[Innova] Thunderbird

[Dr.Smooth]

Fairway driver is a relative term. Would agree it could be up to 10 speed for sure.

 

[hugheshilton]

Does anyone not throw Thunderbirds longer than Teebirds? A typical Champ Thunderbird is longer than an overstable Teebird for me (Thunderbird has more glide, more speed, but also a little more turn and a bigger sweeping fade) but I still think that mellow Teebirds like beat Star or Gstar are longer and straighter than the Thunderbird...but won't handle wind as well. Of course if I want a left finish at close to that range or to hold a hyzer then the Thunderbird is the answer.

Or do Thunderbirds need to be beat for a while to really mellow out the fade for them to get as long as people claim ("near distance driver distance").

I'd guess you see the distance difference more and more the further you throw. I mean, look at Paul McBeth. At last year's world's (and this year's GBO), he parked a 475 foot hole with a champ Thunderbird multiple rounds with a dead straight shot that really didn't fade at all. Contrasting with that, you don't see him throw the Teebird3 on holes much longer than 400 feet (and it goes dead straight at 400 feet so I'm guessing it would turn over if he put much more power on it).

For my arm (maxing out a bit under 400 feet on the course), I don't bag both Thunderbirds and Teebirds because there is too much overlap. The Thunderbird gets me the same distance with a little less effort and on a little lower, more penetrating lines than a Teebird which is why I prefer it. I still bag a TL on certain courses for straighter to turnover lines in that range though because I don't have a Thunderbird beat in enough not to fade out.

 

[Twmccoy]

I throw Thunderbirds quite a bit further than Teebirds. Thunderbirds are faster and glide better than Teebirds.

 

[slowplastic]

For my arm (maxing out a bit under 400 feet on the course), I don't bag both Thunderbirds and Teebirds because there is too much overlap. The Thunderbird gets me the same distance with a little less effort and on a little lower, more penetrating lines than a Teebird which is why I prefer it. I still bag a TL on certain courses for straighter to turnover lines in that range though because I don't have a Thunderbird beat in enough not to fade out.

Yeah I'm going to have to play around with this. A beat Teebird for me just gets straight distance with very little fade at up to ~375' for me, while an overstable Teebird is hard for me to get much more than ~330' on a flat shot (like throw into a headwind without turn overstable). But the overstable Teebirds don't have a fade/skip like the Thunderbird so it will hold a hyzer without adding to it, or I can throw hard tunnel forehands that don't flip but won't fade.

Out in an open course there's too much overlap for me but I think in different lines then the Thunderbird acts different than a beefy Teebird or a very straight Teebird. Plus you're right about lower lines.

I wouldn't doubt that if I had 50' more power that the Thunderbird would really open up. I'll see how that goes. But it's more glidey and controllable than a PD I think when thrown like a "fairway driver".

 

[slowplastic]

I'd only thrown Thunderbirds in the open in the past (over the past few years just every once in a while) and found them kind of boring at my power level with only a few shots I thought they'd take over for me. After using it on a course with lots of low ceilings I can now say that I'm late to the party and it truly is the faster Teebird.

In the open I just don't have the power to make a Thunderbird fly 400' without fade...if I did then I think it'd be a super fun disc. As it is, it just flies a Teebird type shot but with a more sweeping fade when thrown with height. That's good for some placement shots and sweep hyzers but that's it for me (a beefcake driver can also do this on a different line in the open). However when thrown on a low ceiling it really didn't fade or skip as much as I expected...it just flew a Teebird style shot at low height. I really don't think it needs more power than an overstable Teebird and it has more glide than one of those, so it works as a fairway driver for me still. Very impressed on power forehand tunnels too...holds straight for a very long time and doesn't fade aggressively.

So many discs are fun to thrown in the open but not super useful on the course (like high speed high turn discs). This one is the opposite for me I think...just predictable straight with some finish, not super long, but it will go somewhere. I could see it being a lot of fun for big arms though.

 

[pjhayes7]

Very impressed on power forehand tunnels too...holds straight for a very long time and doesn't fade aggressively.

So many discs are fun to thrown in the open but not super useful on the course (like high speed high turn discs). This one is the opposite for me I think...just predictable straight with some finish, not super long, but it will go somewhere. I could see it being a lot of fun for big arms though.

Although I will occasionally throw my Champ Thunderbird backhand (it works just fine, but I would often prefer my Rivals), I love throwing it forehand. It is a laser beam if I give it just a tiny bit of hyzer and doesn't really fade much, although it may get some skip. Although I still love to forehand a beat Firebird, I find the Thunderbird is my go to for tunnel shots that need to finish right.

 

[tarel]

severely disappointed with the Thunderbird.

the hss is never consistent when a cross wind happens its like this disc get mad flippy or does wonky crap.

the lss on low lines seem to be ok, but disc is never consistent.

tb3 should of been the Thunderbird imo. this disc is garbage.

 

[hugheshilton]

severely disappointed with the Thunderbird.

the hss is never consistent when a cross wind happens its like this disc get mad flippy or does wonky crap.

the lss on low lines seem to be ok, but disc is never consistent.

tb3 should of been the Thunderbird imo. this disc is garbage.

Oh yeah complete garbage. No one who throws well would ever use this mold. Certainly no pros bag them because of all that inconsistency. What a garbage disc.

 

[PMantle]

It's one of the most useful molds I've ever encountered.

 

[Bennf]

severely disappointed with the Thunderbird.

the hss is never consistent when a cross wind happens its like this disc get mad flippy or does wonky crap.

the lss on low lines seem to be ok, but disc is never consistent.

tb3 should of been the Thunderbird imo. this disc is garbage.

Curious what plastic got you this opinion.

What's really funny to me is I felt kinda similar about my g* t3. Okay at best in the wind, never good.

 

[mgamache8]

What's really funny to me is I felt kinda similar about my g* t3. Okay at best in the wind, never good.[/QUOTE]

I'm not trying to bash you at all when I say this, but why do all discs need to be good in the wind? They don't. That's why we have overstable, straight, and understable discs. If the wind is up, use a more OS disc and use it BH and FH

And I love my thunderbird, but I'm not going to use it as a wind fighter at all. I have firebirds and OS destroyers for that

 

[hugheshilton]

And I love my thunderbird, but I'm not going to use it as a wind fighter at all. I have firebirds and OS destroyers for that

The great thing about Thunderbirds is that you CAN use them as wind fighters if you have a Star or fresh DX. The range of stabilities available in the different plastics is one of the great things about the Thunderbirds in my opinion. This is probably why Bennf asked which plastic the earlier poster didn't like.

 

[wims]

I did some field work the other day when the winds were howling, I threw a bunch of different discs. Teebirds turned hard in the headwind, my firm star Thunderbird didn't care about the wind at all. No turn, just straight to dump. Seems like a great disc to throw in a headwind IMO. FWIW I don't got a big arm, but I don't think it matters much in this context because Teebirds turned while the Thunderbird did not

 

[brentjacobs]

No one who throws well would ever use this mold. Certainly no pros bag them...

This is clearly the best criteria for choosing a good disc for anyone's bag. :| Suppose you just replaced your Monster with a FD3?

 

[slowplastic]

I've been impressed with them in the past, as champs have -0.25 to -0.5 turn in calm for me, but mild to moderate wind doesn't take them much off line. I've definitely thrown discs with turn on the negative side of "0" that act worse in the wind. I'll see what happens in heavy wind at some point though just as a test, as I'd likely bump up to a Felon or Firebird in that case anyways. I kind of view them as wind resistant but definitely not wind proof.

 

[SaROCaM]

The reason I got a Thunderbird in the first place was for that spot in between a Teebird and Firebird, at the recommendation of some very experienced local players. I was playing a round and my Teebirds were turning, but a Firebird was a little too much (I didn't have any beat-in Firebirds yet.) So I got a Thunderbird to be my "windy Teebird." I agree with slowplastic; wind-resistant but not wind-proof.

 

[hugheshilton]

This is clearly the best criteria for choosing a good disc for anyone's bag. :| Suppose you just replaced your Monster with a FD3?

Clearly you should not bag discs just because Paul McBeth bags them. However, my sarcasm was directed at a post saying that Thunderbirds are "garbage" because they are inconsistent and unreliable. My point was that most pros are MORE concerned with consistency and reliability than your average amateur, and loads of pros (including McBeth) bag Thunderbirds (as well as many amateurs I know and many DGCR folks).

 

[dekdo]

severely disappointed with the Thunderbird.

the hss is never consistent when a cross wind happens its like this disc get mad flippy or does wonky crap.

the lss on low lines seem to be ok, but disc is never consistent.

tb3 should of been the Thunderbird imo. this disc is garbage.

might be your arm opcorn:

IMO its one of the most consistent discs.

 

[ranger]

I'm in the same boat as some of y'all. Thunderbirds are nice but they don't get thrown enough when I have teebirds too.

 

[FlipFlat]

severely disappointed with the Thunderbird.

the hss is never consistent when a cross wind happens its like this disc get mad flippy or does wonky crap.

the lss on low lines seem to be ok, but disc is never consistent.

tb3 should of been the Thunderbird imo. this disc is garbage.

Maybe a CH. metal flake Thunderbird at max weight might work for you. Or maybe mine is some kind of freak but it took the place of my predator for headwinds. I only throw around 330' ,but I let a local who throws 450 throw it the other day and it flew overstable for him as well.