Max D Driver Oppinions

[RocHed]

Hi everyone. I know this question is a subjective one but I'd like to see some oppinions since so many high speed drivers and new companies products have been released. The question is, what max d driver(fairway drivers excluded) do you think is the best in your oppinion. I'm not asking about which one you think is the most versatile but that could be the reason you think one driver is the best. I'd like to know why and what you grab when you need that long bomb. I've tried all but a select few Innova drivers and have found what I think is the best overall and through time. I should add I've also thrown lots of discraft and a few from other companies.

There is one driver that sticks out to me as the best in my oppinion. That disc is the Innova Pro Destroyer around 170. I had stayed away from destroyers because my experience with the champion destroyers wasn't so great, they turned hard for me and I found them extremely hard to throw the long straight and flat lines. I just gave up on the other plastics. I've owned two(pro destros), and they both were a bit of a handful at first, with the want break hard right on me(rhfh) halfway through the flight. Then I started throwing harder and flatter and they were great, but they weren't at their best quite yet. After knocking into a couple trees, hard skips and a couple bounces off the concrete these things started getting straighter and straighter. Once I got one(in my bag now) perfectly seasoned(perfect IMO) this thing is incredible. It's to the point now where I have to release it with slight hyzer to get it to flip up, but when that thing flips up and slightly turns over it flys forever! I had been throwing 300-350 with my beast, riot, eagle and wraiths but with this thing I can almost go 400 on a perfect toss and have tossed drives I didn't know I had in me. It's also good in the wind, which is nice in the midwest.

What do ya'll think think is the best overall d driver and anyone else think its the pro destro? I look forward to readin the responses.

P.S. I know this has been asked before but I wanted to get an up to date response as well as trying to make my question more precise than "What Driver is the best" "What disc is the best" type question.

 

[jubuttib]

I also think that perhaps the best overall distance driver I've ever used is the Pro Destroyer (mine were 169). So long, so straight, so controllable, such a good grip. I've thrown my Farting Lemon and my FR Nuke longer, but the Destroyers were more consistent. So yeah, my vote goes to the Pro Destroyer too.

I also have a yellow Echo Star Destroyer that flies more like a Pro than any of the Champs/Stars I've tried. The plastic doesn't grip as nice though.

 

[RocHed]

I also think that perhaps the best overall distance driver I've ever used is the Pro Destroyer (mine were 169). So long, so straight, so controllable, such a good grip. I've thrown my Farting Lemon and my FR Nuke longer, but the Destroyers were more consistent. So yeah, my vote goes to the Pro Destroyer too.

I also have a yellow Echo Star Destroyer that flies more like a Pro than any of the Champs/Stars I've tried. The plastic doesn't grip as nice though.

I really like the Echo plastic, feels nice and broke in brand new but havn't bought one yet because of the pricing.

My destroyer slightly reminds me of my esp nuke I had as far as flight and distance, but I had no luck with it into a headwind or even a tailwind for that matter.

Also, Farting Lemon? Firebird-L? I'm not sure what that is.

 

[ChampionMonarch]

I was also about to ask about the Farting Lemon. I see that mentioned all the time here and I think I remember initially seeing it referring to the Katana, but for what reason I have no idea.

 

[jdggna]

I haven't thrown the newest max D drivers, but I've tried what's listed below:

Wraith (DX, Pro, Star, Champ)
Rogue (Proline)
Destroyer (Pro, Star, Champ)
Groove (Champ)
Xcal (Star)
Force (Z)
Nuke (ESP)
Boss (Pro, Star)

After what I've used, I've settled on Destroyers as well. My "requirements" for a disc may be different than others though. I throw BH and FH (60/40) and prefer a minimalist set up. I have to be able to throw a disc both ways before it will make my bag. The Destroyer is the only speed 11+ disc that I've tried that I felt I could do this with in a controlled/consistent manner. I throw both Star and Pro plastic. Pros are mainly for BH distance, while the stars take over for hyzers, wind, and FH throws. I've got a couple E*s and a Glo Champ that I'll break out once my star looses its stability in the wind. Every one that I throw is 172g, with the exception of the 159g AO Star I picked up to fool around with. Those things bomb...I've had multiple 400-425 foot hyzers with them, though they don't do headwind very well. For reference, my longest BH throws are just shy of 450 and my longest FH throws are ~400.

I imagine that some others that have tried some of the newer discs (Katana, Hurricane, Z Nuke, and Flow come to mine immediately) can give you a better idea than I can though.

 

[money 21]

I would go with the opto riot. I get good consistant distance with this disc FH, BH, and OH (thumber) I throw my sparkle rogue, and helios farther but they are not as versitile.

 

[Marmoset]

Farting Lemons are Katanas with this stamp:

 

[Marmoset]

I vote Pro Wraith or Pro Destroyer.
The Wraith has a slight edge because the rim is slightly thinner and they are easier to find in lighter weights.
I could carry either one and be fine.

 

[RocHed]

After what I've used, I've settled on Destroyers as well. My "requirements" for a disc may be different than others though. I throw BH and FH (60/40) and prefer a minimalist set up.

I have also adopted a minimalistic setup to my bag although I like to go try new discs. I however am about 90/10 forehand-backhand when it comes to driving, I throw mids backhand off the tee(drone/rocs) because I can throw them farther longer and straighter than most drivers. I, like you, won't throw certain discs, but for me I must be able to forehand them or I don't want them.

vote Pro Wraith or Pro Destroyer.
The Wraith has a slight edge because the rim is slightly thinner and they are easier to find in lighter weights.
I could carry either one and be fine.

I think they're both fine discs but the stability of the destroyer seems to stay in its sweet spot longer before it gets a bit too flippy for me personally.

 

[jubuttib]

Yeah, the Farting Lemon is the Pro Worlds 2010 Star Katana. I don't call it Star Katana because it flies nothing like the other Star Katanas I've tried.

 

[JR]

Having thrown in pretty stiff rear winds with a 153 Boss i can tell that requirements in those conditions are quite different from regular use. I did a test of all the fast discs i had which is many and the heavier more realistic plastic discs just couldn't fly as straight as far and have equally moderate fade. That is why i think it is better to have at least two different max D drivers to cover all kinds of conditions. One light hot rod that can turn back and bite you if you are not using it in proper conditions and throw it well. For reference i got an 175 ES DD2 to the same wall leaving the discs at 449' after skips. Landings were at just over 400'. That DD2 is about as long as my 167 Pro Katana in these conditions which is huge but the Katana was new and the DD2 broken in. Z Nuke is another fine disc in calm and mild winds. FR ESP Nuke is tremendous in headwinds if it has as high a dome as mine.

The reason why i recommend a hot rod disc is this: Light disc flies faster initially than a heavier disc and if it is speed 13 it can cut through the winds and not slow down too much. While gliding more than anything and fading much later than a max weight disc or even mid 160s discs. In rear winds a light disc is a little more immune to dropping because they need less lift and speed to maintain altitude. Because R-Pro ain't durable enough a Boss in light weights needs to be used rarely and therefore it needs a harder plastic beefier regular/wind use companion. ES DD2 is pretty money. I have a broken in and slightly used 169 Pro Destroyers and a broken in Pro 170 Boss that i also used in the rear wind session with a few tosses into headwinds. In rear winds all of these stray off line too early for ultimate D at my power. They were fine for headwinds but they lack the ultimate D. DD2 and 153 Bosses have 10-30' edge in rear winds on the others except the Z Nuke which is only 5-15' shorter. In headwinds the Z Nuke really doesn't lose at all to the DD2 and the 153 Boss was off the menu.

 

[Smigles1]

My personal experience :

star destroyer : great disc, my allround driver. Holds a anhyzer if it has to be, gently fades to flat. You can do all kinds of sky high S shots and weird stuff too. Holds a hyzer into moderate headwind.
star wraith : almost as good as the destroyer, a little bit less stable. Probably comes down to taste. I decided on the destroyer.
star boss : totaly overstable. only good for hard headwind or spyke hyzers. I have one in my bag for that, but rarely use it.
star katana : not as understable as it says on the box. I'd almost say they come close to the destroyer... I dont like it.
Groove : undependable from what i read here, strange to grip, didnt like it, gave it away.

Z Nuke : beats the others i mentioned here, by miles. Such a perfect disc, unless you have strong headwind, it is to me the most understable of all i tried. ESP nuke is sliiiiightly more stable than the Z nuke.

To put it into some context so that it actualy is useful : I drive those 350 to 400, the nuke 425.

 

[Spinach D1]

I like star katana, champ wraith, champ destroyer, and star xcal depending on stability requirements.

 

[twmccoy1]

It's hard to pick one distance driver and call it the best. There are some variables that make certain drivers better in certain conditions. I'll list a few I use in certain conditions that are my favorite sheer distance discs.

1st run star destroyer. Is there any better a driver out there? I think not. Very nice and domey. Can handle big rips, good glide and durable. Subsequent runs of destroyers have been hit or miss, the 1st runs are the best of the best.

12X star wraiths. They finally got things right with this disc. Good plastic blend, good dome and great glide. Almost as good as 1st run * destroyers.

Nate Doss ESP surge. Very, very good drivers. Comparable to 12X star wraiths. Great glide.

Champion Boss. Can't leave this out of the discussion. Unbeatable distance, but can be finicky on lines. You have to get all of this one when you throw it or it will stall. I've had the longest throws of my life with bosses, but like I said you can't miss it when you're throwing. Look for dome on these. Flat ones don't glide well and are overstable.

 

[Mike C]

I've had some great throws with Destroyers, but overall I find Nukes longer. If I want something pretty long and reliable, I throw an OLF. If I want max D, I'll throw a Nuke if I'm carrying one that day (Recently took them out for now to practice with OLF's more).

I've had a lot of nice 400-450' throws with my Nukes. I have a Crystal that fades hard and early I don't really use, a FR Z that's pretty straight overall that was my go to Nuke, and a tourney stamped glo Nuke that's 5 grams lighter than the normal Z that has a lot more high speed turn. Throwing that glo Nuke with some hyzer, strong snap and about 20' of height I've had some sweet throws.

 

[zj10021]

Hurricane - might not have the glide of a nice pro destroyer, but it acts like a perfectly seasoned destroyer. basically all of my 500+ throws have been with the hurricane.

for anything wider, the Nuke is better than anything innova has.

 

[Koffee]

I throw 60/40 BH/FH and unfortunately have not found a disc I like for both shots. For BH I really like the echo wraith for just long straight distance. I like the wraith in pro plastic for hyzer and annie lines as they just seem to glide better. However for FH I love the Z nuke which flies like a dream and is easy to throw far without torqing my arm. The nuke does decently in wind and I use it for BH instead of my wraith if it's over 10 mph.

CHEERS - Koffee

 

[Smyith1]

well, since no one has said it yet, the Valkyrie is still the best and until someone else can throw one of these wide rim discs 820ft there is no argument. it may not be fast or the best wind fighter but this disc loves to go far for everyone!
the destroyers i dint really feel were all that fantastic. they only went about 5-10ft further than my TeeRex/Wraith. and they aren't as versatile in shot abilities or at lower speeds. all of the speed 13+ drivers are in the same boat. its nice they go so fast but they arent getting any farther. when these questions arise i always think of my Pro friends with big arms. on holes they used to park a teebird next to now they use a destroyer or the like. to me that seems a bit 'wrong' if they are supposed to go faster and further shouldnt you use them to go past were your mark already was? then i watch the videos(old and new) of pros and i see the same thing, replacing the now "fairway" drivers with fast drivers. distances are the same, scores are the same so whats the point? it makes me think that the reason they have chosen the faster drives is because they dont have to be as power sensitive with the speedy drives as they did with the slower drives. thats the only reason i can think of.
out of all the fast drivers the only one i think that truly has a place is the wraith (i use a beat up TeeRex to get this flight for better wind consistency). the wraith is like the old fairway drivers but with some speed under its butt. some may want to lump the surge in here with the wraith but thats not right. the surge is considerably slower and needs a wider line to go the same distance...imo.

 

[jubuttib]

Valkyrie was the best for Sandström in that year and in those conditions. Heck, the TeeBird is still the second longest disc ever thrown... But throwing for absolute maximum distance has very little to do with actual disc golf, and especially when height is limited the faster drivers are easier to throw far than the older fairway drivers.

And about Destroyers and Wraiths, I've mainly thrown P-DDs (which discspeed said fly like Echo Star Wraiths) and Pro Destroyers. For me, my beat in Pro Destroyer turned less and faded less than the P-DDs, had better glide and penetration, and was more reliable in varying conditions. It handled anhyzer and hyzer lines more consistently, and overall I felt I was more in control with the Destroyer. It also needed less space to fly it's line, and less height, and didn't turn into a meathook even when powered down (not that the P-DD did either). Overall for me the Pro Destroyer was in every respect just slightly better than the P-DD, longer, more accurate and more consistent. It isn't the longest disc I've ever thrown (I've thrown my FR ESP Nuke a tad farther) but it is the one I feel most comfortable with if I need both distance and accuracy.

Why don't I have it in the bag? Well, I happened to lose mine (I only had two at the time) and the P-DD2 had just come out. It's not as easy to throw, but I like it very much and it forces me to think about my form a little more than the Pro Destroyer ever did. I'm using it as a sort of a training tool at the moment, but I have a feeling I might be going back to the Pro Destroyer next season (I'll also see what the Flow does for me).

 

[Smyith1]

one of these days im gonna have to try throwing a standard run pro detro. ive only ever thrown my team star one from when they came out. that thing was freakishly overstable, more than any other plastic.

and i thought it went Valkyrie 820, XS 816, and teebird 810...or do i have the XS and teebird flip flopped?