[Recommend] Filling some gaps in a Newb bag

[Gusto181]

Hi everyone! So glad I found this site.

Looking for $.02 on bettering my mid and short discs. I used to disc golf frequently in college but not so much since. Now 34, I've gone out a few times with my "bag" and had a great time. I'm starting to play more and realizing disc selection is important (duh :doh: ). Back in college, I would play an entire round with just a Gazelle (and a lots of beer). I'd like to bolster my bag a bit to help become more consistent. Let the disc do the work instead of forcing it.

Enough rambling, currently I have:
Tern (lack speed to throw correctly so far)
Teebird (go to off the tee)
Gazelle (go to fairway)
Polaris LS (great for straight)
Zombee (new, still figuring out)
Wolf (shaping throws)
Omega putter (SUPER beat up, but buttery soft)

I was thinking of replacing my Omega since it's pretty beat up and going with a Vibram Summit. For approach shots, the Prodigy PA4 (for my skill level, maybe 300? 400 might be best if I'm not using it as my putter?) For a mid, the Vibram Ibex sounded like a solid addition, in between the gazelle and PA4. The Vibram Valley also sounded intriguiging as a replacement to the LS (also dinged up pretty good).

If I had to pick 2 right now, the PA4 sounds pretty legit...not sure what the 2nd would be.

Thoughts? Thanks all!

 

[Questatement]

It depends on your goals for this sport. If you're looking for a balance of immediate, highest success and rapid growth I would recommend the following;

If you're in your first year of play, get some rim sizes 1.3 mm - 1.5mm (Innova's speed 3-5) in the stable to slightly over stable range and stick with the Gazelle/TB as drivers until you're getting those two out to 300'+ on a fairly consistent basis. Put the Tern and Zombie away for now but keep them in mind to put back in the bag when you get the occassional 350' drive with the TB. The Wolf is perhaps the most difficult disc to master but a great teacher disc nonetheless.

 

[JOEMAMA]

I would also recommend a midrange and putter more on the stable side, KC Aviar/Wizard Roc/Buzzz type flight. The Ibex is a great disc and in heavier weights it can be very workable, I had a 170 and a 176 at one time but neither really held up to any headwind.

I just recently broke my bag down to the essential components and I have to say it's working just fine for me. Half as many discs in my bag and played all weekend without really missing a shot type at all.

 

[discflinger]

Hear me now and listen to me later; you need a Classic Roc.

 

[slowplastic]

You can't go wrong with a tried and true midrange like a Buzzz or Roc/Roc3. Others that fit this category are Axis, Core, Claymore, Mako3, and likely others but I haven't thrown them to recommend. They will be true to your form and always useful.

Also get a couple of putters (whatever mold you choose) that you can trust to throw and approach with, something like a Wizard, Ion, Anode, Envy, likely a bunch of others. Something that flies well (can be driven and hold straight) but will still force you to keep yourself clean because it's not a brick overstable disc.

 

[SD86]

Also get a couple of putters (whatever mold you choose) that you can trust to throw and approach with, something like a Wizard, Ion, Anode, Envy, likely a bunch of others. Something that flies well (can be driven and hold straight) but will still force you to keep yourself clean because it's not a brick overstable disc.

Maybe that new Colt would fit the approach slot here?

I putt with the Judge myself. Glance its way as you decide on your new putter.

 

[Gusto181]

I putt with the Judge myself. Glance its way as you decide on your new putter.

Which plastic do you prefer?

 

[SD86]

Which plastic do you prefer?

My Judge is Classic Blend. I like firmer discs, so I'd probably be good with the Classic, also.

Side note: I only putt with my Judge; I don't throw upshots or tee shots with it. I am considering a Lucid Judge for upshots, but might also look at the Colt or put the Nova back in the bag...

 

[jskew113]

If you look in the bag suggestions and feedback thread there is great info about building a bag.

If I could do it all again:

Find a putter that feels good in the hand. For me this is a beaded putter. I threw classic Judges when they first came out. Got my first ace with one. I then moved to KC Aviars for a while and have currently settled on Wizards. The Wiz was recommended to me when I first joined and I finally tried the mold and they work great for me off the tee and in the circle even after playing for a while.

For mids I bounced from the Buzzz and the Roc. I personally like a mold I can cycle, which allows me to use one mid mold to cover all my shots. Currently we are in the golden age of mids so you could easily find a couple to work for you. Like a putter , just decide if you like beaded types or not.

Unless you are throwing 350'+ with speed 7 molds a faster driver isn't going to add a lot. I would recommend finding something that flies straight out of the box and another that flies straight and has a reliable fade. Avoid Champion style plastics from the start. The best disc I have in my bag are those that are beat up and Champ style plastics take a long time to beat in.

If I were starting out I would go:


Soft or Fossil Wizard. McPro or DX Aviar if you don't like beads
DX Roc or X Buzzz
DX or Pro Leopard if you throw sub 300', DX Teebird or Eagle if you throw over 300' with fairways.
Honorable mention would go to a heavy Champ Teebird if you play in a lot of wind.

Once you can control those types of discs should you look into others.

 

[Gusto181]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback. Reading your replies and searching the forums I see no reason not to add a DX Aviar and X Buzzz. Beaded discs just don't feel comfortable.

The Buzzz looks to have a similar flight/stats to the Ibex but is much more affordable. If I like the Buzzz, I can always add the Ibex later.

I still might grab a Vibram Summit in addition to a DX Aviar. Really like the rubber feel of my Omega.

I have a Champion TeeBird that has some wear (casual play over 10 years). I'm guessing if I added a DX and broke it in a bit, it would be a bit straighter/fade less? Since I don't already have a Leopard, may be in my best interest to grab a DX or Pro version and work on my form rather than trying to throw harder :thmbup: .

 

[grotto]

I have a Champion TeeBird that has some wear (casual play over 10 years). I'm guessing if I added a DX and broke it in a bit, it would be a bit straighter/fade less? Since I don't already have a Leopard, may be in my best interest to grab a DX or Pro version and work on my form rather than trying to throw harder :thmbup: .

Keep the Champion Teebird as your stable disc. I don't advise a DX Teebird though. While they are great discs and get crazy distance, they don't hold their sweet spot long enough and may frustrate you, a few tree hits and a month of heavy play and it's a roller. If you want to go the DX route, I would suggest an Eagle "X", it will last you a lot longer.

Same with the Leopard, get a Pro! Stars are nice too but a little more stable.

 

[JOEMAMA]

X Buzzz and Aviar are great choices, you can always pick up a Z Buzzz down the road that would compliment the X especially after you season it up a bit.

DX Teebird or Pro Leopard, can't go wrong with either one. I'd stay away from the DX Leo's they can get beat in to useless pretty quickly if you play a lot of wooded golf, DX Teebird will hold up a good bit longer due to the fact it starts out much more HSS than the Leopard.

The only thing else I would recommend is an overstable utility driver like a Firebird, XXX or Monster in a Champ type plastic, nothing too fast and you want something that is designed to be OS as opposed to something that flies OS because of speed.

Stick to these 5 discs and your game will improve very rapidly and save you a ton of money buying discs you don't end up keeping.

 

[m_Krakov]

The DX Aviar is the same mold as the Omega SS you have, so if you wanted something "different", this would not likely be the most significant change. I was once addicted to omegas, all about that beadless mold. Tried a wizard because I had heard so much about it but I didn't like it, so it sat in the practice pile...fast forward 6 months and I won't touch a beadless putter. For me the bead helps with a consistent grip angle and release. I am not trying to sell you on one disc over the other., just saying that you really need to try putters and mids (or any other disc for that matter) to find what feels good in the hand and what flies good for you. All of the suggestions here are great, but you may have better success in trying a few and seeing what works. For example, people literally would start a fist-fight over the Roc, but I don't like them, as they just don't feel good to me. So many molds these days that trial and error is practically part of the process. Good luck, and have fun!

 

[SD86]

Keep the Champion Teebird as your stable disc. I don't advise a DX Teebird though. While they are great discs and get crazy distance, they don't hold their sweet spot long enough and may frustrate you, a few tree hits and a month of heavy play and it's a roller. If you want to go the DX route, I would suggest an Eagle "X", it will last you a lot longer.

Same with the Leopard, get a Pro! Stars are nice too but a little more stable.

I'm not familiar with the Eagle, but I agree with the rest of this. One suggestion is to look around for a Factory Second Star Teebird and Factory Second Star Leopard. Pick them up at the weights you like and at a discount (i.e. cheap) price. Then throw them around. Throw them into trees, throw them into the chains. It'll take time, but they'll beat in, and then they're your best buddies on the course.

 

[grotto]

Another good option is the DX Gazelle. These beat in nice and hold up longer than a DX Teebird in my experience. They make a good candidate for cycling.

Lots of options for mids, if you like the Buzzz, go with it. If the bead of a Roc bothers you, no need to try it. Another good option is a Truth, very Buzzz like and for me it's a bit longer than a Buzzz.

 

[Gusto181]

The only thing else I would recommend is an overstable utility driver like a Firebird, XXX or Monster in a Champ type plastic, nothing too fast and you want something that is designed to be OS as opposed to something that flies OS because of speed.

Funny you mention this, my wife found a Champion Firebird the other day. Giddyup

 

[Gusto181]

Another good option is the DX Gazelle. These beat in nice and hold up longer than a DX Teebird in my experience. They make a good candidate for cycling.

I'm almost positive my Gazelle is Pro plastic, but I'm not seeing online where they make that anymore? Would have been bought back in '01/02 timeframe.

 

[JOEMAMA]

I'm almost positive my Gazelle is Pro plastic, but I'm not seeing online where they make that anymore? Would have been bought back in '01/02 timeframe.

They only produce the Gazelle in DX these days. You can go to the Innova Factory Store and get them in Pro/GStar/Star/Champ but they are pricey once you factor in tax and shipping which they will charge you. I bought two Pro Gazelles awhile back from Discgolfcenter that were 17.99 each but with the free shipping and my discount they were still cheaper than buying them from the Factory Store at 13.99 each.

DX Gazelles so cycle well and are workhorses on wooded courses. I bagged the Gazelle as my only fairway for a long time but I began to have some consistency issues with my whole game and decided to build my whole bag and game back up from scratch so I started with the Star Leopard and GStar Thunderbird, these two discs cover almost every line I need now and I bag a Champ Glo Gazelle that is the perfect in between.

 

[tkaiser]

Don't fall in the trap of buying expensive collector discs! Buy discs that you can replace. I lost so many discs when I first started.

In regards to discs, you are on the right track. Learn the discs you have. Once you get your arm speed and snap up then discs fly differently. Work on your technique and form. I would say learning to throw more efficiently will suit you better then getting "new" discs. I know that isn't the most exciting answer but ultimately you are throwing the discs not the other way around.

Best of luck!

 

[slowplastic]

If you already have the champ Teebird, a Pro Leopard is a good complement to it. DX Teebird is far more understable than champ. Pro Leo is different from a DX Teebird for sure, but it will wear in slower than DX.

Another putter option if you don't like beads on a putter is a Gateway Warlock. I don't throw them but know lots of people who love them. Should be more stable than an Aviar without having a bead still.