Help choosing discs for a group of newbies

[swhite]

All of these molds are available in DX in more weights than what are in the starter pack. I'm not sure what you're hoping to gain by picking different molds, but there's a reason these discs are in the starter pack.

In my experience most new players are confused with more than a couple discs. I get a lot of "is this a midrange shot because we're not on the tee anymore?" and "when do I use my putter?" I've found, for me, the best way to get a new person into the game is to keep them in the fairway. Once they have to scramble out of the woods, the fun is lost. The disc mold they're throwing is only important to me, the disc nerd.

Good luck with the group! It's a lot of fun to introduce new players to the game.

I am not questioning the validity of the discs included in the Innova Starter packs; just expressing my surprise that the price on them seems to be higher than the same three individual discs sold separately.

It is my intention that each player will have just one disc. But, that they can have some relatively small set of choices. The players will have the opportunity to play catch for a bit before the round, so they can get a feel for them. The discs are all going to be about the same performance-wise. But, I would like the players to have some variety of disc shapes since we all prefer different feels.

 

[armiller]

One reason the mid is a particularly good option is that it can double as a pretty decent putter. That's my experience with a Buzzz, at least. Getting each person a Buzzz (or Shark or Truth?) ought to make for a decent one disc round, especially if it's not a real long course.

I also would have suggested Comet if it came in baseline plastic. Also a very good putter.

 

[Dthunderchicken]

Without reading the other posts, IMO you can't go wrong with a 150 DX Aero. Very Frisbee like, very easy to throw and control. I carry one in my bag not only to give away to newbs but because after all these years I still enjoy throwing one.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I echo Teebird's sentiment: less is more - keep it simple. The only people who care about this mold vs. that mold are DG nerds like us.

Don't even get involved with different feeling molds in a given speed category. If they don't know other mids feel different, they'll get used to what they're given.

No 1st time players should be able to throw more than 2-3 molds. More discs sets them down the road that it's the arrow rather than the archer. No mold is a fix the newb-hyzer, so don't even start down that road. Let them focus on a flat release and staying in the fairway. Until they do that with consistency, nothing else matters. Chances of 1st timers genuinely overpowering a Leo: slim to none.

If any of them decide to pursue the game further, they'll find out on their ownthat there are more disc decisions than they can possibly fathom.

 

[swhite]

Without reading the other posts, IMO you can't go wrong with a 150 DX Aero. Very Frisbee like, very easy to throw and control. I carry one in my bag not only to give away to newbs but because after all these years I still enjoy throwing one.

DX Aeros do interest me, but I think they may now be OOP, and are getting rather rare. I looked into them, and have found that it would be difficult for me to get a good selection of colors at any weight.


Classic Rocs, XDs, Aeros, Skeeters, Spiders - all easy to use molds that are going (or have already gone) the way of the dodo, it appears.

 

[swhite]

I echo Teebird's sentiment: less is more - keep it simple. The only people who care about this mold vs. that mold are DG nerds like us.

Don't even get involved with different feeling molds in a given speed category. If they don't know other mids feel different, they'll get used to what they're given.

No 1st time players should be able to throw more than 2-3 molds. More discs sets them down the road that it's the arrow rather than the archer. No mold is a fix the newb-hyzer, so don't even start down that road. Let them focus on a flat release and staying in the fairway. Until they do that with consistency, nothing else matters. Chances of 1st timers genuinely overpowering a Leo: slim to none.

If any of them decide to pursue the game further, they'll find out on their own that there are more disc decisions than they can possibly fathom.

Well, yes, put that way, I agree with you. I am probably just overanalyzing the situation, and just making it worse. Simpler it is then.

 

[swhite]

Just for kicks, I thought I'd ask what you all would think if I were to supply all the participants with DX Wolfs.

I noticed that Innova recently released a run of nice new embossed Wolfs. Can anyone give me a comparison of the Wolfs in the new embossed run with those that are pre-embossed? This obviously deserves another thread detailing the intricacies of everyone's favorite mold.

What do you think? How badly could I corrupt them all before they even had a chance to know what a good disc is?

 

[Motorpro]

If you go with the Innova DX starter sets the players could switch discs during the round and would get to try out different molds. Plus it might save you a couple dollars, too.

I am giving serious thought to these molds. I had not thought to get some DX starter sets. It turns out that Innova's starter sets cost more per disc than the separate discs do. Oh well, I like the idea of hand picking the weights myself anyway.

Innova starter sets at Acadamy $19.99. For 3 disks

 

[swhite]

Innova starter sets at Acadamy $19.99. For 3 disks

Oh, that's a good price. I'll have to check it out.

 

[Meillo]

Keep it with one disc per player. You wrote about them playing one session only. Now way, a new player will be able to learn to throw multiple discs in his first session. The only sensible case for more than one disc is one putter and one thrower, where the putter is only for putting and the thrower is for everything else. But in my experience, new players don't need a separate putter on their first day. A midrange putts well enough.

Concerning drivers: As someone wrote, the main goal is staying on the fairway. Drivers don't help with that. If they provide some more meters, they usually fly more left or right or up. Hence, get a midrange for each person. More important is that the mid has enough HSS, that better players can give it some juice.

Give each player one midrange. Offer them multiple molds to choose from, because hands are different and preference for names and logos are different -- style and color matter! Ensure that the last player still has a choice -- this is so important!

Each player should throw only one disc in this session, because that provides the highest chance, he will learn to know this one disc, a bit at least. (If this disc doesn't work, he can exchange it with another player or with the leftover discs ... just as we do, when our beloved workhorse disc doesn't work for us today.)

There are so many threads on DGCR that emphasise, knowing your discs. And then, here, people would give a new player, for his first and possibly only disc golf session -- How many hours of discgolfing are we talking about? Two maybe? --, three discs, when he's not even able to throw a single one!

For success: Stick to one disc per player. Keep it as simple as possible.

For motivation: Provide choices, like molds and colors to choose from in the initial disc selection (not during play). (Tell them that all discs are about to fly the same.)

 

[Streets]

Just buy a bunch of Dx Sharks.

 

[ODRB]

Aviar P&A
DX Roc
DX Gazelle

 

[Jimb]

Keep it with one disc per player. You wrote about them playing one session only. Now way, a new player will be able to learn to throw multiple discs in his first session. The only sensible case for more than one disc is one putter and one thrower, where the putter is only for putting and the thrower is for everything else. But in my experience, new players don't need a separate putter on their first day. A midrange putts well enough.

Concerning drivers: As someone wrote, the main goal is staying on the fairway. Drivers don't help with that. If they provide some more meters, they usually fly more left or right or up. Hence, get a midrange for each person. More important is that the mid has enough HSS, that better players can give it some juice.

Give each player one midrange. Offer them multiple molds to choose from, because hands are different and preference for names and logos are different -- style and color matter! Ensure that the last player still has a choice -- this is so important!

Each player should throw only one disc in this session, because that provides the highest chance, he will learn to know this one disc, a bit at least. (If this disc doesn't work, he can exchange it with another player or with the leftover discs ... just as we do, when our beloved workhorse disc doesn't work for us today.)

There are so many threads on DGCR that emphasise, knowing your discs. And then, here, people would give a new player, for his first and possibly only disc golf session -- How many hours of discgolfing are we talking about? Two maybe? --, three discs, when he's not even able to throw a single one!

For success: Stick to one disc per player. Keep it as simple as possible.

For motivation: Provide choices, like molds and colors to choose from in the initial disc selection (not during play). (Tell them that all discs are about to fly the same.)

I totally understand your point, and don't necessarily disagree. However, I can see another side to it, too.

If these are total noobs, I don't know that anyone would really "learn" a single disc in 9-18 holes in the "know your disc" sense that an experienced player wants to know their discs. I figure that throwing discs might just mix it up a little for fun. It could also be interesting for them to see that they do fly a little differently, even a that skill level.

Regardless of any of this, hopefully they have fun and some get hooked! :hfive:

 

[Meillo]

I totally understand your point, and don't necessarily disagree. However, I can see another side to it, too.

If these are total noobs, I don't know that anyone would really "learn" a single disc in 9-18 holes in the "know your disc" sense that an experienced player wants to know their discs.

Sure.

But better 9 x 4 = 27 throws with the same disc than 9 throws with each of three discs.

I figure that throwing discs might just mix it up a little for fun. It could also be interesting for them to see that they do fly a little differently, even a that skill level.

Do the discs fly differently, because of the discs characteristics? Or do they fly differently because of variables of form? (Or do they all fly the same, maybe?)

We surely agree that the most important goal is that the newbies have fun. If we achieve that, nothing else matters.

People are different, thus there is no single way for them to have fun. You might know these persons better, what motivates them, etc. ...


My line of thought is, that being in control leads to fun, whereas depending on luck (apparently, caused by lack of knowledge and experience) leads to frustration. Hence, I would try to get the players in control. Hence they have to learn something, like basic technique and similar repetition of this technique. Just doing the same for all ``normal'' shots. If they see that the disc does the same when they do the same, they'll have a tool. And with a tool they can solve problems. If they can perform just one single shot repeadly, they can solve a lot of problems on the course. From there on, they'll experiment on their own: What if I do this or that? ...

But without a fix point, they won't be able to understand what is going on. Is it the disc? Is it the technique? Is it the wind? Was it (bad) luck? ... Remember, that they don't throw the same disc a hundered times on the soccer field to find this out, like we do. They have only few shots at all, with lots of variables already, dictated by the course. How would you teach them anything concerning form if they use a different disc for each shot? Learning is repetition and feedback. They have to understand the feedback. They can only understand the feedback if they know something ... if they have some fix point. There's only one teacher with a lot of newbies, thus they need to learn themselves. Thus, they need to be able to interpret the visual and body feedback themselves ... All this speaks for less variables, i.e. only one disc.


Well, this shall be enough of my opinion. Make your own. Try it out. See what works. And then please let us know your experiences.

 

[Meillo]

Well, okay. If you see that a player is good, let him try a driver after half of the round. But only if you see that he'll be able to use it.

 

[Jimb]

Some ideas in blue.

Sure. But better 9 x 4 = 27 throws with the same disc than 9 throws with each of three discs.

Maybe. What if one clicks and another doesn't? Just a thought. And 9 x 4 = 27?

My line of thought is, that being in control leads to fun, whereas depending on luck (apparently, caused by lack of knowledge and experience) leads to frustration.

Of the noobs that I've seen play, 9 holes wasn't enough to develop any sort of control.

Well, this shall be enough of my opinion. Make your own. Try it out. See what works. And then please let us know your experiences.
Agreed. Good call. :hfive: It would be nice to hear how this works out. Hopefully it's not one group of 25+.

 

[BrotherDave]

What does this local course look like?

Gateway usually has good deals on bulk orders and practically all their classic putters are good throwers. The MVP Tangent is one of my favorite one disc round choices but probably out of your price range.

 

[Inverted]

My suggestion would be to go to a Play It Again Sports, or look on Ebay, or ask any local leagues in your area if anyone is selling old discs. Get a bunch of cheap discs that are already "seasoned"...try to pick the molds that everyone else has mentioned.

If you cant, then I'd go with the innova starter pack. Also, look on their Factory store...they sometimes have good deals on there.

Good Luck

 

[eegor]

I figure that throwing discs might just mix it up a little for fun. It could also be interesting for them to see that they do fly a little differently, even a that skill level.

Just head over to the nearest place that sells used discs and buy up all the Grooves. I bet you could get a deal on them... ;-)

 

[Moose33]

I used to have a bunch of Yikun Claws(straightstable lid) and wings(s curve shorter mid) in the trunk of my car and both were great for newer players. They could ususally easily pick up form with those two.