a PD. That's exactly what it does, it flies straight/far and then fades hard. OLF, Thunderbird, Starfire, Saint Pro are relatively similar discs. A new Orc could maybe fit the bill but it really depends on the plastic. Orcs beat in to nice S-turn discs in my experience, I wouldn't ever describe them as a straight-to-fade disc.

Stay away from the more understable picks like SL, Viking, Beast, XS, etc.

 

[Ted Bratton]

Avenger!

 

[HiFi]

Star Starfire lately. I don't see it changing unless I lose this one.

 

[cipher]

Orc and Thunderbird are my go to drivers right now. Loving these discs.

 

[DanJon]

Simplest answer is a PD. That's exactly what it does, it flies straight/far and then fades hard. OLF, Thunderbird, Starfire, Saint Pro are relatively similar discs. A new Orc could maybe fit the bill but it really depends on the plastic. Orcs beat in to nice S-turn discs in my experience, I wouldn't ever describe them as a straight-to-fade disc.

Stay away from the more understable picks like SL, Viking, Beast, XS, etc.

I wouldn't call a Viking understable.

 

[SD86]

Stay away from the more understable picks like SL, Viking, Beast, XS, etc.

SL is not understable to me. Maybe a Pro SL beaten in to all heck is, but my Star SL is not understable, nor is my (relatively new and fresh) Pro SL.

Are Vikings understable?!??! Not the ones I've seen thrown by others, though that may be operator headspace and timing.

SL = good disc.

 

[corin_brown]

SL is not understable to me. Maybe a Pro SL beaten in to all heck is, but my Star SL is not understable, nor is my (relatively new and fresh) Pro SL.

Are Vikings understable?!??! Not the ones I've seen thrown by others, though that may be operator headspace and timing.

SL = good disc.

I like the SL too. Got my first ace with one. The SL was a workhorse for me until I wanted something more stable, however, and that's when I replaced it with a Starfire. By definition, the SL is a less stable version of the Starfire. Just like the TL is the less stable version of the Teebird.

Stability is relative. Sure, the SL & Viking are more stable when compared to a Mamba or a Monarch. But when you compare them to the Starfire or Thunderbird, two discs that are mentioned a lot in this thread, they are both understable. Innova even puts a Viking in some of their beginner 3-packs that they sell. That's because it's a relatively understable driver.

 

[Streets]

Valkyrie hands down.

 

[kevdiv48]

S-PD is by far by favorite for this.

 

[SD86]

I like the SL too. Got my first ace with one. The SL was a workhorse for me until I wanted something more stable, however, and that's when I replaced it with a Starfire. By definition, the SL is a less stable version of the Starfire. Just like the TL is the less stable version of the Teebird.

Well, by definition the SL (Starfire-L) is a less stable Starfire, but IMHO the similarities to the Teebird/TL comparison has issues, to wit:

The Teebird is 7,5,0,2 while my favorite disc (along with the Valk) the TL is 7,5,0,1. So they are similar, and they throw similar. A beaten-in Teebird will eventually fly similar to a fresh TL.

But the Starfire is 10,4,0,3 while the SL (Star SL) is 10,5,-1,2. And in my experience there is a HUGE difference in how they throw, and the Starfire does not beat in to be like an SL, IMHO.

The SL's numbers are more like a Krait (11,5,-1,2), Teedevil (12,5,-1,2) and so on, and it flies like a slower version of those discs. I like the Krait and I like the SL. Starfire is a good disc, just too overstable for my personal needs, but it works for Valarie Jenkins Doss, and if it works for y'all, that's all good.