How are these discs for a novice?

[oj1979]

I am new to disc golf, been playing for about a month, around 20 times. So far on a 9 hole course I am averaging around +9. My putting game has improved greatly since purchasing a putter, my problem is getting distance off of the tee. It has improved since purchasing the orc but still seem to be coming up short. How is my chose in disc?

Putter & Approach - Innova Dart DX 167g

Mid-Range - Innova Skeeter DX 165g

Driver - Innova Orc DX 171g

 

[MarkDSM]

Dart and Skeeter is a decent starter discs. They are release angle shapeable at lower arm speeds. Work on flat and smooth and tinker angle a little. Do not super power speed throw either. Smooth up to about %70. Technique and timing focused. Work on standstill more the drives with steps.

Orc - you need a confident throw before tacking an Orc if the goal is control and placement down the fairway.

... Make friends at the course. Do field work.

 

[oj1979]

Dart and Skeeter is a decent starter discs. They are release angle shapeable at lower arm speeds. Work on flat and smooth and tinker angle a little. Do not super power speed throw either. Smooth up to about %70. Technique and timing focused. Work on standstill more the drives with steps.

Orc - you need a confident throw before tacking an Orc if the goal is control and placement down the fairway.

... Make friends at the course. Do field work.

Hmmm, many reviews I read online said the Orc was a straight disc and good for beginners, what about an Innova Valkyrie, would that be better?

 

[etdefender19]

Hmmm, many reviews I read online said the Orc was a straight disc and good for beginners, what about an Innova Valkyrie, would that be better?

I sometimes use a Valk for my longer BH throws because it's pretty easy to throw. My distance BH game is not great so the disc works well for me for that limited purpose (in fact, that's the only reason it's in my bag). You'll outgrow it as your game improves - I can't use it FH at all unless I really reduce the power

 

[oj1979]

I sometimes use a Valk for my longer BH throws because it's pretty easy to throw. My distance BH game is not great so the disc works well for me for that limited purpose (in fact, that's the only reason it's in my bag). You'll outgrow it as your game improves - I can't use it FH at all unless I really reduce the power

I have only tried forehand throws a couple of times and can not figure it out a all.

 

[armiller]

Hmmm, many reviews I read online said the Orc was a straight disc and good for beginners, what about an Innova Valkyrie, would that be better?

The Orc is definitely not the worst choice for a beginner, especially in DX. But I'm guessing MarkDSM is saying this because of speed. The Orc is a fast disc (speed 10) and is reasonably "overstable" (pretty low turn at -1 and reasonably high fade at 3). Your Skeeter is only speed 5, so there's a pretty big jump there. The Valkyrie is still a speed 9, which means you need more "arm speed" or power to make it work than you would with your Skeeter (or Dart). I'd say look for something in the speed 6-7 or maybe 8 range first. Everyone seems to recommend the Leopard for new players, and a TL would be a good alternative as well.

Many new players have the experience of trying to throw higher speed discs, then they find out they can throw a Leopard or even Teebird just as far as a Destroyer or Boss or Nuke. Sure, the pros throw those fancy high speed discs much farther than fairways, but for newer players there's usually a lot to be gained just by working on form with fairways. I don't think we're trying to discourage you from trying the Orc, it's just that there's a lot of room between those two discs that you might benefit from exploring.

 

[oj1979]

The Orc is definitely not the worst choice for a beginner, especially in DX. But I'm guessing MarkDSM is saying this because of speed. The Orc is a fast disc (speed 10) and is reasonably "overstable" (pretty low turn at -1 and reasonably high fade at 3). Your Skeeter is only speed 5, so there's a pretty big jump there. The Valkyrie is still a speed 9, which means you need more "arm speed" or power to make it work than you would with your Skeeter (or Dart). I'd say look for something in the speed 6-7 or maybe 8 range first. Everyone seems to recommend the Leopard for new players, and a TL would be a good alternative as well.

Many new players have the experience of trying to throw higher speed discs, then they find out they can throw a Leopard or even Teebird just as far as a Destroyer or Boss or Nuke. Sure, the pros throw those fancy high speed discs much farther than fairways, but for newer players there's usually a lot to be gained just by working on form with fairways. I don't think we're trying to discourage you from trying the Orc, it's just that there's a lot of room between those two discs that you might benefit from exploring.

So look for a fairway driver instead of a distance driver? Something like the innova teebird? http://www.innovadiscs.com/disc/teebird/

 

[etdefender19]

I have only tried forehand throws a couple of times and can not figure it out a all.

FH was easier for me to pick up because of many years of playing baseball (including a few as a sidearm pitcher) so that's still my primary method, particularly for max D. However, FH is pretty limited in the types of shots you can shape, so I've had to develop a BH game for anything closer than 250 feet. IMHO, you could get away with not learning a FH game for a pretty long time in your development and be just fine.

 

[oj1979]

So look for a fairway driver instead of a distance driver? Something like the innova teebird? http://www.innovadiscs.com/disc/teebird/

or Innova Leopard3 http://www.innovadiscs.com/disc/leopard3/

 

[jjtwinnova]

Something that is great for beginners is being introduced to new brands. A great starter disc is a Latitude 64 Diamond. They only comein low waits, and if it is too light, try another Trilogy disc, the Hatchet which is essentially a glidey valkyrie for me. A saint, DD Thief, DD Escape. A Lat River. These are all great understable/Stable Fairway/Control drivers. Very Glidey and beginner friendly.

 

[Vonbeezy1]

So look for a fairway driver instead of a distance driver? Something like the innova teebird? http://www.innovadiscs.com/disc/teebird/

Generally people will tell you to stay away from distance drivers until you reach x amount of feet (usually 350 and above) for the fact that the higher speed discs will not fly like they are designed to because you don't have enough spin and speed on them. Very neutral discs are the best to learn.
A perfect start set would include something like this:
Straight putter- innova dx aviar
Straight to slightly flippier midrange- discraft buzzz in z or esp plastic and a discraft comet
Stable fairway and flipps fairway- innova tee bird in dx plastic and an innova Leopard in dx plastic

 

[PBokor]

oj -

How far do you throw the mid relative to the other two? That is what matters most IMHO.

I am about 4 weeks ahead of you in time spent DG'ing, but I have far fewer rounds under my belt. Based on advice I received here, I have put all of my drivers away (temporarily) and concentrated on just throwing mids and putters.

In the field yesterday, I threw my 155g Innova Wedge 200'+ about 95% of the time, straight and true, full control. My Valk, Tee-Bird, and Leopard don't go much further and they are much more erratic and difficult. Confidence breeds confidence, so throw only speeds you can control and move up as you can.

My 2 Cents (and probably not worth that).

 

[armiller]

or Innova Leopard3 http://www.innovadiscs.com/disc/leopard3/

Yeah that's kinda what I was thinking. But YMMV. For the record, I started throwing even higher speed stuff than an Orc. I don't think it helped me build my game, but it didn't sabotage my game either.

Something that is great for beginners is being introduced to new brands. A great starter disc is a Latitude 64 Diamond. They only comein low waits, and if it is too light, try another Trilogy disc, the Hatchet which is essentially a glidey valkyrie for me. A saint, DD Thief, DD Escape. A Lat River. These are all great understable/Stable Fairway/Control drivers. Very Glidey and beginner friendly.

Like he said... there are tons of discs around that fit the bill. The main thing is: get out there and throw!

 

[simpletwist]

The Dart and Skeeter are excellent choices. The first disc was able to get decent distance with and my recommendation to anyone new to the game is a 150g Champion Leopard. A lightweight Leopard in any plastic that feels good in your hand and you can't go wrong.

The Leopard is forgiving for technique flaws, is workable for many different types of shot shapes, and can go surprisingly long. If I had to pick a disc for a one shot round it would be a Leopard. The only thing that the Leopard has trouble with IMHO is strong headwinds. There is a reason why Innova has a Leopard in its beginners player's pack.

Another choice similar to the Leopard is the Latitude 64 Diamond.

I would also recommend another mid a little more stable than the Skeeter. These would include a Roc, Buzzz, or Truth.

 

[zontar]

Latitude 64 Diamond. like a cheater Leopard.

 

[ThunderEagle]

As someone who has played a total of 4 days (the last 4) I've found my Stratus and Comet I can actually throw pretty straight. The Buzzz I have still takes wicked left hand hooks with my non-existent form.

 

[oj1979]

The Dart and Skeeter are excellent choices. The first disc was able to get decent distance with and my recommendation to anyone new to the game is a 150g Champion Leopard. A lightweight Leopard in any plastic that feels good in your hand and you can't go wrong.

The Leopard is forgiving for technique flaws, is workable for many different types of shot shapes, and can go surprisingly long. If I had to pick a disc for a one shot round it would be a Leopard. The only thing that the Leopard has trouble with IMHO is strong headwinds. There is a reason why Innova has a Leopard in its beginners player's pack.

Another choice similar to the Leopard is the Latitude 64 Diamond.

I would also recommend another mid a little more stable than the Skeeter. These would include a Roc, Buzzz, or Truth.

Bought myself a Leopard over the weekend. love it, definitely the disc that I can throw the straightest.

 

[tbird888]

Leopard or Cheetah would be my novice recommendation. The Diamond isn't a bad choice either.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Use to be you could tell a newb: Leopard, Roc/Buzzz/whatever putter feels comfy in your hand ... that's still very sound advice.

The growing number of manufacturers and offerings, indeed, is a double edged sword. All the variety means you can find just what suits you, and while there may be many discs that do relatively the same thing, there are subtle differences some of us find preferable to others. It also means it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the choices, especially for new players.

Not that I'm advocating brand loyalty to any manufacturer, but I think it's smart to stick with one company's offerings for a while, to get familiar with what does/doesn't work for you. Within any particular company's line-up, finding something that's faster/slower, more/less stable, more fade/less fade... is a pretty straightforward process. When you try to bump to a "different slot in your bag" across manufacturers, you might be able to tell the difference between what disc "A" and disc "B" do, but trying to figure out what the next step from there is can be pretty confusing when you're considering the entire gamut of offerings. Getting familiar one company's line up makes it easy to plug gaps in what you have.*


But as long as we're listing fairly neutral, newb-recommendable control drivers from different manufacturers:
Lat 64: River
MVP: Amp
Both of these are wonderfully controllable, and have really nice glide... great for shaping lines and getting more distance with less power.


*says the player with no less than 6 manufacturers in his bag at any given time.

 

[DGSniper]

Leopard or Teebird are good to start with, max weight in either.