86 softie

[Omega SuperSloth]

anyone thrown one ? what would you compare it to as far as lips go?

even though its out of production you can still find them for around 10 bucks
which is suprising with the amount of money some nostalgios pay for pieces of their faded glory back in the good ol days when shorts were short and socks were long( and had stripes)

 

[Three Putt]

86 Softie? (shivers as a 1,000 missed putts flash before his eyes) Uh, yeah. It was my main putter for a few years.

The lip was...well, I can't compare it to anything. The shoulder would round down until almost the end of the wing, and then there was just a little bevel. Most putters have the parting line of the top and wing in the middle of the nose somewhere, but on the 86 it was way down to the bottom 1/3. It really does make you think "Frisbee" when you pick one up.

The 86 Softie is still available from a lot of retailers, so even though it's OOP it's not hard enough to find for the price to have gone up. From personal experience, I'd say that even if you found one for $10.00 you should keep you money in your wallet. The $10.00 you spend today will cost you that several times over in lost bets to friends on the course. Trust me on this, I didn't get the name "Three Putt" for nothing.

 

[Adaven]

Don't buy an 86 softie. I just replaced mine with a magnet what a difference. I never knew you could throw a putter further than 30'. I think I may have been the last one throwing it.

 

[Omega SuperSloth]

so yall are sayin i should pick one up? im getting mixed signals here . blink once for yes and two for no

 

[jlebreton]

I'm just getting back into the sport, and struggling with putting. I recently put my 86 softie in my kids bag, and stole their magnet, putting issues solved!

Save yourself $10 and a lot of frustration, don't do it.

 

[ChaseTheAce]

I really want one of these for catch before rounds

 

[John Rock]

There's a reason the 86 mold has been around for so long (what's it been, like 25 years?). I've been using them since '88 and have no regrets. I've had plenty of good rounds using them and several terrible rounds with them in the bag. It's not the disc, it's the thrower. Learn it, live it, love it!

 

[Three Putt]

It's a touch disc. You can't put any power behind it or it flips like a 15 year-old Romanian girl on uneven bars. The slight breeze caused by a butterfly gliding by will blow it off course causing a need for you to alter your throw in some way to accommodate. It's a very true disc in that it's all you. The disc is not stable enough to cover any of your mistakes. The subtle nuances of the 86 creates a complex dance that floats seemingly aimlessly toward your target. If you have the time and talent to master these subtle nuances, the 86 will perform admirably.

However, if you have the talent to master the subtle nuances of an 86, you could probably beat me throwing a trash can lid. It's for the advanced old-school Frisbee freaks who can control a doggie-toy understable flight and make it do beautiful things.

So if you want to get all old-school hippie-dippy Frisbee zen and begin your trip toward floaty lid Nirvana, the 86 Softie is a great place to start. If you just want to play golf and nut on your putter like all of your other golf discs, skip it.

 

[JesusShoes]

Don't buy an 86 softie. I just replaced mine with a magnet what a difference. I never knew you could throw a putter further than 30'. I think I may have been the last one throwing it.

nope. i've still got a buddy that swears by it.

 

[njd823]

I have been playing disc since 1982 and have had a Softie the whole time. I'm 45 now and amaze all the young up comers with how it handles when I play with them. My arm isn't what it use to be but can still out drive most kids half my age BUT just remember this saying "Throw for show , putt for dough". It's an awesome mid range and approach disc and feels good in your hand when you putt. Heck, make the $10 investment. Before you throw it on a course, throw it in a open feild and get a good feel for it. Use to be a pro over 17 years ago before I got married and it won me many tourney's

 

[Jay Dub]

I have a stack of the original 86 Softie's, they were stiff compared to all the later runs. I have always putt with them.

 

[All GUNKed up]

yeah it all depends on if you have the stiffer ones which i have or the butter putters which i hate. it is a touch disc . i dont use it for shots more than 100 feet and never when it is windy. It all depends on the person. i would say dont buy one because most people dont like them but i do. i think the dga reef is similar to the softie as far as molds go. The 86 is more understable than the reef but the reef is more stiffer.

 

[Jay Dub]

The original 86s are also not as deep as the later "butter", or floppy, ones. I never liked those either.

 

[All GUNKed up]

between you and i we have played for almost 40 years. the newbies at this game will never hear of or throw a whamo.

 

[Jay Dub]

lol true, it's all about grip and rip now.

 

[superium]

My friend whose been playing for 25+ yrs uses a softie and is a good putter and swears by the disc but Ive seen him have the worst of luck with it not grabbing the chains and usually it costs him 2-3 strokes a round.

 

[tallpaul]

I too have a good buddy who still uses the 86s. He's always been a real float putter; and a pretty good one. He does all right with his aged peers; but gets beat by modern players; both as a driver and a putter. I think part of the reason for his style of putting is that the saucer buckets and Mach 1s required a more floaty putt.

p.s. he also still wears the 70s short shorts....lol

 

[G Bud]

I have to agree with the old school quality of the 86. It was what we were all throwing back in the day. :thmbup: It was my favorite for the tomahawk or pancake toss. Here are a couple I have from those long ago days:

1) My old 86 - Battle worn & tested.

2) 92 Am Worlds stamp

3) No Low Putts - One of my favorite stamps :clap:

I might buy another if it had a cool stamp but no longer in the bag it will be. Thanks for your time trusted old friend.

 

[The Bird Man]

One of Oregon's better pros uses a 86 softie. He is also one of the best putters I have ever seen, and I have been playing 7 plus years. If Super Sloth wants 86 Softies, I would get some to trade for old Supersofts!

 

[tmahan]

The 86 was my first golf disc back in '83. My golfing buddy and I used to throw fastbacks, he laughed at me when I bought one and couldn't throw it past 60' before it dove left. Then another player told me about gripping it firm and throwing it flat and that was the end of throwing lids. Haven't thrown it in ages and there's no temptation to break it out, the rim is so deep it's not a comfortable grip when compared to anAviar.