I feel like overstable approach discs are a crutch

[random guy]

They definitely have their uses, but I find the more I develop my game the less I actually...use them.

It's so easy to chuck one down the fairway and park it next to the basket. I found myself often times avoiding more challenging lines and upshots to rely on my trusty overstable approach.

I fell in love with my zone when I first got it, but now it only comes out of the bag once or twice a round and sometimes not at all. It's important to know when to throw a layup, but a man can't survive on layups alone.

Now I find myself making a lot more throw ins, and I'm a lot more confident in my circle two putting. It pains me to see my buddy who swears by putting with his Berg constantly come up short. I feel like he's just robbing himself.

 

[emilianius]

Yup, overstable approach discs can be a crutch, but it's important to challenge yourself and step outside of your comfort zone. Try throwing different types of shots, including more challenging lines and upshots. You may be surprised at how well you do

Remember that disc golf is a game of percentages. It's impossible to make every shot, so it's important to be willing to take layups when necessary. However, if you never try to make the more difficult shots, you'll never improve your game.
Find what works best for you.

 

[stupid trees]

I struggle with this also. I love the consistency of my rhynos and either toros or runways (whichever is in the bag at the moment). If I used my omegas more, I feel like my overall game would improve. I wonder if I would improve enough to offset the lost accuracy of using a more overstable approach disc.

 

[DrBaartman]

step outside of your comfort ZONE.

Literally

 

[ChrisWoj]

The most important shot to learn, provided you have the time to keep learning new lines, is the shot that is the most important to maximize the amount of space between your disc and the edges of the fairway. Whatever line maximizes your ability to stay center-cut is the best line to throw. Sometimes that is the line that an overstable mid like the Zone provides. Sometimes that is the line a straight turning mid like the Origin provides.

The thing about the Zone - and other OS mids - is that the shot that can only fade is really easy to execute, and masks problems a player might need to work on to become better, as you pointed out. This brings up the question: does your friend practice enough that he'd get more out of multiple lines vs mastering a single line? Or does he only play enough that his game is really better served by being able to get where he needs to go as simply as possible?

 

[HyzerRoc]

When talking specifically about upshots on an open fairway, neutral putters can do the same hyzers for controlled distance as overstable approach discs. To me neutral putters are also more easily controllable as they will only do what you make them do and not much more or less than that. With os approach discs you would need to calculate the amount they fade to the left and how much more power one needs to put in them to reach the desired distance. Their glideless qualities to me shines more when you need to limit a flight to not come up long, but that is not a consideration in an open fairway upshot type of situation.

However the os approach slot really shines in wind. Im not gonna let wind take my aviars to wherever it decides to take them. It also shines when you need to go around an obstacle, need to limit ground play or have the need to land left of the target. It is also difficult to shank a shot with an os approach disc. If you put it too high on not enough hyzer it will go almost a similar amount to the left as if you put it lower on more hyzer. If you were to accidentally torque a neutral putter, it might actually go right, the os approach disc wont do that. So they can be a crutch in that they hide a mistake, but it is smart to use them for that reason. If you want to work on that mistake you can always do that during practice, not during a round.

 

[@CD-]

In competition a golfer should be trying to minimize strokes. Running C2 putts with high glide putters might leave stressful comebackers and bring more strokes into play. Finding the appropriate balance for situational layups vs. longer runs is hard. I wouldn't shame golfers for laying up or using OS or low glide putters/approach discs to minimize their risks for extra strokes from short range.

Casual/practice rounds are an opportunity to try both expanding putting range and practice laying up so a golfer has better confidence doing either as the situation calls for.

 

[acrosley]

You got a point when it comes to backhands but neutral putters just aren’t designed for forehands unlike a Zone or whatever your preference may be.

 

[biscoe]

You got a point when it comes to backhands but neutral putters just aren’t designed for forehands unlike a Zone or whatever your preference may be.

This. I pretty much never throw my A3's backhand.

 

[Moose33]

Depends on how you use it, to get that shot shape, you just won’t get the late fade for those wooded hook shots or flexy forehands that don’t blow past the basket from any other disc.

I also like that most of them die pretty quickly at the end of their flight.

You are right that a straighter disc will get you more throw ins though.

 

[robdeforge]

They definitely have their uses, but I find the more I develop my game the less I actually...use them.

It's so easy to chuck one down the fairway and park it next to the basket. I found myself often times avoiding more challenging lines and upshots to rely on my trusty overstable approach.

I fell in love with my zone when I first got it, but now it only comes out of the bag once or twice a round and sometimes not at all. It's important to know when to throw a layup, but a man can't survive on layups alone.

Now I find myself making a lot more throw ins, and I'm a lot more confident in my circle two putting. It pains me to see my buddy who swears by putting with his Berg constantly come up short. I feel like he's just robbing himself.

Pros use the zone or equivalent discs a lot. pros have a more developed game than you do.

 

[EllEstar]

You got a point when it comes to backhands but neutral putters just aren’t designed for forehands unlike a Zone or whatever your preference may be.

Eh, gotta disagree. A neutral putter fh isn't my go to shot generally, and never in a wide open field, but a fh with a Proxy or a beat in Berg or Bullfrog is one of my most used scramble approach shots from like 90-180'.

Going with a Zone, even my beat up and warped putter line Zone, in those situations often brings in needing to put more angle or having to put more power in, rather than just floating it to the target.

 

[DanJon]

I'm pretty sure we've already had this discussion.

 

[Spectacledbear]

You got a point when it comes to backhands but neutral putters just aren’t designed for forehands unlike a Zone or whatever your preference may be.

Neutral and understable putters are just fine for FH if you take the time to learn it. Clearly you didnt.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Counterpoint: Overstable approach discs encourage creativity. I lean heavily on overstable approach discs. They are a crutch and one of the weakest parts of my game is throwing straight at baskets. I'll give you that. The flipside is that I'm frequently finding and choosing lines that my cardmates didn't even consider.

 

[acrosley]

Neutral and understable putters are just fine for FH if you take the time to learn it. Clearly you didnt.

They're "just fine" depending on your hand's anatomy. I can flick an Alpaca or Aviar or Wizard alright within 100 feet or so but sometimes when I try to power up on them my finger gets caught on the rim. That's why I like my JB Zone

 

[crushboi]

Pros use the zone or equivalent discs a lot. pros have a more developed game than you do.

Yea but the pros aren’t trying to get better they are trying to get the most consistent way to win. And if you watch Simon’s Glitch or Proxy only rounds you can see that pros have already learned to throw that shot.

 

[foxdawg10]

They have their uses. It is good to have multiple tools and shots in your bag for different situations.

 

[TiltedFlipCurves]

Whatever saves strokes, man

 

[sillybizz]

Neutral and understable putters are just fine for FH if you take the time to learn it. Clearly you didnt.

I constantly hyzer flip Zephyrs and people ask me how I do it. It's called a hyzer flip without OAT lol.