150g vs 130g

[Joecuzzi]

So my max distance disc for wide open holes is a 150g disc that is basically a blizzard Destroyer. Before stopping 2 years ago I got it to go 400ft 1 time and was probably averaging around 340-360 with it on the course (hardpan not grass). This disc was a hyzerflip machine!
I recently got back into DG and noticed that I have to throw the same disc much more flat to get it to turn and I miss the hyzer flip S curve dance I used to get out of it.
I am thinking that maybe going even lighter is the solution and was wondering if there is a substantial difference between 130g destroyers and 150g?

I'm also considering a Gstar Daedalus because that used to be my easy distance disc but it was the less stable prototype version.

Please advise

 

[ru4por]

I think there is a real point of diminishing returns on lightweight discs. I am a fan and throw a few 155g distance drivers. They have their limitations. In much wind at all, they are not a great choice. The less weight the more inconsistency, I find. I am guessing you have lost some arm speed and gained some age, lol. I just don't see a 130+g disc as much of a viable option as a regular disc in the bag. I suggest working with that 150g and steer away from hyzerflip to a more flat pull that allows that disc to flatten out and bomb. Welcome back to the game.

 

[ChrisinFL]

So my max distance disc for wide open holes is a 150g disc that is basically a blizzard Destroyer. Before stopping 2 years ago I got it to go 400ft 1 time and was probably averaging around 340-360 with it on the course (hardpan not grass). This disc was a hyzerflip machine!
I recently got back into DG and noticed that I have to throw the same disc much more flat to get it to turn and I miss the hyzer flip S curve dance I used to get out of it.
I am thinking that maybe going even lighter is the solution and was wondering if there is a substantial difference between 130g destroyers and 150g?

I'm also considering a Gstar Daedalus because that used to be my easy distance disc but it was the less stable prototype version.

Please advise

I have thrown zero Destroyers, but at my max of 265', I have messed with 125-155g discs, and I think 145-155g is my sweet spot. Lighter stuff is less controllable - all over the place. My experience at both weights is with Terns, Beasts, and Mambas. Now I only buy 145g and up, and my favorites are 148-150g Fission Waves, followed by Terns.

 

[EllEstar]

Back when I threw consistently around 300' and maxed out at maybe 350'-ish I threw a lot of lightweight drivers, 135-165g.

My favorites were 155-160g discs, I got better distance from 155, but had an easier time controlling 160. I found 1 or 2 135g discs that just bombed, but they were very erratic and the only sub-150g discs I ever gelled with.

 

[stupid trees]

I'd say keep rocking that destroyer. I took some time off and it took me a while to build up my discgolf muscles again. Also, make sure you're warming up before you throw. I pulled a muscle in my back playing and missed 2 months of work because of it.

 

[biscoe]

I think there is a real point of diminishing returns on lightweight discs. I am a fan and throw a few 155g distance drivers. They have their limitations. In much wind at all, they are not a great choice. The less weight the more inconsistency, I find. I am guessing you have lost some arm speed and gained some age, lol. I just don't see a 130+g disc as much of a viable option as a regular disc in the bag. I suggest working with that 150g and steer away from hyzerflip to a more flat pull that allows that disc to flatten out and bomb. Welcome back to the game.

Local MP50 guy here who consistently takes my money and is approaching his 100th victory throws a 135 Katana for max D as long as it isn't windy. Personally I have found that going under 155 or so starts to get really inconsistent for me- every glitch in the form gets magnified and I have plenty of them.

 

[ChrisinFL]

Local MP50 guy here who consistently takes my money and is approaching his 100th victory throws a 135 Katana for max D as long as it isn't windy. Personally I have found that going under 155 or so starts to get really inconsistent for me- every glitch in the form gets magnified and I have plenty of them.

Biscoe has a point. My form is still a work in progress, so if I threw better, the even lighter discs might work better. But, so far, 145-150g seems to give me better control, and goes just as far or farther. That said, I have a 150g Katana, and in limited use, if I release it flat, it will definitely go 200-250' and fade left hard. His story tempts me to want to try a 135g Katana and see what it does. But, I am 54, playing 4-5 months, and so far still improving, and my guess is the 150g Katana could bomb farther for me and fade less when I improve more. My 148g Fission Wave used to fade hard left, and my recent 20' jump in distance has made it my most reliable disc - very straight, with a gentle, reliable fade at the end. I am currently revisiting many discs I struggled with before, to see if any others work better for me now, and I have a 173g Escape that, in about ten throws yesterday, seems exactly the same - used to fade hard early, but now it goes about 225', very straight, and seems very reliable. I am going to start bagging it the next time I play a round, but for today, plan to hit a practice field and try out more discs that I couldn't throw well before - see if anybody else is waiting to become a star for me!

 

[BillFleming]

I have a 'noodle' arm (been measured at ~45 MPH throw).....pretty much anything over a 7 speed I need to drop down in weight. I carry a 11 speed Innova Tern at 137 grams. But it rarely gets used as it just cannot handle wind. Even slight breezes will affect the flight, but on a calm day.....that disc will go for me. I have two MVP Wave discs in 11 speed, one is 156 and the other is 148....they handle the wind a lot better. Depending on the wind, one of those three discs can usually give me a bit more distance when needed.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I have a 'noodle' arm (been measured at ~45 MPH throw).....pretty much anything over a 7 speed I need to drop down in weight. I carry a 11 speed Innova Tern at 137 grams. But it rarely gets used as it just cannot handle wind. Even slight breezes will affect the flight, but on a calm day.....that disc will go for me. I have two MVP Wave discs in 11 speed, one is 156 and the other is 148....they handle the wind a lot better. Depending on the wind, one of those three discs can usually give me a bit more distance when needed.

148g Fission Wave is my best distance thrower right now, and 149g Tern is second! Highly recommended to me, ZLite Thrasher - yikes - limited use, about ten throws yesterday, but in a little wind, that thing was all over the place, and has to have perfect amount of hyzer angle. Smidge too little hyzer - way right, maybe even into the ground. Smidge too much hyzer, way left, and just keeps going left. But, the one throw where I got the hyzer angle just right, curvy flight, but I parked it under the basket on 250' hole. That Thrasher will move more left and/or right than anything I have ever thrown - could be useful for somebody that can control it better than me, now. Future me??? I also messed with a 150g Katana. It definitely fades hard on me, especially if I don't keep it flat/nose down, but it can bomb distance. I can see it being real good for me when I add a little more arm speed/form improvement. I can get 250' with it, maybe more, and I parked it under 250' basket once, but for now it is far more likely 200' out, then 50' to the left. The light weight distance drivers are fun, and interesting! They change as I improve, but right now, the 148g Fission Wave fits me perfect. 225-250', a rare one out to 265', straight, with a reasonable, predictable fade at the end. For now, none of the others are as predictable, accurate, and consistent. Really liking that Wave at this time, and when I threw 20' less, a month ago, it was fading hard early on me most of the time, and was not nearly as useful as the Tern. Also, 173g Escape used to fade hard early on me, but now it goes very straight, guessing about 225'. I am currently in the process of trying all of my shelved distance discs at a practice field to see if my form improvement makes any others shine for me. Odd, my 160g Sapphire, which is supposed to be a good newbie distance disc, still crashes hard left, starting almost the second it leaves my hand. It is like I can't get it to release level/flat. I will try a little more - maybe try a bit of anhyzer.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I originally did good with 137-139g Star Terns, but either them beating in, or me throwing faster, and in a month or two, they became very flippy. Now I have 148-150g Pro Terns, and they do much better for me.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I have a 'noodle' arm (been measured at ~45 MPH throw).....pretty much anything over a 7 speed I need to drop down in weight. I carry a 11 speed Innova Tern at 137 grams. But it rarely gets used as it just cannot handle wind. Even slight breezes will affect the flight, but on a calm day.....that disc will go for me. I have two MVP Wave discs in 11 speed, one is 156 and the other is 148....they handle the wind a lot better. Depending on the wind, one of those three discs can usually give me a bit more distance when needed.

What distance are you getting with the Tern and Wave? Mine are currently maxing at about 250', with a rare 265' best.

 

[BillFleming]

What distance are you getting with the Tern and Wave? Mine are currently maxing at about 250', with a rare 265' best.

I haven't thrown them in a while as I've been focused on 5 speed and less this year. With no wind, my best distance was 280 (measured by uDisc) using the Tern. The Wave, I was getting 260 max. For reference, I was getting about 200 max with my 5 speeds and 220 with my 7 speeds. Now that I'm getting 250ish with my 5 speeds, I want to get out to the field with my lighter discs and see what I'm getting with them now.

 

[ChrisinFL]

Thanks for sharing. Last I tried, I still couldn't throw mid ranges or putters with a power grip. I fan grip putters, with my Watt and/or Dart getting out to maybe 125-150' max. Form still sucks, but improving - hoping eventually it gets good enough I can throw them, but not holding my breath. What changes did you make to add 50' with your 5 speeds? Probably a change I will also need - one of many.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I haven't thrown them in a while as I've been focused on 5 speed and less this year. With no wind, my best distance was 280 (measured by uDisc) using the Tern. The Wave, I was getting 260 max. For reference, I was getting about 200 max with my 5 speeds and 220 with my 7 speeds. Now that I'm getting 250ish with my 5 speeds, I want to get out to the field with my lighter discs and see what I'm getting with them now.

I keep working on my form. I take video, try to fix the worst thing, take video again, find something else to fix. So far, it seems like a cycle that could repeat many times! I guess as long as I am able to keep progressing, I am going to be okay with it. Improving is the most fun!

 

[ChrisinFL]

I haven't thrown them in a while as I've been focused on 5 speed and less this year. With no wind, my best distance was 280 (measured by uDisc) using the Tern. The Wave, I was getting 260 max. For reference, I was getting about 200 max with my 5 speeds and 220 with my 7 speeds. Now that I'm getting 250ish with my 5 speeds, I want to get out to the field with my lighter discs and see what I'm getting with them now.

I have a 173g Escape that always used to dump hard left on me at 150-200'. Yesterday, threw it about 8-10 times, and all straight, maybe 225', and a reasonable fade. Felt like it wanted to fly flat and straight. Do you think a lighter weight Escape, maybe a 155-160g Lucid Air, would get me the same reliable straight flight, but even more distance? I should probably quit shopping - I got way more than enough to play with already - but buying new plastic is a tough addiction to break. I might have to quit DG in order to completely quit buying new discs!

 

[BillFleming]

I have a 173g Escape that always used to dump hard left on me at 150-200'. Yesterday, threw it about 8-10 times, and all straight, maybe 225', and a reasonable fade. Felt like it wanted to fly flat and straight. Do you think a lighter weight Escape, maybe a 155-160g Lucid Air, would get me the same reliable straight flight, but even more distance? I should probably quit shopping - I got way more than enough to play with already - but buying new plastic is a tough addiction to break. I might have to quit DG in order to completely quit buying new discs!

Lighter Escape? I don't know. The one thing I've found is that different plastics and different weights fly differently. You should get it to go further as long as wind doesn't affect it, but the same flight? I don't know about that. Can only get one and give it a try. One issue I had to learn with lighter discs is that you shouldn't throw them with the same power you throw the heavier ones.

Based on the 173 Escape dumping on you....I think it is too fast of a disc at that weight. My first instructor, who measured me at a max throwing speed of 45 had this to say:
7 speed is your max speed using max weight discs. Anything higher speed will "dump" hard. The faster the speed disc, the harder it will dump. You won't see much distance gain, but you shouldn't quit throwing higher speed discs....the hard dump flight might be one you need at times. He's the one that suggested 165ish for my 8 and 9 speeds and 155ish for 10 and 11. But I've found the 137 11 speed Tern is the best for distance, but only with no wind. I can throw my slightly heavier 11 speed Waves and get close to that distance, so they are usually my go-to for a few extra feet. The Tern, if I'm not careful will flip on me. I throw it hyzer and it will come up flat, but if I release it too close to flat....it's flipping over and not getting the distance. Lighter weight discs take more practice as they are more touchy.

At last count, I'm over 220 discs on my shelves and 20 in my bag. It's addictive. I'll be "I'm not quite happy with this disc....maybe this other one, or this other plastic, or this other weight will be better." So I'll get one and try it out....might work, might not. It's frustrating there's no way to really try out a disc before buying. I have started hitting the used bins more often. Luckily, it's a 30 min one-way trip to the closest disc golf store, so that helps reduce my buying. Some day I might gather up my 'not going to throw' discs and trade them in. But that's also when I will decide that disc I traded in might be the perfect one for this specific shot.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I was just going to pop in here and suggest a wave, but I'm really late to that party haha. It is available in some fairly light weights, fission being the lightest and usually the flippiest followed by plasma and finally Neutron. The 155 Neutron is probably a decent ride if you were used to a destroyer they are definitely a flippier mold

 

[lee76007]

The longest flying disc I've had is a Roadrunner STARlite 135g and had two of them. Because the first one 4 months into playing on a downwind 40-50 mph using a sloppy 4-step flew about 430 feet flat ground just past the basket wide left. Never threw it that far again, even in similar wind conditions. Just one of those few times I had a good form, and for that one particular throw with wind help. Never knew where those discs were going, but they could travel far.

A few months later I had my first Star Mamba and have kept in the bag for 3 1/2 years now. Light disc in the open, heavier in moderate woods for better control, and not used in heavy woods. Last year for downwind Star Mamba 149g longest about 375 feet, and Fission Wave 149g about 350 feet, more control with the wave when trees are involved, but less distance. Last year all x-step as I developed my form with nice snap. When I heard snap with both of them down wind at least 300-325.

Almost three years into form building starting with standstill, and now 3-step and our wind season now starting and will run into May, Star Mamba 148g, and Fission Wave 148g. With just a few field practice days with 15-20 mph wind, and a few course rounds the snap is not there yet, but working on it, may take another month or longer, last year's x-step took until mid-December to hear that snap. New in the bag for this year and added just a couple of weeks ago, is a Neutron Orbital 159g more stable on the turn travels further than the Wave, and back and forth with the Mamba. Looking forward to developing some snap with it, and I hope to get there bottom weight at 155g. If I can get that Orbital with more consistent distance than the Mamba, and with the Orbital more stable after the turn, the Mamba always a mystery. Its possible the Mamba could get the boot?

Those two RR STARlites, I gave them to my grandson when he started playing with me three years ago. I have a backup Star Mamba 147g, and I'll see if he can throw it, and see if he wants to trade one of his roadrunners. Might be fun to see how far I can throw one downwind three years later. He loves those RR, it's his longest distance, and he loves the glide.

 

[ChrisinFL]

The longest flying disc I've had is a Roadrunner STARlite 135g and had two of them. Because the first one 4 months into playing on a downwind 40-50 mph using a sloppy 4-step flew about 430 feet flat ground just past the basket wide left. Never threw it that far again, even in similar wind conditions. Just one of those few times I had a good form, and for that one particular throw with wind help. Never knew where those discs were going, but they could travel far.

A few months later I had my first Star Mamba and have kept in the bag for 3 1/2 years now. Light disc in the open, heavier in moderate woods for better control, and not used in heavy woods. Last year for downwind Star Mamba 149g longest about 375 feet, and Fission Wave 149g about 350 feet, more control with the wave when trees are involved, but less distance. Last year all x-step as I developed my form with nice snap. When I heard snap with both of them down wind at least 300-325.

Almost three years into form building starting with standstill, and now 3-step and our wind season now starting and will run into May, Star Mamba 148g, and Fission Wave 148g. With just a few field practice days with 15-20 mph wind, and a few course rounds the snap is not there yet, but working on it, may take another month or longer, last year's x-step took until mid-December to hear that snap. New in the bag for this year and added just a couple of weeks ago, is a Neutron Orbital 159g more stable on the turn travels further than the Wave, and back and forth with the Mamba. Looking forward to developing some snap with it, and I hope to get there bottom weight at 155g. If I can get that Orbital with more consistent distance than the Mamba, and with the Orbital more stable after the turn, the Mamba always a mystery. Its possible the Mamba could get the boot?

Those two RR STARlites, I gave them to my grandson when he started playing with me three years ago. I have a backup Star Mamba 147g, and I'll see if he can throw it, and see if he wants to trade one of his roadrunners. Might be fun to see how far I can throw one downwind three years later. He loves those RR, it's his longest distance, and he loves the glide.

By the numbers, Orbital should be less stable than the Wave? Wave is -2/2, so slightly under stable to almost neutral? Orbital is -4.5/1, so it should be very under stable? For comparison, Mamba is -5/1, and I think it is one of the most under stable discs made by any manufacturer? I have thrown Mambas and Waves, but never threw an Orbital. I am just going off the flight numbers.

 

[ru4por]

By the numbers, Orbital should be less stable than the Wave? Wave is -2/2, so slightly under stable to almost neutral? Orbital is -4.5/1, so it should be very under stable? For comparison, Mamba is -5/1, and I think it is one of the most under stable discs made by any manufacturer? I have thrown Mambas and Waves, but never threw an Orbital. I am just going off the flight numbers.

Sigh. Flight numbers are more about the sum of their parts than individual numbers. A speed 9 [-4 turn] and a speed 13 [-4 turn] disc are two very different animals. Different discs handle disc speed differently. Different disc shapes are conducive to different throws, from different players. There are way more variables than the above post suggests. Experience is a huge part of this learning curve.

I think most new players on this forum are REALLY hung up on distance. IMO, this should be on of the last concerns. Form, accuracy, angles, throws [forehand, roller, tomahawk, thumber, scoober, backhand...] should all probably be skills to focus on. Most of them will deliver distance as you progress. I realized the pro game, youtube, the internet and such, all manufacture some kind of glory in distance, but I would hope most new players would be trying to play better disc golf. I honestly think that lightweight discs are not great learning tools. [maybe for juniors] Learn your game on full weight discs and once accomplished, seek a few feet of added distance in weight reduction.

I was watch the distance competition with a newb the other day. He became immediately convinced that a high, sky anny flex was the key to added distance. I let him go out and try for a few holes. After getting tired of looking for his disc, I sat down and tried to explain that clean form, a flat release and good snap is the place to start for scoring and accuracy.