Favorite putter

[Widdershins]

These, properly grip stamped, are what I use. For those unfamiliar, a grip stamp is a hotstamp, purposely burned in deeply enough and placed precisely where my fingers rest on both the top and bottom of the disc. This custom hotstamping is labor intensive and requires a lot of skill to do right.

Not to drift OT, but I'm surprised that's legal. What's to stop a disc maker from manufacturing a disc with a fingerprint stamp where you place your fingers, getting approval, and then hot stamping dents and depressions into the disc later on? Perhaps this is simply an example of the PDGA rules not being quite as old or far along as they perhaps will be some day. I realize the stamping is done at the factory but it's not the same disc that was submitted for approval and edges a bit closer to the "post-production modification" with a "detectable thickness" than I'd be comfortable using.

To the topic at hand, my favorite putter is a Wizard. I'm experimenting with different firmnesses (and have some erasers and chalkies coming) but like them all at this point. Some are overweight and thus marked as "not for play" but they're fine in the basement. I don't see myself using the RFFs or the SSSS as I don't really care for the floppy putters, but you never know.

There are no PDGA rules on hotstamping, so long as it is done by a manufacturer. Nor should their be. If anything should be illegal it is plastic which is so slippery it poses a safety danger to players, spectators and other park users who might be hit by an errant throw.

Safety is the primary reason why stick um, in its various forms, is legal. You do not consider only best case scenarios when planning safety rules. Grip is important to safety. How many players use towels, dirt, Birdie Bags, moisture and many other methods to try to get a good grip?

There already exist discs with thumb depressions (originally called the MOJO then changed to the JUJU and perhaps others). There are already discs with ridges on the flight plate for better grip (Banger GTs and Rhynos). One of the European companies (Latitude 64 ?) makes a putter with finger pads. Several Discraft models have raised letters inside the rim and Predators have a crisscross traction pad. All of these innovations recognize the value of good grip.

In baseball, foreign substances are banned. Pitchers do not want a pitch to fly straight and true. Pitchers want a pitch which dips and turns and wobbles, making it harder to hit. Pitchers without movement on their fastballs are delivering up easy homers to opposing batters. But in disc golf we want our discs to fly true. Good grip doesn't make our discs fly erratically and unpredictably, it helps us hit fairways. Good grip allows better control.

None of us would ever choose SHOES with terrible grip. Imagine playing on roller skates on icy tee pads and think how safe that would be.

Many years ago I was playing in a Amateur World Championships. A guy from Ohio arrived to compete only to find his work buddies had played a prank on him. They had sprayed all his discs with WD-40. And we think candy plastic is slippery!

 

[iacas]

There are no PDGA rules on hotstamping, so long as it is done by a manufacturer. Nor should their be.

There are if the stamping is done such that the flight characteristics of the disc are altered or the minimums and maximums produce a disc that doesn't meet the requirements.

Grip is important to safety. How many players use towels, dirt, Birdie Bags, moisture and many other methods to try to get a good grip?

Straw man. You can't put a hole in your disc for "safety" concerns, and there's a limit to how much you can hot stamp before a disc becomes out of spec or illegal.

There already exist discs with thumb depressions (originally called the MOJO then changed to the JUJU and perhaps others). There are already discs with ridges on the flight plate for better grip (Banger GTs and Rhynos). One of the European companies (Latitude 64 ?) makes a putter with finger pads.

All of those discs are approved in that "configuration." Hot stamp them too much and they may not meet specs and/or their flying characteristics may change.

I can't apply vaseline to the face of my driver or widen the grooves on my pitching wedge. I can't take a hot-faced 3W and bend it down to 13° because then different rules apply regarding how springy the face can be.

And I doubt very much that the little bit of extra hot stamping you're doing is enough to make a disc illegal, but it could be, and it points out both a loophole in the rules and how very little money there is in disc golf. I suspect, as disc golf grows, the loopholes like this will close and more rigorous testing will be put in place.

Perhaps a moderator can move these three posts to another thread.

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I just bought five Wizards last night. Four are stamped SSSSS (five) and are black with a copper stamp, one's an SS chalky black with gold hologram 2011 am worlds stamp. I'm looking forward to checking them out.

 

[south.texas.dead.i]

There are no PDGA rules on hotstamping, so long as it is done by a manufacturer. Nor should their be.

There are if the stamping is done such that the flight characteristics of the disc are altered or the minimums and maximums produce a disc that doesn't meet the requirements.

Grip is important to safety. How many players use towels, dirt, Birdie Bags, moisture and many other methods to try to get a good grip?

Straw man. You can't put a hole in your disc for "safety" concerns, and there's a limit to how much you can hot stamp before a disc becomes out of spec or illegal.

I can't apply vaseline to the face of my driver

Does Vaseline on a driver disc help it?

 

[PMantle1]

That's for real golf. Lowers the spin of the ball coming off the face which can increase distance if spin is an issue for that golfer.

 

[iacas]

That's for real golf. Lowers the spin of the ball coming off the face which can increase distance if spin is an issue for that golfer.

Yeah... lower spin also reduces curve (in most cases a guy's slice).

 

[JR]

Were the discs damaged by the oil? The prankster were obviously executed for their crimes but i hope there is a free pass for that for any offended disc golfers administering the judgment saving the state the money

 

[Widdershins]

There are no PDGA rules on hotstamping, so long as it is done by a manufacturer. Nor should their be.

There are if the stamping is done such that the flight characteristics of the disc are altered or the minimums and maximums produce a disc that doesn't meet the requirements.

Grip is important to safety. How many players use towels, dirt, Birdie Bags, moisture and many other methods to try to get a good grip?

Straw man. You can't put a hole in your disc for "safety" concerns, and there's a limit to how much you can hot stamp before a disc becomes out of spec or illegal.

There already exist discs with thumb depressions (originally called the MOJO then changed to the JUJU and perhaps others). There are already discs with ridges on the flight plate for better grip (Banger GTs and Rhynos). One of the European companies (Latitude 64 ?) makes a putter with finger pads.

All of those discs are approved in that "configuration." Hot stamp them too much and they may not meet specs and/or their flying characteristics may change.

I can't apply vaseline to the face of my driver or widen the grooves on my pitching wedge. I can't take a hot-faced 3W and bend it down to 13° because then different rules apply regarding how springy the face can be.

And I doubt very much that the little bit of extra hot stamping you're doing is enough to make a disc illegal, but it could be, and it points out both a loophole in the rules and how very little money there is in disc golf. I suspect, as disc golf grows, the loopholes like this will close and more rigorous testing will be put in place.

When Discraft first allowed me to make a batch of custom gripstamps, the PDGA contacted both me and Discraft to investigate their legality. We submitted samples and addressed the applicable rules. This was years ago so I do not recall if the PDGA overtly approved the concept or merely closed their investigation. Either way, the discs were not banned nor were new rules passed to restrict hotstamping.

PDGA rules are often criticized for being incomplete and not fully addressing issues. Our aged grandfather (Ball Golf) has VOLUMES of rules and hordes of officials to enforce them. Our rules fit in a small pamphlet we can easily carry with us and we are mostly self-officiated. Our rules try (and usually succeed) in being simple and clear. They don't cover every conceivable situation but create principles which can be fairly applied when odd occurrences pop up. We could "lawyer up" our rules if we choose. How many things in life improve with more lawyers involved?

I served as the PDGA Competition Director and sat on the Rules Committee for 7 years but I was elected the PDGA Board after only playing the game for a year or so. So I came to the Board knowing little of the history of the game and having little personal experience as well. As Competition Director I was theoretically responsible for the fairness of tournament play. Having heard of different methods of modifying discs and being concerned about it, I sought out information from many old pros on what kinds of techniques were used then personally tried them all. Damn, I ruined a lot of discs. I carved and boiled and microwaved and warped and baked and frying panned and sliced and repaired and treated with chemicals in every way I was told of. What did I find out? All these methods can make a disc more under or overstable but otherwise doesn't change the flight characteristics in any useful way.

PDGA Technical Standard testing is purposely low tech, easy and inexpensive. Ball Golf scoffs at this. Fine, let it scoff. My driver costs under $20.

 

[VictorB]

I have a birdie and hate it! Can't seem to throw it right for anything lol has anyone ever used MVP putters? I really like the way they look.

I'm a big advocate of base plastic putters. People rave over the MVP stuff but I don't buy it at all. I personally love the small beaded challenger, and carry D plastic for putting and soft X for off the tee (and super cold winter rounds)

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend any of the following: Challenger, Magnet, Aviar PnA, KC Pro Aviar, Wizard, Warlock, Voodoo, Magic, P2 Psycho, Mercy, Pure, Clutch, or Clozer. So many recommendations because putter preference is a lot about personal feel with it in your hand. These are typically regarded as the best putters that are readily available in base plastics.

 

[Widdershins]

edit fail

 

[Widdershins]

There already exist discs with thumb depressions (originally called the MOJO then changed to the JUJU and perhaps others). There are already discs with ridges on the flight plate for better grip (Banger GTs and Rhynos). One of the European companies (Latitude 64 ?) makes a putter with finger pads.

All of those discs are approved in that "configuration." Hot stamp them too much and they may not meet specs and/or their flying characteristics may change.

You might have the concept somewhat off. Discs, per se, are not approved. Molds are approved. So any disc made from an approved mold is also approved. As we all know, change the plastic and you change the disc. But unless the disc is given a different name (for marketing purposes) future runs of discs, even in vastly different plastics, are still approved if they come from an approved mold.

Obviously an individual disc may not meet Specs (too heavy or too stiff for example) and if challenged may be banned by an official at a tournament.

As far as hotstamping goes it does not change the weight, stiffness or rim configuration of a disc. The danger of doing a poor job with a grip stamp is that the disc can become warped or the flight plate could be burned through. Neither of these mistakes gives any advantage in terms of flight characteristics and just means the poor disc is doomed to the regrind box.

 

[pask2155]

maybe i missed it, but I have read all of this thread, but what exactly is hot stamping? Could we maybe get a pic of it?

 

[iacas]

maybe i missed it, but I have read all of this thread, but what exactly is hot stamping? Could we maybe get a pic of it?

I've responded to you here, Mark, as I don't wish to hijack this thread any farther than I've already done, and I apologize for my role in this (hopefully brief) detour.

Favorite putter is still the Wizard. My chalkies and erasers and whatnot arrive tomorrow.

 

[Monkeypaws]

I only have 1 putter, an Avair P&A; it's taken getting used to, as I don't fancy the deep rim many putters have, but I am starting to dial it in on the putts I should be making.

 

[luckyeagle404]

anyone used any of the vibram putters?

 

[dgdave]

Did for 2 years. Never really clicked with the summit, but loved the VP and ridge. I just slowly worked my way back to putters with more glide

 

[gknmnstr]

My favorite putter, Latitude 64 opto pure.
Here is an ace with one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ISgd_FqIEY

 

[JR]

anyone used any of the vibram putters?

All of them except soft Ridge, VP and Summit if they even exist. Why do you ask?

 

[luckyeagle404]

I was thinking of getting one. ended up getting a v.p. and I'm loving it. super predictable fade. New favorite putter.

 

[tjh0188]

I love my vp off the tee and for approaches. I have a ridge and summit as well but the vp gets most of the play. I also have been trying out a magic in sss and just picked up an ss wizard to test.

 

[Chain_Bomber]

P2 from discmania is my go to right now. Also have a magnet and a Putt'r

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