[Vibram] Vibram Disc Golf Thread (Part II)

[Mr. Butlertron]

That's strange, all their molds can already be found pretty light.

 

[smarkquart]

What's going on here?
Is Vibram jumping into the Blizzard/Z-Lite territory?

Floats in water?

 

[Gennataos]

Do want.

 

[Mocheez]

Do Ascents and Traks have the same flight plate? I bought a Trak yesterday and on the bottom of the disc where it says TRAK, I can see shadows of the letters ASCENT as if they were scratched off the mold.

 

[smarkquart]

New the Valley tester arrived today. Is everyone else getting super light weights? I do not know how honest of a test I can get out of it because I prefer my fairway drivers to be heavy so I can throw them like glorified mids.

 

[whitefedora]

If you'd like I'd be happy to test it for you.

 

[SlappyMcGruff]

I got a 154g M today

 

[smarkquart]

Mine is mostly white on top and green on the bottom. I tested it out today in snow, so I definitely had to throw it on holes and lines where I would not lose sight of it. Do not get me wrong, I enjoy trying out new discs and being a tester, but I am not excited by the combination of light weight and white color (although white IS my normal non-winter color).

The disc reminds me of an archangel. Even at minimal power it immediately flipped coming out of my hand. Yet with an extreme hyzer there was a point where it would flip but not over, riding the line straight. On those throws it had tremendous glide considering how little power I gave it.

KEEP IN MIND: It is winter which means that my footwork is reduced because of the snow and ice, meaning that I am more dependent on upper body and torque to generate power. This means that more so than in the summer that I need stable discs to compensate. I am sure that with warmer and drier conditions I could reign it in more. I do not shy away from understable discs, as I prefer them to overstable, but my ideal fairway drivers are heavy and incredibly stable with minimal fade; TeeBird, Gazelle, and Stag. I use a Hatchet in the understable spot, but even then it is just for niche shots. This winter I am testing out the Thief because I would like just a touch more HSS stability than what a seasoned Hatchet offers. I like discs that turn but not flip, does that make sense?

I am going to have my 11 year old son take a lot of throws and see if at his power range it will be more ideal.

 

[hempies]

Do Ascents and Traks have the same flight plate? I bought a Trak yesterday and on the bottom of the disc where it says TRAK, I can see shadows of the letters ASCENT as if they were scratched off the mold.

Post pics.

 

[Mocheez]

Post pics.

I will do that tonight.

Also received the Valley in the mail yesterday but haven't thrown it yet. Mine is also 154 grams. Smarkquart, did yours have some fade to it? It has a lower PLH compared to the Trak but it has a concave rim as opposed to the Trak's straight/convex rim. Seems like it would have less HSS but with a little more fade.

 

[smarkquart]

I will do that tonight.

Also received the Valley in the mail yesterday but haven't thrown it yet. Mine is also 154 grams. Smarkquart, did yours have some fade to it? It has a lower PLH compared to the Trak but it has a concave rim as opposed to the Trak's straight/convex rim. Seems like it would have less HSS but with a little more fade.

It was too easy to flip that it never had a chance to really demonstrate its fade. To keep it from flipping I had to give it extreme hyzer, making it difficult to tell whether it was just holding the hyzer or whether it was truly fading.

My son, who on average only throws 70-100 feet and has troubles throwing nose-up, saw some fade. Considering his power range, take that with a grain of salt.

 

[Brodysseus]

Got my Valley tester out for some throwing today. Mine is also lightweight, weighing in at 152g. I was actually pretty impressed with the disc. With the few descriptions I'd seen and the light weight, I was expecting a flippy useless burner.

This disc does have significant turn. However, it was a fairly predictable turn. With a clean release at about 80% power, the Valley made a sweeping right turn (RHBH). Add some hyzer and the Valley would pop up, turn right slowly and then fade back a little. Extremely good glide. Great with a tailwind, terrible in a headwind, and surprisingly ok in crosswinds. Please note, I throw ~300'.

I think the Valley fits well into the Vibram lineup. With the Ascent and Trak, you now have a fairway lineup that goes left, straight, and right. And while the HSS is similar to the unLace, the Valley seemed to be more predictable. The unLace will still be my choice for monster hyzer flips, long tailwind shots, and rollers, but the Valley is probably going to see a lot of use for controlled turnovers and hyzer flips, especially once I can pick up a 169ish production run.

 

[smarkquart]

My first question was, and was then answered in the second paragraph, how far you throw. There are a few discs, the Archangel and new mold Beast come to mind, that have a very sensitive threshold of speed of where they fly controllably and then suddenly become unpredictable crap. It is not a knock on those who cannot throw the same distance as others but more so a knock on those who have distance and less than perfectly clean form.

I find that I can control it powered down and with a hyzer. The only issue with this is that on such lines and distances I already have that shot covered with mids that I trust a lot more. Conversely, when attempting to put it out on fairway driver lines and distances, the results were incredibly hit or miss, more often miss than hit. I admit that hyzerflipping is one of my weaker skills, but holding a hyzer line is one of my specialties. I could not dial the Valley on any useful lines.

Yet the one variable that definitely needs to be taken into account is that it was put on lines and was compared against 172-175g discs. I simply do not feel comfortable throwing light-weight discs. I would be more than happy to give a heavier Valley a try, but for the time being I am done with the one I have and have given it to my son to test out.

Got my Valley tester out for some throwing today. Mine is also lightweight, weighing in at 152g. I was actually pretty impressed with the disc. With the few descriptions I'd seen and the light weight, I was expecting a flippy useless burner.

This disc does have significant turn. However, it was a fairly predictable turn. With a clean release at about 80% power, the Valley made a sweeping right turn (RHBH). Add some hyzer and the Valley would pop up, turn right slowly and then fade back a little. Extremely good glide. Great with a tailwind, terrible in a headwind, and surprisingly ok in crosswinds. Please note, I throw ~300'.

I think the Valley fits well into the Vibram lineup. With the Ascent and Trak, you now have a fairway lineup that goes left, straight, and right. And while the HSS is similar to the unLace, the Valley seemed to be more predictable. The unLace will still be my choice for monster hyzer flips, long tailwind shots, and rollers, but the Valley is probably going to see a lot of use for controlled turnovers and hyzer flips, especially once I can pick up a 169ish production run.

 

[Monkeypaws]

Do the protos have the Vibram flight numbers on the back?

 

[smarkquart]

Do the protos have the Vibram flight numbers on the back?

Mine is in the car but I am positive that it has nothing but the handwritten mark of its weight.

 

[hempies]

Do the protos have the Vibram flight numbers on the back?

For the Valley, nothing. No name on the front and nothing on the back except the handwritten weight and x-link blend.

 

[Brodysseus]

Response to my review.

I totally understand the points you are making. Any US disc is going to be finicky and especially in these lightweights we're seeing. And this disc will only be a go-right disc for me. I had the same experience as you, if I did add enough hyzer and took enough power off for it to go straight or hold a hyzer, I would much prefer throwing a mid in that situation.

Also, I have been experimenting with 150 class discs since this fall and have always been a fan of pretty understable discs, so I already have a comfort level with this kind of disc. I totally see what you're saying about getting the threshold of power right or this disc becomes completely unpredictable. I have a pretty clean release despite my low power, mainly because I have really slowed down and focused on throwing clean. Because where my game is at, I'll trade consistency for distance (which I never had much of anyways). So discs like the Valley or unLace are right in my wheelhouse.

All that being said, I think the Valley will be a useful utility understable (alliteration!) disc for someone with my power level and throwing style (basically always throwing with some hyzer). But I don't think this disc will have all that wide of an appeal for players.

 

[MrDarkHorse]

Disc Golf Underground's review of the Valley: http://dgunderground.com/2015/vibram-disc-golf-released-their-newest-prototype-r448-or-valley/

 

[smarkquart]

Disc Golf Underground's review of the Valley: http://dgunderground.com/2015/vibram-disc-golf-released-their-newest-prototype-r448-or-valley/

They basically confirmed what I have witnessed; there is a speed/ power threshold that once exceeded will make it almost uncontrollable. Most discs when you exceed its intended speed will turn/ flip in accordance to how much over you exceed that speed. So, to a degree you can control the flip/ turn and use it to your advantage.

And then there are discs like the Archangel and new mold Beast which seem stable when underpowered, but once you exceed that speed/ power threshold, no matter how much or little you do so, it flips completely. There is so little grey area where you could use the turn or flip to your advantage. Basically it is stable or a roller, and those are the only two options you have.

Unfortunately if I want to use it as a fairway driver I have to throw it with a deep hyzer. The most understable disc I throw is the Hatchet (which I have been souring on recently and am looking to move up to a Thief) but I can keep that relatively flat as long as I throw it low to the ground. I could not do that with the Valley.

While it is definitely not for me, my son is digging it at his lower power and he really love how it feels; grip and depth.

 

[Chaser0909]

Disc Golf Underground's review of the Valley: http://dgunderground.com/2015/vibram-disc-golf-released-their-newest-prototype-r448-or-valley/

Nice.