[Question] Overstable Discs Speeds 6-8

[Moose33]

The XXX, Resistor, Trident, Whippet, Viper all work in this range, but I throw a Justice far enough that the gap between it and a Flare/Firebird is really small. No point in having another mold.

 

[knivvves]

It's kind of a niche slot, similar to a speed 6 understable fairway or fast understable mid.

I appreciate all the disc suggestion from everybody, but I wasn't looking to buy more discs. What I was trying to figure out with this thread is, WHY is that slot so niche?

I've heard a lot of people say that they'll just power down a Firebird, because it powers down well. Does, say, a Thunderbird or Valkyrie or Roadrunner not power down just as well? Why do slower speed discs exist in those less stable slots?

lol i dont even bag anything within that speed range

Or is Mex getting at the reason here? Is it because less experienced players typically throw understable discs, and by the time they're looking to throw something more overstable they're also throwing higher speeds?

I don't know if I buy that answer either though. I feel like fairway drivers are always useful, and that your average player (i.e., not your average DGCRer) could benefit from throwing more fairway drivers and less high speed DDs.

Not to mention that new discs sell well and a lot of the biggest companies have no problem pumping out discs with very similar flight numbers to ones they've already released. I could understand if this slot just didn't sell well at all, but it seems like the Whippet used to be fairly popular. The Zone sells very well, and Discraft also has the Drone, Buzzz OS, Hornet, and now the Malta all occupying a similar slot at speed 5. Leopards, Teebirds, and FDs are all very popular. So why is this OS slot being neglected?

 

[t.A.T.u]

Gateway Demon and #2 Hyzer by Lightning

 

[Jimb]

It's a slot in the bag that I don't always carry. When I do, I just happen to have a very beefy JLS. But it's unlike any others that I've thrown. It's speed 8.

Like others, I tend to jump from speed 5 (Sentinel, Hornet, Drone) up to speed 9 (OLF). It really seems that the over stable slot in-between isn't necessary for me very often.

 

[elmexdela]

I appreciate all the disc suggestion from everybody, but I wasn't looking to buy more discs. What I was trying to figure out with this thread is, WHY is that slot so niche?

I've heard a lot of people say that they'll just power down a Firebird, because it powers down well. Does, say, a Thunderbird or Valkyrie or Roadrunner not power down just as well? Why do slower speed discs exist in those less stable slots?



Or is Mex getting at the reason here? Is it because less experienced players typically throw understable discs, and by the time they're looking to throw something more overstable they're also throwing higher speeds?

I don't know if I buy that answer either though. I feel like fairway drivers are always useful, and that your average player (i.e., not your average DGCRer) could benefit from throwing more fairway drivers and less high speed DDs.

Not to mention that new discs sell well and a lot of the biggest companies have no problem pumping out discs with very similar flight numbers to ones they've already released. I could understand if this slot just didn't sell well at all, but it seems like the Whippet used to be fairly popular. The Zone sells very well, and Discraft also has the Drone, Buzzz OS, Hornet, and now the Malta all occupying a similar slot at speed 5. Leopards, Teebirds, and FDs are all very popular. So why is this OS slot being neglected?

speed 9-10 os cuts thru the wind better and moar d potential while still being very controllable for most

speed 7 is a touch too slow and most could power down a speed 9 to what a speed 7 would cover

 

[PeterMonk]

Given my limited abilities ("chumpiness") and what is available, I cover my OS shots with a Zone and a Resistor. Quite happy with them both. I do carry a Raptor, but to be truthful, I don't use it much.

 

[disco40]

The best explanation is probably that there's not much demand. My assumption is that by the time a player is in need of an overstable 7-8 speed disc, that player is already able to control something like a Felon or Firebird well enough for shorter shots, and those discs have more utility. There is maybe a small window of experience where we can't quite put a stable-to-understable speed 6-8 on hyzer far enough to get the job done, but we also can't control a rimmy 9 speed OS well enough for lower-powered shots. I'm kind of hitting that spot right now. I'm just going to learn to use the Firebird.

 

[brutalbrutus]

I think it just depends on your bag setup preference. Personally, I don't use mids much, so having that 7ish speed utility disc is a necessity. Other people love those 5ish speed OS mids and don't need the slow fairway spot.

 

[wims]

I love speed 7 discs, I don't really like speed 9s. There are a bunch of overstable speed 7 discs. Like the Resistor, Champion Eagle, xxx, first run Sparks, Banshee, some Teebirds etc

 

[Jay Dub]

You need a star Whippet.

 

[VictorB]

I appreciate all the disc suggestion from everybody, but I wasn't looking to buy more discs. What I was trying to figure out with this thread is, WHY is that slot so niche?

The overstable 6-8 is niche because since they are slower they don't fight the wind or handle power as well as speed 9 overstable. Additionally, there are a ton of overstable putters and mids that are easier to range because they are slower, while still being very overstable. There didn't used to be putters like a zone or mid like a justice that can handle all the power and a lot of wind for elite level players.

When those speed 6-8 discs were made, there was a serious need for it. Now, it's kind of old technology and not used very much (similar to a 3W in golf - 4I is easier to hit and stays lower)

 

[wolfhaley]

I think it just depends on your bag setup preference. Personally, I don't use mids much, so having that 7ish speed utility disc is a necessity. Other people love those 5ish speed OS mids and don't need the slow fairway spot.

I'd have to agree with Brutus here. I carry 4 speed 7 or 8 discs but usually 3 mids, sometimes 2. I think we're in the minority for sure. I also don't throw anything faster than an 10 speed except a shryke occasionally.

 

[Dr. Bogey]

I've heard a lot of people say that they'll just power down a Firebird, because it powers down well. Does, say, a Thunderbird or Valkyrie or Roadrunner not power down just as well?

My sense is that the more overstable a disc is, the better it powers down. If I throw a Firebird at 90%, it goes kinda far and fades hard, while if I throw it at 50% it goes less far but still fades hard. The Firebird's flight is basically the same at the two power levels. If I throw a Valkyrie at 90%, it turns and goes really far, while if I throw it at 50% it goes straight for a bit and then fades. If I want a 50% throw to make a disc turn like a Valk does at 90% I need a different (slower or flippier) disc.

 

[BrotherDave]

Saying a speed 9 os has more utility than a speed 7 is flawed. Different maybe, but not more. A firebird is not that much better in the wind than a flat Banshee but the latter feels better in more grips than the former, especially if you have smaller hands. I'd much rather thumber a Banshee than a FB for example. A speed 7 will still power down easier too.

I much prefer a speed 7 small diameter driver (as opposed to Viper or Moab) as my OS utility driver rather than carry a Zone and a Firebird. The speed 7 driver can do the jobs of both and if it's got a good, blunt rim like Banshees, is a far superior FH roller to putters, mids or even most FB type drivers. If I really want to cut through wind, I'm already bagging faster discs that are better at that than speed 9 drivers anyway.

Zone type putters have made FH approaches really easy, especially on flex lines. Not many putters are OS enough to do that. Same with Justice. Very few wide mids are OS enough to hold an anny on a flex line. The popularity of those two have really cut into the short to mid-range usage of slow drivers.

 

[tylerc]

I just throw a more overstable firebird for that. No worry of going too far, it doesnt like flying.

 

[MANBURGARLAR]

My range goes: Zone, Xtreme, hellfire, NukeOS. I throw them all the same power pretty much. Get the similar flight paths at just different distances.

Not a big fan of powering down high speed OS discs unless it's a funky dogleg or you need that big skip.

 

[wims]

I'd have to agree with Brutus here. I carry 4 speed 7 or 8 discs but usually 3 mids, sometimes 2. I think we're in the minority for sure. I also don't throw anything faster than an 10 speed except a shryke occasionally.

Yeah, thats how I roll as well. I go speed 3 -> speed 7 and then veeeery rarely speed 11. Mostly speed 3 and speed 7. You guys are making your bag too complicated with this 3->5->7->9->12->13 stuff. Keep it simple

 

[Casey 1988]

Blaze, Banshee, and XXX are what you're looking for.

It's kind of a niche slot, similar to a speed 6 understable fairway or fast understable mid.

Discraft makes the most and best US speed 6 discs like the Archer and Stratus being the main 2 and the Glide is slightly US as well as the now OOP plastic X Xpress. Then Innova has the Dragon and Archangel as its two US discs. The Dragon has the R-DX, yes it is called DX but really it is a lower durability R-Pro now in latest years of runs since 2018-2019 it has been R-DX. Also Dragon is a tad slower Valkyrie. The Archangel is in DX so it will be okay to use.

Problem is not enough pro players are calling for speed 7 fairway discs in general so most companies have speed 7-8 discs overlooked more so the speed 7 with only a few staying from companies that made speed 7-8 discs when those were as fast as one could get in a disc. Yeah speed 6 is not nearly as overlooked as those discs often end up in beginner sets and are used by better players as the too short for fairway driver too long for midrange disc type shot or the need a faster disc for tight tunnels as most of the speed 6 discs are neutral in flight that are still made.

 

[BenHaavisto]

Yeah, thats how I roll as well. I go speed 3 -> speed 7 and then veeeery rarely speed 11. Mostly speed 3 and speed 7. You guys are making your bag too complicated with this 3->5->7->9->12->13 stuff. Keep it simple

Currently messing around with only 3->5->9 and adding in big guns when playing longer courses.

although now that I think about it a harp might be a four... but same thing lol

 

[BB53641]

Millennium EXP-X fit in this discussion too .

This is what I use for an overstable fairway. It is more controllable than a Firebird and excels at shorter range/powered down throws. Compares to a Banshee but not domey terds like all the newer runs have been. The EXP also pairs nicely with Teebirds or Eagles since it has the same rim.