Blobfish ITB 2019 questions

[Blobfish]

I can fit 16 + 1 putter.
Currently I have:

Putting putter:
175g ProD Rattler

Low speed (Putters and Approach):
173g Jawbreaker Challenger
170g Ace Race (ESP?) Sol
170g Z-FLX Zone


Midrange:
170g Elite-Z Buzzz beat-in
170g Elite-Z Buzzz newer
169g Star Mako3
168g Lucid Verdict (I have been back and forth on this disc and a heavier beat-in Drone)

Fairway:
172g Ace Race Titanium Mantis
165g Neutron Tesla
168g Elite-Z beat-in Heat
173g Big-Z Heat
173g Z-Flx Heat

Distance:
173g Big-Z Thrasher
168g Z-Flx Machete
168g Epic
144g Z-Lite Nuke



The discs in BOLD are ones that I am very comfortable with. There are two color-coded bold discs as well:
The Tesla flies very much like my AR Mantis, but it's more visible (the only thing I don't like about my AR Mantids is that the titanium coloration is not the easiest to locate). I throw the mantis more frequently, but if I'm worried about having to find my throw, I'll throw the tesla.
The light and beat-in heat used to be my favorite disc, but it turns over too easily compared with the heavier Big-Z and Z-Flx ones. I predominantly use the heat for FH hyzerflip shots. The Big-Z ends slightly turned, the Z-Flx ends slightly faded. The elite-Z one ends very turned. It's predictable though, and there's merit to that.

That leaves me with four discs I am unsure on and a potential 5th slot if I take out the lightweight heat.

My Needs/Wants:
I struggle a lot with upshot consistency. I've been working on fixing a lot of my erratic shots here by focusing my attention on the zone and the sol. I can get a laser straight hyzerflip flick with sol in the 100-120 foot range and that's been really helpful. Beyond that range, I throw my zone either FH or BH depending on how I want it to fade.

Why I added:
The challenger: I added this because it is like a squatter and somewhat chunkier version of my rattler. There are times where I'd like to just toss the rattler on an approach where I want it to float down and die. I've also banged trees doing this and since the rattler only comes in cheap-o plastic, I didn't want to accidentally destroy it, so I am toying with the jawbreaker challenger. But I only throw it for floating backhand shots.

The mako3: I added this to get more distance from the same shot I throw with the sol. A little more power (not a lot) can get me another 50 feet comfortably on a very straight line. I only have the one so practicing consistency is kind of tedious, but I think it makes sense.

The machete: I see people effectively weave in and out of trees at my local course using this disc on a tomahawk much like a shortstop throwing a 4-6-3 double play back to first. So I decided to give it a try. It's a crazy weaving shot that I can get a good 180-220 feet with, though it feels a little rough on the elbow.

The epic: So yeah, I love weird discs and I had to get one of these. But you can tune it to the degree of stability that you wish. That alone seemed like a very useful disc to have to get out of trouble. But on the downside, the plastic is very soft and not so durable.


Anyway, how does the bag look with regards to the bold discs which comprise my core game, and what would you suggest with respect to the others? I have backups of the zone, the thrasher, the AR sol, and the AR mantis, but I didn't really see a need to bag more than one of each. Maybe I'm wrong?

Thanks in advance

 

[Blobfish]

Ok so since nobody jumped in yet, I spent the evening throwing my AR Sols and discovered that I can adjust the hyzer angle enough to get more straight distance on the flips and by keeping it low enough, the unpredictable direction of the finish is minimized.
So rather than bagging a different (even though it feels pretty close) mold, I swapped out the mako3 with a 167g AR Sol. This lighter Sol generally ends turned over while the heavier one is the one which sometimes fades.

 

[livextreme9]

I was going to ask if the Mako3 and SOL overlapped. Seems like you figured that out already though. I am a fan of manipulating less stable discs to hit lines. They can produce some of the prettiest shots. Your bag overall looks solid though. Do you ever find yourself trying to hit a line and not feeling like you have a disc for it?

I bag multiples of almost every mold in my bag except for my FD3, MD5, Nova and Leopard. The FD3 and MD5 aren't thrown a ton on the courses I play around me. Plus, when I throw them a lot I feel like it messes with my form and ability to hit lines with my less stable discs. I don't see the point of carrying multiple Novas and occasionally I will bag a second Leopard.

 

[SD86]

Everything looks pretty good. My only suggestion is to bag the discs you're most comfortable with. If there's a question about a disc in your mind, leave that disc at home. If you're missing it while playing, put it back in the bag. If you don't miss it, then leave it out.

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

You don't have to stuff the bag full. Just take out the ones not in bold or color.

 

[HERB brooks]

(examples in blue):

Golf Distance (avg/max*) for putter/mid/driver: Wizard: 200/240'; Buzzz: 250/280'; Teebird: 310/330'

* Max distance is the greatest distance you can throw your top 2-3 drivers with any regularity

Listing your distances in the format quoted above should help you to get better feedback on your bag. There is a little overlap in your bag, but nothing too crazy. Some of my recommendations may change based on how far you are throwing on both BH & FH shots. (My suggestions will be in Red)

I can fit 16 + 1 putter.
Currently I have:

Putting putter:
175g ProD Rattler This is a very unique choice for a putting putter, but if you are effective with it keep on putting with the Rattler. If not, you have a good alternative in the Challenger.

Low speed (Putters and Approach): This selection of discs should have all your approach lines covered.
173g Jawbreaker Challenger
170g Ace Race (ESP?) Sol
170g Z-FLX Zone


Midrange:
170g Elite-Z Buzzz beat-in
170g Elite-Z Buzzz newer
169g Star Mako3 If you are only using the Mako3 as a slightly longer Sol, you might as well just add in your backup Sol. You should be able to replicate the Mako3 shots with a Sol pretty easily, add a little more hyzer and power on release if necessary. A beat in Buzzz can also easily cover Mako3 lines, especially if its an Elite X or Jawbreaker.
168g Lucid Verdict (I have been back and forth on this disc and a heavier beat-in Drone)

Fairway:
172g Ace Race Titanium Mantis
165g Neutron Tesla If the AR Mantis and Tesla fly nearly the same lines for you, I'd use the Tesla. Its not out of production unlike the AR Mantis (stock run Mantis fly much less OS than the AR Mantis) and comes in non-camouflage colors.
168g Elite-Z beat-in Heat
173g Big-Z Heat
173g Z-Flx HeatThree Heats sounds like overkill in my opinion, one or two straight to US fairways should be plenty. I would remove the middle stability of the three from my bag.

Distance:
173g Big-Z Thrasher
168g Z-Flx Machete I'd keep this as your OS utility disc and remove the Epic.
168g Epic Unless you have a cannon arm and are getting this thing out 350'+, I would remove it. As you said the plastic sucks, and you are gonna be throwing it on thumpers and tomahawks which is going to really destroy the plastic. You should be able to throw overhand shots with a disc that has other uses , and comes in better plastic.
144g Z-Lite Nuke

 

[lines]

If you are having upshots troubles, drop the Mako3 and add an OS putter. Try the GT Banger (I prefer the Scale but I sense a discraft lean). The Zone can have too much skip potential on shots you need to sit. The Banger is good for preventing that. You should have Mako shots covered with the Buzzz and Sol.
I would dump the epic too. Work in a new Tesla or Sol.

 

[Blobfish]

I was going to ask if the Mako3 and SOL overlapped. Seems like you figured that out already though. I am a fan of manipulating less stable discs to hit lines. They can produce some of the prettiest shots. Your bag overall looks solid though. Do you ever find yourself trying to hit a line and not feeling like you have a disc for it?

Thanks for your feedback! Yeah, I gave up on the mako3 because I spent a lot of time just throwing sols. I had lost sight of just how important the sub 150 foot game was and learning to make the sol do what I want has really helped a lot. The two sols I keep in the bag are only slightly different, but I like having them both there instead of one sol one mako3. And no, I don't feel like I don't have a disc to hit any line... I was worried that I had overkill
Thanks again!

 

[Blobfish]

Everything looks pretty good. My only suggestion is to bag the discs you're most comfortable with. If there's a question about a disc in your mind, leave that disc at home. If you're missing it while playing, put it back in the bag. If you don't miss it, then leave it out.

Thanks for the feedback! That makes sense, and it's why I made the ones I am most comfortable throwing in bold. I really wanted to just pick a set and move on without thinking about whether or not I miss it, but rather, how can I make best use of what I have. But then I would have discs that occupied the "what if" slot that invariably would never get used. Incidentally, I played my first tournament this weekend and used almost every disc in my bag.
Thanks again for your help!

 

[Blobfish]

You don't have to stuff the bag full. Just take out the ones not in bold or color.

This is why I don't get a cart at the store, but only a hand basket if anything. It keeps me from overbuying stuff I don't need. Turns out I had use for a lot of these non-bolded discs this weekend at my first tournament, but I think I overthink a lot of what I really need and should better focus on making good use out of what I'm comfortable with. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[Blobfish]

Listing your distances in the format quoted above should help you to get better feedback on your bag. There is a little overlap in your bag, but nothing too crazy. Some of my recommendations may change based on how far you are throwing on both BH & FH shots. (My suggestions will be in Red)

This was awesome, thank you for the feedback!

Putting putter:
175g ProD Rattler This is a very unique choice for a putting putter, but if you are effective with it keep on putting with the Rattler. If not, you have a good alternative in the Challenger.

Yes, the rattler is what gave me my first taste of putting consistency with gentle push putting. I have only recently rediscovered the challenger (at the time of my original post, I had just re-bagged it because I wanted to throw the rattler backhand for some distance but didn't want to really bang it into a lot of trees and I thought my jawbreaker challenger would be kind of close). Turns out, the challenger feels like a compressed rattler. I can push putt with it almost the same as I can with the rattler, but it's easier to spin putt (I am just learning to do that). I spent my afternoon today with challengers and a basket and I liked the results.

Low speed (Putters and Approach): This selection of discs should have all your approach lines covered.
173g Jawbreaker Challenger
170g Ace Race (ESP?) Sol
170g Z-FLX Zone


Midrange:
170g Elite-Z Buzzz beat-in
170g Elite-Z Buzzz newer
169g Star Mako3 If you are only using the Mako3 as a slightly longer Sol, you might as well just add in your backup Sol. You should be able to replicate the Mako3 shots with a Sol pretty easily, add a little more hyzer and power on release if necessary. A beat in Buzzz can also easily cover Mako3 lines, especially if its an Elite X or Jawbreaker.
168g Lucid Verdict (I have been back and forth on this disc and a heavier beat-in Drone)

I added in a 167 AR Sol and took out the mako3. I was thinking the along the same idea as you mentioned: more hyzer and power gets me the same distance. I am going to try the buzzz but I don't think it's really beat-in yet. I labeled them as such because I have the two and I'm playing the one more frequently to beat it in. As it stands, after posting my original, I went out and threw them and the "beat" buzzz is barely more US than the other one. But working one thing at a time, I am very comfortable making the sol do most of my straight line under 200' shots so long as wind isn't in play. And when it is, the zone fills in.

Fairway:
172g Ace Race Titanium Mantis
165g Neutron Tesla If the AR Mantis and Tesla fly nearly the same lines for you, I'd use the Tesla. Its not out of production unlike the AR Mantis (stock run Mantis fly much less OS than the AR Mantis) and comes in non-camouflage colors.
168g Elite-Z beat-in Heat
173g Big-Z Heat
173g Z-Flx Heat Three Heats sounds like overkill in my opinion, one or two straight to US fairways should be plenty. I would remove the middle stability of the three from my bag.

So I got the tesla when I joined a league. I never had any MVP discs and had to choose one. The tesla was described to me as an OS fairway driver. I asked if it was like an undertaker or a predator since I know Discraft's lineup better than other brands. The person said, it's more like a predator, and so I got it because I use the AR mantis where I would have an undertaker. Turns out, the tesla flies a lot like an undertaker and not a predator. I actually really like that disc. But I also bought a couple backup AR mantids a few months ago because I just really loved my first one. But you're totally right, I can always get new teslas, and I can get them in colors I can actually see. At my first tournament yesterday, I threw the tesla a LOT. The mantis, only a couple times.

As for the heats... I kept all three bagged, but this is because I think after a bout with walking pneumonia, and by throwing from a standstill, my speed of release is markedly down from like a month ago. Last week, I was out at the field and could not generate the arm speed needed to get my thrasher to fly as intended so I went back to using my heat for a distance driver, knowing that I could flip each with a varying degree of ease. I think the heat is my security blanket.

Distance:
173g Big-Z Thrasher
168g Z-Flx Machete I'd keep this as your OS utility disc and remove the Epic.
168g Epic Unless you have a cannon arm and are getting this thing out 350'+, I would remove it. As you said the plastic sucks, and you are gonna be throwing it on thumpers and tomahawks which is going to really destroy the plastic. You should be able to throw overhand shots with a disc that has other uses , and comes in better plastic.
144g Z-Lite Nuke

Agreed on all fronts here. Thanks again for your detailed feedback!

 

[Blobfish]

If you are having upshots troubles, drop the Mako3 and add an OS putter. Try the GT Banger (I prefer the Scale but I sense a discraft lean). The Zone can have too much skip potential on shots you need to sit. The Banger is good for preventing that. You should have Mako shots covered with the Buzzz and Sol.
I would dump the epic too. Work in a new Tesla or Sol.

Thanks for your feedback! I did drop the mako3 and replaced it with another sol. I hadn't thought of the Banger GT... it's not really OS tho is it? My challenger is more overstable I think? I had considered a scale before. Now that you mention this, I might look into it again, because the whole thumb track thing sounds kind of cool (remember I actually have an epic because I like novelty haha) and reptilian discs always sounded exotic. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[Blobfish]

So yeah, thanks everyone for the suggestions! I played my first ever tournament this weekend and didn't finish last in my division (that was my goal. Actually, my goal was: don't finish so far behind second to last place that you don't want to play again) and so I was really happy with my result.
Here's the bag I brought:

Rattler
Challenger
Sol 1
Sol 2
Zone
Buzzz 1
Buzzz 2
Verdict
AR Mantis
Tesla
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Thrasher
Machete
Z-lite Nuke

Through two rounds, I threw all of the discs in bold. I probably should have thrown a buzzz a couple times but I was running hot (for me) with the sol, the verdict, and the tesla. I have been fighting off a bout of walking pneumonia or bronchitis (or something that warranted a chest x-ray at least) for the past four weeks and realized this past week that I was just not throwing my thrasher with enough speed to make it worth it so I scaled back to use my heat as my primary tailwind driver and my tesla as my primary windy driver. I used the thrasher into a headwind on the last hole of the day. I thought, "I'm a little tired, I need to throw a RHBH anny, maybe this will hold a good line." Well, let's put it this way: it made for a nice roller!
I used the nuke on a forehand drive that had a sharp dogleg off to the right into a big headwind.
I used the machete when I effed up bigtime and ended far off into raspberry bushes. Incidentally, I got a free firebird in the player's pack. Must be a sign. I only played MA3, but I shot +2 through the two rounds and I felt really good about it.
Anyhow, you can see there's still a lot for me to learn about this game, so I really appreciate all of your thoughtful feedback!

 

[Blobfish]

Rattler
Challenger
Woodchuck
Scale
Sol 1
Sol 2
Z-FLX Zone
Jawbreaker Zone
Elite-X (beat in) Buzzz
Z-FLX Buzzz
Verdict
Drone
Eclipse(Had a hornet here for a bit)
AR Mantis
Tesla
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Raptor
Thrasher
Machete
Z-lite Nuke
Force


It's funny... for two years I never threw a FH, then I learned it just about a year ago. This season, I started off balanced BH/FH, but now I'm clearly favoring FH as my control is certainly skewed towards it. And given that my max power FH flex shot is just shy of my max distance BH, my scores have gone down with this transition (which I don't really want to become permanent)

I grayed out the discs that have left my bag and the new additions are the ones in blue.

The notable additions are the raptor and the force, two discs that are way too OS for me if I was throwing them backhand because I have very poor BH anny releases, but on flick flex shots, give me some of my best drives.

I still keep two US drivers (Heat and Thrasher) for turnovers , hyzerflips, and tailwinds.

I don't think I have any major gaps with this setup... I think I could use the thrasher as a roller if the situation called for it. This is my FH dominant setup while I'm still trying to hammer down some BH technique.

Any ideas/suggestions are welcome, thanks!