Use of Firebird for the weak armed?

[muptonfish]

I am an admitted weak arm thrower (Teebird 250-270ft). What use is a Firebird or similar disc to me? What shots wouldn't a similarly OS mid cover that an OS driver does?

I'm mainly asking as I picked up a used DX Firebird at PIAS a few months ago and I'm struggling to find a use for that my Dx Gator or Champ RocX3 can't do.

Enlighten me, please

 

[biscoe]

I use that style of disc for forehands and overhands. Only time I would throw one backhand is in a hurricane.

 

[DavidSauls]

I'm even weaker-armed. I use one for skipping around corners, and an occasional really sharp fade-around-the corner shot. Also for forehand approach shots, because even with my terrible forehand, there's no risk I'll flip it.

Despite what mine may say, it's not a driver.

Not for me. It's a specialty disc.

 

[ThrowBot]

Firebird will probably skip bigger.

Other than that, if you get the same lines with OS mids, not much additional value to the FB.

 

[Jay Dub]

Beat that dx Firebird in until it starts turning a bit, you'll love the results.

 

[Keller]

I am an admitted weak arm thrower (Teebird 250-270ft). What use is a Firebird or similar disc to me? What shots wouldn't a similarly OS mid cover that an OS driver does?

Enlighten me, please

What use? Not much really.
Unless;
You throw forehand rollers, skip shots, big spike hyzers or thumbers/tomahawks.

An overstable driver can come in very handy, but for a noodle arm, a Star or Champion Eagle, Teebird or Banshee are probably more useful and will do all those things listed above and still be a useful wind fighter too.

I throw 50-60 ft further than you and still can't find a real need for a firebird, I bag an EXP-X, pretty much a Banshee and it does all I need

You have a DX Firebird, they are no where near as stable as the premium plastic birds, beat it in a little and you'll get some good use out of it.

 

[Streets]

For my arm speed...I always found a Buzzz OS taking a lot of FB shots.

 

[Kegelexercise]

I don't know if you have a good forehand, but my champion firebird is absolute money for short-ish 200' to 250' FH hyzer lines. It skips like crazy anywhere there isn't thick grass too. It's a very practical, fairly high usage disc in my bag, but I drive nearly exclusively forehand, so how it fits into most backhand dominant players bags may vary.

 

[BlueMonk]

I'm similar power and I have very limited use for my Firebird. I wouldn't have bothered to buy one, but I found one a few years ago, no ink on it, so I kept it. It is purely a specialty disc for me. For most forehands and backhands where I need an overstable disc, my max weight, Metal Flake TeeBird is plenty overstable.

BUT... on those days when the winds are really ripping, the Firebird serves a valuable purpose. I can line up a big hyzer into a fierce headwind and it will hold the line in a way that even my TeeBird can't quite manage. I think the key is the extremely low glide of the Firebird. The disc just doesn't react to wind the way every other disc I own seems to.

 

[Deej]

I'm even weaker-armed. I use one for skipping around corners, and an occasional really sharp fade-around-the corner shot. Also for forehand approach shots, because even with my terrible forehand, there's no risk I'll flip it.

Despite what mine may say, it's not a driver.

Not for me. It's a specialty disc.

This!

 

[rocthecourse]

At your distance you would probably get more use out of a Banshee.

 

[UhhNegative]

Basically only FH rollers and shots where you need more skip than a mid would give you.

Even Nate Sexton uses firebirds up close <200' but that's more of a confidence/feel thing than being the optimal shot.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

When I was throwing a Firebird more often it was an occasional use disc.. But really useful even at lower armspeed. I pack it for OH or thumbers, FH and reasonable hookshots.

Thing is my candy Pro Firebird is actually called an FL now, it's 160g. If you were thinking of getting one I'd just pass on the actual Firebird and get a light FL. Plenty of beef, I only found out recently the difference between mine and the backups that didn't fly "right" .

 

[Noseph]

Pretty much what everyone has already said here. Thumbers, tomahawks, short flicks, rollers and flare skips around corners. The thing is, if you use it for these type of shots, the DX plastic will eventually beat in. You'll probably end up having to replace it much sooner than later.

 

[UhhNegative]

Pretty much what everyone has already said here. Thumbers, tomahawks, short flicks, rollers and flare skips around corners. The thing is, if you use it for these type of shots, the DX plastic will eventually beat in. You'll probably end up having to replace it much sooner than later.

Yeah, as a general rule, for any level of player, a DX driver is going to be unusable in short order. They fly and feel great for like one round and then very quickly lose stability and only become useful for rollers or other non-traditional shots. In my opinion, its much better for beginners to use a pro plastic understable fairway as a driver to learn on. Something like a Pro Leopard is where its at!

 

[muptonfish]

Thanks to everyone who has weighed in, i appreciate all the feedback.

 

[DiscFifty]

I love my overstable gator, firebird. Definitely just utility discs for me. High hyzer spikes, skip shots, headwind, etc, etc. And the biggest thing of all....that fade is so reliable.

 

[Shamis]

I think everybody benefits by having one overstable fairway or even high speed driver. Even if you have a noodle arm, they are great for forehand/backhand shots that need a big skip. It's not something you should throw regularly, but it's an essential utility disc.

 

[Jimb]

Oddly, I don't think that I've ever thrown a Firebird at all.

I threw an FL for a while and never really gave it the chance to click.

A DGCR friend, though, gave me a Predator years ago and I've never looked back. It's filled the OS utility slot very well.

 

[mostlynorwegian]

I have a max weight champ. Fun to throw. Impossible to turn over. Easy to spot pearly blue. But it's not a disc I keep in my bag very often. I have several other discs that are lower speed that for my arm strength and distance can perform the meathook duties just as well for me. Like a champ Eagle, or a Champ Gazelle.