How pros get/choose discs?

[gammaxgoblin]

Im watching the Nike Hyde coverage and see McBeth is throwing leopard stamped firebird and has been throwing aviar stamped destroyers the last few tournaments. It made me wonder why such discs exist aside from being x-outs. It made me wonder how pros choose their discs. Is it like the ultimate free disc shopping spree where they go into the factory and rummage through a wonderland of choices and then go throw them and keep the ones they like? Do people who work at disc makers see a run or some discs that come out and think "Our guys might like these and mail them out a few?"

 

[VictorB]

Is it like the ultimate free disc shopping spree where they go into the factory and rummage through a wonderland of choices and then go throw them and keep the ones they like?

Yes, basically. They get to go in the factory and handle the discs if they want. Sometimes the even get to stamp their own discs, which is how you end up with McPro Aviar Destroyers and DX Griffin Destroyers, etc

 

[MarkDSM]

What Victor said. The loved and heavily involved ones get special access and play with the big toys. Yeti Aviar and its production and short run variants are a good example. Yeti tells some fun stories and his special runs really are special. It is super cool getting them in person.

 

[oddjob]

i imagine it's a lot like the nickelodeon super toy run.

 

[Moose33]

What Victor said. The loved and heavily involved ones get special access and play with the big toys. Yeti Aviar and its production and short run variants are a good example. Yeti tells some fun stories and his special runs really are special. It is super cool getting them in person.

Those wood shaving Yetis were a cool anicdote for sure.

 

[lines]

I want the Orange/blue '150 class' stamped Griffin destroyer.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Those "mis-stamps" can be make people scratch their heads if they get into other people's hands.

During a tourney several years ago, our card was teeing off on a 240 tunnel shot... thick brush left & right, basically a straight shot, with the pin placed among a couple of guard tress on the left side of a narrow fairway. Player pulls a Z Predator out of his bag... and I'm thinking, "How the does he expect to keep that disc in this fairway?"

Dude huks it... laser straight, with just a touch o'fade at the end.
Walking up the fairway, I had to ask him how he threw a Z-Predator that straight. Turns out it was a Z-Buzzz w/Pred stamp.

 

[brutalbrutus]

It looked like a had a Roc with a DX Eagle stamp on it, also...

 

[lyleoross]

Yes, basically. They get to go in the factory and handle the discs if they want. Sometimes the even get to stamp their own discs, which is how you end up with McPro Aviar Destroyers and DX Griffin Destroyers, etc

So what you're telling me is that there is some chance I might buy a disc that's been fondled by a sponsored pro. I'm not sure if I should be excited or repulsed.

 

[eman6854]

I don't get the point of the misleading stamps. If I'm Innova why let Paul throw a leopard stamped firebird? People see that and go wow I need a leopard and end up ticked off because it doesn't fly like they saw in the videos.

 

[DinosaurThunder]

I don't get the point of the misleading stamps. If I'm Innova why let Paul throw a leopard stamped firebird? People see that and go wow I need a leopard and end up ticked off because it doesn't fly like they saw in the videos.

The stamp is hard to see in the video coverage. We only know it's leopard stamped because Nate referenced it and then continued to call it a firebird for the rest of the video.

 

[tbird888]

I don't get the point of the misleading stamps. If I'm Innova why let Paul throw a leopard stamped firebird? People see that and go wow I need a leopard and end up ticked off because it doesn't fly like they saw in the videos.

Or they're thrilled because it flies exactly for them like Destros do for Paul...but 250' like their form dictates.

 

[philstine]

I don't get the point of the misleading stamps. If I'm Innova why let Paul throw a leopard stamped firebird? People see that and go wow I need a leopard and end up ticked off because it doesn't fly like they saw in the videos.

If noobs and fanbois end up buying a speed and stability-appropriate disc for their skill level because they see touring pros throwing mis-stamped discs instead of just going for high speed massively overstable drivers that they lack the requisite arm speed and skill to throw properly, that can only be a good thing for those players' development, and more mfgs need to encourage their players to throw mis-stamped discs.

 

[JC17393]

If noobs and fanbois end up buying a speed and stability-appropriate disc for their skill level because they see touring pros throwing mis-stamped discs instead of just going for high speed massively overstable drivers that they lack the requisite arm speed and skill to throw properly, that can only be a good thing for those players' development, and more mfgs need to encourage their players to throw mis-stamped discs.

That might work in the short term, but how pissed will those noobs and fanbois be once they've acquired a bit of skill and still can't throw their Aviar stamped Aviars even half as far as McBeth is throwing his Aviar stamped Destroyers? Or worse yet, realize they were duped and swear off McBeth and Innova forever because of it. I don't see it as a winning sales formula in the long run.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

I don't get the point of the misleading stamps. If I'm Innova why let Paul throw a leopard stamped firebird? People see that and go wow I need a leopard and end up ticked off because it doesn't fly like they saw in the videos.

4 real. If i was Innova id say no to that BS. As a biz it doesn't even make sense but they are too big to care at this point.

 

[eman6854]

That might work in the short term, but how pissed will those noobs and fanbois be once they've acquired a bit of skill and still can't throw their Aviar stamped Aviars even half as far as McBeth is throwing his Aviar stamped Destroyers? Or worse yet, realize they were duped and swear off McBeth and Innova forever because of it. I don't see it as a winning sales formula in the long run.

I agree

 

[zj1002]

A lot of the discs that are stamped with art intended for other discs are usually print set up discs. Now in Paul's case he's been known to throw stuff like this, but I know in my stamping days at Disc Nation it was usually a result of set-up printing on whatever I had laying around.

 

[DanJon]

That might work in the short term, but how pissed will those noobs and fanbois be once they've acquired a bit of skill and still can't throw their Aviar stamped Aviars even half as far as McBeth is throwing his Aviar stamped Destroyers? Or worse yet, realize they were duped and swear off McBeth and Innova forever because of it. I don't see it as a winning sales formula in the long run.

Or what happens if they see McBeth throw his Destroyer stamped Destroyers 500 feet, so they run and get one and can't do the same?

I guess they could swear off disc golf entirely.

 

[DanJon]

4 real. If i was Innova id say no to that BS. As a biz it doesn't even make sense but they are too big to care at this point.

Disc companies definitely shouldn't give out blanks or special/custom stamps either to their proz.

How are noobs supposed to know what the Proz are throwing when they watch the newest vidz?

 

[mizunodave]

People who are into the sport enough to know who Paul McBeth is, much less watch Jomez and pay attention to disc selection are almost all beyond the point of this being a negative issue. You're making a problem where there is none.