[Drivers] Long Distance "Gold Standard" Disc?

[TripleB]

What is the "gold standard" by which all other max distance drivers are judged?

I ask because I finally discovered what you all have been telling me all along (no, not stop buying disc)...if you take an overstable disc and throw it on an anhyzer it will glide forever!

I was out measuring some distances today with my mids and decided to pull out my 160g Lucid Air Escape and see if I could finally break 300' consistently, and I did...it's the little accomplishments in life that count I guess.

So then I pulled out my 166g Fuzion Trespass that had always flown left for this wimpy armed 50 year old. At that point I was thinking, how I can I get this thing to fly without heading left on me, then I remembered several of you mentioning anhyzer release.

So I slowed my motion down, released the disc on an anhyzer, gave it about 75 percent power, and it had such a beautiful left right left flight to it, and was pretty straight. What I discovered with that throw is that the anhyzer throw seems so natural to me...I think because my best shot during 45 years of playing tennis was a slice backhand which, to me, seems eerily similar to throwing on an anhyzer.

The next throw I reached back and gave it as much power as I could (and still remain under control). It started slightly left of the target line (I had 6 orange cones lined up measuring off my throws), headed over to the right side of the target line, and at the end headed back to the target line, missing it by 3 feet. Most beautiful flight I've ever seen out of one of my throws...I don't even think my hole in one was as beautiful. I went to see the distance and it was 327'. I know, midrange distance for everyone else here, but for me it was a huge throw.

It made me realize that I don't have to shy away from overstable disc or distance disc, I just have to learn how to throw them to get the most out of them with my arm speed! I know I'm not ready for the top dawg distance driver but at least today gave me some hope that maybe one I will be!

Anyway, I'd just like to know what long distance disc all others are judged against! If I had to guess I'd say the Star Destoyer but truly have no clue!

TripleB

 

[slowplastic]

I simultaneously put this in your other thread...

Keep throwing that line with the Trespass and see how far you can squeeze it out. Having it pan to the aim line means it's the right stability where you can throw that shot consistently enough that the disc fights you, but it's still straight enough you can get it way out there. I really think this is your sweet spot right now for high speed discs, so just beat in the Trespass and it will glide out right farther, and eventually you will be able to throw it straight with a flat release.

If you go less stable than the Trespass it may get you a few more feet but it will glide way right and be harder to execute the shot. Faster than the Trespass, which you already are not able to throw flat and neutral, will be harder to get up to speed and when not up to speed will have less glide. It will likely fade out sooner. Again, keep throwing this shot and beat in the Trespass and see where that gets you. This flex shot is about maximizing every foot out of your arm speed...it doesn't make you throw farther/faster/harder but it just lets you manipulate disc characteristics to get the most distance, which makes it a tough shot in some situations.

Since this seems to be your sweet spot for a flex distance line, the other distance shot is a hyzer flip, so with that you would go down in speed and stability. Something like a star Roadrunner could be great. Or your current Air Escape is likely pretty equivalent. Too high speed and you won't be able to flip it, and it will fade sooner. Speed 9 is a good sweet spot for stability and glide for this shot for most players.

 

[Baseballadp]

Destroyer and outlaw are the gold standards I'd say

 

[discerdoo]

Groove

End thread........please

 

[broomerang]

Average joes shouldnt be throwing overstable plastic for distance. If you can't throw a speed 10-11 over 350 feet than you don't need a speed 12 or 13 as you won't see any increase in distance.

The key with any disc is to find the one that feels right for you. Hand feel is critical to consistent release. There is no one size fits all and there are so many great discs from all manufacturers now.

Generally speaking it is easier to throw understable plastic further more consistently.

 

[Moose33]

That's great that your throwing farther, I am honestly very happy for you.

But the "Gold Standard" driver to me is relitive to skill level. For Pros and Advanced players who throw 400+ you will see a ton of Star Destroyers, Giants, Outlaws, Enforcers and similar.

I love my Giants, but by no means would I suggest you get one.

If your set on going faster the "Gold Standard" to me at that lower power level is the King. They can range from pretty flippy to fairly stable, and I like the more OS ones, but you could possibly get a TP King in the 160s and get a few more feet out of it. When I first started my project of getting 400 BH I was throwing 325 ish with a Wraith and by changing form(not discs) I got to 390. After that I found that I liked to use a hyzer release BH and switched to Kings that are slightly less stable than the Wraiths I was using.

I can now go 400+ BH, but it's not really because of the disc. I can also do it with a Fission Volt, which is speed 8-9 ish.

If I were your caddy, I'd find something like a Star Valk, light Inertia, Recycled Stag or just stick with the Escape.

So I said all that to say this; if you want to go faster buy something like a King, not a Destroyer. Don't be upset if it doesn't do what you want for your game though.

 

[Streets]

Groove

End thread........please

I will second this.

 

[TripleB]

That's great that your throwing farther, I am honestly very happy for you.

When I first started my project of getting 400 BH I was throwing 325 ish with a Wraith and by changing form(not discs) I got to 390.

If I were your caddy, I'd find something like a Star Valk, light Inertia, Recycled Stag or just stick with the Escape.

Thank you! I think that's one of the reasons I love disc golf...I learn something or see improvement each time out. After 45 years of tennis I think I reached my full potential many years ago!

Funny you mention the Wraith. In another thread I posed the question: if I dropped down from the speed 12 Trespass down to an 11 or 10 speed disc with the same -1/3 numbers would I actually gain distance because it would be easier to get the disc up to speed?

The Escape is pretty impressive for a 9 speed disc. I think my last throw with it was 315 feet....only 12 feet less than the Trespass. It's 160g in Lucid Air. Only thing I don't like is the fact it's brown...so darn hard to see (but I found it in the mud back when I first started playing so I don't complain too loud).

I appreciate you taking the time to give me your opinion!

TripleB

 

[kuubik]

Gold standard distance driver is 12/5/-1/3 that's true to these numbers. Whatever brand or model it happens to be. This doesn't mean it's the best for everybody, but I would say that is what everything else is judged against as OP said. Fast. Good glide. Straight. Dependable fade.

 

[jmdaire27]

Paul: Destroyer
Rick: Defender
Eagle: PD2
Discerdoo: Groove
Me: idk, I can get a trespass out a little further than my undertaker. Had a Destroyer go over 400 ft once.

It'll depend. If you have a trespass I would work with it until you can get some turn out of it. They flip up, drift, and slightly fade. Work on getting a full flight from what you have and then try something else if you think your distance is limited by the Disc.

 

[SD86]

There is no one gold standard DG disc. Whatever works for (each of) you is your gold standard.

 

[Twmccoy]

Average joes shouldnt be throwing overstable plastic for distance. If you can't throw a speed 10-11 over 350 feet than you don't need a speed 12 or 13 as you won't see any increase in distance.

The key with any disc is to find the one that feels right for you. Hand feel is critical to consistent release. There is no one size fits all and there are so many great discs from all manufacturers now.

Generally speaking it is easier to throw understable plastic further more consistently.

I agree with this completely. Trying to torque a very overstable disc on an anny line won't really buy you any extra yardage. You'll get an abbreviated S curve out of it, but that's it.

At 300' you want a fairly understable disc to get max distance from. You want a disc that will bend right and flex out a bit with a flat release. I also agree that you probably don't want a 13 or 14 speed disc if you're throwing only 300'. A disc that fast won't fly properly at that short a distance.

For a 300' thrower wanting to squeeze every inch out of a throw, I'd probably recommend something like a Mamba or blizzard Wraith. Something with good glide that is fairly understable. If you really insist on a fast disc a Bolt would probably work too.

I personally max out at 450' on a good day. My best distance comes from Shrykes, Ballistas, Laces, Katanas, Terns, etc. I want a disc that I can throw flat and have it work right a bit (flex) before fading back at the end of flight.

An anny release will occasionally result in huge yardage, but it isn't a strategy I attempt on every throw. It can be tricky to get right, especially in wind.

 

[Sydex]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Boss, the disc that holds the distance record.

I would say the Boss because of that.

 

[slowplastic]

Funny you mention the Wraith. In another thread I posed the question: if I dropped down from the speed 12 Trespass down to an 11 or 10 speed disc with the same -1/3 numbers would I actually gain distance because it would be easier to get the disc up to speed?

The Escape is pretty impressive for a 9 speed disc. I think my last throw with it was 315 feet....only 12 feet less than the Trespass. It's 160g in Lucid Air. Only thing I don't like is the fact it's brown...so darn hard to see (but I found it in the mud back when I first started playing so I don't complain too loud).

First of all I agree with everything Moose said above.

As far as speed vs. distance, I find that speeds 6-8 kind of group together, 9-10 group together, then 10-12 group together, and 13+ group together. Some overlap there obviously. But the point is it's just characteristics in each group. one speed doesn't really do much if something is speed 12 vs. 13...other characteristics come into play too. Some speed 10's throw like a control driver, some fly like a slower distance driver. Like the Trespass is speed 12 labelled, but to me it feels like a Wraith rim width but it's a bit shallower/sleeker. So it's almost as controlled as a speed 11 but has a bit more aerodynamics or whatever...basically it cuts through air pretty fast for being a speed 11 width. That's why I think it was a good fit...it's high speed but still pretty forgiving.

So really going Trespass vs. Wraith is almost identical depending on each specific disc's stability. Same with going beefy Destroyer vs Enforcer, or stable/overstable Destroyer vs. Defender, even though they are all shaped slightly differently. It becomes more about stability characteristics than exact speed label from the manufacturer.

I would say that between Wraith and Trespass, you would throw the least stable of them the furthest, so a Pro Wraith perhaps or a worked in Bio Trespass. That's again why I would recommend just getting a stack of some of the drivers and seeing where it gets you, trying to select the least overstable of them. You can also go the super flippy route like flippy Kings as Moose said, but you definitely lose some consistency. And again going up in speed like that I feel like the disc relies way more on velocity rather than glide.

As you saw too, going up entire speed class of disc like Escape to Trespass netted you 12'. So going up a manufacturer's label of a speed isn't really going to change anything significant. A few mechanical changes are way different. Some discs in my bag as I think of being longer or shorter than others on the course so I constantly throw them, in the field I will find land one pace apart from my alternatives. It all comes down to release velocity, lots of discs marketed for the same shots really aren't all that different when you are in the same stability realm.

 

[Twmccoy]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Boss, the disc that holds the distance record.

I would say the Boss because of that.

Blizzard Bosses are very long for me. I don't use them on the course because I find them to be too inconsistent/flippy to really trust for accurate golf shots.

I bag a champion Boss, but it isn't among my very longest discs. I do like the accuracy and consistency when I throw it though.

Blizz Katanas and Bosses are both extremely long. I mess with them in the field, but don't bag them. I want accuracy and consistency on the course. 500' is no good out there if its going the wrong direction.

 

[Sydex]

Blizzard Bosses are very long for me. I don't use them on the course because I find them to be too inconsistent/flippy to really trust for accurate golf shots.

I bag a champion Boss, but it isn't among my very longest discs. I do like the accuracy and consistency when I throw it though.

Blizz Katanas and Bosses are both extremely long. I mess with them in the field, but don't bag them. I want accuracy and consistency on the course. 500' is no good out there if its going the wrong direction.

I only answered Boss because the question was what disc are all others measured up against. Not what is your longest driver.

Otherwise I would say a Champ Beast because it is the only disc I can consistently hit 500'+ with. However, I don't know anybody else who throws a Beast.

However, I'm not accurate by any stretch of the imagination with a Beast at that distance. If there is a wide enough landing area, then I'll be down the fairway. But chances are I'll put the drive 50'-100' to the right of the direction I was throwing.

 

[Keller]

DX Teebird

Never ceases to amaze me how far these things can fly.

 

[Grippenripp]

SD86 said it man. Whatever works for you is gold standard. That being said, for me it's the Wraith. Massive D on the fairway with my Teebirds lately(that just started happening) and i can put my prophecy out to 300'. What do you consider distance? (this is a case by case basis) what wlrks for your game? I bet given what you claim of yourself in posts you may have a blast woth a blizzard destroyer or something like that. Idk throw something, anything.

 

[Casey 1988]

I say from Innova the Destroyer and then the original classic almost 20 old drivers Is the Valkyrie and or Thunderbird both out in 1999 or 2000. The latter two are what more modern faster drivers were compared to. Orc is another.

From Discraft the Avenger and the Surge were discs that all others got compared to. Now both are out of date discs as they no longer make the Avenger and the Surge is awkward compared to other discs that feel better in the hand at similar speed from Discraft now. Also XL was in late 1990's early 2000's the disc to compare other Discraft distance discs to as a player had the record with the XL until 2004 sometime when the distance record was beat by an Innova player with a Valkyrie. I remember an uncle or cousin having an XL that said world record holder with hard to read signature on it when I started playing in last weakened of July 2003.

 

[Casey 1988]

I am just going by what discs were the distance disc holing records at the time and or had the other distance discs judged by them quite a bit.

Valkyrie and Thunderbird still get judged by when other discs the same speed of those discs come out. I see that on the forum part of DGCR even now quite a bit, unless the player is a Swedish Trilogy thrower of discs only of the 3 brands made by a Swedish company. Even mostly Discraft throwers will still use a Valkyrie and Thunderbird to judge new discs of same speed by those Innova discs as you see with most other USA made disc brands.