Old player returning, need plastic advice

[ProPilot04]

Howdy squad, first time caller long time listener!

So I've probably played DG fairly seriously for about 5 years, but about 10 years ago (life amirite)

My form is RHBH and I'm certainly rusty to the point that I should probably side with noob bag advice but.

My questions are as follows:
1. Are there better/newer molds I should be after vs. the discs in my bag?
2. What does everyone think about my bag which is as follows...

Bag:
1. Glow Teebird 161 - I remember really liking this disc, but I think it's maybe gotten more flippy than I remember?
2. Pro Leopard (just grabbed this) 164. Always liked the Leopards
3. DX Leopard in 161
4. Lat64 Opto River 165. This disc was probably my "newest tech" disc and I remember really liking it, but couldn't get it out as far as the Teebird.
5. I have an R-Pro Wahoo because I used to play a lot of long water holes and it got me over the hump of teebox anxiety (I have a kayak lol)
6. DX Roc 169. This disc has seen a LOT. It's dented and cut and I remember it probably juuuust got over the hump of "now I don't like it" before I took a break.
7. Glo Buzz I brought in to be the new Roc. I assume similar weight, but I can't find anything.
8. DX Aviar in 172.

I tend to throw lighter weight discs as I found that helped my arm speed, but feel free to scold me on that.

LMK what everyone thinks? Feel free to torch me too I guess?

 

[Monocacy]

I tend to throw lighter weight discs as I found that helped my arm speed, but feel free to scold me on that.

No scolding here - I also prefer lighter drivers. There are pros and cons to lighter or heavier discs, but it really comes down to preference. If you are happy, be happy.

LMK what everyone thinks? Feel free to torch me too I guess?

Looks like a classic, solid bag.

Knock the rust off your game, have fun, play some rounds, and then evaluate. Is there a shot you are having trouble executing? If so, do you need a new/different disc, or do you just need to work on throwing that shot with what you have?

Sometimes it is best to stick with the same discs when you are getting back into the swing of things. Makes it easier to narrow down possible causes when something is not right.

But hey, trying new discs is fun. If you are so inclined, go support the economy.

 

[ProPilot04]

Admittedly I have the most throws with Leopards, Roc and Aviar. I was working in the Teebird as my "move up" "driver" and was liking it, but as I said, I think it's probably a little worked over to re-learn on (I've spent a lot of time dragging it out of the woods lol)... Hence why I grabbed a pro Leopard.

That said, IF in fact these molds and general plastics are still fairly normal "go to" discs, then I can evaluate how garbage the discs are out in the field and replace them with the same things as necessary... just didn't want to buy another Teebird if I should be looking at something else rad that I didn't even know about (like the Groove (JK!))... same story with the Roc.

 

[BillFleming]

I never heard of a Wahoo disc before. At 60 and just starting the sport, I like 168 to 172 weights.

I have a River (got it used, so I don't know the weight), what I found is that I need to throw it at a lower speed and just let it do it's thing (it's got glide forever). But that may just be me. I've thrown Leopard, KC Pro Roc, and Buzzz discs. Still have a Leopard in my bag, but the Buzzz got replaced by a DGA Rift. The Roc got lost and never replaced as it was too overstable for me.

I suggest just getting out to a field, throwing what you have and seeing what still works for you. Then if something doesn't work and you have a 'gap' that needs filled...post it here or on the Discs part of the forum. I did that when I lost my Witness and found it was Out of Production. I explained how I throw (primarily forehand and need a flat top disc) and what I was trying to replace. The group came up with a bunch of suggestions and I found two that worked for me. But you first have to find out what works/doesn't work from what you already have.

 

[Olorin]

ProPilot,

First of all, welcome back to the greatest sport in the world!

Before giving advice, it would help me to know more about you. Feel free to decline any questions that are too personal:
1) What is your longest throw on flat ground?
2) What is the range of your average throw length with a driver? (e.g.- these days mine is 260-290ft)
3) What is your current favorite disc?
4) What year were you born?
5) What other sports did you used to play regularly and do you play any others now?

These questions are mainly to assess your arm speed and where you are starting from.

 

[knivvves]

Those discs are all still good and some of the most popular in their respective slots.
Other than the Wahoo, your highest speed disc is a 7. Discs go up to speed 14 now. Depending on how far you throw, you could get something higher speed.
This is a good resource.

 

[Olorin]

Howdy squad, first time caller long time listener!
So I've probably played DG fairly seriously for about 5 years, but about 10 years ago (life amirite)

What is your goal? You sound like you want to improve and score better. If that is the case, my main advice would be to start by focusing and only use 2 discs. Get a putter and an approach disc go start with. Get a light weight Innova Shark, in 150 class, or a Discraft Comet and ONLY use that disc until you are in putting range. Learn that disc until you can throw it straight. Your beat in Roc might work for this purpose too.

Throwing tips for improving:
When you decide on that one disc get several discs in the same mold and the same weight, then go to field or to a lightly played course. Start at a distance close to the basket where you throw straight, even if it's 50 feet. (Since I don't know anything about you, please don't think I'm insulting you.) Or maybe it's 100 ft or 120 ft... Then throw to a target and work your way back. (Throw in both directions, back and forth, to maximize your time, but this is probably obvious.)

I tend to throw lighter weight discs as I found that helped my arm speed, but feel free to scold me on that.

No, lighter discs are the way to go for older players, or those with less distance (kids, younger players, etc). I love Innova StarLite plastic, but they stopped making it! I've always been a low power player so I have thrown many 150 class discs. Now that I'm 61 my distance keeps decreasing so I throw lighter and more understable discs. Even discs in the 130s and 140s are fine if they work for you. That's all that matters... what works for you.

...Well enough for now. I gave more advice than you asked for, so maybe it's not needed. Please let me know if this was helpful. I'm not offended if this was of no use to you, or not where you're at. I've got more, but that's enough for now.

OK, one more, after you're comfortable with your backhand learn a forehand too. Or you can work on it a little at the same time, just for a change of pace. It depends on how you learn.

 

[R-Ogre]

Hello fellow pro pilot.

 

[ProPilot04]

ProPilot,

First of all, welcome back to the greatest sport in the world!

Before giving advice, it would help me to know more about you. Feel free to decline any questions that are too personal:
1) What is your longest throw on flat ground?
2) What is the range of your average throw length with a driver? (e.g.- these days mine is 260-290ft)
3) What is your current favorite disc?
4) What year were you born?
5) What other sports did you used to play regularly and do you play any others now?

These questions are mainly to assess your arm speed and where you are starting from.

1. I'm probably throwing about 200-250 now I'd guess? I was able to regularly par (3) and occasionally birdie most holes (I've played in a lot of different states). I've never really been able to "unlock" what I would consider the full potential of any disc (I have a degree in aeronautics).
2. To answer q1 in q2 I'd say 300 max.
3. Doubt I could really answer because I've been away so long (only played 2 rounds this week which prompted this). Before, I'd probably have said the Roc (just because I've had some legit incredible shots with it, or maybe the River, but I feel like I was just getting the hang of it.
4. 82. I'm not "old" but I've been around.
5. Cycling was my claim to fame. I raced D1 in college. Also soccer, hockey, baseball, bowling, archery etc etc etc... I'm generally fairly good at sports at an amateur level. I'm also built like a cyclist lol

What is your goal? You sound like you want to improve and score better. If that is the case, my main advice would be to start by focusing and only use 2 discs. Get a putter and an approach disc go start with. Get a light weight Innova Shark, in 150 class, or a Discraft Comet and ONLY use that disc until you are in putting range. Learn that disc until you can throw it straight. Your beat in Roc might work for this purpose too.

Throwing tips for improving:
When you decide on that one disc get several discs in the same mold and the same weight, then go to field or to a lightly played course. Start at a distance close to the basket where you throw straight, even if it's 50 feet. (Since I don't know anything about you, please don't think I'm insulting you.) Or maybe it's 100 ft or 120 ft... Then throw to a target and work your way back. (Throw in both directions, back and forth, to maximize your time, but this is probably obvious.)

No, lighter discs are the way to go for older players, or those with less distance (kids, younger players, etc). I love Innova StarLite plastic, but they stopped making it! I've always been a low power player so I have thrown many 150 class discs. Now that I'm 61 my distance keeps decreasing so I throw lighter and more understable discs. Even discs in the 130s and 140s are fine if they work for you. That's all that matters... what works for you.

...Well enough for now. I gave more advice than you asked for, so maybe it's not needed. Please let me know if this was helpful. I'm not offended if this was of no use to you, or not where you're at. I've got more, but that's enough for now.

OK, one more, after you're comfortable with your backhand learn a forehand too. Or you can work on it a little at the same time, just for a change of pace. It depends on how you learn.

I think my goal is mostly to understand what's happened in the sport while I've been away. I don't really mind throwing Leopards or Gazelles or Rocs or... anything really, but I have some discs that I would say are probably tired, and I didn't want to wander into the pro shop/marshall street etc and just buy something that's been usurped by technology, yknow?

That said, I'd like to get back on form, and I'll more than likely need to get into the fundamentals. I prefer a wider rim for driving, but I did more or less learn with the Leopard, Shark, Aviar combo before I realized how to tweak for various flight characteristics.

Also, damn... the amount of new plastics out there! I remember long arguments about Champ vs star vs dx... but now I need to see where things fit into the lineup. I assume it's still generally true that the stiffer plastics add stability over the bog standard dx stuff? (Sorry, I had always really stuck with Innova early on)

LMK if that helps... no one is insulting me. It's disc golf, not my wife.

 

[ProPilot04]

Hello fellow pro pilot.

Haha hey... I mostly hung up that chapter but did the pretty standard CMEL-IA CFII stuff. Messed around in a few jets... good for you if you're still in the industry, good for you if you're not haha... it's rough.

 

[Rastnav]

Also, damn... the amount of new plastics out there!

As a wee bairn in the sport, I understand where you are coming from. I was very confused when I was just starting to buy non "starter pack" plastic.

However, be of good cheer! Lots of the different plastic names are (more or less) just different brands versions of the DX-Star-Champion trio that Innova has. Once you have figured out those three plastics for a brand, you can sort of figure out where other blends fit in.

Basically everyone has a "max durability, most stiff, clearish, slippier plastic" and a "pretty durable, decent grip, stiffer than base plastic". Most brands also have a base level plastic if they are aiming at the entry market.

Dynamic Discs has "Lucid" (most durable), "Fuzion" - "durable but more grippy", and "Prime" - less expensive, grippy, not durable.

Latitude 64, a sister company to DD, has "Opto" (max durability) and "Gold" (durable with more grip), but no base plastic.

Innova has added a couple more "main" plastics (Pro, which is something like a more durable version of DX), and G-Star (which is a more flexible grippy version of Star). Many brands have various different plastic blends they will use, but it's not as confusing as I thought it was at first.

ETA: Also, not for nothing, but I think Innova's Champion plastic is just a little bit slicker than other "max durability" plastics out there. I really like the "Opto" plastic that Latitude has, for instance.

 

[R-Ogre]

Haha hey... I mostly hung up that chapter but did the pretty standard CMEL-IA CFII stuff. Messed around in a few jets... good for you if you're still in the industry, good for you if you're not haha... it's rough.

Ha. Yeah and about to be a lot rougher.

Lots of good advice in here already.

 

[Casey 1988]

Howdy squad, first time caller long time listener!

So I've probably played DG fairly seriously for about 5 years, but about 10 years ago (life amirite)

My form is RHBH and I'm certainly rusty to the point that I should probably side with noob bag advice but.

My questions are as follows:
1. Are there better/newer molds I should be after vs. the discs in my bag?
2. What does everyone think about my bag which is as follows...

Bag:
1. Glow Teebird 161 - I remember really liking this disc, but I think it's maybe gotten more flippy than I remember?
2. Pro Leopard (just grabbed this) 164. Always liked the Leopards
3. DX Leopard in 161
4. Lat64 Opto River 165. This disc was probably my "newest tech" disc and I remember really liking it, but couldn't get it out as far as the Teebird.
5. I have an R-Pro Wahoo because I used to play a lot of long water holes and it got me over the hump of teebox anxiety (I have a kayak lol)
6. DX Roc 169. This disc has seen a LOT. It's dented and cut and I remember it probably juuuust got over the hump of "now I don't like it" before I took a break.
7. Glo Buzz I brought in to be the new Roc. I assume similar weight, but I can't find anything.
8. DX Aviar in 172.

I tend to throw lighter weight discs as I found that helped my arm speed, but feel free to scold me on that.

LMK what everyone thinks? Feel free to torch me too I guess?

Keep the set up as it works and can find those discs still in production. I like a Champion and/or Star Valkyrie for slow arms as a politely call it, very similar flight to a bran new R-Pro Wahoo or a new R-Pro Whaoo that has not hit a tree that messed up flight but just slower. if not get a Pro Valkyrie also very good. About the same speed maybe a tick slower as the Whaoo is the Archon, get the Star with dome as although more OS like a Star Valkyrie the mold will generally have more glide just basing off my experience and what other say online even with the Champion Archon having same dome as a Star Archon. Try for putting putter an XT Aviar or Aviar 3, 3=flat top. The XT is like old 2000's stiff DX though as changed texture in last year from what I am hearing but still really stiff. 3 is if you have to search for an Aviar in Flat Top now no longer need to as of mid 2010's. Factory Second/F2 discs the DX ROC from what I have just read on here in some discs can be as stiff as KC Pro but beat in like DX. https://proshop.innovadiscs.com/

 

[Casey 1988]

I never heard of a Wahoo disc before. At 60 and just starting the sport, I like 168 to 172 weights.

I have a River (got it used, so I don't know the weight), what I found is that I need to throw it at a lower speed and just let it do it's thing (it's got glide forever). But that may just be me. I've thrown Leopard, KC Pro Roc, and Buzzz discs. Still have a Leopard in my bag, but the Buzzz got replaced by a DGA Rift. The Roc got lost and never replaced as it was too overstable for me.

I suggest just getting out to a field, throwing what you have and seeing what still works for you. Then if something doesn't work and you have a 'gap' that needs filled...post it here or on the Discs part of the forum. I did that when I lost my Witness and found it was Out of Production. I explained how I throw (primarily forehand and need a flat top disc) and what I was trying to replace. The group came up with a bunch of suggestions and I found two that worked for me. But you first have to find out what works/doesn't work from what you already have.

the red, I like most disc at 168-172 grams that are not in the 180 gram max type diameter, 173-176 grams for 180 gram max discs for midrange. The exceptions for discs outside that are putting putters at max weight or a few grams off max weight for the putter, an Impact that works only at 170-172 gram & 173-174 gram set anything above 175 grams will not work same for below 169 grasm, and a Z Stalker in the 170-172 gram set. I Have a DX Dragon for water and for tailwind/calm open hole bombs. Oh and I have a #2 Upshot in Prostyle from early 2005 at 166 grams that only works in wind due to being a low profile putter I use for uphill/downhill putting. If I ever need a new putter for uphill/downhill putting more then likely at that point I will switch to the Soft Magnet at 173-174 grams weight set or the 175 gram set since I use the Magnet mold in Jawbreaker now at 175 grams(used Pro D before) and use Proline Titnanic at 175 grams both for putting up to 40 feet.

 

[curmudgeonDwindle]

A specific suggestion:

Innova Mako 3, Star or G-Star, preferably the later...I've arthritis in my hands now, and this softer plastic really helps my feel/release.

Of relatively recent molds, it has an 'easy' grip, is very forgiving, and it's 'easier' to shape shots with - a little more like much older molds, but it's still acceptably fast.

The last 2 flight numbers fit my definition of 'neutral', which means feedback is very direct and 'uncluttered'. This speeds technical improvement.

I believe it outstanding for control (staying out of trouble), especially for novices and players who meet your description.

 

[zontar]

buy another roc of a different weight and play a ton. have fun!

 

[azplaya25]

Welcome back to the sport! I followed a similar trajectory, discovered dg in my early 30's, played a bunch, life and kids happened, now I'm 40 and decided to start playing again this past spring. First thing I realized is throwing sidearm only and torquing super fast drivers all over the course wasn't gonna cut it if I wanted to play well in to my "masters" years lol.

I found this thread/discussion to be very helpful


https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32790

Good news is, if you build a bag as suggested, you're at least halfway there, maybe 3/4 of the way there if that pro leopard is stable enough to be main driver while your dialing your form back in. I'd probably pick either the roc or the buzz for rounds but throw both during field work. Seems the only thing your missing is the overstable slot. I'm bagging a dx banshee I picked up from play it again sports and I love it. Really easy distance control and just super predictable hyzers.

Here's a nice overview of the different lines to dial in with your 4 molds - this may all be old news to you but I found it to be a nice reference for the various golf lines to practice

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/resources/articles/angles.shtml

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/forums/viewtopic.php?t=595

Last thing, if you want to test out another control driver along with that pro leopard, I strongly recommend a DX Eagle - X. These things are line shaping machines and perform really well at any line you put them on. The best part is, as they beat in they get better and better.


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[ProPilot04]

Yeah good intel in here. Just fwiw, I went out to chuck some plastic today and am reliably hitting that teebird to 275-300 and the 2 leopards and the river to about 250-275. This is all with x stepping. Imma check some of these threads out.

 

[Rastnav]

I found this thread/discussion to be very helpful


https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32790

I clicked through to that thread, and from there to the first "required reading" link.

It was written in 2004 and last updated in 2006. I found this mildly hilarious. It starts out as follows:

With over 100 different discs on the market, finding the right golf disc is often an overwhelming task

I'm a little bit scared to count how many different discs I have bought so far. Between molds, plastics, and weights, it is definitely daunting. Heck, after the starter packs I bought this time around, I ended buying one each of 10 different Discraft putter molds to try and find what felt "right". I have bought 3 different Wombats at this point (a GStar Wombat, a Champion Wombat3 and now I'm waiting on a Star Wombat3). I'm disappointed I can't get any Wombat3s in weights between 150g and 170g (no matter what plastic). I'd like a 160g Star Wombat3, but such is life.

I'm sure there are people out there who will say I'm doing it "wrong", and, who knows, I probably am. I do know at some point there is going to a heck of a used disc sale, so look out for some great deals on slightly used plastic!

 

[azplaya25]

Haha I hear you, I went nuts buying a bunch of stuff before I discovered that thread and decided to mold minimize until I'm happy with my game. I will say, not sure when the zone and harp came out, but one of those two seem to be the biggest game changer that I've noticed. I throw the harp and it's an incredible disc.

If you look up Drew Gibson in YouTube, he's got a nice series where he throws all the top sellers from infinite disc and gives his opinion on them. Lastly, Marshall Street has great deals on x puts.


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