Innova KATANA

[Twmccoy]

Originally Posted by Grogden

I have been a long time fan of katanas pro star and blizzard.. And I had a real favourite domi blizzard 151. As long as there was no headwind. Unfortunately I lost it....i bought 3 or 4 bljzzards in varying weights.. but the dome just hasn't been there.. I will get the turn and fade but not the monster glide for whatever reason.. For fun I bought A174 VIP king Out of the Box is the longest disc I had ever thrown... Unfortunately after a few days it's become a bit finicky and has to be thrown with care ... The king just doesn't have the fade to come back... I wish I could find that perfect katana/ king disc to Ripon that will glide out hard and still come back.. Pro bosses... are close but I can't get them out quite as far.

L64 Raketen might work for you. So should a star Shryke. Kings are just too damn finicky. Super long, but all over the place.

You should also take a long look at the MVP Catalyst and Relativity.

Katanas need dome to be any good. The flatter they are, the worse they fly.

[taco]

I'm glad I found this thread because I've been playing the Katana shuffle and I'm glad it's not just me. I can't stand wildly inconsistent molds. I had a 160g Blizzard Champ that I could get a fairly easy 430+ out of -- it felt easy compared to what I had to do to my Destroyer or Shryke (both Star 175g) to get that distance. A lot of lateral left to right movement, but not a flip, just a massive S curve with glide and reliable fade. I lost it, and the same-weight replacement flew nothing like it and flipped out of my hand.

By way of comparison for those who have thrown more of these, can a Shryke around 165g fill a similar role? I really don't like playing disc variation roulette.

[twistedraven]

The Shryke will be more understable. However, a good pop-top Star Shryke at 165 is a good bomber disc for people in the 320 foot range.

I've found most of my s-bomb success recently using a 168g Opto Knight and beaten in to flippy 160g Goldline Ballista Pro. Both I've reached out to 400 on flat ground with, and I think they're longer than a Shryke.

The one time I did try a Katana, it was a nice one. Found an old bean-to-death domey Star Katana that was 173iirc, and it flew a nice balanced S pattern for over 350 feet.

[Grogden]

I think I'm gonna go with an opto knightaround 170 if they have it..raketen showed out of stock.. I love the glide of my king but cant get past flat or it's just gone either right or into the ground as a roller.. Turning over destroyers seems to work but I can get 30 40 50' more of the king on the right throw.. I tried the relativity and was kind of liking it but launched into tree and never saw again.. It was kind of like the king with a little bit more fade at end but didn't have that super glide feel that I am looking for.. I was just starting to get it grooved then lost it maybe I'll try again. A great feeling katanas what I want but apparently they are very hard to find.

[Twmccoy]

Originally Posted by twistedraven

The Shryke will be more understable. However, a good pop-top Star Shryke at 165 is a good bomber disc for people in the 320 foot range.

I've found most of my s-bomb success recently using a 168g Opto Knight and beaten in to flippy 160g Goldline Ballista Pro. Both I've reached out to 400 on flat ground with, and I think they're longer than a Shryke.

The one time I did try a Katana, it was a nice one. Found an old bean-to-death domey Star Katana that was 173iirc, and it flew a nice balanced S pattern for over 350 feet.

Shrykes are generally a hair more understable than Katanas, but not always. For me, the Shryke is a more consistent mold overall. I haven't really seen any aberrant ones that flew poorly. Shrykes and Katanas usually have the same amount of high speed turn, but a Katana will fade a little sooner and harder than a Shryke.

As for blizzard Katanas, they're even less consistent than heavier star or champion counterparts. Sometimes you'll get a perfect, easy bomber, but most of the time blizzard Katanas are awful.

Finding a good Katana will probably always be a crapshoot. Your best bet would be to find a store that stocks them and buy from there. Ordering online you have no clue what the disc looks like until you get it in the mail. At least with a real store you can handle the disc and look it over carefully before buying.

[aphilso1]

Originally Posted by taco

I'm glad I found this thread because I've been playing the Katana shuffle and I'm glad it's not just me. I can't stand wildly inconsistent molds. I had a 160g Blizzard Champ that I could get a fairly easy 430+ out of -- it felt easy compared to what I had to do to my Destroyer or Shryke (both Star 175g) to get that distance. A lot of lateral left to right movement, but not a flip, just a massive S curve with glide and reliable fade. I lost it, and the same-weight replacement flew nothing like it and flipped out of my hand.

By way of comparison for those who have thrown more of these, can a Shryke around 165g fill a similar role? I really don't like playing disc variation roulette.

It is DEFINITELY not just you. I bought a handful of Katanas back in October and they span the full stability spectrum. A couple of them serve their purpose (mainly, to be max distance crushers for wide open ball golf courses) but I will likely not be replacing them once they get lost or beat in. I'm just not going to play the game of buying 3-4 discs in the hopes that one of them is what I'm looking for.

As for a Shryke, I see similarities in a mid 160's Star Shryke to a really good, domey Katana. I didn't like G* Shrykes (too flat/glideless) and those are the only two Shryke plastics that I've thrown.

Dabbling in Katanas reminded me of why I don't like fast Innova molds.

[Twmccoy]

Originally Posted by Grogden

I think I'm gonna go with an opto knightaround 170 if they have it..raketen showed out of stock.. I love the glide of my king but cant get past flat or it's just gone either right or into the ground as a roller.. Turning over destroyers seems to work but I can get 30 40 50' more of the king on the right throw.. I tried the relativity and was kind of liking it but launched into tree and never saw again.. It was kind of like the king with a little bit more fade at end but didn't have that super glide feel that I am looking for.. I was just starting to get it grooved then lost it maybe I'll try again. A great feeling katanas what I want but apparently they are very hard to find.

Knights are really long and fun to throw... but somewhat finicky. My last trip to the field I had a 174 opto Knight that kept turning over and not coming back. You have to figure out the right amount of hyzer to release that disc with. It does poorly in cross winds or headwinds. Calm or downwind its incredibly long.

Raketens are nice. I have 3 of them. They take power pretty well without flipping over all the way. Very underrated mold. IDK if L64 is even producing them anymore.

Relativity is just incredible. Finicky, but when I'm feeling it the Relativity will outfly anything else I have. You need some patience with the Relativity, and you have to practice with it. If I had to list the longest molds I've ever thrown, the Relativity would be top 3 for sure.

As multiple people have alluded to, good Katanas aren't easy to find. However, when you find one they're almost otherworldly. Exceptional speed, glide, and distance.

[MaxFlight]

On the Shyrke topic, I recommend going Champ Glow. For whatever reason, they fly the best. Not really any turn when fresh, just a laser beam.

[aphilso1]

Originally Posted by MaxFlight

On the Shyrke topic, I recommend going Champ Glow. For whatever reason, they fly the best. Not really any turn when fresh, just a laser beam.

If I ever revisit the attempt at bagging a laughably fast max distance smasher, I think Champ Glow Shryke would be top of the list. That type of disc released high and with a bit of anny would create the most distance potential for me (but also the least accuracy). I also kind of want to revisit the OG Ballista mold. Same thought as the Color Glow Shryke but released with hyzer instead.

[Grogden]

Pro bosses are surprisingly good I went that route today I get a fair amount of turn a little fade to bring it back .. Will stand a little headwind..actually make good fhand also flip up and glide...