Auzcar's ITB

[auzcar]

I started playing this wonderful sport more and taking this a bit more "serious" (other than playing whilst drinking beers with the buddies) last spring and I've seen huge improvements during this season. I started a wild goose chase for the perfect bag though and thus I've tried a lot of discs and a lot of different ways and thoughts on how to set up a good bag. I'm starting to feel tired of this though (and it's affecting my game) and would like to try my best to lock down my bag and not try every disc I lay my eyes on. I'm also a sucker for watching the pros and looking at what discs they use and basing my decisions on that, because those discs obviously work at the top level. If I have the same discs all that's left is to perform like them, right? If only it was that easy.

I'm creating this thread mostly to write down my thoughts around my bag and force myself to get at this from another point of view, as well as getting some feedback on the thought process.

I want to set up a bag that's as simple as possible but still covering all the shots. I also want to let cycling happen over time to reduce molds. My thinking is that I want to find my favourite workhorses and then adding gapfillers mostly for the US slots that my workhorses can cycle into over time.

Vitals:
Years playing/experience: 2 years while drinking beers with the buddies and chucking a Destroyer. 1 year looking at this as a sport. A lot of athletic background though.
Right/left-handed/ambidextrous: right-handed
Throwing Style: RHBH, RHFH
Golf Distance (avg/max*) for putter/mid/driver: Roach: 75/85m; Buzzz: 90/100m; Wraith: 120/145m


Age: 30
Sex: M
Injuries/handicaps?: None
Other sport proficiencies?: Hockey, Football, Table Tennis, Ball Golf
What do you like/dislike about your current bag?: Can't settle down on a bag, can't stop buying discs, I feel like I'm choosing what discs to bag on wrong reasons.
Specific areas of desired feedback: Not really sure, a shoulder to cry on? Haha. Some sort of help on a sound thought process on how to build a bag.
Immediate and long-term goals: I'd like to lock my bag down before the end of May and then stick to those molds for the remainder of the season unless I find a gap. Long term goal is to get more consistent and know my discs better.

Bag:

Distance Drivers:
175 Z Force, (new) - really OS, headwinds and FH
175 Star Wraith, (new) - slightly OS
175 Star Wraith, (new) - slightly OS, backup
169 Star Wraith, (new) - stable
172 Z Thrasher, (slightly used) - US, hyzer flips, turnovers

Fairway Drivers:
175 Lucid Felon, (new) - OS, headwinds, spike hyzers, flex shots
173 Lucid Felon, (used) - a little straighter, main FH disc
175 Champ Thunderbird, (new) - slight headwinds, power hyzers, controlled distance
175 Opto Explorer, (slightly used) - stable, workhorse FW
175 Z Undertaker, (slightly used) - stable, workhorse FW
175 ESP Undertaker, (slightly used) - slightly more US, workhorse FW
175 Neo Essence, (new) - US, hyzer flips in tunnels, turnovers

Mids:
175 Champ Caiman (used) - OS, headwinds, FH
177 Z Buzzz, (used) - workhorse, straight
176 Opto Fuse (new) - hyzer flips, turnovers

Putters:
175 Z Zone (used) - OS approach, FH
175 ESP Zone (used) - a bit straighter and longer
175 Putter Line Roach, (used) - neutral throwing putter

2x 175 Putter Line Roach, (new) - putting putters

Thoughts:
Main thing I want to fix is choosing a workhorse fairway, either the Explorer or the Undertaker. This is a slot I would love to cycle and having a disc for controlled hyzer flips. I have a few of each and need to make up my mind. I had my mind set on the Undertaker since that seemed to fit in better between the Thunderbird and Essence but I have tended to throw the Explorer more and feeling more accurate with that mold. Undertaker is a bit more flippy but in the woods I have tended to go for the Essence more. I feel like the Undertaker is jammed in the middle but I also feel like the Undertaker could most easily cover both of these slots with some wear. I also see a lot of pros and other ams throwing the Undertaker for dead accurate straight shots and I feel like it on paper should fit perfectly. Not sure what way to go.

Buzzz... I've had this as my main mid all last season, it's a great disc but I don't throw it much. I feel it's too US to make me confident/accurate in the open and for straight shots in the woods I have tended to lean on the Fuse more. I have a Neo and Exo Method in the mail and I hope that this can maybe take the place of both the Caiman and the Buzzz. But it's also the Buzzz... It feels wrong taking it out of the bag since it's so popular and proven. Feeling a bit torn about what I want here as well

I love the Wraith for more controlled distance but I would like a slight hyzer flip long bomber as well. I tried a Z Nuke but that was a lot more OS than I expected. I have a Trespass that is the longest disc I've thrown but it's not that much longer than my Wraith's.

 

[elmexdela]

i would def cycle thb and ditch the rest in speed 9s

i would take out caiman and add a z wasp

i love the wraith to cycle and pro or dx can speed up that process to get that us spot covered and you could even drop the thrasher and force over time after you beat one to the spot and find a few freak os wraith

 

[elmexdela]

by cycle thb i mean grabbin different plastics like dx/pro/star/champ/gstarrr to help bridge the gaps quicker

 

[auzcar]

i would def cycle thb and ditch the rest in speed 9s

i would take out caiman and add a z wasp

i love the wraith to cycle and pro or dx can speed up that process to get that us spot covered and you could even drop the thrasher and force over time after you beat one to the spot and find a few freak os wraith

I don't feel like I have any other speed 9's to be honest. I know the Undertaker is marketed as 9 but when measured the rim width on all my Undertakers are basically the same as my Explorers, just a tiiiiny smidge wider. It's definitely smaller than the Thunderbird. I'd put it in the 7-8 category.

Caiman will definitely be taken out. My hope is that I'll like the Method and that it will take the OS spot (Neo) as well as being cycled (Exo Hard). Otherwise Wasp/Verdict/Roc3 is on my list.

Yeah, I had a Pro Wraith that I worked for a few months that started to get US, but I lost it. The same with a Champ Wraith for the OS slot. (I found the Champ Wraith's to be quite OS tbh).

 

[auzcar]

Been throwing the Exo Hard Method a few rounds and I'm very impressed. It's much straighter than I anticipated, on a flat rip it flies 0/1 for me. It's very HSS but still holds an anny the whole way if I put it on that angle. I'm not really used (or even fond) to the feel in the hand but have been getting very consistent releases nonetheless. Really liking the stiffness and grip of the platic though. This is definitely competing with the Buzzz over the straight spot and I would guess that the Exo will cycle quite well. It will stay in the bag alongside the Buzzz for now and we'll see what happens after some more testing.

 

[auzcar]

Have been throwing some more, using the Undertaker and Explorer a lot side by side and I've decided to go with the Undertaker. Both work fine but I have a stack of Undertakers and like the small turn it has out of the box.

Roach
Zone
Fuse
Buzzz
Exo Method
Neo Method
Essence
Undertaker
Felon
Thunderbird
Thrasher
Wraith
Force

 

[auzcar]

Anyone else feel like they get sick from focusing so much on the discs and their bag? I put so much time and energy into how my bag is going to be set up that I forget to improve and even enjoy the game sometimes. When I throw a bad shot my first thought is often something like "I probably need a bit more OS/S/faster/slower disc in this slot, then that wouldn't happen". Instead of just realizing that I threw a bad shot and need to work on my form and practice more for it not to happen again. I'm also torn from left to right when it comes to all the "different" philosophies on how to set up a complete bag, when in reality it's really simple and intuitive. Wish I could just settle my mind on all of this and shift my focus away from the bag, but it feels like an addiction.

Just wanted to get that out there. Peace.

 

[jmdaire27]

I can say I am the same way; definitely spend too much time thinking what should go in the bags, number of discs, slots, etc...

Like VictorB, I like to set up my bag in a way I can bring it anywhere and play well. With that, the best philosophy is your own. I wouldn't worry too much about cycling/minimalism/etc. You do you. If you think about it, people who "cycle" still have a bag full of 20 discs....

I dig the bag setup, fairly similar to what I generally rock.

 

[auzcar]

I can say I am the same way; definitely spend too much time thinking what should go in the bags, number of discs, slots, etc...

Like VictorB, I like to set up my bag in a way I can bring it anywhere and play well. With that, the best philosophy is your own. I wouldn't worry too much about cycling/minimalism/etc. You do you. If you think about it, people who "cycle" still have a bag full of 20 discs....

I dig the bag setup, fairly similar to what I generally rock.

Yeah that's my goal as well, finding a bag that let's me play well on any course. I've really enjoyed playing my rounds with 4-5 discs, I almost think it's more fun when the options are limited and you never contemplate whether you picked the right disc or not.

My philosophy and my goal right now is to find a core set of discs (putter, straight mid, straight fw, OS fw and straight DD) that I feel very comfortable with and then fill the gaps to cover the shots I feel I'm missing. Right now I only play my rounds with discs that compete for those spots:

Putter: Roach / Reko
Mid: Exo Method / Buzzz
Straight fairway: Undertaker / Explorer
OS fairway: Felon
DD: Wraith / Trespass

So this is my first step, figuring out these 5 slots. Then I'll take it from there.

 

[jmdaire27]

Yeah that's my goal as well, finding a bag that let's me play well on any course. I've really enjoyed playing my rounds with 4-5 discs, I almost think it's more fun when the options are limited and you never contemplate whether you picked the right disc or not.

My philosophy and my goal right now is to find a core set of discs (putter, straight mid, straight fw, OS fw and straight DD) that I feel very comfortable with and then fill the gaps to cover the shots I feel I'm missing. Right now I only play my rounds with discs that compete for those spots:

Putter: Roach / Reko
Mid: Exo Method / Buzzz
Straight fairway: Undertaker / Explorer
OS fairway: Felon
DD: Wraith / Trespass

So this is my first step, figuring out these 5 slots. Then I'll take it from there.

Well we seem to approach the game pretty similarly; even consider similar molds.

My "core" is Judge/ETruth/Undertaker/Felon/Wraith. I have some Rekos and Trespasses. Rekos are a great mold, super comfy and straight, but maybe a little susceptible to wind. Trespass can cover a wide range, especially if ya got some Lucid X; the mold almost feels like a faster fairway, IMO, where the wraith flies more like a DD. Not a bad thing, by any means, cuz the trespass can certainly bomb with its turn/fade/glide!

 

[auzcar]

Well we seem to approach the game pretty similarly; even consider similar molds.

My "core" is Judge/ETruth/Undertaker/Felon/Wraith. I have some Rekos and Trespasses. Rekos are a great mold, super comfy and straight, but maybe a little susceptible to wind. Trespass can cover a wide range, especially if ya got some Lucid X; the mold almost feels like a faster fairway, IMO, where the wraith flies more like a DD. Not a bad thing, by any means, cuz the trespass can certainly bomb with its turn/fade/glide!

Great minds think alike!

I actually putted with Judges all summer, I came to the conclusion that I prefer beadless putters though. Really liked the flight of the Judge, especially as a thrower. I tested the Emac as well and really liked it, love the Lucid plastic.

I've found the Trespass to fly a very tight line while still being the longest disc I've thrown when the wind is down or in a tailwind. If I go that route I definitely need something more OS in the bag though if there's wind. I find the Wraith to be a bit more reliable but needs more room to work. I also love the Wraith for FH.

We really do seem to like the same molds!

 

[auzcar]

Okay, so I've been playing a lot the last few weeks and I feel I'm starting to settle down on my core 5 molds.

Putter: Reko - The Roach is out for now because of how hard it's been to find both in baseline and premium plastic. At least here for me in Sweden. I only own two putter line Roaches and if I lose one I'm in a pickle. The Reko fits even better in my hand but has less glide, but I think I'll get used to that. If the Roach would become more available in my area I do plan to revisit it, since I really like it.

Mid: Exo Method - I've been loving this disc more and more every round I've played with it. The extra HSS compared to the Buzzz suits me really well and gives me more confidence I can hit my lines. I almost never reached for my Buzzz but now I reach for the Method all the time, it's been my most thrown mold since I got it. The Neo is awesome as well, straight and long with a much heftier fade. As it looks now (and if it cycles well) I might even take the Fuse out of the bag and only throw Neo and Exo Methods. Time will tell.

Straight fairway: Explorer - I know I said I decided on the Undertaker but in the end it was the same story as with the Buzzz/Method. The extra HSS and predictability gives me more confidence and accuracy, and since I'll be bagging an Essence anyway as a gapfiller for hyzer flips, turnovers and rollers the accuracy of the Explorer is key. I do hope to beat in an Explorer to get it to hyzer flip more for me though. Both the Undy and Explorer are great molds but I actually sold all my Undys the other day so this spot is set for now.

OS fairway: Felon - This is a no-brainer at the moment. It's the most comfortable disc I've ever held and I like that it's a bit more workable than a Firebird (which I also love).

DD: Wraith / Trespass - This needs more testing. I haven't thrown DD's much lately since the ground is still mostly covered with snow and it's hard to put full power on a shot.

 

[wadpe]

How would you compare the Method to a roc3? I guess the exo m

 

[auzcar]

How would you compare the Method to a roc3? I guess the exo m

I've only thrown a Champ Roc3, and I'd say the Neo Method is a bit more stable and the Exo a little less. Exo is a bit more stable than the DX Roc. The Method is also flatter and faster.

The Roc3 is definitely the disc I would first compare the Method to. Just a smidge faster, flatter and more stable.

 

[wadpe]

Yeah that's what I imagined. Sorry I accidentally pressed the submit and didn't have time to edit.

I like the explorer a lot it's very much like FD except a little bit more Fade. I've had mine for a year and they are way easier to throw than a teebird.

How does Felon compare to a firebird? I've thrown both Firebirds and FD3 and they are crazy OS for me. I only use them in crazy headwind if I am scared to throw a putter for little bit shorter holes.

 

[auzcar]

Yeah that's what I imagined. Sorry I accidentally pressed the submit and didn't have time to edit.

I like the explorer a lot it's very much like FD except a little bit more Fade. I've had mine for a year and they are way easier to throw than a teebird.

How does Felon compare to a firebird? I've thrown both Firebirds and FD3 and they are crazy OS for me. I only use them in crazy headwind if I am scared to throw a putter for little bit shorter holes.

Yeah, I agree. The C-Line FD's I've had flew a lot more stable than I thought they would.

Felon is not as OS as a Firebird, but it's quite comparable to a FD3. It's definitely more workable than a Firebird and the one I've had the longest can even show the slightest bit of turn on a full power throw (for reference I max out at about 450 with my Wraith). But don't get me wrong, it's still very OS. This is for the Lucid plastic as well, the Lucid-X is IMO much more OS. Felon is also much flatter, it's probably the flattest and most low profile disc I've ever thrown. If you're into that it's nice but if you like domey discs you'll be disappointed.

 

[auzcar]

I ordered an Upper Park Shift a couple of days ago since I never use my full size bag anymore anyways, except for tournaments when I tell myself I need more discs that I'm not familiar with for some reason... I roll with a Soldier Cooler bag most of the time but want a backpack and the Shift seemed to be really nice. So I plan to cut down on actual discs in my full bag to around 14-15 which seems to be what the Shift can hold comfortably. I've been quite happy with the core of the bag the last rounds and atm my plans look like this:

K3 Reko - Putting
K1 Reko - Throwing
*K1 Berg - Approaches
Rekos is working fine and sits very well in my hand. I've had the Berg on a shelf for a few months and finally got around to testing it out. So far it's blown me away, at least for BH upshots. I was throwing it yesterday in some pretty big winds and it almost wasn't phased at all. It hasn't got a spot yet but it's definitely there.

Exo Method - Neutral
Neo Method - Slightly OS
*Zone/Justice - Very OS
Loving the Methods so far and the Neo and Exo complements each other very well. I'm planning to use the Zone/Justice slot mostly for FH and skip upshots, as well as upshots in the wind. It's kinda sorta competing with the Berg slot and I haven't decided if I'm gonna bag both of these slots or not. They're certainly very different but I haven't decided if I actually need both slots. I think the Felon can cover the Zone/Justice slot in some situations and in others the Berg could probably do the job. If I do decide to bag the Berg I might go back to the Justice since that separates itself more from the Berg and Felon.

Neo Essence - US
Explorer x2- Straight (1 fresh and 1 lighter/more beat)
Lucid Felon - OS
This is the part of my bag I love the most and I'm feeling very much in tune with the Explorer and Felon, they are the backbone of my bag. The Essence sits so well in my hand but I'm still in a learning phase with this and sometimes it flips more or less than I expect. Loving it so far though, just need to throw it more. The Neo plastic is awesome.

Trespass/Wraith x2 - Straight (1 fresh and 1 lighter/more beat)
Force - OS
I'm leaning more and more towards the Trespass the more I throw these discs side by side. I have a new max weight Lucid and that thing flies a very tight and predictable line. The Wraith needs more room to work and can sometimes get away from me when I don't expect it to. The Wraith fades harder which is both good and bad. Not liking the Force to be honest and I do plan to change this but it's not the most important slot and thus it can wait a bit. I had a Force a year ago that I loved but all three Forces I've gotten since have been extremely OS and dumpy. I'm looking at a Destroyer or perhaps a Defender next since those are more available for me.

This is 13 discs which leaves me some room to add backups for an important slot or two. Or maybe a Thunderbird.

 

[auzcar]

My first Exo Method have seen many many trees since I got it and it's now starting to show some turn, just like I had hoped. It flips up from a small hyzer with a tiny fade in the end. Planning on using this in the woods and on turnovers and have put in a fresh one that I'll use for straight shots in the open. I suspect the new one will hold up a lot longer if only used in the open.

 

[auzcar]

I also have a 169g Lucid Felon that is starting to get broken. I've bagged this disc about a year and on my home course I throw OS fairways a lot. This thing will flip up from a hyzer as well as hold a turnover almost all the way to the ground and if I have a headwind I can release it on a hyzer and it will flip up and fly very straight with a small fade at the end. Only the other day I realised that it's giving me some really good distance now as well, on par with my Thunderbirds. I put in a fresh Felon a couple of days ago and only then did I actually realise how beaten this disc has become.

 

[jdw80550]

I ordered an Upper Park Shift a couple of days ago since I never use my full size bag anymore anyways, except for tournaments when I tell myself I need more discs that I'm not familiar with for some reason... I roll with a Soldier Cooler bag most of the time but want a backpack and the Shift seemed to be really nice. So I plan to cut down on actual discs in my full bag to around 14-15 which seems to be what the Shift can hold comfortably. I've been quite happy with the core of the bag the last rounds and atm my plans look like this:

K3 Reko - Putting
K1 Reko - Throwing
*K1 Berg - Approaches
Rekos is working fine and sits very well in my hand. I've had the Berg on a shelf for a few months and finally got around to testing it out. So far it's blown me away, at least for BH upshots. I was throwing it yesterday in some pretty big winds and it almost wasn't phased at all. It hasn't got a spot yet but it's definitely there.

Exo Method - Neutral
Neo Method - Slightly OS
*Zone/Justice - Very OS
Loving the Methods so far and the Neo and Exo complements each other very well. I'm planning to use the Zone/Justice slot mostly for FH and skip upshots, as well as upshots in the wind. It's kinda sorta competing with the Berg slot and I haven't decided if I'm gonna bag both of these slots or not. They're certainly very different but I haven't decided if I actually need both slots. I think the Felon can cover the Zone/Justice slot in some situations and in others the Berg could probably do the job. If I do decide to bag the Berg I might go back to the Justice since that separates itself more from the Berg and Felon.

Neo Essence - US
Explorer x2- Straight (1 fresh and 1 lighter/more beat)
Lucid Felon - OS
This is the part of my bag I love the most and I'm feeling very much in tune with the Explorer and Felon, they are the backbone of my bag. The Essence sits so well in my hand but I'm still in a learning phase with this and sometimes it flips more or less than I expect. Loving it so far though, just need to throw it more. The Neo plastic is awesome.

Trespass/Wraith x2 - Straight (1 fresh and 1 lighter/more beat)
Force - OS
I'm leaning more and more towards the Trespass the more I throw these discs side by side. I have a new max weight Lucid and that thing flies a very tight and predictable line. The Wraith needs more room to work and can sometimes get away from me when I don't expect it to. The Wraith fades harder which is both good and bad. Not liking the Force to be honest and I do plan to change this but it's not the most important slot and thus it can wait a bit. I had a Force a year ago that I loved but all three Forces I've gotten since have been extremely OS and dumpy. I'm looking at a Destroyer or perhaps a Defender next since those are more available for me.

This is 13 discs which leaves me some room to add backups for an important slot or two. Or maybe a Thunderbird.

Try taking the Wraith and Tresspass out. See how much it affects your score. The core section of your bag, should be able to cover almost all, but the farthest courses for you.