[Westside] The Westside Shield

[SD86]

Update: just got a BT Hard Shield. Threw it some on the range today, but haven't had a chance to use it on the course. My BT Hard Shield is a bit flippy and turns over. I thought it was me, but after a number of throws to include hyzer flips, I was seeing the Shield as an understable disc. Nowhere near as OS as my TP Harp or BT Hard Harp.

Gonna try the Shield on the course and see how it does, but I won't be torquing on it, fer sure...

 

[AzteC]

Decided to put the Shield back into the bag. My only two putters had been my judges and harps. I had a beat to heck medium harp I could use for turnovers, but it didn't have quite the amount of glide I needed. So I added a medium and hard shield back in. I think since my form has improved greatly since originally taking it out, I can control it much better. I also have a TP shield I might consider putting back in, but for now my VIP harp is doing just fine. THe shield is the kind of disc that doesn't hide bad form well. Harps do however.

 

[Alzyurpalz]

I bag 4 Shields. I have 2 BT Hards for putting, switched from wizards and I'm not looking back. I recently picked up a VIP and a BT Soft for throwing. I love the VIP for dead straight downhill shots 250 and in. It has really good HSS and fades softly at low speed. Pairs well with the BT Soft which is less high speed stable but glides more. It still has that shield fade and sits where it hits.

 

[SD86]

Update: just got a BT Hard Shield. Threw it some on the range today, but haven't had a chance to use it on the course. My BT Hard Shield is a bit flippy and turns over. I thought it was me, but after a number of throws to include hyzer flips, I was seeing the Shield as an understable disc. Nowhere near as OS as my TP Harp or BT Hard Harp.

Gonna try the Shield on the course and see how it does, but I won't be torquing on it, fer sure...

Update: I think I've found the problem, which is in the way I was gripping my Shield. Bad weather is preventing me from taking the Shield out and gripping-and-ripping it with a modified grip (I'm going to try what Danny Lindahl suggests about gripping throwing putters), though I've gotten some "indoor" putting practice with the Shield. The Shield is not a bad putting disc.

More bulletins as events warrant...

 

[F. Howl]

Koling kept commenting on the Jonesboro coverage that they looked understable because they kept going right, even though McCray called them OS. JohnE was putting them on a good anny, though. Here's a great shot of one just starting to flex and glide out:
https://youtu.be/ujxH4obcgs0?t=23m53s

Reminded me of this:
https://youtu.be/b8wU1ityN6c?t=19m39s

I have two First Run VIP Shields that were a very hard unyielding blend, and they are definitely not flippy. Great driving putters that I would use for night rounds, back when I putted Mercys and wanted a similar feeling disc in translucent plastic to put a light under (Opto Mercys didn't exist yet).

 

[slacker_sport]

Koling kept commenting on the Jonesboro coverage that they looked understable because they kept going right, even though McCray called them OS. JohnE was putting them on a good anny, though. Here's a great shot of one just starting to flex and glide out:
https://youtu.be/ujxH4obcgs0?t=23m53s

Reminded me of this:
https://youtu.be/b8wU1ityN6c?t=19m39s

I have two First Run VIP Shields that were a very hard unyielding blend, and they are definitely not flippy. Great driving putters that I would use for night rounds, back when I putted Mercys and wanted a similar feeling disc in translucent plastic to put a light under (Opto Mercys didn't exist yet).

doesn't seem the timestamps came through on those links. want to point us to which holes you're referencing?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[F. Howl]

doesn't seem the timestamps came through on those links. want to point us to which holes you're referencing?

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

Hmmm, they're working for me...

Anyway, Hole 8 at Jonesboro = 23m53s.

Then Hole 16 at Winthrop = 19m39s

 

[slacker_sport]

Hmmm, they're working for me...

Anyway, Hole 8 at Jonesboro = 23m53s.

Then Hole 16 at Winthrop = 19m39s

thanks, must be poor app integration with taptalk. great demo of what I have read elsewhere of John E moving from Wizards to Shields. (and my first viewing of the 2014 finish. that's a painful couple of holes to watch!)

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[F. Howl]

^^^ yeah, that was an epic tourney.

 

[Alexplz]

Hey Shield throwers - tell me something. How does the shield respond when powered down? Say I want to throw a gentle shot that carries straight for 150 feet and then fades... is the shield going to fall out of the sky because it's too fast to pull off a shot like this? I ask because it's rated a speed 3, which to me sounds more like a fast driving putter like your aviar3s, your harps, your colts, etc.

Looking for a driving putter to replace an envy... I definitely dig the envy but I wonder if I would prefer something slower and still stable/OS. I putt with Daggers so the putting ability of what I choose is irrelevant.

Considered the wizard, the challenger, some form of aviar driver... but I might prefer something consistently available in premium.

 

[slowplastic]

It's way more similar in speed/depth to a Wizard than something like an Envy. It also can fly a little bit bulky/beefy if it's fresh and you're powering it down, so I wouldn't worry about it at all on shorter ranges. Edit: Just read you are thinking premium, I have not thrown it in those plastics. But the hand feel/speed will be the same; closer to Wizard type of putter than Envy.

 

[Alexplz]

It's way more similar in speed/depth to a Wizard than something like an Envy. It also can fly a little bit bulky/beefy if it's fresh and you're powering it down, so I wouldn't worry about it at all on shorter ranges. Edit: Just read you are thinking premium, I have not thrown it in those plastics. But the hand feel/speed will be the same; closer to Wizard type of putter than Envy.

See that's what I expected - a deep dish putter ala the wiz, chally, aviar, any of those. The 3 speed kind of threw me. I actually would not mind a BT hard as classic hard seems to hold up very, very well on judges.

 

[Monkeypaws]

It's way more similar in speed/depth to a Wizard than something like an Envy. It also can fly a little bit bulky/beefy if it's fresh and you're powering it down, so I wouldn't worry about it at all on shorter ranges. Edit: Just read you are thinking premium, I have not thrown it in those plastics. But the hand feel/speed will be the same; closer to Wizard type of putter than Envy.

Actually, that isn't true: Shield has the same rim depth as an Envy, 1.4. Fairly shallow.

Wizards are 1.8

 

[slowplastic]

Actually, that isn't true: Shield has the same rim depth as an Envy, 1.4. Fairly shallow.

Wizards are 1.8

I don't trust PDGA specs on putters especially. Here is a picture of a Shield in grey and Wizard in terrible skin tone. They are very similar in size, definitely way more similar than either and the Envy. The Shield is flatter and I would say slightly faster because of it, but not like an Envy.

 

[Alexplz]

Looking at picking up a premium driving putter (still). Can someone compare the flight off the tee between premium Shields and P2s? I'm thinking I would pick up an S P2 and a VIP or TP Shield, whichever ones are widely available.

 

[SD86]

Looking at picking up a premium driving putter (still). Can someone compare the flight off the tee between premium Shields and P2s? I'm thinking I would pick up an S P2 and a VIP or TP Shield, whichever ones are widely available.

Unfortunately, both have periods of unavailability here in the USA. But an S-line P2 should hold its flight pattern for a good while, so you may not need to have more than a couple unless the courses you play on just gobble up discs. Trilogy plastic, even their premium stuff, wears in a LOT faster than S-line or C-line.

From my own experiences with both molds, I liked the S-line P2 a lot more for driving and approaches. The P2 is more stable for me than the Shield. But both are good molds, so it may come down to feel in the hand, beaded or beadless, etc.

 

[Alexplz]

snip.

thanks man, people can always rely on you for a good recommendation. :hfive:

 

[tomte]

I agree, both are good discs and good putters for driving. I have no comparison in the premium plastic though. Both felt nice in my hand.

 

[SaROCaM]

Looking at picking up a premium driving putter (still). Can someone compare the flight off the tee between premium Shields and P2s? I'm thinking I would pick up an S P2 and a VIP or TP Shield, whichever ones are widely available.

They are pretty similar for me in terms of flight, but I'd give the edge in stability to the P2. The feel is different for sure. I like the feel of the VIP Shield. It seems like I can manipulate shots better with it. VIP Shield seems to have decent availability; I have seen them in various local brick-and-mortar stores.

 

[Alexplz]

BTW I held a shield and a P2 in BT hard and X-line respectively at the shop yesterday. I just can't do the P2, man. I could get used to it, and I like deep putters, but the depth combined with the beadles edge just feels way too harsh. The shield on the other hand feels pretty nice, so I will likely seek the most stable variant I can find.