[Other] Having few molds vs. having many

[Streets]

Agreed. I happen to have 21 in my full bag right now, but I very frequently play with my Nutsac with nothing more than a Gravity Clutch, ESP Buzzz, FLX Drone, and either Star TB/Proton Crave or Champ TB/ DX TB. My scores between the two bags are minimal.

I've been doing a lot of Wizard, Buzzz, Leo3 rounds and shooting well with just 3-4 discs. Oh, and I've really started leaning on the Buzzz for shorter FH's that I used to throw a Firebird or something for. Just like that, a slot eliminated. :hfive:

 

[art_vandelay]

The fewer molds the better for me. I prove this to myself once in a while by just going out with a nice overstable dx roc and a wizard. I can usually get within a few strokes of what I'd normally do with my whole bag. It's a good tune up too. You have to work a little harder with just a putter and a midrange but not all that much.

 

[mk.ultra]

McBeth's last few ITBs have fluctuated between 10-13 different molds. Wysocki bags 15. The two highest rated pro's are hardly mold minimalists.

They're also top level pros who spend enough time playing to master that many molds. I feel like most players (especially beginner/intermediate) would benefit more from using a limited number of molds.

 

[superdrive]

IMO they carry core molds + some DISCS. Totally different thing and many seasoned player does that. Top pros could easily carry 7 molds and 10 discs.. that does not mean we should too.

Also, rotation comes much faster with high launching speed, even if you don't hit that many trees.

 

[ODRB]

In an effort to stir things up some more, I would like to say that I absolutely agree with those advocating that one should learn to throw the molds that they have, and become proficient with those molds. But, as far as trying new molds, I view throwing new molds in a similar way that people view playing new courses.

I want the experience of seeing what the new mold will do, and trying to work with it. When I find consistent success using a particular mold on a particular hole, I place that mold aside and try a new one instead, because I like the challenge of working the hole with a different disc. I believe that there is a lot to be learned from doing this. And, it is fun.

If one is looking for the easiest path to success on a disc golf course, then why are they playing new courses with which they are unfamiliar? Just play the same course over and over again for the rest of your life, and dial in each hole so that you can score really well on those holes...again and again and again.

Boring.


We all want to try new things, whether it be courses, or molds, or whatever.

There are some in this thread who are stating that they have played on large numbers of disc golf courses. Anyone that boasts of playing on a large number of courses, and then criticizes others for trying many new molds is a hypocrite as far as I am concerned. Or, they just don't get it that the new mold person is in fact just like them.

I think you kind of forgot what the question was.
#thriweverythig #frizbeezizfun For real.

However, if a bunch of folks who have played a ton of different courses and run a ton of different lines lean one way—especially if that is doing more with less—it might be worth listening to them. If only for a minute.

There are lots of ways to have fun. There are observed ways to get better at disc golf.

 

[ODRB]

Some of you all are acting like we all don't enjoy throwing every frisbee we see. Or every frisbee-esque object we see. In parking lots and empty fields and in front of the Butt Shack. I'm pretty sure all of us like throwing all the frisbees. Safe bet on a forum about Folks who love throwing the frisbees.

But throwing a brand new disc you don't know to cover shots you're already making with a known thrower will never be a safer way to lower scores than sticking with the one threw for a year. It just won't. And nobody good is doing that, regardless of the number of molds in their bag. And swapping a beat Firebird for a fresh one isn't the same thing.

Learn some good core discs or types of discs. Then identify and cover shots those aren't doing for you. Don't be afraid to fill gaps. Don't pretend you have gaps where you don't. Keep throwing the ones that work best. Hone in over time. Add fresh versions of your most thrown discs, over time. There are proven paths to lower scores and people who've had success with them. And there are people who play a ton of disc golf and make a ton of different shots. Both are worth at least a listen, if you want to shave strokes.

Or just enjoy the fun. Not everyone is looking to lower their scores as the focus of what makes the game fun for them. It sounded like the OP was.

 

[Casey 1988]

I think you kind of forgot what the question was.
#thriweverythig #frizbeezizfun For real.

However, if a bunch of folks who have played a ton of different courses and run a ton of different lines lean one way—especially if that is doing more with less—it might be worth listening to them. If only for a minute.

There are lots of ways to have fun. There are observed ways to get better at disc golf.

He did forget the original question just as I forgot about the replacing Disc discussion, with Champion/Elite Z type plastic. How the argument was, I though the person who said to not always get new of the disc was saying to never ever Change the disc till it becomes Illegal to use by the PDGA. I just replaced my JK Champion Valkyrie after 11 years of hard use well from 2006-2009 then again last year till mid June.

It was 2006 I got the disc, the first time they called the Plastic Champion in 2006 before that Pro Edition was Champion and Pro was another name, I think a Champion that was a different plastic from Pro we knew until Pro went with two types Soft, R-Pro and Hard, Pro Model not forgetting the pros Pro Plastics like KC, JK, Yetti, McBeth.

 

[SD86]

I'm in the fewest mold, fewest amount of disc camp. I'm not a believer in needing more than 10-12 discs over 6-8 molds for a round of golf.

And I'm the opposite. I'd rather have two molds for two different shots than try to make one mold/disc do both those shots. And I'd rather have two different molds than try to season in (a.k.a. cycle ) one mold to different flight patterns. I'm a believer in taking as many molds as I want/need to maximize my fun for a round of disc golf.

 

[Meillo]

I'm in the fewest mold, fewest amount of disc camp. I'm not a believer in needing more than 10-12 discs over 6-8 molds for a round of golf.

And I'm the opposite. I'd rather have two molds for two different shots than try to make one mold/disc do both those shots. And I'd rather have two different molds than try to season in (a.k.a. cycle ) one mold to different flight patterns. I'm a believer in taking as many molds as I want/need to maximize my fun for a round of disc golf.

Quoting Streets here isn't suitable when you talk about opposites. When he carries 11 discs of 7 molds, he only has e.g. four doubles or two triples. He has more singular discs than cycled ones -- surely no prime example for a cycler. He might be closer to you than to the real mold cyclers.

 

[Streets]

Quoting Streets here isn't suitable when you talk about opposites. When he carries 11 discs of 7 molds, he only has e.g. four doubles or two triples. He has more singular discs than cycled ones -- surely no prime example for a cycler. He might be closer to you than to the real mold cyclers.

The truth is though, I rarely carry more than 6 actual molds, usually it's somewhere in the 4-5 zone. I believe in maximizing the amount of shots you can do with a minimal amount of discs and disc types.

Buzzz for example. It's my go to midrange. I can make it turnover, hyzer flip, hold hyzer but also I use it for short FHs and FH rollers and get out of trouble FHs. I usually keep two, one seasoned and one fresh. I don't bag a Firebird anymore because between my Buzzz and say something like a Teebird, it's just unnecessary.

 

[Meillo]

The truth is though, I rarely carry more than 6 actual molds, usually it's somewhere in the 4-5 zone.

So that's a different picture.

I believe in maximizing the amount of shots you can do with a minimal amount of discs and disc types.

Agreed, in this respect you are on the contrary to SD86.



Just out of curiosity:

I don't bag a Firebird anymore because between my Buzzz and say something like a Teebird, it's just unnecessary.

In what way is a Firebird *between* as Buzzz and a Teebird? I'd rather say, a Teebird is between a Buzzz and a Firebird.

 

[GripEnemy]

It's not between. But with nose up and hyzer the FB isn't necessary for him. Or FH/BH turnover with something.

 

[Streets]

So that's a different picture.


Agreed, in this respect you are on the contrary to SD86.



Just out of curiosity:

In what way is a Firebird *between* as Buzzz and a Teebird? I'd rather say, a Teebird is between a Buzzz and a Firebird.

Firebird I never used as a "driver" it was always for one shot. FH approach, usually 250 and in. It was literally its only use because my backhand isn't big enough to use it outside of midrange distances and I don't OH or do longer FH rollers. I rarely play in what I would consider strong winds too.

So it was a single disc in my bag that only has one job, and now that job is filled by either my Buzzz (shorter range) or a Teebird/3 (slightly longer) AND both of those discs have other uses as well.

My bag is like a small business, everybody has multiple responsibilities. Except my putting Wizards, they just need to get in the basket.

 

[Meillo]

From another thread (replied here to not highjack the other thread):

During the discussion about throwing multiple molds versus throwing cycles of fewer molds, I realized that one reason I don't like cycles is that I have to buy more discs.

Aren't you actually buying less discs when you cycle them, because you use each disc longer? This at least is the case when you regard cycling as a natural thing that just happens. (If you force cycling, it's a different case, but those cyclers seem to be the minority.)

Cyclers will oftentimes buy used, beat-in discs, to replace lost ones. Non-cyclers buy new premium plastic discs and sell them when they are seasoned. Hence, cyclers should advertise non-cycling to keep their supply for nicely beat-in discs up. ;-)

 

[ODRB]

[C]yclers should advertise non-cycling to keep their supply for nicely beat-in discs up. ;-)

^ totally. Except not many non-cyclers are throwing KC and DX Rocs.
But I sure do love scoring nicely beat-in Firebirds and Destroyers and OLFs. And old, beat to crap, Xcals.

 

[armiller]

Aren't you actually buying less discs when you cycle them, because you use each disc longer? This at least is the case when you regard cycling as a natural thing that just happens. (If you force cycling, it's a different case, but those cyclers seem to be the minority.)

I like premium plastics (mostly Z/Champ and Star type plastic) and I like buying discs that will start off useful and gradually beat in to an even better profile. I don't get rid of worn premium discs, and I'm a believer in them continuing to get better with use. So maybe I'm one of those guys who regards cycling as a natural result of disc use, in the sense that discs have a life cycle. But I don't buy additional discs for the sake of a cycle. And I intentionally try to buy discs that have a good flight path from when they're fresh to when they beat in. If a disc lasts me years, then I expect to adapt/grow with it.

Maybe one factor is that I'm still new, so I'm still looking for what I like and for what discs seem to do best for me. I buy a decent amount of plastic, but very little compared to some golfers, especially those who advocate cycling discs. When I buy a new disc, it's more likely to be a new one as opposed to something I've already been throwing. So for me, adding a cycle would mean buying more discs.

Wow that was long-winded. It must be Monday.

 

[Keller]

Aren't you actually buying less discs when you cycle them, because you use each disc longer? This at least is the case when you regard cycling as a natural thing that just happens. (If you force cycling, it's a different case, but those cyclers seem to be the minority.)

Cyclers will oftentimes buy used, beat-in discs, to replace lost ones. Non-cyclers buy new premium plastic discs and sell them when they are seasoned. Hence, cyclers should advertise non-cycling to keep their supply for nicely beat-in discs up. ;-)

Pretty much. I only buy discs now because I like the feel/color/weight etc. I have enough stashed away to last me a good long while. Iv'e pretty much given up the "try everything new mentality". There really isn't all that much that's new, just recycled ideas in different plastics by different manufacturers.

And I love buying used discs! Much prefer it to new ones.

 

[Alexplz]

This thread inspired me to put rocs back in my bag. I played 18 holes getting a lot of throws with a DX roc I've been working in. The fade had started to taper off and I was starting to get a little flip up, very nice. Anyway, I nail some good lines with with, birdies here n there. Then on hole 18 I shank it hard into the woods and loose it in thick underbrush.

The heartache of building a midrange lineup around a cycle of rocs, putting work into beating them in just right, and then having to worry about losing one that just reached the sweet spot is too much stress, man.

What really grinds my gears is that I have this one magical KC roc I picked up used, with a big chunk taken out of the rim, but otherwise 7/10. Fairly flat top, just a very gentle shoulder into a flattish dome. This thing though man, it flies beautifully. Slight flip up into physics-defying forward fade. My entire roc throwing career has been comprised of trying to beat something into a backup for this thing. I will probably try to beat in some DX roc3s or a flat topped rancho at some point in my secondary bag, but this whole roc thing I think might be causing me too much grief. It's too much to think about, you know?

I think I'm going to roll with this instead:

177+g Z Buzzz OS
177+g Z Buzzz
175ish g ESP Comet
167g S Mystic

The magic is not there, but I don't have to think about it as much.

 

[Jacobpaul81]

1. Throw what you want.
2. Have fun.
3. If you aren't having fun throwing what you're throwing, try something else.

Good advice.

I carried 4 molds for a period of at least 9 years. Didn't cycle. Just had multiples of 4 molds. Had my favorites and back-ups. No surprises - Destroyer, Wraith, Firebird, Voodoo. This was highly successful for me. Simple. In my first 18 years, I carried 12 total molds. I say, if simplicity works, and you enjoy it, go for it. It worked for me for a long time.

This summer, I decided I was working too hard and not having fun. And to be quite frank, I wasn't playing well. My arm was slower, the discs felt heavier, and I was hurting.

So I changed my approach.

I switched to max weight mids for most shots - Vector / Axis.

For distance, I downgraded to speed 9-10. I tried 168 but found MVP discs actually fly true in lighter weights and now I'm carrying 153 & 163 (Tesla, Inertia, Fireball).

And big change - now I'm throwing approach putters (Envy, Atom).

My new approach is still simple. All the Drivers have same core. Same for Midrange... and Putters. So it's still simple. But more molds across that simple spectrum.

 

[mentos]

so i retook my approach to this.

and since i dont get out to play much, i just went super simple (and apperently mostly day glow, not planned)
172 VIP northman
172 moonshine spark
171 faf opto spark
173 domey opto spark (more reliable in the wind than the repro spark)
168 reprocessed spark (beat to have more turn)
174m speed 52 ibex
173m speed 52 ibex (beat to understable)
172 neutron envy (main putter)
175 neutron envy (approach disc)

my fh game has come along to the point where my go to elasto underworlds are not as heavily leaned on as much.

pretty sure i can shoot par-ish using this setup in my juju bag.


if i need to add anything for mega windy days, it will be a firm solace or fortress over the northman.