[Putters] How come so few top pros carry a Zone/Harp/Gator type disc?

[Stardoggy]

Zonez = MOAR HYZER

I likez me some moar hyzerz.

 

[brentjacobs]

I bag a Zone and prefer to use the most sunken plated, dumb OS Zones I can, generally the early LE Zs. MT gets a bit windy. At some point a more neutral frisbee just won't cut it. Also, Zone can do some fun flexy and stall lines that wouldnt work without a stupid OS disc. Same as using silly understable stuff for massive tailwinds and utitlty flip shots, just the other end of the spectrum. So I guess wind and utility. I have a pair of actual crutches but have never needed them on the frolf course.

 

[elmexdela]

so much denial...

 

[F. Howl]

I wonder if the top pros are thinking about a throw in. Seems like they are more looking to settle right under the pin when they're 150 and out, and a slower, floatier putter is going to land softer with less chance of skipping or standing up and rolling. I don't play very high stakes, so I don't always play the smartest round of golf. I'm usually looking to give it a chance, and I feel like my Soft-X Zone spiked at the basket is more likely to stay close for the cleanup than to run-it dead on with a conventional putter.

Plenty of the top pros carry that OS mid/putter, just none of them use it as a go to upshot. Jerm, who I've seen use the Mortar most, often goes with a P2 for the approach and is messing with the Nova. Ricky uses a Harp, but that doesn't compare in stability.

I too have also found this fascinating. The craziest to me is how Nate Sexton, who throws a lot of forehands, does not use a low speed overstable disc for shorter forehands. For example on hole 17 at Winthrop, a 215' downhill shot he throws a firebird. In my experience that shot is so much easier with a zone or pig, especially if you want it to hit and stick.

It's 250ish yeah? And he bailed to the right every round. Was just making sure it carried to the wide end of the bales.

 

[BrotherDave]

The thing about hole 17 at Winthrop is that it's not uncommon to have wind blowing off the lake so often you're throwing downhill into a headwind. Because the tee is fairly shrouded from the wind, it's kinda tricky to figure out exactly how it's blowing so it's a not a bad idea to disc up to a driver and lawn dart it to the biggest part of the fairway.

 

[Tolexi]

Thread bump. Quite many top pro uses overstable approach disc nowadays [emoji16]

 

[RocBottom]

Yeah I'd say, that overstable slot is a must!

 

[Casey 1988]

I agree with RocBottom above but they use the OS Putter slot differently from a average player, they tend to use it out further from where the average amateur player is using the disc from at. The Sponsored Pro can due to practice can putt out to 60 feet for some out to 120 feet even if they have to use a different more glide/float putter for the longer putts. Then out at that long distance for the pro they use an OS putter/OS putter shaped midrange disc if they need to, often they use a neutral-slight US flight shallow putter/neutral-slight US flight putter like midrange for the shot. What we do see more and more are players not using discs in the 7 speed or driver shaped 6 speed especially those on Discraft.

 

[Jolt]

Zone has gone from "no top pros throws Discraft Zone" to every Discraft pro throws the Zone in 2y

The "Zone throw" is the biggest change in Pauls game after the move. . .

 

[broomerang]

Zone has gone from "no top pros throws Discraft Zone" to every Discraft pro throws the Zone in 2y

The "Zone throw" is the biggest change in Pauls game after the move. . .

Every discraft pro threw a Zone before too or many of them at least. You just didn't see as many of them on live coverage.

The majority of mixed bag player have been throwing it for years.

Paul's reliance on it is the most surprising. It would be interesting to hear him explain that.

 

[Jolt]

Every discraft pro threw a Zone before too or many of them at least. You just didn't see as many of them on live coverage.

The majority of mixed bag player have been throwing it for years.

Paul's reliance on it is the most surprising. It would be interesting to hear him explain that.

Paul did say something about that in the early Discraft videos " He never found an Innova disc that he feelt confident throwing FH" or something like that.

But it´s a big change, from what i can remember most of Pauls approaches back in the Innova days was BH Nova. . .now it´s mostly FH with the Zone

 

[Casey 1988]

Paul did say something about that in the early Discraft videos " He never found an Innova disc that he feelt confident throwing FH" or something like that.

But it´s a big change, from what i can remember most of Pauls approaches back in the Innova days was BH Nova. . .now it´s mostly FH with the Zone

Yep and if not that then Paul McBeth eventually for forehand when sponsored by Innova was the AviarX3 as that was then the closest disc to a Zone. Now the Rat is and would have been the Disc for Paul had he stayed but ends up more like the Westside OS Putter Maiden having seen both in flight, the disc Innova had before with the AviarX3 was more like a Sinus in shape but flight more like a Pig.

 

[Horsman]

Ive never carried that os putter or mid spot. The firebird can do it all for me.

 

[Hampstead]

Ive never carried that os putter or mid spot. The firebird can do it all for me.

Firebirds are amazing and are an essential part of my game. However, powering down on an FB for a 150' approach and potentially still getting a big flare isn't the same as letting a Zone come in for a soft landing. Not trying to change your game, you do you, but Zones were definitely a game changer for me. Two totally different discs.

 

[Horsman]

Firebirds are amazing and are an essential part of my game. However, powering down on an FB for a 150' approach and potentially still getting a big flare isn't the same as letting a Zone come in for a soft landing. Not trying to change your game, you do you, but Zones were definitely a game changer for me. Two totally different discs.

Yea, ive been messing with the zone lately, still dont know if its needed. I like the zone so it still has a chance, maybe it will take me to 1010, maybe 970. Who knows

 

[Spectacledbear]

Thanks Zone for hiding my OAT <|

 

[Monocacy]

I started throwing the Harp sometime between 2014 and 2017. Been in my bag ever since. I use it way more on open, windy courses than in the woods.

 

[ILUVSMGS18]

I started throwing the Harp sometime between 2014 and 2017. Been in my bag ever since. I use it way more on open, windy courses than in the woods.

I've thrown both Harps and Zones (Zones are better btw) and I found them much more useful to me on wooded courses than on open courses. Maybe if I was playing a course like Fox Run most rounds I'd be using the Zone more, but Zones for me are usually a get out of jail disc or a FH drive off the tee. I seem to have better control over my BH approaches right now than my FHs, but I'd ideally like to be able to choose whichever one I need as the situation dictates.

 

[Micah511]

Harps are so nice on those shots where you want little glide and you want the disc to sit. I prefer the grip of BT medium, they come out better on a forehand for me and beat straight relatively quick. I have that, and a blend verdict that is basically the same thing but a little more glide, more os, and slightly more skip that is exclusively for FHs. I have a lucid justice for distance control backhands when I can swing it really wide.

 

[ArtemisClydFr0g]

I'm on team Big Jerm with the AviarX3/Mortar combo. While the Zone is popular for a reason, I like having the slower speed of the AviarX3. I can power up on it for a longer straight shot if I want, but it is magical on short technical approaches/scrambles.