Anyone else throwing Terns? Big distance for slow arms?!!

[ChrisinFL]

With a slow arm, playing 3-4 months, and maxing out distance at 200-225 feet, I was recommended a light weight Star Tern by a couple different guys. I thought a 12 speed was way too fast for me, but 'Terns' out they were right. My most distance is light weight Mambas, Fission Wave, and a light weight Beast, but the Tern beats them all by about 20 feet. Still learning the disc - with any little tip either way on release it seems to take a big turn or a big fade - I fight to keep it straight - but when I get it right, 245 feet. Hoping to get further as I improve, and practice with the Tern (already got two more, so I can learn the disc faster). Others, what do you think of the Tern, especially in light weight as a distance disc, for us distance challenged throwers?!

 

[BillFleming]

I had a 139 gram Star Tern in my bag for a while. But this year I cut back to only 5 speeds and less. I'm getting to the point where I'm adding a few faster discs into my bag, but it will be a while before I consider putting the Tern back in. It's really nice for my 'noodle' arm, but lousy in the winds we frequently see in Arizona. Last year, playing twice a week, I may have used it for one throw in a month....so not really a highly used disc for my bag. My 157g Insanity and 148g Wave have a better chance of making my bag again.

 

[Sewer bill]

I think fast light understable discs are extremely difficult to sort out as the wind will have its way with them but if you use them strategically there's nothing wrong with them and they help lots of people cover more ground. I have only thrown a halo tern one time and it flipped over immediately so I don't know what it flies like with correct angles.

 

[BillFleming]

Additionally, with high speed discs....it's not that we "can't" throw them, it's that it is hard to get it to go when it is a heavier weight. With any disc, it is more about the weight....you have to have the arm speed to get the weight of the disc moving like it needs to do. Getting a lighter weight disc lets us throw it with a lower arm speed, but we give up other things. Such as a good flight in a headwind....a lower weight disc just isn't going to cut it. Also, sometimes the flight of a lighter weight disc will be different than the same disc in a heavier weight. I could probably throw a 14 speed, but at normal weights it wouldn't go far and would just dump to the ground....but if I could get it in 120 to 125 grams....I could probably get a decent flight out of it.

 

[BillFleming]

I think fast light understable discs are extremely difficult to sort out as the wind will have its way with them but if you use them strategically there's nothing wrong with them and they help lots of people cover more ground. I have only thrown a halo tern one time and it flipped over immediately so I don't know what it flies like with correct angles.

You really have to have the right conditions for the lower weight discs. I played a round at Fountain Hills Disc Golf Course here in Arizona. Hole 1 has three tee pads and I play from the AM pad. From there, there are two options....throw over water to the basket or 'lay it up' by throwing over land. I've never 'gone for it' and thrown at the basket before, but this one time I had a very calm day, so I pulled out my low weight Tern and pretty much parked the basket. Not a throw I would have tried with any wind (okay, maybe a tail wind).....but definitely not any kind of a head wind.

 

[Sewer bill]

You really have to have the right conditions for the lower weight discs. I played a round at Fountain Hills Disc Golf Course here in Arizona. Hole 1 has three tee pads and I play from the AM pad. From there, there are two options....throw over water to the basket or 'lay it up' by throwing over land. I've never 'gone for it' and thrown at the basket before, but this one time I had a very calm day, so I pulled out my low weight Tern and pretty much parked the basket. Not a throw I would have tried with any wind (okay, maybe a tail wind).....but definitely not any kind of a head wind.

I bet in a tailwind they go very far. You should try some floater discs and go for it on a windy day, worst case the wind blows it back to shore best case you clear it. Gateway makes a couple high speed floaters.

 

[GripEnemy]

After 20+ years I tried them, I have a pair of twins in my bag I rotate every throw to wear evenly. Max weight Champs. They're so much fun!

I thought, "hurrdurr longer Valk" was nonsense but aside from the lower profile/shorter rim feel they really are. Not playing nearly as much as I used to, nor doing any fieldwork/form practice, inevitably my distance dropped. It's nice to get my "old Valk flights" without spending the time I don't have. The power is still in me just definitely less consistent.

They're a low line woods killer for me and got me my longest drive ever on a favorite home course hole Saturday. Tied another favorite hole best drive 4 holes prior.

Aside from the Tern I haven't added a mold in quite some time - stuck in my old ways. Comets pre Covid and Bergs when they released otherwise I've been throwing my bag for a long while.

 

[foxdawg10]

I throw a 172g Champion Tern. Good distance it is my longest disc, fairly overstable for a Tern. It is true to it's numbers, It has a low amount of high speed turn, and always comes back to straight at the end of it's flight. Being a Tern, it is not very trust worthy with anything more than a slight headwind.

 

[lee76007]

I also had a pair of star terns 167g and 172g I could use for wooded courses with a good Glide under canopy. I'm lhbh and they flew right center Fairway for me which is unusual for about any other disc that I have ever used. The problem I have with them is eight months out of the year we can have strong wind and they were pretty useless in any type of headwind and can be brought to the ground by a strong Tailwind. Great disc in light wind, better results with a proton or plasma wave getting myself to the same spot in the Fairway with wind.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I am in Central Florida, and most of the time when I play, not much wind. Although, hurricane coming - I played yesterday and today, and it was very nice out, but pretty sure nobody will be playing here the next couple of days - going to be high winds, about 95% rain, and general stay inside weather. Also, the course I play the most leans towards being a beginner course. There are trees, for sure, but also plenty of open tee shots, or where you just need to pick your path to get around one or two trees. Leaves me a lot of opportunity to use the Tern. Another local course is heavily wooded, with a lot of short, technical (means heavily treed, to me) holes - Hidden Oaks. I haven't played there in a while, but I am sure a lot fewer opportunities to use my Tern. The last local course is very advanced - Holloway Park. I played it one time - decided I need to get a lot better before I mess with it again!

 

[TheOtherBill]

Terns are my go-to distance driver in light wind. I just got a glow champ one that was on sale in the Factory Store and it is $$ - even outdrove my 14-year old flippy destroyer.

 

[BillFleming]

I bet in a tailwind they go very far. You should try some floater discs and go for it on a windy day, worst case the wind blows it back to shore best case you clear it. Gateway makes a couple high speed floaters.

I have a floater disc, the Innova Dragon. It sits on my shelf and won't get used. I made an okay throw with it over a pond, it hit the far edge...if it had been a regular disc, it would have stayed there.....unfortunately, as I went to get it it floated away from the edge and ended up in the middle of the pond.

 

[BWoody]

I see a Tern as similar to a King. But I like the Kings way better.....I throw them in the 160s so don't know if that compares correctly...
Have you tried a King, and how does it compare in your mind...?

 

[txmxer]

First off, I think people should throw whatever they want to throw. Experimenting is the spice of life. Have fun. Buy every disc imaginable and see what happens.

But, there is no magic. If you throw 225' with xyz disc, there is no disc that will turn that into a 300' of 400' or more.

Consistently. The most evil things discs do is the unexpected. They fly 100' further than they should. Once.

Like golf, DG, is a mental game as much as anything. I have and continue to try to unlock the magic...nose down, light weight discs, perimeter weighted discs, etc., but, at the end of the day, it will be the archer and not the arrow that determines success. Even if you find the disc that does something special for you, it will be you that makes it happen.

If you could throw 400' in a shotgun pattern versus 200' with pinpoint accuracy, who would win on a given course? More often than not, the 200' ACCURATE thrower. The issue is the 300' semi-accurate thrower, and most of us are not PINPOINT accurate at 200'. Of course in wooded/tight lines, those numbers may be a fraction. Being 50' out in horrible rough sucks more than being 200' out in the open.

Golf success starts with minimizing bad and going from there. IMO.

Mambas, Beast, Grace, Saint, Ballista's, etc., all offer a lot of promise. IMO, the Hatchet gives the most bang for buck if you find the right disc. Don't push it. Let the Hatchet do the work. Probably never going 500', but it can stretch a casual 250' to 300' or more (IMO) like no other.

Throwing hard is generally the antithesis of gaining distance. Every extra bit of force is lost to poor form (nose angle, OAT, etc.)

As Danny (dynamic discs) says, slow is smooth, smooth is far.

 

[HyooMac]

With a slow arm, playing 3-4 months, and maxing out distance at 200-225 feet, I was recommended a light weight Star Tern by a couple different guys. I thought a 12 speed was way too fast for me, but 'Terns' out they were right. My most distance is light weight Mambas, Fission Wave, and a light weight Beast, but the Tern beats them all by about 20 feet. Still learning the disc - with any little tip either way on release it seems to take a big turn or a big fade - I fight to keep it straight - but when I get it right, 245 feet. Hoping to get further as I improve, and practice with the Tern (already got two more, so I can learn the disc faster). Others, what do you think of the Tern, especially in light weight as a distance disc, for us distance challenged throwers?!

I've had similar experience (I'm an older player who maxes out around 250").

I've had lightweight Terns go 300' for me (honest measured on football field). I've also had a lot of success with lighter (154 - 155g) Waves in proton and fission.

But most recently, here's the hard truth:

I can consistently throw a similar weight 9 speed Virus almost as far as an 11 speed Wave, with a bit more accuracy.

But I can throw a much heavier 6 speed Kastaplast Stig almost just as far, with late turn and a lot of glide.

Not arguing with any of the points made here about lighter weight discs being so good for the distance-challenged.

But I have found that I have a lot of "compression" among different speed discs going 225' - 250' - and I am scoring better these days by focusing more on getting consistent flight shapes as much as distance!

 

[txmxer]

I've had similar experience (I'm an older player who maxes out around 250").

I've had lightweight Terns go 300' for me (honest measured on football field). I've also had a lot of success with lighter (154 - 155g) Waves in proton and fission.

But most recently, here's the hard truth:

I can consistently throw a similar weight 9 speed Virus almost as far as an 11 speed Wave, with a bit more accuracy.

But I can throw a much heavier 6 speed Kastaplast Stig almost just as far, with late turn and a lot of glide.

Not arguing with any of the points made here about lighter weight discs being so good for the distance-challenged.

But I have found that I have a lot of "compression" among different speed discs going 225' - 250' - and I am scoring better these days by focusing more on getting consistent flight shapes as much as distance!

money!

 

[ChrisinFL]

I've had similar experience (I'm an older player who maxes out around 250").

I've had lightweight Terns go 300' for me (honest measured on football field). I've also had a lot of success with lighter (154 - 155g) Waves in proton and fission.

But most recently, here's the hard truth:

I can consistently throw a similar weight 9 speed Virus almost as far as an 11 speed Wave, with a bit more accuracy.

But I can throw a much heavier 6 speed Kastaplast Stig almost just as far, with late turn and a lot of glide.

Not arguing with any of the points made here about lighter weight discs being so good for the distance-challenged.

But I have found that I have a lot of "compression" among different speed discs going 225' - 250' - and I am scoring better these days by focusing more on getting consistent flight shapes as much as distance!

I can get a straighter, more accurate drive with a Leopard Pro, and my Diamonds, but I max out around 200' with them, with 175-200' normal. But, I regularly play a course with a lot of 250-300' holes, and two longer holes, and a lot of them fairly wide open. The guys I play with all get more distance than me, so I am routinely playing catch up with my short game, and really struggle versus them on the two longer holes. For a while my short game was keeping me competitive, but as we all add distance, they get more and more looks at 10-30' putts for birdie, while I am hoping for a look at a 50' putt. The two longer holes, if I don't get a real good tee shot and second shot, I am most likely giving up a stroke, and I might give up a stroke there even with the two good shots. I continue to study, read, watch videos on improving my form, especially to get more distance, practice more than any of them, but so far no snap. I add 10-20', and they add 20-50'. So, yeah, at this time, the distance matters for me.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I've had similar experience (I'm an older player who maxes out around 250").

I've had lightweight Terns go 300' for me (honest measured on football field). I've also had a lot of success with lighter (154 - 155g) Waves in proton and fission.

But most recently, here's the hard truth:

I can consistently throw a similar weight 9 speed Virus almost as far as an 11 speed Wave, with a bit more accuracy.

But I can throw a much heavier 6 speed Kastaplast Stig almost just as far, with late turn and a lot of glide.

Not arguing with any of the points made here about lighter weight discs being so good for the distance-challenged.

But I have found that I have a lot of "compression" among different speed discs going 225' - 250' - and I am scoring better these days by focusing more on getting consistent flight shapes as much as distance!

I get about 225' max with a 148g Fission Wave, and use it some. I threw a friend's about 170g Virus some, and for me it was a bit shorter, and no straighter or more consistent than my Wave. I routinely throw up to 40 discs of varying speeds and weights at a practice field - as long as there isn't much wind, and the light weight Terns and the Wave are my best driving discs. Even a ways right or left, they still likely get me a better second shot than my Leopard Pro or Diamonds thrown short and straighter.

 

[HyooMac]

I can get a straighter, more accurate drive with a Leopard Pro, and my Diamonds, but I max out around 200' with them, with 175-200' normal. But, I regularly play a course with a lot of 250-300' holes, and two longer holes, and a lot of them fairly wide open. The guys I play with all get more distance than me, so I am routinely playing catch up with my short game, and really struggle versus them on the two longer holes. For a while my short game was keeping me competitive, but as we all add distance, they get more and more looks at 10-30' putts for birdie, while I am hoping for a look at a 50' putt. The two longer holes, if I don't get a real good tee shot and second shot, I am most likely giving up a stroke, and I might give up a stroke there even with the two good shots. I continue to study, read, watch videos on improving my form, especially to get more distance, practice more than any of them, but so far no snap. I add 10-20', and they add 20-50'. So, yeah, at this time, the distance matters for me.

One solution would be to find new friends.

I get about 225' max with a 148g Fission Wave, and use it some. I threw a friend's about 170g Virus some, and for me it was a bit shorter, and no straighter or more consistent than my Wave. I routinely throw up to 40 discs of varying speeds and weights at a practice field - as long as there isn't much wind, and the light weight Terns and the Wave are my best driving discs. Even a ways right or left, they still likely get me a better second shot than my Leopard Pro or Diamonds thrown short and straighter.

I understand completely. I play a lot of wooded courses, so it's a pretty easy decision to give up 20' for more turn and a softer landing. I do a lot of fieldwork too - and sometimes I wonder if it's just the Wave's day or the Virus' day.

One of the things I've been working on all year is to reduce the number of molds I bag. I'd rather bag three of the same mold in different weights, plastics or amount of beat in, than bag three different molds. That's just me - but my goal is to lessen the doubt or indecision about what to throw every time I'm standing behind a lie.

One example I'll give you, as an MVP fan I bought 3 Rhythms in different weights when it was released earlier this year. I read about how understable it was designed to fly, and thought it would be a great slot between my Craves (which tend to have noticeable fade at the end) and my Signals (which are straight/understable for me). They're all 6 or 6.5 speeds and after a ton of trial and error, and bagging 6-7 fairways discs, and wondering what to throw - I find I can do almost everything with a set of 4 Craves, from heavy plasma to light fission. No Rhythms, no Signals. They real understable floating turnover shots can be handled by the one Stig I bag for expressly that shot, and I don't need to max my distance - maybe it's to reach a particular landing spot (this might be where you use your Leopard).

Sorry to ramble - but after six years and a lot of different molds and manufacturers, I feel like I'm on to something by limiting - and simplifyin - my bag.

Good luck! No matter which direction you take.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I see a Tern as similar to a King. But I like the Kings way better.....I throw them in the 160s so don't know if that compares correctly...
Have you tried a King, and how does it compare in your mind...?

I have never seen or used a King. Read up a little - many said not a beginner disc. A few said lighter weight ones suck, while a few others said lighter weight ones get good distance for slow arm. Seems like the light weight is VIP Air, and the looking I did, nobody had them in stock.