Brand loyalty question

[VictorB]

I have brand loyalty but that doesn't mean I don't throw a mixed bag either. I tried an all trilogy lineup but they just didn't have want i was looking for in terms of midrange and fairway driver. My bag is DD, west side, L64, and Legacy. I did find some things that worked super well for me (giant and convict) but went back to discs that previously worked well for (patriot, ghost, mongoose) when I couldn't get comfortable or trust new stuff I tried in tournaments.

I started playing right around the time DD started, and they were really close geographically, so I tended to buy stuff from them (and LSDiscs) because they had exclusives and cool stamps. When DD started making discs immediately gravitated toward them.

Overall though my loyalty tends to lie more with discs I trust and throw well. I'll tend to try new stuff from trilogy and legacy before anything else though.

 

[Old Dog]

No, I haven't had the chance to try many of their newer molds yet. I still like Vibram, they just don't quite have the luster of some of the other brands going right now IMO.

True that. The fact that they are not the "hot" brand that everyone is throwing to be in the "in crowd" may be part of their appeal to me. I've always been one to buck trends and do my own thing. If something makes sense and works for me I could care less about others opinions or approval.

 

[zendragon]

I guess I am pretty loyal to MVP/Axiom. I started with a very mixed bag, trying all kinds of discs from just about every brand other than Vibram, whose colors were basically the color of mud at the time. But when I tried my first couple of MVP discs was the first time I really fell in love with how a disc felt in my hand. A lot of companies have discs that fly similar to other companies discs but consistency and feel make a difference in the mental game as much as anything else. I love the low profile and shared cores of most MVPs.

That being said, there is no disc out there like the Verdict, so I doubt I will ever have a complete single brand bag.

 

[t i m]

Yep... having backups is what keeps my bag pretty consistent. Gateway putters, Discraft mids, Innova drivers. Backups for everything and no longer play often enough to cycle new molds into the bag. If you played with me 10 years ago, not much has changed. And I still have just as much fun on the course!

 

[worldwide]

innova for me. I love the molds and the plastic. they just feel right in my hand

 

[Poisonbird]

When I started playing DG, I used Discraft exclusively, because I came from the world of Ultimate, where the Ultrastar is king. I guess I just assumed that they made the best discs, period. I have skipped around since then, trying a lot of different brands, but I have settled into an almost exclusively MVP/Axiom bag (with the exception of my in-the-circle putter). Mostly because I feel like I've had success with their discs, but also because they are a Michigan company. And because I think Plasma is the most beautiful plastic on the market.

 

[timj5304]

For most players 10+ years in you will see them throwing mostly discraft, innova and using gateway wizards. Most players who have played a long time know what they like and don't get overly excited on new discs because they know they won't likely add 100 ft of distance like new players who live in fantasyland think. I personally use several companies but mostly discraft and innova. I use latitude river for my under stable fairway because they fly really floppy and farther than leopards and are flatter and roll way better. I also use first run silver sparkle rivals for my fairway driver as they are super straight and fight the wind well but don't fly too different in wind up to 15 mph. I will use any company but for the most part outside the big 2 OGs, it's using one disc from other companies that fills the gap the best.

 

[ODRB]

Innova makes the discs that have stuck around. I've thrown lots of discs from lots of manufacturers. And I am not exclusive 00 I prefer the Zone to the Gator. I prefer Wizards to Aviars. But Destroyers, Firebirds, Orion LFs, Gazelles, and Rocs are just the discs that get it done for me. Now if they would just go back to making discs with straight rims, instead of the hot plussy garbage...

 

[cheese dog]

I feel like legacy and innova are companies that deserve brand loyalty. The quality control and R and D at legacy is top notch. when they pushed back the release of the outlaw until it was perfect, I was a fan. I use to throw trilogy, but when i was told to cut my ranger bag with a razor knife to get a replacement, I was done with them. There are companies that truly mean well and there are companies that grow the sport to increase quarterly earnings with future customers. Throw american made disc folks, some folks in cali will thank you for it.

 

[Timeetyo]

For me it isn't a matter of loyalty my current lineup is more about saving money... The reality is that for the major brands they all pretty much cover any shot you need and most have a good lineup of plastic. I started out all innova at first for simplicity then did the typical newbie thing of going on a buying binge and have tried trilogy, mvp, vibram, legacy as well. I quickly realized I needed to tone it down big time or I was going to go poor if I tried every new disc that came out. I've settled into my current lineup (see sig) mostly because I never found anything that I click with as well as the teebird did and GSTAR is by far my favorite plastic. Now I have a healthy stash of backups for everything and I'm super picky about needing a great reason to let a new disc enter my bag.

 

[air show]

No loyalty from me. I have found innova to be the most consistent of the plastics. Although Latitude is starting to find its way into my bag especially the mids. Also like the feel of my Wizards.

 

[PeterMonk]

For me it isn't a matter of loyalty my current lineup is more about saving money...

Just like this guy started with Innova then went wonko trying out all the new(er) companies from MVP to Vibram to Trilogy. While all make fine discs, I found that sticking with one company simply a) keeps my plastic purchasing in check, b) makes me learn the discs I have, and c) allows for building a backup of discs I know and trust.

I am now mostly a Discraft thrower with some DD sprinkled in. Instead of trying out dozens of driving putters, I simply worked with my putting putter, the Challenger, until I had a good mastery of it for most shots under 250'. Next up the Buzzz and Mantis.

 

[bnbanbury]

When I started buying my own discs I picked up stuff that had __ x world champ on the disc. I figured those are thrown by the best in the game, why not pick up that stuff and learn how to make it fly properly rather than tailor my disc selection to my crappy skill set.

My bag ended up being pretty boring as a result, aviar, roc, teebird, firebird, detroyer. I think that sometimes I sacrifice a small edge I could gain by trying more discs. For instance had so many KC Pro rocs that i only recently tried the roc3 and discovered how long and glidey it is but the tradeoff is that I know exactly how my discs and my backup discs fly.

 

[Puckstopper]

The reason I throw mostly Discraft is because every Buzzz I get, flies like a Buzzz. I don't have to get some special "night time shift Buzzz" to find the the disc I like.

But I'll never not have a Firebird in my bag. There's something about that one disc that I'll always value. I currently carry three of them, and that's the least amount I've ever bagged. It just feels right.

Like you, I tend to be loyal to discs, not companies. I have trouble understanding those who will only throw "Brand-X" without compensation. The "help my find a MVP Roc" or "Help me replace my Buzzz with a Trilogy disc" are laughable IMHO. I've been simplifying my bag, so it's pretty streamlined compared to previous years and it still has discs from 4 manufacturers in there.

With that said, when I feel like experimenting with new discs I do prefer to support the two Michigan companies over all others, and US based companies over Trilogy/Kastaplast. At this point there are enough options that I don't feel like I'm missing out on much by choosing to support certain companies and avoid others.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

It's the result of 33+ years of throwing plastic.
Comfortable with some key molds that I have thrown over the years and I've collected many backups.

Not because touring pro X throws it/is stamped on it/etc.

Throw What You Know.

 

[DiscinFiend]

I started playing disc golf when the two big companies were Discraft & Innova. My first discs were Innova. I still only throw Innova, Discmania & HyzerBomb. I've acquired so many backups over the years there's no reason for me to try other companies. I've really go to know certain molds over the years like the Teebird, Firebird & Destoyer. So there's no reason to try to find a replacement for them. I also like limiting myself to one brand so I don't buy so many discs. When new releases come out from JUST Innova I pick and choose which ones to test out. The only new mold that's really peaked my interest is the Aviar3. Besides that I'm kind of stuck in my old ways. It took a lot for me to replace my Roc cycle with Roc3s/Mako3s. I shot a 976 & a 969 rated round yesterday, so the switch may be permanent. It might be some sort of "OCD" thing but I like having all one brand in my bag. It would just feel wrong if I set up my bag any other way. If I ever got offered a sponsorship from a brand that wasn't Innova, I'd take it. I just could never carry a mixed bag.

 

[SeveN]

It's so easy to make a bag that covers all your shots by just watching a top pro's in the bag. So many of them explain why they choose what they choose, for what shots. Anybody can just clone a top pro's bag, and essentially have a disc for every shot.

However now you're left with the issue of: having all your discs from one manufacturer. Then everyone starts to give you **** for being brand loyal. But, it's not like having all my discs from one manufacturer is going to suddenly tip the scales of profit for them. Still, it's nice to have variety, right? Let's say one of those discs didn't work very well for you. If you try something else only from within that manufacturer, you are limiting yourself from finding a disc that will probably work very well for you, but was from another company.

The thing I get annoyed with, though, is when someone says: "I lost my favourite teebird (which was an awesome disc for me to use), can someone suggest a teebird clone, but not a teebird and preferably something from *insert other company*". Cause now they're deliberately being diverse (or maybe being brand loyal, if the other company is the majority in their bag), but the same problem is here of limiting yourself! It's just now, you're limiting yourself to using a disc that might not actually feel as good for you as the one you replaced it with.

So, if I hear someone say their bag is mainly destroyers, thunderbirds, firebirds, teebirds, roc3s and aviars, I don't necessarily assume they are brand loyal. I just think they cloned a top pro's bag and liked those discs so much they kept with it.

TL;DR Throw what you like and feels good for yourself, and don't worry if it ends up being all from one company or from a set of different companies.

 

[wproct]

This has been an interesting thread. I personally carry a minimum of discs in my bag, and I carry Innova, Discraft, Latitude 64, and Dynamic Disc. Like other posters, I am more loyal to disc molds than I am to a particular company. The only disc that I have bought strictly because it is a signature disc would be my DD Convict because it is a Paige Pierce signature disc. I'm a huge fan of her!

 

[The Shide]

When a disc mfg starts paying me to throw their discs exclusively*, I'll bag their discs exclusively; until then, my only loyalty is to whatever works for me but if any disc mfgs want to pay me to STOP bagging their discs, I'm open to offers.

This was the very thought I was thinking as I was scrolling looking to see if someone else made this point. So right on, my brother! I'll bag whatever works best for me until someone pays me/supplies me with their discs. And should that ever happen, then I'll make their lineup work for me.