Animage's Bag (and help topic)

[Animage]

Bag is back to where I prefered it before. Haven't found an HPP Wizard that feels good yet in a color I can throw. So the Ridge is in the bag for now to drive with.

175 SSS Wizard (Pink) - Putting Putter
173 X-Link Ridge (Pink) - Driving Putter

177 X Buzzz (Orange) - Beating to Turnover Mid
175 Z Buzzz (Blue) - Go To, got rid of Glo Buzzz
169 FLX Buzzz (Neon) - Problem Shots and heavy woods

168 Polaris LS (White) - Love this disc. Go to Driver
168 Opto River (Pink) - Warming up to this. Mostly turnovers and Tighter tunnels
157 Champ Teebird (Pink) - Outside of my power level still, reliable fade and can meat hook this disc the easiest. I trust this as much in the wind as I do my Z Buzzz and choose it more often for it. It is mainly a last option at the moment. It has kept a Banshee out of the bag.

Wizard - 200 feet
Ridge - 225-250
Buzzz - 275
LS - 300
River - 300
Teebird - 310-330

Ridge may come out of the bag once I get an HPP Wizard in Pink and a weight I like for driving. I'd really like 5 molds and around 10 discs, and this may be set for me for the next few years.

Newest goal is Buzzz to 300 feet and Wizards to 250 minimum. I still do not enjoy driving with wizards.

I feel completely ready to make a pact with myself to not change it around now. I don't feel I will outgrow anything here and feel sound with disc choices for shots.

 

[BrotherDave]

^ Good stuff.

What is it about the Wizard that you are not feeling comfortable with? IMO S Wizards are the best for driving with, I wasn't too fond of the HPP Wiz I had, it wasn't stout enough.

 

[Animage]

^ Good stuff.

What is it about the Wizard that you are not feeling comfortable with? IMO S Wizards are the best for driving with, I wasn't too fond of the HPP Wiz I had, it wasn't stout enough.

I don't know if my hands are just too small to get a grip on it, but I cannot hold it in any kind of driving grip and feel like I can throw it.

Mike C showed me his grip of just a standard 4 finger power grip on it, and I for the life of me cannot get it.

Lower profile putters are better for me drive-wise, but nothing hits the line like a wizard does.

I just retired my Soft Wizard back to my practice bag, as the grip and feel of the run of SSS wizards a shop here got just have everything I need for how I lob putt. I thought they would wear in to floppy fast, but after a few weeks of hard chain hitting, they're surviving. Thinking about hitting his shop and grabbing the rest of the run he had, as every other SSS Wiz I've found were too floppy.

 

[BrotherDave]

Have you tried the stack/fork grip? I used to use that all the time before the power grip felt comfy for me. The one where you stack the middle finger on top of the ring finger which is stacked on the pinkie.

 

[Animage]

Have you tried the stack/fork grip? I used to use that all the time before the power grip felt comfy for me. The one where you stack the middle finger on top of the ring finger which is stacked on the pinkie.

That's my standard grip, minus for my actual putting. On the Wizards, I can't get my index finger to wrap around and meet my thumb for a pinching point, which i've been trying to do lately. Getting that pinch was the difference between 250 and 275 with the Buzzz. I went up from 180 to 200ish now with the Wizards, but that comfort level just isn't there.

 

[BrotherDave]

Have you tried a Voodoo? Similar to a Wizard but with a smaller bead?

 

[Animage]

Have you tried a Voodoo? Similar to a Wizard but with a smaller bead?

I have. I found my putter of choice for putting in the Wizard, I just don't like driving with it.

I loved the Pig for driving, as it's incredibly comfortable, but the lack of glide leaves much to desire.

If it wasn't for this forum, I had no problem powering down my Buzzz's for anything from 150+. I can throw my wizard to around 180 with my putting grip and feel comfortable doing that, it's going beyond that I don't like it.

 

[BrotherDave]

Well, I'm out of ideas then. If you liked the shape of the Pig, then you might like more lid-shaped putters like Birdies and Polecats. They're not super great in the wind but with good form you can put them out to 200' just as well as anything else.

Anyway, good luck to yah.

 

[Animage]

Maybe I don't understand what you're trying to help me with.

It's not that I can't throw a Wizard on a drive decent. I just can't get a grip on the disc comfortably to use it as a driving putter.

I'm accurate with them from 150 in, and prefer to use a buzzz when I'm actually trying to throw. I use a buzzz for the most part from 150 all the way to 300 ft holes, where then I pull out a driver. I'm often short a few feet on a 300 foot hole with the buzzz, but I know where it's going for a Deuce most often.

I don't feel bad not driving with a putter often, and Im now using the Ridge as its close to the flight pattern of the Wizard (minus some glide), but it's a disc profile I can hold comfortably to drive with.

I never felt this part of my game was broken, just seems that everyone else does. I don't feel this is hindering my progress at all, but it seems to be everyone's nitpik of my game.

 

[SpyderPride]

Maybe I don't understand what you're trying to help me with.

It's not that I can't throw a Wizard on a drive decent. I just can't get a grip on the disc comfortably to use it as a driving putter.

Everyone has different hands. If the Wizard doesn't fit well for a driving grip (that is technically sound), then don't bother driving with it. If a Ridge or Pig or whatever feels better in your hand for driving, use one. Everyone wants you to use your Wizard for driving because it is considered one of, if not THE, best driving putter ever made.

The idea is that once you can push your putter out to 300', your form has gotten to the point where 400'+ is possible with something like a Valkyrie... if you can translate it to the wider rim and a lower line. I've started feeling the late acceleration lately, which has not only killed a huge chunk of my OAT but also granted me a 275' rip on a low line with my Wizard. It was a very exciting shot; it literally held a straight line all the way to the ground. After that, I felt the confidence to try the same throw on my beat flippy Gazelle and had some of my best drives ever with it.

As a closing note, I don't think you are supposed to pinch the flight plate with your thumb and pointer finger. I press the pad of my pointer finger onto the bead of the Wizard and my thumb sits somewhere above that where the flight plate starts thickening into the rim.

 

[Mike C]

When I drive with the Wizard my grip has me putting the bead on the side of my index finger in between the last knuckle (Closest to fingernail) and second to last. I pinch with that area and my thumb. Here's a few more pictures:



Kind of surprised you find the Ridge that much more comfortable, they're pretty similar feeling to me overall. The Ridge is a great disc though, if I didn't throw Wizards I'd throw them. Sometimes certain discs don't feel good to your hand no matter what, like personally I hate the feel of wide rimmed drivers, and never warmed up to how the Comet felt either but I love it's flight.

Either way, as much as I advocate throwing putters, I know guys who use mids for everything that's not a putt and they still score well. I don't think it's the best way to do things, but using mids from 150' and out can certainly work.