The Good news....and the Bad news.

[kingjames1014]

I did some field practice today. Calm wind..About 43 degrees.
I was working on my runup and found that i get better results facing parallel to my target line at setup and turning my back facing the target during my runup.

My second throw with my new 170 Dx Viking hit 300'. My first 300' throw.
i incresed my d about 10-20 feet instantly with improved accuracy on mostly all my discs. i felt great so i decided to go play 9.

Now for the bad news, I lost my new 167 Dx Leopard.I forgot to sharpie my name and number on the back. I felt bad because i liked that disc.

My question is: should i move up to champ plastic in the Leopard? i have a 172 Dx Eagle(L i believe) and a 171 Dx gazelle.

I have a 172 Dx Sidewinder to go with the Viking so i think i'll be ok in the driver dept. for a while.

I hope i'm not posting too much. i really respect everyone's advice and i'm just trying to better my game.

[apdrvya]

wait, you lost a disc in field practice or on the course?
I'm lost.



and, I start facing away from the target and have improved my distance and accuracy greatly...so, yes, good first steps

[kingjames1014]

i lost it on the course. i went back a few hours later but it was gone.

[dreadlock86]

i like the dx plastic for a leopard. it beats in nice for a good turnover disc that's real easy to flip, which is great if you are distance-challenged. the champ plastic turns it into a different disc.

i guess it just depends on for what you want the disc but it sounds like you already have a couple more stable fairway drivers for straight throwers. i'd stick with the dx or if you want a little more durability get pro. it'll still beat in nicely but last a little longer.

[bboykin]

Pro Leopards are quite nice, my preferred plastic anyway.

[smarkquart]

Champion is not the greatest for winter because it really depends on your grip in adverse conditions. Champion and Champion like plastic can get very slick. Some people do not have issues but others can suffer from either slippage or grip lock as they try to adjust to find the right grip. Some people may even feel pain in their fingers because of the cold temperatures and the extra pressure needed to ensure a solid grip.

I would hate for you to go up to Champion plastic and then discover a whole new world of problems as you are trying to learn a disc. I would recommend Champion once the weather starts warming up in the spring, but not right now. DX remains a good alternative with Pro over Star. I do not know how Echo Star is going to do in the winter, but during the summer it seemed a wonderful alternative to both Star and Pro (being that it is a mixture of the two).

As for the discs you mentioned, I have little experience with those particular molds. The Viking I once had ended up being a Valking (a mistake where they issues with marking and what not and some Vikings were actually a form of Valkyries). I never threw a Leopard and only recently I started throwing Eagles and Sidewinders just for testing sake. Regardless of that, I do applaud that you are resisting going to the "Big Boy" drivers. Usually jumping to these wide-rimmed drivers is only going to mess with your form as you try to straighten them out. I unfortunately did this three years ago as I started to take this sport seriously and it caused massive Off-Axis Torque. If I do not pay attention and try to just huck a disc, that can still sneak back into my form. Mastering how to control a Fairway Driver is going to be a huge advantage for you as you evolve into the faster drivers. Yet even then, with the right plastic and wear, a TeeBird, Valkyrie, or Wraith can easily get the distance a Boss, Katana, or Destroyer can get. It might be on a different line but the end result can be the same.

Sticking with what you have, I would concentrate on the Gazelle and the Sidewinder. The Sidewinder will probably stay with you during your career while the Gazelle can be a gateway disc into something like an Eagle-X or TeeBird depending on what you feel more comfortable with. If you are willing to try other brands, a Gold Line River in the upper 160s would be a good choice or an ESP Cyclone if you can handle beaded discs without any irritation to your grip.

As for your run-up, it really needs to be what is comfortable for you. If you are not comfortable with how you throw, you will be concentrating on the wrong things as you move. If you can get comfortable, then you can concentrate on the little things, like your wrist and the angle of the disc as you release. What I find works for me is a slower X-Step. My first step gets me going on the angle I want to cross the teepad with, my second step which goes behind my first twists my body away from the target, often 145 to 170 degrees from the basket, my third step uncrosses my legs and twists my body towards the basket. I release with my body facing almost perfectly at the basket (it depends on the angle I will release the disc; not quite to the basket if anhyzer and just beyond the basket if releasing with a hyzer) and start to let go of the disc when my arm is pointing at 11 to 11:30 towards the basket.

[craftsman]

Get another dx Leo.

[tmahan]

I agree with Dreadlock. If the DX was working for you get another or step up to the Pro. The should fly similarly and the Pro should be more durable. The Champ is a different disc, a full notch more overstable imo. If you were flipping your DX and crashing and burning then you might consider the Champ (after making sure it wasn't a form issue).

[kingjames1014]

Originally Posted by dreadlock86

i like the dx plastic for a leopard. it beats in nice for a good turnover disc that's real easy to flip, which is great if you are distance-challenged. the champ plastic turns it into a different disc.

i guess it just depends on for what you want the disc but it sounds like you already have a couple more stable fairway drivers for straight throwers. i'd stick with the dx or if you want a little more durability get pro. it'll still beat in nicely but last a little longer.

I had heard this before from someone else. Dx is less stable thatn champ in the leopard?

[kingjames1014]

Originally Posted by tmahan

I agree with Dreadlock. If the DX was working for you get another or step up to the Pro. The should fly similarly and the Pro should be more durable. The Champ is a different disc, a full notch more overstable imo. If you were flipping your DX and crashing and burning then you might consider the Champ (after making sure it wasn't a form issue).

the leopard was good and straight. got about 260' consistantly.