Driver Recommendation

[ChrisinFL]

itsRudy: Thanks for your thoughts. In fact, several days ago I ordered a few Makos from the Innova factory store. Although I am only throwing consistently under 200', I can finally notice the performance difference when throwing putters vs. mids.

On a somewhat unrelated note, let share a few thoughts as a beginner. This is a difficult sport. For years I have heard many friends share their thoughts about the many nuances in regular "ball golf" - the footwork, grip, hip & shoulder rotation, head position, follow-through, etc. I have come to the conclusion that all of these factors apply to disc golf as well. As a total beginner, attempting to be mindful of all of these factor simultaneously while driving is tantamount to keeping 15 balls in the air while juggling.

So for me, I have been isolating & concentrating on only 1 or 2 components (for example, in practicing driving) at a time. I figure that if I can lock these components into my muscle memory then I can move on to other aspects of driving technique. My initial goal throughout my practice is to driving straight, accurate & consistent. It's tough; but it's fun.

My personal backstory, however, presents a few limiting factors. Although I have been ( and continue to be) physically active all of my life, I have to develop my skills in disc golf within certain limits. Because of my active lifestyle, over the years I have had to replace both hips, both knees & one shoulder. Throw in a couple of rotator cuff tears & fused vertebrae and you can see that I have no delusion of making the pro disc golf tour. Oh, and did I mention that I am 74 years old?

As weird as it might sound, as with other activities in my life, I get a certain amount of enjoyment in disc golf by seeing how far I can push the limits within my abilities. And if the next 6 years are kind to me, I just might take another shot at vintage motocross racing that I did at the young(?) age of 50.

I doubt that telling you about my past history has little relevance to this thread & this forum in general. But many of us have our challenges in life that we have to work around in our quest to become better disc golfers. But as Phil Knight of Nike fame might say: "Just do it".

If you don't care about using regulation discs, but just want to have fun and throw further, I talked briefly with a very old gentlemen throwing some kind of very large object that, for lack of a better word, looked like hoops. They might have been 2 feet in diameter, very thin (no lip/rim), and the hoop was maybe 2-3 inches wide (mostly hollow center). Well, he was throwing easy, said he had to since his shoulder surgery, and he threw these things well past my 200 feet drives. Looked fun. I have no idea what they are called, but probably easy to find online. Best wishes.

 

[ChrisinFL]

Ray nailed it. Light weight, Diamond! I have about 30 mid range to drivers, and thrown a few others of family and friends - Diamond flies easiest, straightest, and regularly the farthest.

Update: Lat 64 Diamond 158g is still my most reliable distance disc (about 200' for me, age 54, and playing DG 3-4 months), but I have found I can get a little further if I throw a slight-medium hyzer angle with a light weight Innova Mamba, and I am working with a few other light weight discs that seem to have potential (130-150g): a Star Tern (squirrelly so far, but when it goes straight, 225'), and a MVP Fission Wave (225' if I release very flat, but if it comes out tipped either way, it will curve hard on me). Also, Roadrunners in various weights sometimes get me a little over 200', but not as reliable as the Diamonds. The beauty of the Diamonds is very beginner friendly for me - if I tip them a little hyzer or anhyzer, by accident, they want to flip to flat and run straight. That is why I find them the most reliable - they want to help me go straight!