[Gateway] Gateway Wizard

[BillFleming]

My go-to putter is a Gateway Wizard SSS/H 175 gram disc. I found it brand new with no name and number on it. At the time I found it, the course it was on was known to have a pro 'hide' discs to be found. This one was low in a tree in a weird spot. I say weird spot because there was no way I could see for the disc to have landed there (that particular spot in the tree). It had to have been intentionally placed where and how I found it. That being said, I did post about it to see if anyone would claim it...no one did and it became mine.

 

[aajpity]

I had similar issues in the past, that said gateway have grown leaps and bounds in manufacturing consistency lately including new machinery.

I have stacks of good wizards so haven't tried many new ones lately.

What blend was your old faithful?

I believe it was Super Soft, which wasn't very soft at all lol. I've been putting with the Anode almost exclusively for 10 years now though. The Wizard was mostly my first year playing and a bit into the second.

You said the consistency got better? I'm not too up to date on disc golf ATM. When did Gateway improve?

 

[ray1970]

I have an SB-14 Wizard that is my ideal plastic for a Wizard. Not sure when they made the SB-14 but if I stumble across more I'm buying them. I don't even bag the Wizard right now but if I could snag a couple more of the SB-14 they might make their way back into the bag.

 

[dehaas]

It's been a couple years since I've been over to the factory, but maybe jcass can shed some additional light.

Dave Mac is a tinkerer. If you're ever there when he is he'll talk forever about plastic blends and what the various polymers do and how that is or isn't desirable in a golf disc. Meaning any time I had been there they always had some mad scientist blend of plastic that they'd just ran wizards in.

This is pure speculation on my end, but I'd guess some of the tinkering with small batches that were never ran again might have been random samples that he received from his supplier. Odds and ends stuff and it's like hey, let's see if we can mix something good up out of this.

I remember wayyyyyy back in the day…probably like 2003-2005ish getting my hands on a super soft wiz…had putted with se rhynos and jk aviars previously and laughed at how firm a super soft was. I think that right there skews most people's perspective on gateway putters, or at least plants the seed of inconsistency in people's brains. Yeah you might end up with an ss that's softer than an sss or something like that but in general I think at this point the stock runs are more consistent than they used to be.

 

[ray1970]

Not sure if it's true but I had always heard the S, SS, SSS, etc. was more about the texture of the disc than the firmness. May or may not be valid information but it could explain how you could have two discs marked SS and have one be very flimsy and flexible and the other be pretty firm.

I prefer a stiff putter and at least most of the firm Wizards I've bought were very consistent from run to run.

 

[R-Ogre]

Not sure if it's true but I had always heard the S, SS, SSS, etc. was more about the texture of the disc than the firmness. May or may not be valid information but it could explain how you could have two discs marked SS and have one be very flimsy and flexible and the other be pretty firm.

I prefer a stiff putter and at least most of the firm Wizards I've bought were very consistent from run to run.

The rock hard firm wizards with the gritty surface are money for putting putters.

 

[ian.w]

The rock hard firm wizards with the gritty surface are money for putting putters.

Yeah that blend is pretty great. Not sure if they still make Firm like that. I think they really struck gold with the PW blend though. The feel is obviously great, but in my experience, the consistency has been excellent between runs.

 

[ray1970]

Speaking of the pure whites, has anyone tried the not-so-pure whites?

Having winter around here makes me not a huge fan of white discs and the not-so-pure white Wizards are supposed to be colored versions of the pure whites.

Just curious if the colored ones have the same feel and firmness.

 

[thatdirtykid]

Speaking of the pure whites, has anyone tried the not-so-pure whites?

Having winter around here makes me not a huge fan of white discs and the not-so-pure white Wizards are supposed to be colored versions of the pure whites.

Just curious if the colored ones have the same feel and firmness.

I have some not so pure whites. They are every bit as good as the PWs

 

[thatdirtykid]

I believe it was Super Soft, which wasn't very soft at all lol. I've been putting with the Anode almost exclusively for 10 years now though. The Wizard was mostly my first year playing and a bit into the second.

You said the consistency got better? I'm not too up to date on disc golf ATM. When did Gateway improve?

Yes the consistency has gotten much better. Dave Mac has been letting go of being in control of manufacturing and has been focusing on course design for a handful of years now. The new machinery is pretty brand spanking new.

Standard plastics $, PW, Firm/Med/S etc have been pretty consistent for a while. There does still tend to be high and low shouldered wizards, but not nearly the variance in blends/shape that drove me to look elsewhere a decade ago.

 

[34blast]

Not sure if it's true but I had always heard the S, SS, SSS, etc. was more about the texture of the disc than the firmness. May or may not be valid information but it could explain how you could have two discs marked SS and have one be very flimsy and flexible and the other be pretty firm.

I prefer a stiff putter and at least most of the firm Wizards I've bought were very consistent from run to run.

This is not true. If you go to the gateway site, you can chat and they answer right away. I was impressed. My recollection in order of stiffness is SB > SS > SSS. He refered me to this page
https://gatewaydiscsports.com/pages/plastics

Seems pretty scientific, see the flex description

Firm (F)
The firm putt & approach discs have a firm rim with a slight flex in the flight plate. These discs flex in half at 19-24 lbs of pressure and are typically used for a driving and lay up putter. More firm discs like this are preferred by players who use a pendulum style or a push putt and low spin putting style. They also hold up really well when throwing shots on wooded holes and do not get too flexible when playing in warmer temperatures.

Super Soft (SS)
The 2S putt & approach discs are slightly stiff in the rim and pliable in the flight plate. These discs flex in half at 14-18 lbs of pressure and cover a wide range of putting styles and are still firm enough to be used for driving and lay up shots.

Super Stupid Soft (SSS)
The 3S putt & approach discs are flexible in both the rim and flight plate. Flexing in half at 9-13 lbs of pressure. This flex is perfect for flick putters and chest putting where thumb pressure is applied to the flight plate and the discs are sprung out of the hand upon release.

Super Stupid Silly Soft (SSSS)
4S putters are just about as flexible as a disc can be made and still hold its shape. These discs flex in half under 5 lbs of pressure and are very popular among newer players who need the extra grip in the chains on slightly off center hits.

 

[Sydex]

I had an RFF putter that was firm. Best feeling putter I've had. Used it for about a year as a thrower. Tossed it up in a palm tree one day and got it back a year later when they cut down the palm. It was RFF then that's for sure.

It's Gateway plastics, a bit cliche now but they had some wild runs not too long ago.

 

[ray1970]

This is not true. If you go to the gateway site, you can chat and they answer right away. I was impressed. My recollection in order of stiffness is SB > SS > SSS.

Not try to be argumentative, but I have an SB that might as well be made out of wood it's so stiff. I also have an SB that borders on SSSS flopiness. Luckily for me I like firm putters and I've found their F to be pretty consistent. Also, I know they changed how they describe some of their plastic because I think the F used to called S.

 

[Three Putt]

Not try to be argumentative, but I have an SB that might as well be made out of wood it's so stiff. I also have an SB that borders on SSSS flopiness. Luckily for me I like firm putters and I've found their F to be pretty consistent. Also, I know they changed how they describe some of their plastic because I think the F used to called S.

It was weird. They had a plastic they called Firm, but somewhere along the line they either discontinued Firm or shuffled what they were calling what and started calling what was Firm Medium. So they went along with that for five or six years until the G9i fiasco, where both G9i and Medium plastic failed the flex test and were discontinued. So at that point the stiffest Sure Grip plastic they sold was Soft. Except...you could find S plastic that was basically the same as the M plastic had been and the F plastic was before that. I've got F, M and S Sure Grip putters that are all basically the same feel and flex.

Now they call that feel and flex Firm again. What goes around comes around.

 

[thatdirtykid]

Not try to be argumentative, but I have an SB that might as well be made out of wood it's so stiff. I also have an SB that borders on SSSS flopiness. Luckily for me I like firm putters and I've found their F to be pretty consistent. Also, I know they changed how they describe some of their plastic because I think the F used to called S.

Did they come to a single SB? All of my SBs are inked with run number. I thought they were a special blend cause it's the plastic they still constantly tweak every batch?

 

[ray1970]

Did they come to a single SB? All of my SBs are inked with run number. I thought they were a special blend cause it's the plastic they still constantly tweak every batch?

I know it used to change quite a bit as some of mine are marked with the runs (SB-14, SB-16, etc.) but lately they just seem to be marked SB so maybe that's what they settled on?

 

[Three Putt]

Did they come to a single SB? All of my SBs are inked with run number. I thought they were a special blend cause it's the plastic they still constantly tweak every batch?

Nah, traditionally SB is all over the place. That's been the point of it.

It's like Innova Special Edition plastic; the idea was that they were tinkering with blends, so they would run some discs and see how it went. Then they used the feedback to work on another blend until they came up with Champion Edition. Going back now and trying to describe SE plastic is a fool's errand; it was never the same exact thing twice.

They are talking now about making SB-30 a permanent plastic called "Special Blend", which would just make it more confusing but whatever.

 

[jupiterboy]

So my putter putters—two erasers and a hemp—are looking pretty rough with the beads falling away. I've tried to keep them from skidding along over concrete and such, and recently got a pure white I'm throwing with.

Is there a plastic blend that gives that high-touch feel with more durability? I'm at the point I need at least three freshies.

 

[thatdirtykid]

So my putter putters—two erasers and a hemp—are looking pretty rough with the beads falling away. I've tried to keep them from skidding along over concrete and such, and recently got a pure white I'm throwing with.

Is there a plastic blend that gives that high-touch feel with more durability? I'm at the point I need at least three freshies.

Nylon is the most premium that feels like base plastic blend I have ever felt. I cannot tell you whether or not they putt the same since I am not putting wizards right now. Refrained from buying nylon cause I have quite a few backups as is.

 

[ray1970]

Nylon is the most premium that feels like base plastic blend I have ever felt. I cannot tell you whether or not they putt the same since I am not putting wizards right now. Refrained from buying nylon cause I have quite a few backups as is.

I have some nylon/rubber alloys that might fit the bill as well. Hard to find in any color but black though.