Finally zoning in on what I like, but open to suggestions...

[Lewis]

After doing lots of experimenting with different molds, I'm gradually settling into a bag of discs that I know I like. However, I'm open to suggestions. Here's the current state of my ever-changing but gradually stabilizing bag...

170g DGA Signature Line Blowfly I

174g Gateway Supersoft Voodoo (mildly warped)

175g Gateway Soft Voodoo (badly warped)

173g Discraft CryZtal Challenger

180g Innova DX Roc (rather flat Rancho mold)

180g Innova DX Roc (stiff, domey Rancho mold)

175g Innova Champion Cro (I love me some Cro!)

172g Innova Champion Cro

173g Discraft ESP Cyclone

175g Discraft Elite Z Stalker

173g Innova Champion Teebird

175g Innova Glow Teebird Plus

175g Innova Star Valkyrie

173g Discraft ESP Surge (recently lost, beloved mold)

174g Discraft ESP Surge (Supercolor print flattened the flight plate to make this one understable)

170g Discraft ESP Nuke (filling the Surge gap in the meantime)

173g Innova Star Boss

I've also got a Star TL, about 170g, that was recently found and is making its way back to me. I've also got a Glow Stalker in reserve, just not quite enough room in my bag to be worth carrying.

For reference, the Nuke is probably my longest consistent driver, going from 350'-390' on flat ground, with a very slight turnover before a dependable fade. The "regular" Surge plays a mild, narrow S-turn for me to something like 330-350' on flat ground. The Boss is overstable for me, but it's my most reliably straight driver into a headwind. I can't throw it much over 330' without beginning to lose control. The Valkyrie and the Supercolor Surge are my understable high-speed drivers, at least once I get the Valkyrie beat in like my old one was. My very longest drives have actually been with a beat-in Valkyrie, but that's a line that's hard to control. The Cyclone maxes out for me around 300', if that, and I'm more comfortable throwing the Stalker or the Teebirds to 300'. I've experimented driving with the putters on short holes, and have found the Voodoos to turn over and hold it (slight hyzer flip makes 'em go straight), and the Challenger to be extremely straight through the finish. The Cros and Rocs are utility discs for me, the former being longer and more overstable than the latter.

I'm a RHBH-dominant player, but I can throw a forehanded drive to about 250' (gradually improving), and I can throw a tomahawk overhand maybe around 220' with several of my drivers. I like to use the forehand and tomahawk for upshots as well, but I can't throw a thumber out of my own shadow.

If you're really curious, you can check out my loose and lost discs so see what else I've dabbled with.

So what do you think?

 

[BrotherDave]

3 putter molds, interesting. I take it the Challenger is for driving, the voodoos for putting, and the blowfly for putts risky of rolling? In terms of distance you sound very similar to me, I'm sorry.

I highly recommend you dabble in lighter discs for distance. Your favorite driver in the 160s can be a life changing experience.

What do the Cros do for you that the Rocs can't?

 

[815RocSolid]

i second that, u dont need the cros. id lose the nuke and boss.

 

[WillACarpenter]

I personally was tossing a blowfly II and a challenger...but i just got an eraser wizard and combined the best of both worlds.

\/\/

 

[U_NICED_ME]

What do the Cros do for you that the Rocs can't?

I've seen a lot of people with Cros lately, what does everyone use them for?

 

[Jacob]

Do you really need 2 teebirds and a stalker?

 

[Mike C]

174g Gateway Supersoft Voodoo (mildly warped)

175g Gateway Soft Voodoo (badly warped)

180g Innova DX Roc (rather flat Rancho mold)

180g Innova DX Roc (stiff, domey Rancho mold)

173g Innova Champion Teebird

170g Innova TL

175g Innova Star Valkyrie

174g Discraft ESP Surge (Supercolor print flattened the flight plate to make this one understable)

Here's what I suggest.

Drop the blowfly and challenger, the voodoo is a great putter that should be able to cover all your bases under ~250 feet (At least once you get the power and learn to throw it that far) unless there's a decent headwind. Maybe get an Evo voodoo for driving if you want something that can take tree hits and not warp.

I never threw Cros, but you said they're more stable for you than Rocs. Not needed in my opinion, but I've never been on the overstable mid ship. I think a Roc with Hyzer should be able to do what your cros can, but you obviously know cros better than me.

Stalker, Teebird and Cyclone are all good molds, but I think they overlap. Pick whichever two you feel are the most versatile and consistent for you. There's also the TL you mentioned...If you find yourself able to make the TL hold an anny line what I listed would work, otherwise I'd say grab something more understable like a 169g Star Leopard and beat it in a bit.

Take out the Boss and Nuke and put them back in when you can get the Teebird as far as you currently throw them.

 

[Lewis]

Responses to questions:

The Challenger actually just kind of fell into my bag when I won it at a random draw doubles event, so it's not something I planned on carrying from the start. If y'all think I carry too many putters that would be the one I'd take out. And I was looking at one of the Organic Voodoo putters just yesterday in the store, as a "driving" putter that won't warp as easy.

As Dave suggested, I mainly use the Blowfly for avoiding roll-aways.

The Teebird/Stalker/Cyclone thing does overlap a bit, now that y'all mention it. However, Teebirds will fly farther for me than Stalkers, and more overstable, while Stalkers will fly farther for me than Cyclones. Comparing to ball golf, they're like my 4 iron, 5 iron and 6 iron. But if I were going to cull from my bag, that would probably be the next place to look after reducing putters. Also I haven't quite gotten the pleasure from either of my current Teebirds that I had with my last one. Maybe I'll try one in Star plastic...

With the Cros and the Rocs, I'd probably ditch one of each before I ditched both Cros. Really the point of carrying two Cros is there's physically room in my bag and I don't want to lose one during the round and be without one. I'm more comfortable driving with a Cro than with a Roc, perhaps because of the extra stability and huge glide, but that could just be the way my home course sets up. Y'all should try one. You'll like it.

So I see two people advising me to drop the Nuke (rimshot). Any particular reason why?

 

[Mike C]

My experience with the Organic plastic is it's slightly tougher, but it will still get beat up on a bad tree hit. If you want something you can drive straight into a tree and have it look exactly the same afterward evo is the only one that does that to my knowledge. I've tried firm, reg, soft, ss, sss, evo and organic from Gateway. The organic plastic is great though, is has very nice grip.

On putters I would think using one mold and getting consistent with it would reduce roll-aways more than carrying a blowfly would, but that's just a guess.

How much difference in distance can you get between the cyclone and your furthest mid?

In my only been playing for a year experience, anything with a rim wider than a Firebird should generally only be thrown when going for over 400 feet of distance or particular features on a hole make them a better choice than slower drivers (e.g. 375 foot hole with a low ceiling). I think under 400 feet Teebirds, Eagles, Firebirds, Leopards, Roadrunners etc. will be more controllable and be able to reach that distance well enough if the thrower has clean form.

 

[Lewis]

I'll have to measure the Cyclone vs. my Cros and Rocs and get back to you on that question. It may not be as much as I think.

I've never thrown an Eagle, but I'd rather shape a hyzer line with a Teebird than throw a Firebird, and I find it much more difficult to throw a Leopard or a Roadrunner relatively straight for 350' than to throw a Wraith/Surge or a Nuke/Katana relatively straight for that distance. At 375' and up, I'm probably going to need something like a Nuke or a Surge to have a shot at that distance, no matter what kind of ceiling it is. Or if it's wide open, which almost never is in my neck of the woods, I could flail on my Valkyrie and hope for the right sort of S-shape, but I'm trying to work on my control game, not abandon it. The Teebird can do it if you have the right Teebird, but the ones I currently have in my bag are playing more overstable than the one I lost a few weeks ago. The one I lost I was throwing as far as anything in my bag, but these two don't seem to have the same kind of lively glide in them. Not sure why. Maybe the night shift is making me frail and weak-handed?

 

[PanicKJ]

I will give you the advice I wish I could take.

Play with the Challenger, a Roc, and a Teebird.

I say that however I carry three putter molds, three mid molds, and three to five driver molds!

 

[Lewis]

I wish I were man enough to do that.

 

[Mike C]

Or you could take it one step further and go challenger + teebird. Learning to use your putter as your midrange will make you realize how much you can do with a lowly putter. It's a lot easier carrying around 2 discs a water bottle than a full bag too I think an excellent challenge is use a putter for everything 300 feet and closer (More or less depending on your level of skill) and use the Teebird or another control driver for everything else.

My favorite Teebirds are 172 gram champion teebirds. I had a 171 star that flew nice, but a few nasty tree hits + months of being my go to driver for pretty much everything made it flippy. I have a 175 star that is way overstable, feels kind of like a Firebird in flight. I plan to stick to 170-172 grams for all my future teebird purchases.

If your old Teebird was going as far as anything else in your bag, then I would hazard to guess the nuke and other faster discs would be gaining you nothing but decreased accuracy. That's why I said what I did about throwing Teebirds far. Personally I didn't see any benefit of throwing Destroyers, Forces, Surges etc. until I could toss my Teebird 375-400 feet on command. Might not hold true for everyone that's just been my experience with drivers.

 

[Technohic]

I will give you the advice I wish I could take.

Play with the Challenger, a Roc, and a Teebird.

I say that however I carry three putter molds, three mid molds, and three to five driver molds!

I like Teebirds and all but if I were to suggest a 3 disc bag or even just a 1 driver only bag; the Teebird wouldnt be it. You need something that will shape lines a little better IMO if you are going to do something like that.

 

[Mike C]

What lines can't a teebird shape?

 

[mabraddock]

I've seen a lot of people with Cros lately, what does everyone use them for?

i can get it to fade farther than a roc and i find a whole lot more control goin sidearm or thumb... i think my other middy is goin to be a buzzz... (only money during a rent week right?) thats just me though...

 

[Technohic]

What lines can't a teebird shape?

None that it cant; I just think there are better discs for doing that. The Teebird is great because it wants to go straight more than any other disc I know. Those pistol OAT FH throws will flatten out and so will an anny unless you absolutely beat the snot out of one.

 

[Lewis]

I agree with Technohic: it's really hard to get a Teebird to turn over. It's a good disc, but it's not an everything disc. Not as hard as a Boss, but I'd rather keep something that's naturally understable in my bag as well.

I don't really have any use for Destroyers or Forces myself, and only use the Boss in specialized situations. However, I really do love the Surge, and wouldn't put it in the same group with these others. I don't know; maybe it just fits my hand really well, but I've always found the Surge to be a keeper.

 

[Mike C]

Yeah the Surge is a nice disc, I have one I carry once in a while. I think as a distance driver for people not pushing 400 with slower drivers it would work well since it's not overstable.

Any disc can be turned over before it's even thrown, just use an anhyzer release. I've almost aced two holes most people would never toss a teebird on, hole 3 short and 13 long at Canton Ohio. 3 is a 375 foot dogleg right and 13 long is a tunnel shot that ends with a sharp right turn. Both lines were nailed with a backhand throw. I'd rather use my QMS or Leopard, but lines like that could even be hit with a Firebird or Excalibur in max weight champ plastic if you use an anhyzer release.

 

[wolito]

Pretty solid lineup all around. I absolutely love my Star TL and use it for a vast majority of my drives. It is that predictable for me, and doesn't flip or turn without me making it do so. Definately my main driver at this point. What the heck is happening to your Voodoos? Warpped? I got three SS Voodoos and love those as well, and mine are not warpped. Perhaps your S plastic is to blame? Who knows. I have always been impressed with Gateway's quality.