Fling it or Finesse it??

[PanicKJ]

On most holes 250 to 300 I drive with a putter. Of course uphill is a differant story but flat or downhill I throw a putter because it doesn't fade as much. When I say putter I am talking about a Rhyno which could almost be considered a midrange as far as how stable it is.

I have a friend who will throw a driver on a 200 foot hole and he is very successfull doing so. He never takes his eye off of his target and will anhyzer a driver and take into account the fade and skip.

Do any of you choose to finesse a bigger disc instead of discing down??

 

[AdamCaudle]

I don't trust myself to finesse a driver that much very accurately. I throw a putter when ever possible.

 

[optidiscic]

I go back and forth on this....I often use my rhyno for <200 drives I am worried will go plinko off trees or roll down steep slopes or both as my rhyno usually splats and sits down rather than hitting a tree and going 200 ft r or l of the fairway....swear sometimes its like the tree grabs my disc and throws the disc further than I can if its a driver....on open holes with flat ground I prefer to try to use a slow driver/mid range and attempt a skip approach.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

It depends on the situation. I really love fairway drivers and can usually control distance with them fairly well. The course I normally play though only has a couple of holes short enought to even disc down that much. The shorter holes are right around 300'. If I am going to a midrange or putter it is usually for a finesse shot as it is.

 

[PanicKJ]

It depends on the situation. I really love fairway drivers and can usually control distance with them fairly well. The course I normally play though only has a couple of holes short enought to even disc down that much. The shorter holes are right around 300'. If I am going to a midrange or putter it is usually for a finesse shot as it is.

I do love my teebird, funny thing is that I don't have a midrange that I am confident in, so I go from Rhyno straight to teebird most of the time.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

I do love my teebird, funny thing is that I don't have a midrange that I am confident in, so I go from Rhyno straight to teebird most of the time.

Yopu could try a Pig or a Gator. Both more overstable but faster than the Rhyno.

 

[optidiscic]

The Pig is a PIG but it almost seems to be BOUNCY...like an innertube..Ive seen mine bounce and roll like a tire....pretty scary to approach on a hillside green with that.

 

[TxDiscGolfBoy]

Max distance drivers performance (as to what they're rated and/ do) is spread out over longer range flight. Fairway drivers and mids would be the oposite...meant to perform (as to what they're rated and/ do) within shorter distances. Discing down would be my choice.

So, IMO, when using a max distance driver on holes the distance you mention, they're flight characteristics go to sh**. You end up having to over-exagerate you form, flight of the disc, speed of the throw, angle of the throw, etc. (not to say that going "outside the box" on some shots isn't necessary)

Too much effort IMO and too inconsistant, when in turn, using a mid or fairway driver with familiar power behind it, familiar form, familiar footwork, familiar angle of the throw....well, need I say more.

Roc or Buzz from that distance....ANYDAY. That's all you'll need.

 

[Mike C]

Fling it with a putter. I'd rather throw straight and smooth than deal with the obnoxious fade of an underpowered driver throw. I see others do the opposite and it works for them so whatever. As long as you get the best results possible who cares what disc you toss IMO.

I do love my teebird, funny thing is that I don't have a midrange that I am confident in, so I go from Rhyno straight to teebird most of the time.

I'm similar. I'm confident with my buzz, but more confident with my Wizard. My Buzz usually only gets pulled out for drives that are a bit much for the Wizard, but not quite Teebird territory. Played a 9 hole round today with a Wiz and Leopard and I felt I had all my bases covered.

 

[chiggins]

Putter.

 

[garublador]

It depends. Most of the time if I can get there with a putter I will, but there are situations where I'll throw a newer mid on a hyzer instead or throw a beat mid from a standstill. The same applies with mids and fairway drivers, too. I'm not sure I'd really call it "finesseing" the disc like you described, though. I get the usual flight pattern out of them when I power down and I still accelerate like I do on full power shots, I just don't put quite as much into it. IMO, powering down so much that you get a big fade out of an understable driver isn't a very good way to do it.

 

[toothyfish]

I'm trying to avoid the "powering down" approach, unless the line calls for it. Now if I need the bigger fade, that would be a case, but I rarely go down that far. I have used a Roc on a 220 ft drive ( light anny release), because I needed a gentle right turn and wanted it to fade back to the basket, a finesse S-turn if you want to call it that.

I don't throw a driver 200 ft, unless it's a forehand Whippet to get out of trouble or make an "L" shaped right turn, that may be too sharp to hit with a putter. Maybe a skip shot, too, but I consider these specialty shots, not my normal play.

 

[DGChronicles]

i stick with my drivers most of the time...every once and a while ill throw a fairway driver at a hole but normally i just finness a driver.

 

[chiggins]

I don't throw a driver 200 ft, unless it's a forehand Whippet to get out of trouble or make an "L" shaped right turn, that may be too sharp to hit with a putter.

Oh, yeah I forgot about that, haven't had to make that shot in a long time.

This hole at Casitas is about 160' down a steep grade with water behind it. Most folks try to go at the basket with a soft putter shot with finger crossed that it doesn't float or roll.

But there's a wide open dirt path that goes off to the right to the next tee, and if you throw a Whippet lightly down that road with some anhyzer, it'll 'S' right to an open window that shoots down the hill to a spot with enough brush to catch it right around pin-high.

It's sort of like doing a heavy masse shot in pool, probably not smart or worth doing with money on the line, but it's a fun trick shot.

Other than that though, Wizard if I can go at it, maybe Roc if th hyzer's big enough. But I played with a guy last weekend that preferred to skip drivers at that range, he was good at it and comfortable with the shot. It's hard to talk someone out of a shot they're good at and comfortable taking, and might not even be a good idea.

 

[chiggins]

(And then of course, if it's the trouble shot where I throw a leaned-over tommy to skip the top of the flight plate under brush and out the other side, an 11x KC Pro Gazelle is awesome for that shot. But that's it. Really.)

 

[Chucktown]

I can only throw my Wizard about 200-215ish, I throw it off the tee every chance I get, It is much more predictable and straighter than anything else in my bag.

 

[PanicKJ]

I pretty much throw every shot with the same power, just choosing differant shots and discs for the situation. This is why I was asking the question as I my friend will throw a driver on every shot except for the putt, with differant amounts of power for the situation.

I come from ball golf so I kept the same mindset.

I have tried to finesse a driver many times and have been successfull doing it, however sometimes it throws my aim off throwing that lightly.

 

[SteveHalsell]

Fairway Driver or Buzz

I recently purchased a really flexy Buzzz and I love it for straight and short drives. If the hole is 200 I will do one of the following:

(all of these are a RHBH approach)
- Shoot the Buzz and just stay low so I don't go past the hole
- Shoot my Star Stingray with the wing a little down so I can predict the flight pattern more accurately)

(this is not a RHBH approacj)
- I will use my Leopard if I have overhead clearance to do an overhand throw. I really like an overhand approach and I consider a 200ft. distance an approach shot. I can predict the left to right and land it on the top to slide into the hole if I throw it low and fast, or if I let it hang in the air it will come back right to left and slide that way. This approach is great if mastered and you can predict the flight pattern. It has gotten me through some thick trees in the past. I also like an Aviar for this, but it is much shorter distances and it doesn't come back right to left as easily as a Leopard.

 

[leppard]

Depends on the shot and conditions. On a downhill shot, I like throwing a big hyzer shot with a Wraith or Boss because when I throw a mid/putter straight, I will throw way long sometimes.

 

[JMONEY]

I usually try to finesse it with a driver and keep the skip minimal