[Vibram] Vibram Disc Golf Thread

[kutz167]

My Vibram story began when I noticed our state PDGA coordinator throwing an Ibex that he had purchased off of a Vibram tester. I was intrigued, so I ordered one from GGGT (this was before I had found DGCR and communitydiscs.com!). They sent me an absolute beauty of a disc that completely surpassed all of my expectations. Next, I traded for a couple Traks and an Ascent followed by trading for another Ibex. Then the Obex came out and I picked up two right away. Here began my exploration of Vibram's putters. First I got a VP and enjoyed it, but I still wanted something to use over my ESP FLX Challengers; enter the Sole. I now own every Vibram mold except the Summit and have all of Vibram's molds except for the Ridge and Summit in my bag right now.

 

[texhop58]

I came across my first vibram at a dd tourney in December. I decided to buy an ascent to try it out. Really felt good. Had some morning dew and notice the disc didn't slip as much. I am now running a birdie bash in my old home town. Which has met with some resistance. As most of them are innova only because that is all they get besides a buzzz or nuke here and there. I bought one of the td packs so that people could try before they signed up. Everyone has had the same reaction pretty much. Yea these don't feel right. I'm probably not going to like these. Then they throw them. And they are like, wow that's not what I thought. They really seem to like the obex/ibex and the ridge and summit putters. They were bombing the midranges and were surprised how well they held their line. Just kind if sad that people are scared to get out of that comfort zone and try something different. But I was the same way until 9 months ago. Everything was innova in my bag. It's now a lot more diverse and I now have the ascent and lace with the trak and sole lined up for birdie bash. I've also sucked a few other innova only chunkers into the vibram side by letting them try mine. And they turned around and orders their own.

 

[dashiellx]

I bought a Lace mainly for S&Gs but also to get an order over the free shipping amount. I really love the feel of the disc and am getting used to it. I'm considering getting some more Vibram discs for my bag this season. But one question I have is the different "plastics" of the disc. Specifically, the differences between the soft, medium and firm discs and how they affect the discs in regards to being overstable, stable, understable, etc...

 

[Monkeypaws]

On a whim I bought a grey firm Ibex because it looked awesome; my first Vibram disc. I took it out to throw with some other new discs and it stole the show; I was throwing it as far as some fairways, and straight as an arrow. It was cold, and I think I was able to grip it significantly better.

I also like the feel of the Vibram logo under my thumb, as a sort of grip.

Can't wait to throw it some more, after the snows recede a bit.

There is a local birdie bash coming up next month; I'm probably gonna go Obex and either Summit or Ridge.

 

[kutz167]

On a whim I bought a grey firm Ibex because it looked awesome; my first Vibram disc. I took it out to throw with some other new discs and it stole the show; I was throwing it as far as some fairways, and straight as an arrow. It was cold, and I think I was able to grip it significantly better.

I also like the feel of the Vibram logo under my thumb, as a sort of grip.

Can't wait to throw it some more, after the snows recede a bit.

There is a local birdie bash coming up next month; I'm probably gonna go Obex and either Summit or Ridge.

Welcome to the obsession! I would recommend going with the ridge. The Obex is always a good choice for your second disc.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Welcome to the obsession! I would recommend going with the ridge. The Obex is always a good choice for your second disc.

looking to replace my grip pure for a new driving putter and recently got a Lace as a gift and am loving it. What is the best stable/OS driving putter and most durable Vibram rubber? It is slightly confusing with the naming of different blends for firmness but does that also correlate to its durability? Currently my bag set up is Anode, Vector, Stalker, Volt, Lace, Blitz and then pure which is on its last leg becoming much too understable for consistent drives so my other question would be what other Vibram mold (no drivers) would work in my current set up and not over-lap with the vector, anode or stalker.

On another note the Lace has surprisingly been a fun new driver and almost perfect stability for being a long bomber and holds nice low lines as well as high spike shots with less effort than many similar feeling/speed molds. Not sure where some reviewers find it understable at all ever at that 400'+ range but maybe just a freak mold as mine is for sure not understable by any definition, with minimal slow turn and good forward fade-- impressive driver guys and look forward to really being able to open it up this spring/summer here in MN on some of our big long holes that are closed for the ski season...!!! Grip also is superior to any other current "plastic" out there in the the 0 degree temps we have had and rubber makes it feel like it has an oil on it or something keeping the disc much more dry but grippy too! You don't see a ton of Vibram up here so looking forward to your feedback and be able to add some more rubber to my bag.

 

[Jeronimo]

You're going to want to try a Medium or Firm Ridge to replace the Pure. Trouble is, none of the Vibram putters are going to do what your Pure has been doing for you. Don't get me wrong, Vibram putters are very effective and trustworthy, they just can't do what the Pure does. Personally, I'd recommend you pick up an Opto or Gold line Pure.

edit:

Actually, just had a thought... If you're accustomed to a beat Grip Pure you might like a Summit.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

You're going to want to try a Medium or Firm Ridge to replace the Pure. Trouble is, none of the Vibram putters are going to do what your Pure has been doing for you. Don't get me wrong, Vibram putters are very effective and trustworthy, they just can't do what the Pure does. Personally, I'd recommend you pick up an Opto or Gold line Pure.

edit:

Actually, just had a thought... If you're accustomed to a beat Grip Pure you might like a Summit.

Good to know-- Any mids which maybe similar to the fuse/axis/buzz then? basically a shorter stalker to fill the understable gap between that and my vector but still able to handle 300'+ of power and not turn ridiculously which is the current role of my pure but also doubles for putting/approaches so I like the versatility of a putter vs midrange molds. I'm a minamalist when it comes to my bag really no need to have discs that do certain things but rather ones that can handle multiple duties and master them accordingly-- too many players have a disc fetish!

 

[jeffus]

Is your 159 Lace more flippy or do the lighter weights fly similar to the heavier weights?

Just joined the group today because of how great my 159 M Lace was for me over the weekend. Prior to that I was using a 170 M Lace and was doing well enough, but for some reason I get my best release and flight from the 159. It flies straighter with less fade than the 170 - but that could be because I don't get a good release with the 170. The 159 handled a headwind quite nicely, only lost a little distance through elevation.

Flat release = the straightest flying disc I have. I'm still AM though...

 

[kutz167]

Good to know-- Any mids which maybe similar to the fuse/axis/buzz then? basically a shorter stalker to fill the understable gap between that and my vector but still able to handle 300'+ of power and not turn ridiculously which is the current role of my pure but also doubles for putting/approaches so I like the versatility of a putter vs midrange molds. I'm a minamalist when it comes to my bag really no need to have discs that do certain things but rather ones that can handle multiple duties and master them accordingly-- too many players have a disc fetish!

Get an Ibex. This disc is super straight and will handle any line that you put it on. It even handles cross-winds exceptionally well. For reference, I can throw my Ibex 350'-375' dead straight with no fade or turn whatsoever. If you put it on an anhyzer or hyzer line, it will hold that from start to finish as long as you aren't getting all torque-monkey on it.

EDIT: The ibex has pushed Buzzzes out of my bag until the weather warms back up so I can put the bar stamps back in.

 

[StevenDodge]

I came across my first vibram at a dd tourney in December. I decided to buy an ascent to try it out. Really felt good. Had some morning dew and notice the disc didn't slip as much. I am now running a birdie bash in my old home town. Which has met with some resistance. As most of them are innova only because that is all they get besides a buzzz or nuke here and there. I bought one of the td packs so that people could try before they signed up. Everyone has had the same reaction pretty much. Yea these don't feel right. I'm probably not going to like these. Then they throw them. And they are like, wow that's not what I thought. They really seem to like the obex/ibex and the ridge and summit putters. They were bombing the midranges and were surprised how well they held their line. Just kind if sad that people are scared to get out of that comfort zone and try something different. But I was the same way until 9 months ago. Everything was innova in my bag. It's now a lot more diverse and I now have the ascent and lace with the trak and sole lined up for birdie bash. I've also sucked a few other innova only chunkers into the vibram side by letting them try mine. And they turned around and orders their own.

Thank you for this - and all of these "how'd i get into Vibram" posts. We always knew that one of the hardest things to do would be to get people to give them a throw and allow themselves to accept the different (aka, better) grip and feel of the disc. With the Lace, we have gotten even more people to try the discs and I am confident that once folks have one Vibram rubber disc in their bag, others will follow. Thank you!

 

[StevenDodge]

I bought a Lace mainly for S&Gs but also to get an order over the free shipping amount. I really love the feel of the disc and am getting used to it. I'm considering getting some more Vibram discs for my bag this season. But one question I have is the different "plastics" of the disc. Specifically, the differences between the soft, medium and firm discs and how they affect the discs in regards to being overstable, stable, understable, etc...

I have not been able to determine a significant difference between the medium and firm stability. They both seem to fly as designed, although the firm Ascents seem to get beat in faster.

Regarding the softs, if you have good form, they fly amazingly well. Yes, even I am amazed when I crank on a soft driver and it just goes. If you have bad form, they will not fly well. Perhaps you could argue they could be used as a tool for addressing bad form?

 

[StevenDodge]

Get an Ibex. This disc is super straight and will handle any line that you put it on. It even handles cross-winds exceptionally well. For reference, I can throw my Ibex 350'-375' dead straight with no fade or turn whatsoever. If you put it on an anhyzer or hyzer line, it will hold that from start to finish as long as you aren't getting all torque-monkey on it.

EDIT: The ibex has pushed Buzzzes out of my bag until the weather warms back up so I can put the bar stamps back in.

Spot on regarding the Ibex. I like it in Medium. For the beat pure replacement, I'd suggest a Summit (is the pure low profile?) or a Ridge if you don't want something that understable.

 

[UnitedPuppySlayer]

^ That's my man Brahsco! Love watching these videos.

 

[hempies]

/snip
It is slightly confusing with the naming of different blends for firmness but does that also correlate to its durability? /snip

If you've had the Lace for a month or two my guess is you have a medium ... says 'M' on the bottom right next to the weight? I think the firms just came out in the last couple of weeks.

F=Firm
M= Medium
S=Soft

I use mostly medium with the temps and weather I play in. Firm is great on an extremely hot day in the summer as the rubber acts like medium so I guess it depends on the weather where you play. The mediums seem to get less dings in them when they hit trees/rocks, rather the rubber kinda scrunches up. Less sharp edges and angular I guess is a way to explain it. A quick hit with a lighter smoothes it out pretty well though. I only use soft for P&A so they are in excellent condition still.

 

[TheBMeistor]

I was pretty excited to see my local club is hosting a birdie bash, it sounds like a lot of fun. Was planning on going to one 2 hours away.

Bought a soft Summit and a med Ibex to try out and was pretty impressed. My home course is on a gully/mountainside and the snow is 2 or 3 feet deep now. That summit stuck just about everywhere even on snow on hillsides, its bagged now for dangerous shots. I'd like to try it out putting but I think I'll need to try something more firm.

I'm using a JOKERi for putting and driving from the tee but even in basic plastic and beat its still not straight enough for me when closer to the basket, still great for wind putting though. Would a medium or firm summit fit the bill or do I wanna try out a Ridge? I plan on getting one of the birdie discs to try this out.

Ibex was great too, nice feel in the hand and will be in the bag for sure. I have yet to fall in love with any mid but I am pretty sure this might fit the bill.

For the other birdie disc I am considering a Trak. I hear a lot of comparisons to eagles, which are my go to fairway driver. Which eagles do they compare to? Longer, shorter or about the same length? I have eagles in all plastics but the only ones I am attached to are dx l's, and lets just say if the flights are similar I would rather have them durable so I don't need to cycle new ones in.

In a year of playing here I have seen on 2 vibram discs being in bags so the birdie bash was certainly a good idea. Looking forward to giving them a try.

B

 

[Brodysseus]

Hempies nailed it. The only things I would add are that firms will beat in more than the others (but still slower than plastic of the same firmness) and softs are the most durable and are great in the cold (they're good year round but they can get really floppy on hot days).

Medium is the most versatile and what I prefer, but I do make use of the other compounds. I love soft for my approach discs (I have a soft VP, ridge, and Ibex) because the soft always sticks the landing. I use firm for my putting putters because I feel like I get a cleaner release (although I will switch to mediums when it's very cold out). And I also have a few firm Traks, so I can beat them in a little.

 

[Brodysseus]

I have eagles in all plastics but the only ones I am attached to are dx l's, and lets just say if the flights are similar I would rather have them durable so I don't need to cycle new ones in.

The Trak is the closest disc to an Eagle-L on the market. In my opinion it has a tiny bit more turn and a tiny less fade and feels slightly faster and longer than an Eagle-L. So I think you'd love it, as a Trak is basically a seasoned Eagle- L out of the box that will hold those flight characteristics for a long time.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

Thank you for this - and all of these "how'd i get into Vibram" posts. We always knew that one of the hardest things to do would be to get people to give them a throw and allow themselves to accept the different (aka, better) grip and feel of the disc. With the Lace, we have gotten even more people to try the discs and I am confident that once folks have one Vibram rubber disc in their bag, others will follow. Thank you!

It really is amazing how Vibram becomes an addiction, even more than other things in Disc Golf.

With the rash of new Distance Drivers on the market from November through now (thanks DD and Prodigy for following Vibrams lead), I am really curious to see how top pros view the Lace in comparison to some of the other new discs. The Lace is a huge winner in my bag and I am so amazed at how many different shots I can make with it. I busted a huge wind aided anny with it the other day and was able to duece a hole that I never thought I would be able to duece. Wow, I am amazed just thinking back to it.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

If you've had the Lace for a month or two my guess is you have a medium ... says 'M' on the bottom right next to the weight? I think the firms just came out in the last couple of weeks.

correct

I use mostly medium with the temps and weather I play in. Firm is great on an extremely hot day in the summer as the rubber acts like medium so I guess it depends on the weather where you play. The mediums seem to get less dings in them when they hit trees/rocks, rather the rubber kinda scrunches up. Less sharp edges and angular I guess is a way to explain it. A quick hit with a lighter smoothes it out pretty well though. I only use soft for P&A so they are in excellent condition still.

exactly what I was wondering-- sounds like I should get a soft putter to replace my pure now its what mold...

Hempies nailed it. The only things I would add are that firms will beat in more than the others (but still slower than plastic of the same firmness) and softs are the most durable and are great in the cold (they're good year round but they can get really floppy on hot days).

thank you-- i actually used a floppy bowfly when I first started playing so don't mind that at all and it actually has some benefits if you can stand it feeling like a fish

Medium is the most versatile and what I prefer, but I do make use of the other compounds. I love soft for my approach discs (I have a soft VP, ridge, and Ibex) because the soft always sticks the landing. I use firm for my putting putters because I feel like I get a cleaner release (although I will switch to mediums when it's very cold out). And I also have a few firm Traks, so I can beat them in a little.

Spot on regarding the Ibex. I like it in Medium. For the beat pure replacement, I'd suggest a Summit (is the pure low profile?) or a Ridge if you don't want something that understable.

I prefer a more stable approach putter so it sounds like I should go with a soft VP or Ridge... Also would the VP be similar to a SinusAP, Rhyno, Ion or other VERY OS putters while the Ridge more Pure/Spike, Anode, Champ Aviar, FLX Challenger like? Do they both generally have the same distance potential as well?