[Help] How do you decide what to bag and keep it in there?

[armiller]

For me, I started by throwing what I had, then figured out what slots I needed to fill. As my game/form have changed, the discs have changed a bit.

My bag is way more "shot specific" than "disc specific." I have certain shots that are important for my game, and some discs seem better for those shots.

I would say I have a relatively stable bag, and I don't make big changes unless there's a good reason. I.e. unless a new disc clearly starts outperforming others or fills a spot I need that isn't covered by discs already in there. All the discs in my bag are discs I can trust for whatever shot or situation I need. It's been a long time (1-2 years) since I felt I had a hole in my bag. At this point, I mainly just need to be better at executing shots with discs I already have.

I think I've only had a few recent changes:
- Big Z Vulture replaced Champ Thunderbird (partly because my Thundy was losing too much HSS)
- Plasma Ion has become a regular
- a Pro Leopard has jumped into the bag between a N Relay and Gibson Champ Leopard3

I usually end up changing drivers based on course or after losing a staple. The last time this happened, a Champ Katana replaced a sweet Z Crank.

I will say that I do love trying new discs, and I'll frequently play with multiples in a certain slot to see what I like. E.g. I recently played a few rounds with a Pro Leo, Gibson Leo3, C-FD, Pro Pipeline, and Pinnacle Patriot. That's when the Pro Leo jumped into the bag.

 

[VictorB]

I forgot to mention that the reason I tend to stick with one manufacturer is that there is less stuff that I get tempted to try. Makes it easier to fill the slots in my bag (every big manufacturer has enough good discs to fill out a bag) and learn the variations of the discs that I do like to throw.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I'm going to say about the same stuff as Slowplastic, Zendragon and Armiller...

I also like throwing a new disc in the bag and beating down the boys, peeling off the sticker and being awesome... problem is it doesn't always work like that.. Maybe 25 percent of time when it's a backup or freshy of a known mold.

Slots.. Define your slots, make sure your slots are filled! I play with a double nutsac but usually 6-8ish discs. The basic differences is something you / I can turn over and something straight to fade..I use a six disc core bag and 2 or 3 optional slots more for foreign courses or tourneys.

2 or 3 putters... even if two are identical it gives me a option when the first one isn't working. Envy/Spin

Mid slot.. For me glidey and not so glidey.. Comet/Tursas/Axis and Tangent/Buzzz/Vector etc
I'm very familiar with all my mids depending on wind/ course and where I'm at for throwing form I will tweak it a little. Couple grams heavier for one disc maybe something lighter for a standstill for other.

Drivers. FW drivers x 2 or 3. Something I can turn over or a good FH disc and/or Something wind resistant and good for OH. Something straight. Switch/Crave/ optional slot (Resistor/Signal/Relay)

DD-x 2 something light / something heavier etc...

As far as whittling I down what to throw.. It took me quite a while and a lot of 3 or 4 disc rounds to find the core molds in my bag. One of my favourite ways to do it is to have playoffs. IE Spin/Vector vs Envy/Comet. I don't keep score just which pair is leading and remember which discs I had awesome shots with.

I have currently developed a bit better form and am in the process of packing a bag that's mid heavy 4 at a time (10 are trying for the 2 slots). I throw two or 4 discs at every shot and am whittling it down pair vs pair and setting my bag for the next month, I stop messing around by end of April for tourney season.

And then sometimes I just randomly pack a theme bag.. White discs, most expensive discs, coolest discs, old 10yr ago bag, Evil Dead/Halloween discs... those rounds don't always pay but it's fun playing with old friends

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

What I do is take my bag out to the field and pick a "target" whether that be putting a water bottle or sweatshirt out a good ways or any other object to aim for. Then I go to about putter range and throw all my putters at it a couple times. Try to vary from hyzer>flat>anny and see how everything is working. Rinse and repeat for mids and drivers. If by the end of this process I find 2 discs in my bag are too similar, or there is a gap that I feel I can't cover, I go to the rack o' discs at home and put a couple options in. Then next round or field session I test those new options against what I thought wasn't working and go from there. Sometimes I just add, sometimes I swap one out and a different one in, sometimes I just take 1 out.

I do this every 6 months or so, usually beginning of spring and beginning of fall.

 

[Alexplz]

I have a very indecisive personality and really like to try way too many different types of discs from whatever manufacture. I can't keep my bag the same for more than a round and obviously I would play better if I kept my bag the same for an extended period of time. With so many viable options these days how do you keep your bag the same and how do you decide what to bag?

It comes down to a compromise. If you were to look at all your discs and start bagging the ones that could be useful out there, or that you can pull off that one specific shot with a little better than the one next to it, it's easy to end up with a list of like 30 discs.

On the other hand, it doesn't sound like fun to me to always restrict myself to an arbitrary number of discs or molds. It's a great idea to do this sometimes as it teaches you a lot about your game and your bag.


Sometimes I think to myself from an outside perspective, how silly it is to drag 20 different frisbees out there to play frisbee golf. I mean sure, you have your putter, and maybe one that goes straight, one that curves left, one that curves right... but 20??

 

[Three Putt]

I try a lot of stuff, but I have a really, really high standard for kicking a disc out of my bag. Something can't just be different, it has to be better and show that it is better over a period of time. So for a bit, the disc I'm trying is in the bag with the disc I've always carried for practice/casual stuff and I test out A vs. B. B rarely wins. So I end up testing out a lot of stuff to fulfill my tinkering needs, but the bag basically stays the same. My bag has Rocs, Cyclones, Valks, and Firebirds. They have been there a long time.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Actually on the Alexplz note above... that's why I minimized.. I play a better tourney round with a small bag over my quad shock tourney bag just from wearing down packing the extra weight. Towards the end of 36+ holes that 5lbs makes a difference.

 

[thirtydirtybirds]

I should add I don't really buy new discs anymore, unless I find that my game has progressed to where I need something now I never did before. That is a rarity though. I also will buy your support discs, I do like to get Sexton firebirds if I can when they come out. And if Innova ever gets their **** together for a Barsby production disc I'll probably buy a few.

I think at this point it's rare a new disc is so much different from everything that already exists that I don't bother getting the latest stuff. Lots of eagle clones, teebird clones, aviar clones, destroyer clones etc. they are all a bit different, and they all feel a little different in the hand but I'm really not that picky about hand feel. Throw what works, if you want to try something new, then do it.

 

[xyman621]

2 bags. Set a main bag and keep it. I play all tag/tourney/doubles/casual w/ friends rounds with this bag. Cycling or not have your slots set with discs you like and trust.

Have an academy bag for testing/fun/whatever. New molds or new discs of the same molds. I won't push anything from this bag until it's advantageous over a disc in my main. Or if I lose a disc, one gets too worn, or just no longer clicks with me.
This bag doesn't come out as often but it's usually lunch rounds, field work, or just "test" rounds for the fun of trying different discs.

I still have my main bag set and ready. When I reach for any disc in there, I know how it's gonna fly and I trust it since it worked it's way there.

 

[SD86]

Sometimes I think to myself from an outside perspective, how silly it is to drag 20 different frisbees out there to play frisbee golf. I mean sure, you have your putter, and maybe one that goes straight, one that curves left, one that curves right... but 20??

Saw a guy on my course once that had eight (8) Destroyers (that's the number HE told us that were at the teepad). EIGHT Destroyers, and a lot more discs overall. I didn't understand why he needed EIGHT Destroyers, but I'm sure he felt he had the need for them, and if that's what he likes to do, so be it. Ditto that if he carried eight different driver molds to fill the same needs.

I saw a post a while back about the "17 disc bag". One putting putter, then 4 putters in the approach, mid, fairway/control driver, and distance driver slots, filling the Overstable, Straight-to-Overstable, Straight-to-Understable, and Understable slots. These can be filled by cycling one mold in each category, or all different molds. That can be reduced by having three discs per category, making a 13-disc bag, or even fewer if one doesn't really need a category (some don't carry any mids at all, or just one putter/approach disc, etc.)

My own bag is anywhere from 11 (real minimal) to 17 (max that my bag can hold) discs, depending on the course, weather, and if I'm trying new plastic. Whatever works, and whatever is fun.

 

[Monocacy]

. . . With so many viable options these days how do you keep your bag the same and how do you decide what to bag?

After tinkering with my bag for 20 years I have learned a few things.

The more I throw a particular disc, the more likely I can execute a shot with it. Consequently I don't carry many discs. What works for me may not work for everyone, but some of my best rounds are when I carry a super-small bag.

Many similar discs can fill a particular slot in the bag. When I find a disc I like, I stick with it and find complementary discs that work well with it. If the discs are made by different manufacturers, so what?

Changing one disc often leads to changing complementary discs. Unless a new disc will be a significant improvement, I prefer not to blow up the bag because it takes time to really learn how a disc performs in different circumstances.

On the other hand, tinkering is fun. If you will have more fun continuing to tinker with your bag, then just own it and enjoy yourself.

 

[Twmccoy]

Saw a guy on my course once that had eight (8) Destroyers (that's the number HE told us that were at the teepad). EIGHT Destroyers, and a lot more discs overall. I didn't understand why he needed EIGHT Destroyers, but I'm sure he felt he had the need for them, and if that's what he likes to do, so be it. Ditto that if he carried eight different driver molds to fill the same needs.

I saw a post a while back about the "17 disc bag". One putting putter, then 4 putters in the approach, mid, fairway/control driver, and distance driver slots, filling the Overstable, Straight-to-Overstable, Straight-to-Understable, and Understable slots. These can be filled by cycling one mold in each category, or all different molds. That can be reduced by having three discs per category, making a 13-disc bag, or even fewer if one doesn't really need a category (some don't carry any mids at all, or just one putter/approach disc, etc.)

My own bag is anywhere from 11 (real minimal) to 17 (max that my bag can hold) discs, depending on the course, weather, and if I'm trying new plastic. Whatever works, and whatever is fun.

8 of any disc seems a bit excessive. I know Destroyers have some inconsistency, but carrying 8 of them is ridiculous. If that were me about half of those Destroyers would probably never get thrown. They'd just sit there.

Only reason I could think to carry that many of the same driver is if you play courses with tons of hazards and you lose a lot of discs. I personally have never bagged more than 1 Destroyer at once. I don't feel like I need a whole gamut of flippy-beefy Destroyers. I'd rather choose a different mold if I want something flippy or excessively beefy.

On any given round I'll have 14 discs in the bag. Usually 1 of those is something I'm trying out for the day to see if I like.

 

[Alexplz]

Saw a guy on my course once that had eight (8) Destroyers (that's the number HE told us that were at the teepad). EIGHT Destroyers, and a lot more discs overall. I didn't understand why he needed EIGHT Destroyers, but I'm sure he felt he had the need for them, and if that's what he likes to do, so be it. Ditto that if he carried eight different driver molds to fill the same needs.

I saw a post a while back about the "17 disc bag". One putting putter, then 4 putters in the approach, mid, fairway/control driver, and distance driver slots, filling the Overstable, Straight-to-Overstable, Straight-to-Understable, and Understable slots. These can be filled by cycling one mold in each category, or all different molds. That can be reduced by having three discs per category, making a 13-disc bag, or even fewer if one doesn't really need a category (some don't carry any mids at all, or just one putter/approach disc, etc.)

My own bag is anywhere from 11 (real minimal) to 17 (max that my bag can hold) discs, depending on the course, weather, and if I'm trying new plastic. Whatever works, and whatever is fun.

If I was going to be true to myself and what I've learned about this game over the few years I've played, I would think the following slots would be reasonable:

-Putting putter + backup/throwing duplicate
-FH upshot disc (think Zone)
-driving putters/mids - Stable / neutral / US … honestly I think it would be reasonable to collapse mids and driving putters into one category
-control drivers - Stable / neutral / US
-firebird-esque disc
-distance - Stable / neutral / US

On top of that, add a max D forehand disc if your distance drivers aren't cutting it, same for a roller utility disc assuming you're having a hard time getting over on your core US discs.

Throwing Daggers which aren't great off the tee has sort of forced me to expand the number of putters I bag because I enjoy driving them so much, and I like to have a full spectrum of stability. I also love mids, so in practice I will probably be bagging a full 3-disc spectrum of mids and driving putters. For a winter bag I've considered bagging my backup dagger, some tweener putters and skipping straight to fairways, like:

dagger
zone
atom
mirage
leopards
gazelle
etc... distance and the like

 

[F. Howl]

 

[SD86]

8 of any disc seems a bit excessive. I know Destroyers have some inconsistency, but carrying 8 of them is ridiculous. If that were me about half of those Destroyers would probably never get thrown. They'd just sit there.

Only reason I could think to carry that many of the same driver is if you play courses with tons of hazards and you lose a lot of discs. I personally have never bagged more than 1 Destroyer at once. I don't feel like I need a whole gamut of flippy-beefy Destroyers. I'd rather choose a different mold if I want something flippy or excessively beefy..

I didn't ask him, but I figured he threw some of them for distance, and some for shorter shots; for example, he'd throw an OS Destroyer where others would throw a Firebird, etc.

Meanwhile, it's very cold for North Georgia today, but I'm putting together a small bag of just discs that I've recently obtained, such as the Bullfrog, Ra, Anubis, Jen Allen Teebird, Pharaoh, etc., and I'll see what they do on the home course...

 

[BenHaavisto]

When I was setting up my bag I initially tried to emulate Philo Brathwaite's ITB. Philo finds molds he likes then just carries multiples. I believe he only carries around 6 molds.
So I found discs that I could break in to find the flight paths I wanted. I tend to carry 3 of each driver mold in understable/stable/overstableish and then I have a Crim/FB for more OS work. Over time I added a few molds for fun like Flippy Valks and Z Drone but other than that it has stayed pretty consistent.

 

[JuanA]

If I have a problem deciding which one of two discs to keep, I'll play a few rounds with just those 2 discs and see which one I have more confidence in.

One stays, one goes and then I start again.

 

[swhite]

Ha ha. The wand chooses the wizard.
This is pretty much my experience when I throw a Lat64 Maul. It should just be awfullly flippy, but give it a swish and flick, and wingardium leviosa!!! does that thing fly!

 

[ThrowBot]

I've discovered the key to avoiding bag volatility. Are you ready? Here it is:

Become old and grumpy and cynical.

Let's face it. I've tried dang near a million discs already. At least enough to say that I can pretty well guess how a certain mold/plastic will perform in a certain set of conditions. I have a lovely bag full of a variety of discs. That assortment covers any type of throw I can conceivably execute. (And, as I learn frequently, my discs can also be used to attempt many other throws that are ill advised, and that I should not even consider.) A new disc will not help me throw better.

Trying every fresh option on the market is an endeavor for starry-eyed youths. I once had the motivation, time, and money to explore the growing throng of exciting new discs. I was carefree and I laughed at the old timers whose bags hadn't changed in years. New brand? Let's try it! Oh snap, I can get my favorite driver in SHIMMER star?? Better get 3. Every round was a test drive, and every league night I could chat about my most recent disc purchase.

But somewhere along the line, I lost that intrepid spirit. I've amassed enough discs that I could assemble a dozen complete bags. Yet somehow, I always find myself leaning on the old favorites, while years of experimental discs gather dust. To play well I know that I need to throw consistently and predictably; swapping out discs will only add more variables when I should be minimizing them.

So if you find yourself unable to settle on a static disc lineup, my advice would be: Embrace it! The ambition to try new things is the spice of life. When something strikes your fancy, don't hesitate to give it a toss. They won't all wind up as your favorites, but finding out what doesn't work is part of the process of discovering what does. Most importantly, trying different things will help keep you from becoming a disillusioned old codger like me.

 

[swhite]

Yeah.
I wonder if there is a life cycle that pretty much all dgcr members go through. Where the typical member will increase their number of molds at first due to learning so much new stuff, and kinda going wild with all the joyous plastic. But, over time, they learn from other forum members that they are supposed to reduce their number of molds, and become lean mean killing machines. The next step is a dignified disdain for any of that overzealousness that newer members exhibit.

Eventually one becomes whatever it is that you would call the old timers in these forums.