Better Plastics

[mgilbert]

I have a Latitude Diamond in Opto plastic, and the grip is much better than Innova Champion or Star plastic. Problem is, Latitude doesn't have any drivers I can throw - I'm 52, and need my drivers to be in the 150 class. They also need to be understable. Does anyone else make plastics that have better grip and Champion or Star, and that can be had in speed 9 to 11 drivers that are around 150 grams, and understable?

 

[Jewdy]

If you need better grip and a low power requirement check out some DX/D or Pro/Elite X plastic.

 

[JR]

People say that Starlight Roadrunners are a one off run. Blizzard Beast is light but not having thrown any i cannot say how understable they are. I imagine that at 130s they are understable. There are Blizzard Teebirds too that go very low in weight and that should make them much less stable than normal. Again i have not thrown them and they are not any grippier though. I think there are 150 MJLSs from Millennium that would be grippy and understable. Star Leopards go to 150 and are very low power requirement. There could even be 150 DX Leos but ia have not checked it out. Those would be grippy and very understable. The Star 150 Leo is very understable. XL is similar and i think they make 150s aas well but many Pro D discs are so slick that they may not offer any advantage over the Champopn plastic in terms of grip. Not sure if Pro (grippy) plastic goes that low in weight in many molds and if an understable version exists. There was at least one run of 150 X Surge that people say broke in quickly. That could suite you for a faster disc with some tackiness. It is pretty hard and slick for X so the grip benefit might be slight.

 

[JTdisc]

Problem is, Latitude doesn't have any drivers I can throw - I'm 52, and need my drivers to be in the 150 class.

Lat 64 makes the Opto Air Line Saint in 150 class. Speed 9, stable to understable.

Dynamic Discs (made by Lat 64) makes a 150 class, speed 11 Lucid Air Renegade, stable.

Not many other options in the speed, weight, and plastic you're looking for. After throwing Lat/DD and Prodigy, I also have a hard time going back to Champion or Star plastic.

 

[mgilbert]

I actually tried the Saint in Opto at 150. All i could ever get it to do is hyzer for 150'. It's more overstable than its ratings imply. If I can throw a 150g Star Valkyrie 275', I know it wasn't me. And you are right - once you throw Latitude plastic, everything else sucks. I'll try the Renegade. Thanks...

 

[zeike524]

Try the air bolt or air king. King is less stable than numbers say and the bolt is flippy flippy

 

[Widdershins]

I have a Latitude Diamond in Opto plastic, and the grip is much better than Innova Champion or Star plastic. Problem is, Latitude doesn't have any drivers I can throw - I'm 52, and need my drivers to be in the 150 class. They also need to be understable. Does anyone else make plastics that have better grip and Champion or Star, and that can be had in speed 9 to 11 drivers that are around 150 grams, and understable?

Good grip is subjective as different players prefer different plastics. So what you think of as slippery (or too grippy) may be perfect for someone else. The feel of plastic also can change as it breaks in becoming softer and grippier or the opposite.

I have always preferred buying plastic in person rather than through the internet so I can feel the plastic and see how it fits in my hand. If a disc doesn't feel good then it is highly unlikely it will ever earn a spot in my bag.

There are things you can try to change how a disc feels, to a limited extent at least. For base plastic (D, DX, etc.) if you wash it in hot water and scrub it down with a scouring pad it becomes grippier. I also use Goof Off which gives a deeper clean and enhances tackiness. I clean my putters periodically for this reason. For candy plastics cleaning them doesn't do much unless they happen to be slippery due to too much Release on the disc. Release is a chemical which the disc manufacturers use, sometimes too much. It is sprayed on the mold to allow the disc to pop out more easily after the plastic is injected. The same scrubbing can clean off the Release and dramatically change how the disc feels. So before giving up on a disc due to slipperiness try cleaning it.

 

[itlnstln]

I have a Latitude Diamond in Opto plastic, and the grip is much better than Innova Champion or Star plastic. Problem is, Latitude doesn't have any drivers I can throw - I'm 52, and need my drivers to be in the 150 class. They also need to be understable. Does anyone else make plastics that have better grip and Champion or Star, and that can be had in speed 9 to 11 drivers that are around 150 grams, and understable?

Good grip is subjective as different players prefer different plastics. So what you think of as slippery (or too grippy) may be perfect for someone else. The feel of plastic also can change as it breaks in becoming softer and grippier or the opposite.

I have always preferred buying plastic in person rather than through the internet so I can feel the plastic and see how it fits in my hand. If a disc doesn't feel good then it is highly unlikely it will ever earn a spot in my bag.

There are things you can try to change how a disc feels, to a limited extent at least. For base plastic (D, DX, etc.) if you wash it in hot water and scrub it down with a scouring pad it becomes grippier. I also use Goof Off which gives a deeper clean and enhances tackiness. I clean my putters periodically for this reason. For candy plastics cleaning them doesn't do much unless they happen to be slippery due to too much Release on the disc. Release is a chemical which the disc manufacturers use, sometimes too much. It is sprayed on the mold to allow the disc to pop out more easily after the plastic is injected. The same scrubbing can clean off the Release and dramatically change how the disc feels. So before giving up on a disc due to slipperiness try cleaning it.

Acetone (be careful of the stamp) or Windex helps, too, but it might be for the same reason Mark just mentioned. I keep a small container of Lysol wipes in my bag to keep my discs clean in case they happen to land in something unfortunate. The Lysol wipes also reduce oily buildup on the disc (what is this, a Ponds commercial?) and temporarily provide more grip.

I want to try the scrubbing technique for base plastic, but I don't carry much of it. The rocky terrain here eats base plastic (and Pro, X, etc.) alive.