The River

[logjammin]

Mostly, the throws I'm talking about have been forehand. I hardly ever throw a River backhand. I usually use a power grip and a faster disc for backhand throws.

Next time I'm on an open course, I will try some backhand throws with my River. Maybe that disc needs a faster spin.

The numbers on the River are similar to the Jackal, which works great for forehand throws.

 

[Jeronimo]

I don't have any Rivers that are as understable as Sidewinders. Even when i'm not worrying about spin.

Holy shit, I do.

 

[BrotherDave]

I don't have any Rivers that are as understable as Sidewinders. Even when i'm not worrying about spin.

Holy shit, I do.

What does that statement even mean, JR? I've seen SWs that were Teebird stable and some that were like Road Runners. :lol:

 

[Qikly]

My guess would be it is more nose angle related than snap related.

As someone who struggles with nose angle issues, my experience with the River is that it is susceptible to exposing that form flaw. Is it grossly finicky? I don't think so. But when I get a flat, nose down release, it bombs, and flies exactly how I ask it to, and when I slip up, it stalls out 50'+ sooner than it otherwise would. Just my humble opinion.

 

[JR]

I heard of some clear Champ Sidewinders manufactured last year were very HSS compared to earlier versions. Since no stores here had them when i was there i tried a Star in hopes of having a at least some of the benefits. Frankly i don't remember how far the guys throwing the C SWs were getting them so i have no idea what i should expect out of the HSS of those more OS than normal (or rather straight SWs) in terms of HSS. I sure would like to try one out. Or rather own if it has as little LSS as my Star SW from last year.

I have noticed that for me Rivers are an oddball in power requirement. They are fairly nose angle insensitive for a driver meaning practical terms it still is not a disc that can be thrown nose up. The power it wants is very different between different distances. It is very benign at 330' and under and quite reasonable at 360' but after that the power requirement shoots up a lot getting it to 380'. The SW is much more linear in the power input to distance increase department in the case of my Star. Which is consistent unlike original Champ SWs. And understable flipping quite a bit going tops 410' IIRC in a line drive for me. Normally that is warp speeder distance for me. I got it to 390-400' more consistently though.

All of my Rivers in GL and Opto are way more HSS than the Star SW flipping like 15 degrees less at full power. I sure would love to have a Champ SW that didn't flip or flipped as little as the Rivers. Oh i just remembered that people reported Rivers from 2012 having some much more understable individuals in them than with the majority of those that were manufactured earlier. Mine are more straight than what those discs i heard of are. So variances are large in both discs and based on luck you might have the relative stability go either way between those two discs.

 

[logjammin]

I'm having much better success throwing the River backhand than forehand.

One neat trick I've learned with it is a RHBH anhyzer flip that will make a quick right turn and then straighten out and fly way down the fairway.

 

[JR]

River FH is not a marriage made in heaven there are easier discs for that but it is not impossible by any means.

 

[RebelZero]

So after reading all of this, and practicing a bit with my River, I'm wondering if I can pair it with some Eagle Xs and have all my fairway shots covered. I have a beefy Champ Eagle for big S-curves and windy days; a 170 SEX that glides a long way; and a 171 DX Eagle that I'm beating in to straight and a little flippy. With those three and a 172 GL River, is there any need for Teebirds and Leos?

 

[JR]

Not necessarily if you don't encounter tight spots where a powered down River fades too much. In those places if you cannot get far enough with a mid Leos would have the advantage of a later and lesser fade if it is not in Star plastic.

 

[discmonkey42]

I tried the River as a Leo sub (I like pro Leos, but they change in flight so much I go through them pretty quickly) and I couldn't get the same lines out of it. For me the Leo is a point and shoot straight line disc that holds pretty much whatever i put on it. It's kind of like a long tangent or long seasoned buzz for me. The River seems to require a lot more shaping and definitely fades more. River glides out longer, which is why I was trying it vs. the Leo.

 

[RebelZero]

Yeah, the Leo is a point and shoot for me as well. I'm just trying to figure out if the River fits anywhere in my bag. With the TBs, Eagles, and Leos I don't really know if it has a place. Although, with its glide I guess it could end up a tweener before I reach for a OLS. I really like the disc but I'd like to keep my bag as minimal as possible if it doesn't have a dedicated slot it can fill.

 

[Fightingthetide1]

Yeah, the Leo is a point and shoot for me as well. I'm just trying to figure out if the River fits anywhere in my bag. With the TBs, Eagles, and Leos I don't really know if it has a place. Although, with its glide I guess it could end up a tweener before I reach for a OLS. I really like the disc but I'd like to keep my bag as minimal as possible if it doesn't have a dedicated slot it can fill.

Depending on how you throw and what courses you are playing, if you already have TB's EX's and Leos in your bag, you really shouldn't need a River. For me, I am fine going from a Teebird to a Wraith. I really don't feel like I have a gap in my bag since Teebirds go far. If you are really on a River kick, I would pair it with an EX for headwinds, and a Leo for straight shots, and drop the Teebirds.