Animage's Bag (and help topic)

[Animage]

Got my Gorilla Boy Spider Monkey Digi Camo bag finally and love it to death. Now I'm trying to perfect my game now that I am carrying the discs in something I love to death.

I'm about 90/10 Backhand/forehand My only disc I forehand is also my thumber.

Putters:
175 Soft Wizard - Putt Putter
175 R-Pro Pig - Driving Putter

Mid Ranges:
175 Z Buzzz
175 DX Roc Flat-top

Drivers:
170 Star Leopard
168 Z Stalker
167 Champion 12x Teebird
172 Champion Banshee
171 Champion 5x Valkyrie

Distance Wise:
Pig - 170-180ish
Buzzz - 200-230ish
Fairways Maxing 280ish
Valk - 300-330ish

I have nearly 100 discs now and almost all different types that I'm trying for my game. I dont like using the Wizard for anything but actual putting, and nothing else has been able to top it for how I putt. I consider myself a lob putter and everything else fails for me. I'm testing a 175 Champ Aviar right now that is really gummy and love the feel but cant hit chains to save my life. Decided to take the ion out as well; no matter the distance i'm hitting the basket and not chains. The pig is a bit overstable for me, but it has the single greatest grip of any disc for me, I'd rather continue to work with it than replace it.

I had a great run with a 170 dx cheetah and gazelle for a bit, but with the woods here, the discs were nearly useless to me after a few dozen rounds. The gazelle wont even come back for me anymore despite it being so turn resistant before.

I have a nuke as well that I'm able to get out to about 340-350 quite easily, but I dont play with it often as 1 tree hit so far visibly damaged the disc quite well with a good tic-tac size gouge into the rim.

I use the leopard/teebird combo quite well with both serving their lines quite well, but i'm not gaining any distance especially in the past month. The Valk seems to be my money low line distance straight as an arrow when I juice it. The stalker is my utility guy and serves me well when i need to power down alot but dont want to use my buzzz, and the banshee fills in my FH slot and overhand.

I'm at a loss with midranges lately and can't get them back. I'm to a point now where I dont use the buzzz, but instead power down the stalker for the exact shots.

I would appreciate any suggestions, as I probably already have the disc you'll suggest. I have a hard time working hyzer/anhyzer and despite trying I release flat. I have no issues with this, but am told I'll never progress without learning to throw differently on purpose.

 

[BrotherDave]

Play some putter and mid only rounds for awhile, it will force you to shape lines better and increase your distance as it cleans the junk out of your throw. If you are maxing below 300' with Teebirds, you should prolly step down a few notches to the Gazelles, Cheetahs, and Cyclones of the world. You can find Cheetahs and Gazelles in better plastic than DX (My pick: KC Pro Cheetah; Glow Champ Gazelle) and there's prolly a reason why they were working out so well for you. They're good discs period.

 

[2DiscDouche]

I dont like using the Wizard for anything but actual putting, and nothing else has been able to top it for how I putt. I consider myself a lob putter and everything else fails for me. I'm testing a 175 Champ Aviar right now that is really gummy and love the feel but cant hit chains to save my life.

Try out an EHPP Wizard. Mine are gummy and nasty and I really like them.

 

[wolito]

Roc and Buzzz? Pick one. Your info says you have been playing for about 4 months and you already have over 100 discs? That could be your problem right there. You really should stick with a few discs and learn them. I mean really learn them. Play with 5-6 discs exclusively for a year then add some more at that point. Stick with the Teebird, Leopard, Buzzz or Roc and your two putters. Distance, control and consistancy come with time and sticking with just a few discs until you learn skill and technique. Until then, buying new discs will probably be counterproductive. It takes time to develop a good all around game and the skill to know how to throw a disc the correct way. Once you learn that, then experimenting with different discs is ok because you will know how to throw a disc on all the different lines and such.

 

[Animage]

I loves me the plastic, don't know what to say. Alot I've grabbed just out of interest, the feel, or just to try out.

Played today and felt great about every disc choice I made outside of the teebird. I just kept releasing it with hyzer and paid for it multiple times. Not the discs fault but it definately showed me I have much room for improvement on my need learn consistency.

I did not throw anything faster than the teebird today and missed some distance that the valkyrie gave me but nothing a nice approach shot gave me from the pig/wizard.

I'm definatly feeling the need for a nice slower disc, possibly midrange that is understable. I enjoy the buzzz' straightness and very late fade, however having something that can turn without me forcing an anhyzer is nice. Contemplating putting a Wolf back in the bag, but definatly don't like adding a new disc at this point. I get 0 distance trying to throw anything anhyzer.

 

[wolito]

You have in your bag what you are already looking for, your Leopard. Learn that disc well and you will be able to throw it on a slight anny line or turn it over to get that understableness that you are looking for.

 

[SpyderPride]

I had a great run with a 170 dx cheetah and gazelle for a bit, but with the woods here, the discs were nearly useless to me after a few dozen rounds. The gazelle wont even come back for me anymore despite it being so turn resistant before.
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I'm at a loss with midranges lately and can't get them back. I'm to a point now where I dont use the buzzz, but instead power down the stalker for the exact shots.

I would appreciate any suggestions, as I probably already have the disc you'll suggest. I have a hard time working hyzer/anhyzer and despite trying I release flat. I have no issues with this, but am told I'll never progress without learning to throw differently on purpose.

Sounds like you are sort of in the same boat I am in right now, roughly the same distances and flight characteristics.

I have a Gazelle that I used to love but after about a month of play and hitting trees, it has all the stability beat out of it... I think. They say that a beat Gazelle is one of the most workable discs out there but I don't think I could work it left to save my life. As soon as I bought a X-Cyclone, I was back to an arrow-straight workable fairway driver.

For the midranges, I guess just try to release more cleanly and without so much power. Try hyzer-flipping them.

For the shot shaping, just try to way over-exaggerate it and throw a few horrible looking shots just to get the feel down. You probably just have to manipulate your arm/wrist/shoulder angles more than you think.

 

[Mike C]

My advice:

Putters:
175 Soft Wizard - Putt Putter
175 R-Pro Pig - Driving Putter

Drop the Pig and drive with the Wizard, it's a much better driving putter. It will go further with it's glide. Evo Wizards are good if you don't want to bang up a soft one on trees and risk messing it up (Though all my SS Wizards have survived their share of tree hits and fly fine).

Mid Ranges:
175 Z Buzzz
175 DX Roc Flat-top

Drop the roc, at your throwing distance the Buzz should be stable enough for hyzers. Consider an understable disc like a stingray, comet or element if you want something that will turn more easily to pair with the Buzz.

Drivers:
170 Star Leopard
168 Z Stalker
167 Champion 12x Teebird
172 Champion Banshee
171 Champion 5x Valkyrie

I think you should pick which you like best, the Stalker or Leopard, and drop the others except the Banshee (OH, FH and strong headwinds). Focus on throwing the Buzz and Wizard as much as you can, then use the Leopard or Stalker for distance lines.

I have nearly 100 discs now and almost all different types that I'm trying for my game. I dont like using the Wizard for anything but actual putting, and nothing else has been able to top it for how I putt. I consider myself a lob putter and everything else fails for me. I'm testing a 175 Champ Aviar right now that is really gummy and love the feel but cant hit chains to save my life. Decided to take the ion out as well; no matter the distance i'm hitting the basket and not chains. The pig is a bit overstable for me, but it has the single greatest grip of any disc for me, I'd rather continue to work with it than replace it.

Use the least amount of discs and molds as you can get away with, and use them as long as you can. Don't switch up discs often. Stick with reliable, consistent flying plastic and get to know it well. The Wizard / Buzz / Leopard / Banshee combo can do pretty much anything you'd need to do on a course under 400'.

Regarding putters, just pick which one feels the best to your hand and flies consistent. Also consider what plastics it's available in. Learn to drive and approach with it, use it for every shot you can.

I'm at a loss with midranges lately and can't get them back. I'm to a point now where I dont use the buzzz, but instead power down the stalker for the exact shots.

Play a 2 disc round next time. Wizard = Putting, approach and short drives, Buzz = Driver.

I would appreciate any suggestions, as I probably already have the disc you'll suggest. I have a hard time working hyzer/anhyzer and despite trying I release flat. I have no issues with this, but am told I'll never progress without learning to throw differently on purpose.

Not being able to intentionally manipulate disc angle will make performing a huge variety of shots impossible. Learning release control will let you throw anything on an anhyzer line, let you throw sweeping hyzers, hyzer flips, different S curve shots etc. It will no longer be a matter of knowing what the disc can do, but rather what you can make it do.

 

[Animage]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'm going to try working out a mid-range only day at the park if weather permits. The other day, I was hitting the teebird out to 300-310ish without an issue. It was finally a day without wind and was alot of fun to play in.

The reason I carry the pig/wizard putter combo is simple. The Pig is the only putter I can comfortably drive with. I cannot stand the wizard whatsoever for driving, I just can't comfortably hold it without my usual putting grip. The pig contours to my index finger better than any disc I've ever felt, I just can't use my lob putting grip. The wizard is just deadly for me within 40 feet, and i'm comfortable to about 80 lobbing it regardless of wind.

The mids i'll be testing out are

174 DX Shark
175 GL Core (with that damn middle poppy top dome I hate)
175 Z Buzzz
167 Glo Z Buzzz
177 Domey X Buzzz
169 ESP FLX Buzzz
175 Flattop DX Roc
167 Domey DX Roc
171 Star San Marino Roc
175 DGA Squall
174 ESP Impact

I have too many discs for my experience in the game, however I regret nothing!

 

[Mike C]

Hahah, you remind me of myself. I used to throw Aviars, but hated how they felt in a driving grip, so I bought a Pro Rhyno which felt a lot better in a driving grip. Can't argue personal preference. I still think it'd be worth your time to experiment with different driving grips, or even just go throw 20 drives with the Wizard and see if you can get used to it. It's just as accurate for 300' drives as it is for 30 foot putts.

The low profile putters feel great but I don't think they're good to learn the game with. They don't have much glide, and are usually overstable, which means (At least for me, when I threw them) one is likely to strong arm them on drives to achieve distance. With something more neutral in flight and with more glide (Magnet, Magic, Voodoo, Ion) it's easier to get distance without having to snap the disc as hard.

The Impact you have would be a great disc to learn with. I think either that or the Buzz is all you need for the time being. Either will help you to learn the fundamentals, and once you get snap and timing down either will cruise well past 300'.

I'm going to take my suggestion and play my after work round with a bag containing nothing but putters and mids. I think I'll go 2x Magics, 2x Wizards, and 1 Buzz. Let me know how your mid / putter round goes.

 

[BrotherDave]

The mids i'll be testing out are

174 DX Shark
175 GL Core (with that damn middle poppy top dome I hate)
175 Z Buzzz
167 Glo Z Buzzz
177 Domey X Buzzz
169 ESP FLX Buzzz
175 Flattop DX Roc
167 Domey DX Roc
171 Star San Marino Roc
175 DGA Squall
174 ESP Impact

I have too many discs for my experience in the game, however I regret nothing!

What, no Qms, Comet, or Fuse? Blasphemy!

BTW, if I had to play with just one mid, it would be one of those 3. 2 cents.

 

[Animage]

Hahah, you remind me of myself. I used to throw Aviars, but hated how they felt in a driving grip, so I bought a Pro Rhyno which felt a lot better in a driving grip. Can't argue personal preference. I still think it'd be worth your time to experiment with different driving grips, or even just go throw 20 drives with the Wizard and see if you can get used to it. It's just as accurate for 300' drives as it is for 30 foot putts.

The Impact you have would be a great disc to learn with. I think either that or the Buzz is all you need for the time being. Either will help you to learn the fundamentals, and once you get snap and timing down either will cruise well past 300'.

I'm going to take my suggestion and play my after work round with a bag containing nothing but putters and mids. I think I'll go 2x Magics, 2x Wizards, and 1 Buzz. Let me know how your mid / putter round goes.

My biggest problem is I read what works for other people and immediately try to adapt my game to what works for them. I notice this alot with trends in the forums here and with DGR lol.

I've tried a few dozen times at the park driving with the Wizard, and played 2 rounds of 18 with just it. I had a bad time and tried everything I could think of. The closest I can come to feeling comfort with it, is a stand still drive where I just reach back and come through straight with a putting grip with my index finger wrapped in tight to hold on. I was hitting ~ 180-220 max with that, but my finger was rubbed raw and needed a few days off and some athletic tape before I could hold a disc without bleeding. I love the wizard and would love some more 1 disc rounds, but my finger just says no bueno.

Sadly what feels best for driving is the Pig, which is a pretty big meathook once I get it out to about ~200 feet.

I might just have to skip the group of mid ranges for now until I am consistent again.

Do you think I even should be using max weight mid-ranges? The guy who started me led me to thinking same as I do now, ~166-169 drivers, 175 mids and putters and you'll never have to replace them.

I have that 167 glo buzzz and a 175 z buzzz. both are flat tops and feel great in the hand. No clue which I should be really throwing, they both fly about the same and when I crank them go about 250ish without loosing all the accuracy.

What, no Qms, Comet, or Fuse? Blasphemy!

BTW, if I had to play with just one mid, it would be one of those 3. 2 cents.

I have a QMS and Comet. 169 Old stamp big QMS logo clear orange one that has the sharpest edge where your fingers wrap that it cut my buddies fingers where they wrapped over on a drive.

I have a 167 and a 164 Z Comet. Botht he QMS and Comet dont go that far for me. The comet used to turn and burn but now goes about 150 feet before I feel I'll be overpowering it to turn and burn. It's been around a month since I threw both and I just generally ignore them.

I know the comet is a great learning tool and it will always have a spot as an understable midrange to ~ 300 feet, but I'm not getting along with it. It deserves more of my time in the field, and I dont know why I refuse the time it deserves.

 

[Animage]

Saddest part is, my local (and only course) is on a college campus. Everyone here is a 1 discer and it's a champion plastic (almost all neon yellow or candy apple red) and I'm now up to my 4th Wraith and 3rd Beast. I've tried them both and really don't like what I do with them. The wraith is the biggest meathook I've thrown.

Nobody has names on discs here and it's not that easy to lose discs here. I found a Star Katana that nearly gave me my first ace on a 300 foot hole here that I just let go nice and slow on and it just went straight at the basket after about a 5-7 foot high speed turn.

I would love to get to the point where I only carry a midrange and a putter for the home course. Longest am tee is like 302 feet, but heavy woods and lots of narrow fairways.

 

[Mike C]

It's unfortunate they don't make low profile putters that are straight flying. Do you have some shops where you can fondle different putters? Or some friends with putters you haven't tried? The dart might be worth looking into, but I think something slightly stable to straight, with a good amount of dome, is the best overall putter. But then again, I carry two putter molds...

Definitely something in your form limiting your distance if a comet turn and burns at 150. I throw Magics twice that far, and I know people that outdrive me by a lot. Take it out to a field or go play a 1 disc round with it. If it's turning over for you like that you're doing something wrong with your throw or it's so trashed it can't hold a straight line. I haven't thrown my QMS much and it's also a 180, but I've gotten it to about 360-370 feet.

Regarding the Buzzes, or any discs for that matter, if you have two otherwise identical discs except one is lighter than the other, and they don't behave much differently for you, go with the lighter one. It should be easier to control and get a bit more D, and be easier to work a variety of lines with. When you start tossing Buzzes around 300 the differences between them might stand out more.

the first thing you said is a good point. What works for you might not work for me and vice versa. Hell today on the course (Canton, Ohio, hole #10) on our second shots, my friend threw a Nuke at full power and I took a single step and ripped my Wizard at 80% power, and our drives weren't very far apart. Our second shots were both within 10 feet of the basket. I'd never consider using his approach, and he probably thinks the same way about my style. To a degree everyone develops their own style, but there are still fundamentals that apply to everyone's game regardless of how they like to approach individual shots.

Longest am tee is like 302 feet, but heavy woods and lots of narrow fairways.

That's where putters and mids excel, short holes where control and shot placement is crucial. I've got a small 9 hole course nearby that's fun to play with a Buzz / Wizard combo.

 

[BrotherDave]

It's unfortunate they don't make low profile putters that are straight flying.

They used to. It's the Champ Classic Roc. Little buggers are getting pricey though. A Q-mega isn't too bad of a substitute though.

 

[Animage]

sometimes we play pro tees then it goes up to around 440 feet

I have an echo star dart 172 and just doesnt feel right for me. A buddy loves it to death though and does what he wants.

I have quite a few putters and only a few things really feel good for how I want to throw. The one I reallly like the feel on is a 175 dx birdie I have. I've never thrown it, because I got it around the time I grabbed the wizard so there was nothing needed from it. I just found it hiding in my trunk and might have to bring it out, as it feels a bit more driving grip friendly.

 

[Mike C]

They used to. It's the Champ Classic Roc. Little buggers are getting pricey though. A Q-mega isn't too bad of a substitute though.

Forgot about those. I threw with a lot more OAT when I owned one, but I remember it being turn prone on 200+ foot drives. The Omega SS Putter felt lower profile to me than the Q version, and it's a nice, straight flyer. Animage, that would be a good one to check out.

I have quite a few putters and only a few things really feel good for how I want to throw. The one I reallly like the feel on is a 175 dx birdie I have. I've never thrown it, because I got it around the time I grabbed the wizard so there was nothing needed from it. I just found it hiding in my trunk and might have to bring it out, as it feels a bit more driving grip friendly.

Damn go play your home course with just the Birdie. They're fun to putt with and I bet they'd teach you how to drive with good form real quick.

 

[Animage]

I said I had alot of discs with very little repeats >.>

I've fondled dozens of different putters. The only decent thing from Discraft I found was the Banger GT, but I didnt like any of the Pro D's feels, nor the soft, and the ESP felt too mushy for me. I love the Ion but can't get it in the chains the way I putt.

 

[Animage]

I need to learn to throw about 1-2 feet higher while keeping nose down.

Testing today, I found I can easily hit 250 with the Buzzz, but getting it longer is a challenge. I was nailing my teebird and eagles both to around 330 without an issue on their own lines though.

I got decent results with the impact, but compared to the buzzz, I don't like the kind of throw I need to do. The impact seemed like it wanted my height than I like to throw at, as I love real flat low throws.

And despite watching the more snap videos a few times, I'm no closer to getting that snap.

 

[Animage]

Bag has been changed up, been using alot of discs less.

172 SSS Magic - Trying out Laser putting. Trying to Lob less and this is helping
175 S Wizard - Old go-to
175 SSS Wizard - Newer Wizard, mostly a back up

167 Glo Buzzz - Tried and True
175 Z Buzzz - Like it a bit more in the wind and for the stronger late fade
175 Proline Squall - This is just in the test period, haven't used it much, but it seems to S Curve easily

168 Polaris LS - This replaced the Leopards as it's got a bit more reliable fade at the end like the Cheetah/Gazelle used to have. Loving everything about this disc and that with tree hits it's still going strong.
168 Opto River - Testing period as well. Goes farther for me than the PLS, turns a bit more, glides like a mofo. I love it, but trying to use it too much, it still might be a hair too fast for me.
167 Champ Teebird - Hasn't come out of the bag much. Reliable fade, but still need to push my distances with the other discs more.

Wizard - Still around 180 feet, still hate driving with it. It's just not comfortable.
Buzzz - Handling everything up to 280ish now
PLS - Typically anything over 275-310. I love powering this down somedays and sometimes just really ripping it.

I haven't seen much of an increase lately, mostly just the same plateau. Accuracy/Distance haven't budged. Fun level is still constant. I'm still for the most part a fairway/fringe kinda guy. Spending more time lately helping people find their discs than actually playing it seems.