[Discraft] Most disappointing new disc of 2019

[Twmccoy]

Now that the year's almost over, I feel like I can definitely say what my most disappointing new disc of 2019 is. By that I mean a mold that came out this year that fell woefully short of expectations when throwing.

Without further ado, my disappointing disc of 2019 was the Kong/Zeus. When Discraft introduced this disc during the spring I was expecting a long, glidey Destroyer type disc. The Kong/Zeus was a HUGE letdown for me. I've now thrown 3 of the proto Kongs, and my results were similar with all 3. They're glideless and pretty much relentlessly overstable. For the life of me I can't make a Kong fly flat for any great length. Even compared to McBeth star Destroyers these things are short and glideless.

2 of my Kongs are flat and 1 is really domey. Despite the difference in looks they still all fly really beefy. My average Destroyer shot is probably 390'. The Kong for me averages something more like 360'. No matter what I do I can't make the Kong zip for any better yardage. The disc is stubbornly clunky and wants to find the ground quickly.

One positive thing about the Kong is that its overstable enough you at least know where it'll go when you throw it. The wind doesn't affect the disc, and it is a consistent (short) flier. I also love the swirly ESP look.

Still, humongous bummer disc for me. I wanted so badly for the Kong to be a legit Destroyer competitor. It isn't. MUCH shorter and beefier for me.

What is everyone else's most disappointing new disc of the year?

 

[texasissouth]

Have you thrown any of the production Zeus?
I felt the same way about the protos when they came out, a local Discraft guy had me throw a couple back to back with some beat in Z Forces, I thought the Force was far an away the superior disc. The production run Zeus flies much different, to me at least, than any protos did, much more glide and less OS. It actually has a point to existing instead of being a worse version of a beat-in Force.

 

[Twmccoy]

Have you thrown any of the production Zeus?
I felt the same way about the protos when they came out, a local Discraft guy had me throw a couple back to back with some beat in Z Forces, I thought the Force was far an away the superior disc. The production run Zeus flies much different, to me at least, than any protos did, much more glide and less OS. It actually has a point to existing instead of being a worse version of a beat-in Force.

No. Obviously I'd like to try one of the new Zeuses. If I throw one and love it I'll gladly come back on here and discuss it. So far though I just can't stand the proto Kongs.

 

[Emoney]

You just cant let it go huh? Lol
From the reviews, you have been told the majority were not what u have.

But to add to the thread i will say..... Axiom Pyro

I thought it was going to be wasp-like or a workhorse mid. It was just beef for me and i have no need for that.

 

[SD86]

I got a (Pre-Luna) McBeth Prototype putter. The plastic feels great, and it's the best-flying putter out of my paws and into the chains that I've found to date. Despite the price, I was considering buying one or two more and using them as my main putting putters.

That's not the disappointment; what followed is. They said they couldn't duplicate that same plastic, which I never believed and still don't. Then they made some changes, and the various Lunas are not quite the same mold. I understand that: they're made for Paul McBeth, and he won his fifth World Title with it. But I am disappointed that those wonderful pre-Luna McBeth Prototypes didn't continue to get made.

I guess my other disappointment was the Patrol. I never could quite get that disc to be consistently good for me on turnover shots. The good news is that the M4 is working very well in that capacity, so I'm set there...

 

[Casey 1988]

The more recent runs of DX Dragon are a disappointment. The DX Dragoon are R-Pro like plastic similar to the stiff R-Pro used for the Wahoo and the stiff Pro Rhyno yet are the same like my older DX Dragon which is fine, but the last year disc I got and this year runs of DX Dragon I felt in store have a wax to the discs that is so waxy I fear that later when I need to get a new DX Dragon in a few years the mold plastic will be mostly wax with just enough plastic to the mold to hold the wax from melting in temps above 80-85 F. I say let the Innova people make a Blizzard Champion Dragon at 150 grams so that some players would not need a waxy disc for water shots, or downwind open shots, and open hole bombers.

 

[jdm0514]

The more recent runs of DX Dragon are a disappointment. The DX Dragoon are R-Pro like plastic similar to the stiff R-Pro used for the Wahoo and the stiff Pro Rhyno yet are the same like my older DX Dragon which is fine, but the last year disc I got and this year runs of DX Dragon I felt in store have a wax to the discs that is so waxy I fear that later when I need to get a new DX Dragon in a few years the mold plastic will be mostly wax with just enough plastic to the mold to hold the wax from melting in temps above 80-85 F. I say let Innova make a Blizzard Champion Dragon at 150 grams so that some players would not need a waxy disc for water shots.

Of course Casey would say a dx dragon was the most disappointing disc of 2019. Never change. Now for the op and saying Kong is the most disappointing disc of 2019. I would agree if the production was the same as the proto. But the proto is more like a force and the production run has more turn and glide.

 

[HERB brooks]

The more recent runs of DX Dragon are a disappointment. The DX Dragoon are R-Pro like plastic similar to the stiff R-Pro used for the Wahoo and the stiff Pro Rhyno yet are the same like my older DX Dragon which is fine, but the last year disc I got and this year runs of DX Dragon I felt in store have a wax to the discs that is so waxy I fear that later when I need to get a new DX Dragon in a few years the mold plastic will be mostly wax with just enough plastic to the mold to hold the wax from melting in temps above 80-85 F. I say let the Innova people make a Blizzard Champion Dragon at 150 grams so that some players would not need a waxy disc for water shots, or downwind open shots, and open hole bombers.

Time to put down the egg nog Casey

 

[Casey 1988]

Of course Casey would say a dx dragon was the most disappointing disc of 2019. Never change. Now for the op and saying Kong is the most disappointing disc of 2019. I would agree if the production was the same as the proto. But the proto is more like a force and the production run has more turn and glide.

Not a new disc but the DX plastic for Dragon has changed again in 2018-2019 and permanently to a waxy version unlike the previous version that just had a layer of wax that needed to come off same as most other production DX. In fact the 2019 discs are almost slippery wax when new unlike the 2018 I have that is a grip type wax, having felt the plastic for the DX Dragon mold in 2019.

Innova is getting worse and worse at making DX Dragons, I would take a badly made Blizzard Champion Dragon just to avoid the plastic.

 

[Casey 1988]

Time to put down the egg nog Casey

Nope I do not put alcohol in my egg nog. I do drink though but that was not the case for this.

 

[discerdoo]

They said they couldn't duplicate that same plastic, which I never believed and still don't. Then they made some changes, and the various Lunas are not quite the same mold. I understand that: they're made for Paul McBeth, and he won his fifth World Title with it. But I am disappointed that those wonderful pre-Luna McBeth Prototypes didn't continue to get made.

Not to name drop but, I actually talked to Matt Bell when I saw him in a shop in Tulsa last week. I asked him what he putted with and he showed me his Steadys in what I believe he called DGA pro plastic and he said it was the same as the proto Luna plastic. He repeated that they couldn't get more of the pellets that gave them the gritty texture.

I'm inclined to believe him.

 

[Twmccoy]

I got a (Pre-Luna) McBeth Prototype putter. The plastic feels great, and it's the best-flying putter out of my paws and into the chains that I've found to date. Despite the price, I was considering buying one or two more and using them as my main putting putters.

That's not the disappointment; what followed is. They said they couldn't duplicate that same plastic, which I never believed and still don't. Then they made some changes, and the various Lunas are not quite the same mold. I understand that: they're made for Paul McBeth, and he won his fifth World Title with it. But I am disappointed that those wonderful pre-Luna McBeth Prototypes didn't continue to get made.

I guess my other disappointment was the Patrol. I never could quite get that disc to be consistently good for me on turnover shots. The good news is that the M4 is working very well in that capacity, so I'm set there...

I agree it stinks to fall in love with a certain mold in a very specific type plastic.... and then have a manufacturer stop producing said plastic. Innova's good at that. Their champion and star blends seem to change over time, sometimes dramatically. It can definitely alter your perception of a certain mold.

 

[Twmccoy]

Of course Casey would say a dx dragon was the most disappointing disc of 2019. Never change. Now for the op and saying Kong is the most disappointing disc of 2019. I would agree if the production was the same as the proto. But the proto is more like a force and the production run has more turn and glide.

Its kinda hard to call a Dragon disappointing. I mean, what would anyone seriously expect out of that thing? The only positive attribute of the mold is that it floats. I found the Dragon to be perhaps the poorest flying driver I've ever thrown. Also, I was looking more for discs that came out in 2019 and are disappointing. The Dragon has probably been out for a decade and a half. Might as well add the Wolf or Quarter K to the mix....:\

I'm definitely intrigued to see what a regular run Zeus flies like. The proto Kongs are like XCals for me though.

 

[Emoney]

Its kinda hard to call a Dragon disappointing. I mean, what would anyone seriously expect out of that thing?

I'm definitely intrigued to see what a regular run Zeus flies like. The proto Kongs are like XCals for me though.

Kinda like what u expect from a "prototype" i assume

 

[Casey 1988]

Kinda like what u expect from a "prototype" i assume

Yep I agree especially since Paul McBeth said himself on YouTube about the Kong Prototype that it would get tweaked in several micro bits for production.

 

[Casey 1988]

Not to name drop but, I actually talked to Matt Bell when I saw him in a shop in Tulsa last week. I asked him what he putted with and he showed me his Steadys in what I believe he called DGA pro plastic and he said it was the same as the proto Luna plastic. He repeated that they couldn't get more of the pellets that gave them the gritty texture.

I'm inclined to believe him.

They have Stone series and Mat Bell ProSeries Steady looking on the site so it was one of the two that he showed you, leaning more to the ProSeries. Cool he was nice enough to show you the plastic at a shop and not hide in/leave the store when a fan showed up to ask a question.

 

[BrotherDave]

I didn't try out many 2019 discs. I've tried the Malta, Draco, and Stabilizer. The Stabilizer was the most disappointing. It's not that bad, it's just nothing special. Just your run-of-the-mill, not much turn, decent fade throwing putter.

 

[wolfhaley]

Kinda like what u expect from a "prototype" i assume

It DID come out in 2019 though, so the OP isn't wrong. But I understand both sides.

 

[Flick Maniac]

Kinda feel like the problem is going to be "too OS, not enough glide" for the majority of disappointments...

I didnt have major disappointments in 2019. Just a little underwhelmed with the Instinct (somewhat with the Method and Enigma too) but know it just wasnt for me. Too OS, not enough glide, lol. Rim didnt jibe with my grip at all. But not going to rant on the disc because I know so many people are shaving strokes off their game with that one. User error.

On the other hand, I didnt expect much anything out of the Link. Was like, yay another putter, what could it do? Turns out, its like an improved Wizard. Shallower, glidier, longer without sacrificing any initial HSS. In amazingly grippy plastic (soft or hard).

 

[wolfhaley]

I'm not even sure what new molds I threw this year to be honest. I bought a Luna just to see what it was like (not for me), Infinite Aztec recently (faster, straighter Thunderbird on a few throws thus far) and the new Prodigy Mid Mx 1 I think? Eh, It's a straightish mid. I did find a Zeus though at Eureka I believe the day after worlds. So 4 molds maybe. The Aztec is the only one I bought knowing I'd possibly like it. I need more time with it to make a decision though. So out of the 4 I listed I'd say the MX 1? is the most disappointing to me. This has nothing to do with the disc's flight. The 400 plastic is fantastic feeling out of the box. One of my favorites usually. The disc flies great but there has to be some kind of defect with the actual plastic. This thing looks like absolute S*** after a couple throws. It looks like you just ate the greasiest piece of pizza imaginable and then just gripped the hell out of the disc. You can't wash it off either. I have a H3 V2 and H4 V2 in 400 that are the same way. Anyone else have this. Great discs but something happened with the 400 plastic this year.