Streets
* Ace Member *
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Dx and Pro will treat you the best and I would stick to some lighter weights like 168-171g for drivers. Less work to get them going.
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[Drivers] Fairly new player looking for a new disc
- Thread starter captainamerica
- Start date
Dx and Pro will treat you the best and I would stick to some lighter weights like 168-171g for drivers. Less work to get them going.
Nailed it.
SD86
Banned
If the Rhyno is working, keep using it. You can experiment with other putters later. As to plastics for the Leopard, I have one DX plastic (found on the course) and a couple of Factory Seconds (i.e. blemished and sold at discount) Star Plastic Leopards. I like Star Plastic. You might like the softer GStar plastic, though. If you can get to a store and actually put your grubby paws on some discs to get the feel of various plastics, that would be great.
tbird888
Salient Disc Test Team
I would suggest adding two discs.
The first would be a slower, glidey midrange. The Comet and Roc are both great, but I would probably recommend the Roc since it'll give you some extra beef to complement the Panther without being a meathook like the Gator. As a newer player with slower armspeed and less snap, you'll appreciate the extra distance the Roc's glide will give you. I know I did as I learned a BH. It's also at its best in DX plastic so it won't be a big loss if you lose it (as all new players tend to do). As you hit trees it'll also start to lose some of its fade and start to be one of your favorite discs. Resist the urge to try it in a premium plastic.
The second would be a slower understable driver. The Pro Leopard, DX Cheetah, or Neutron Switch are all great options. The Patriot is another great mold, but it's a little too fast. Streets is right about MVP discs needing a lot of spin to fly right, but the Switch is understable and slow enough that it's a little more forgiving than a lot of their drivers. It does have a pretty extreme fade when it slows that pushes it to the bottom of the list in my opinion. I would give the nod to the Leopard here. In Pro plastic, it'll be durable enough to handle all the trees you'll inevitably hit, but it has a ton of glide which will help you get some extra distance while you "grow" into it.
With the distance that you've listed, I would use the Leopard sparingly. I have only included a driver as an option because it helps give you feedback on something a lot of midranges don't, nose angle. With a midrange, you can throw with nose up (the leading edge of the disc being higher than the trailing edge, exposing the underside to wind instead of letting the wing design do what it's supposed to do) and still get decent distance. When you throw a driver the same way, it'll make the disc act more overstable than it should, causing it to fade much earlier than it should.
The first would be a slower, glidey midrange. The Comet and Roc are both great, but I would probably recommend the Roc since it'll give you some extra beef to complement the Panther without being a meathook like the Gator. As a newer player with slower armspeed and less snap, you'll appreciate the extra distance the Roc's glide will give you. I know I did as I learned a BH. It's also at its best in DX plastic so it won't be a big loss if you lose it (as all new players tend to do). As you hit trees it'll also start to lose some of its fade and start to be one of your favorite discs. Resist the urge to try it in a premium plastic.
The second would be a slower understable driver. The Pro Leopard, DX Cheetah, or Neutron Switch are all great options. The Patriot is another great mold, but it's a little too fast. Streets is right about MVP discs needing a lot of spin to fly right, but the Switch is understable and slow enough that it's a little more forgiving than a lot of their drivers. It does have a pretty extreme fade when it slows that pushes it to the bottom of the list in my opinion. I would give the nod to the Leopard here. In Pro plastic, it'll be durable enough to handle all the trees you'll inevitably hit, but it has a ton of glide which will help you get some extra distance while you "grow" into it.
With the distance that you've listed, I would use the Leopard sparingly. I have only included a driver as an option because it helps give you feedback on something a lot of midranges don't, nose angle. With a midrange, you can throw with nose up (the leading edge of the disc being higher than the trailing edge, exposing the underside to wind instead of letting the wing design do what it's supposed to do) and still get decent distance. When you throw a driver the same way, it'll make the disc act more overstable than it should, causing it to fade much earlier than it should.
captainamerica
Newbie
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- Jun 27, 2015
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- 12
Well I just got back from discing, and my estimation was wrong. I was throwing a very consistent 250 feet. Does that change anything you guys have said?
SD86
Banned
Again, with which disc? If the Beast or Valkyrie, most of the advice given still holds.
Also, do you feel you have good form, and you're getting good "snap" with your throws? Good form does not mean throwing super hard, by the way, it means coordinating your body parts in your throw to transfer the energy to the disc. I don't throw my Valkyrie as hard as I physically can... I don't have to. I concentrate on "flowing" through the steps and moving my body and arm so that the disc gets the forward energy and a lot of spin (think throwing a hammer by the end of the handle to get the best leverage).
Streets
* Ace Member *
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Not incredibly. What are you getting 250 with? Driver?
captainamerica
Newbie
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- Jun 27, 2015
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- 12
Yeah. Beast and Valkyrie. I know, not very far, but my form is terrible, as I just found out. Should I wait on new discs until I fix my form?
Streets
* Ace Member *
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If you get a new disc, I would get a slower speed 6 driver (Cheetah, Cyclone, Gazelle, Leopard) and start working on good form with those and also start working on throwing your mids and putter.
tbird888
Salient Disc Test Team
No. A Leopard would probably give you more distance. I know that's a strange concept, but disc speed is more a reference to how fast it needs to be thrown to fly like its ratings claim than how fast it flies out of your hand.
Honestly, at that distance, your Panther should be as long, if not longer, off the tee for you.
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captainamerica
Newbie
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- Jun 27, 2015
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- 12
I think I'll definitely have to get a Leopard, almost everyone has recommended that. Thanks
captainamerica
Newbie
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- Jun 27, 2015
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- 12
My Beast is DX. My Valk is Champion.
slowplastic
* Ace Member *
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For reference, until you're pushing something like a Leopard past ~300' you're likely strong arming and doing lots of things fundamentally incorrectly. At this point no disc will likely give you extra distance...there isn't going to be a magic distance purchase. Your arm speed will be limiting how far anything goes.
People recommend putters/mids/mellow fairways because they are straight and will fly accurately while you are learning, but they are still good discs that you will like even when you throw harder.
Once you can throw the fairway drivers consistently over 300' on line drives, that's when looking at different plastic options can open some doors. Technique is the way there though. I'm just trying to save you from some "this disc/that disc may help!" thoughts...everyone has been recommending/giving good advice.
People recommend putters/mids/mellow fairways because they are straight and will fly accurately while you are learning, but they are still good discs that you will like even when you throw harder.
Once you can throw the fairway drivers consistently over 300' on line drives, that's when looking at different plastic options can open some doors. Technique is the way there though. I'm just trying to save you from some "this disc/that disc may help!" thoughts...everyone has been recommending/giving good advice.
I wish I had gotten all this good advice and found this site sooner when I first started. I had played DG before in college mostly more of a social thing with one disc. It was not till a couple years ago I had a friend bring me along and I got hooked. I went and purchased a Innova starter pack with DX Leopard, Shark and Aviar. The first time I went with that I was striving for more distance and thought that going to buy those super sleek high speed drivers would get me that distance.... I couldn't be more wrong. It was not till I found DGCR that I realized the starter set was really all I needed. Those discs are all still in my bag and used often. Some of those high speed drivers I bought early on I just sit on in a drawer as I hope to be able to throw them well someday but do not have the arm speed to throw them. If your valk isn't going over 300' you should take the advice to disc down and work on technique.
