Which discs should I be adding as I get better?

[Unzbuzzled]

I've been playing for about five years and I've never really thrown anything above a speed 9. I toyed around with Champ Bosses and a Champ Destroyer, but they were way to hard to control for me, so I stuck with my trusty Valkyrie and Sidewinder for all long range duties.

But I want to improve my game, I'm pretty solid on holes under 350ft, and the only way to really shave off more strokes (aside from putting of course) is to get longer distance on the big open holes. If you are a good putter (which is a big 'if') you should be able to hit everything within about 20-25 ft. That gives you a circle 40-50 ft across that you can land in and be safe for a bird. On longer holes, that means I need to rip it over 400,' which just seems like a lot to ask of a Teebird or Valkyrie.

So what's the best strategy for moving up to faster discs?

-Should I just learn how to throw my speed 9s even farther, and stick with those because I know them better?
-Should I buy several high speed discs at varying stabilities and just put in a bunch of time on each of them?
-Should I buy several discs of the same mold (i.e. Destroyer, Boss, Wraith) and just beat them into different stabilities?

What is the best way to move up in disc speed without learning bad habits, using too many molds, or wasting money?

 

[money 21]

i would add a speed 11 disc like a flow, surge ss, or arcon and get used to thoughs through practice. before moving faster.

 

[JR]

Beast is the longest Speed 10 rivaling any 11 and competitive against 12s even at 400' power. Flows vary a lot and faltter ones tend to have low outer edge and flip a lot and not come back easily. Domey Opto Flows can have higher edges and they fade a lot harder and flip much less but are not really longer than Beasts. Beast is an upgraded Valk by the way and the best in the family. So i would start with that and please tell us how it goes so that we have an idea how it is working for you so we can see if there is something else that you need if it is not enough.

Of course improving form and power by working out helps so field practice and getting video critique are the obvious steps outside of equipment change if you cannot get somebody local to help you with thrwoing technique.

 

[Widdershins]

I've been playing for about five years and I've never really thrown anything above a speed 9. I toyed around with Champ Bosses and a Champ Destroyer, but they were way to hard to control for me, so I stuck with my trusty Valkyrie and Sidewinder for all long range duties.

But I want to improve my game, I'm pretty solid on holes under 350ft, and the only way to really shave off more strokes (aside from putting of course) is to get longer distance on the big open holes. If you are a good putter (which is a big 'if') you should be able to hit everything within about 20-25 ft. That gives you a circle 40-50 ft across that you can land in and be safe for a bird. On longer holes, that means I need to rip it over 400,' which just seems like a lot to ask of a Teebird or Valkyrie.

So what's the best strategy for moving up to faster discs?

-Should I just learn how to throw my speed 9s even farther, and stick with those because I know them better?
-Should I buy several high speed discs at varying stabilities and just put in a bunch of time on each of them?
-Should I buy several discs of the same mold (i.e. Destroyer, Boss, Wraith) and just beat them into different stabilities?

What is the best way to move up in disc speed without learning bad habits, using too many molds, or wasting money?

You have been playing for 5 years and are worried about picking up bad habits? Really? Your habits/form are fundamentally set by now. Not that you can't (and should) make continual, small, incremental improvements and adjustments. Improvement requires change, even for accomplished Pros.

High speed discs are not heroin/crack/meth or something. They won't ruin your game even if one of them happens to be named "Crank". A high speed disc will fly farther and be harder to control, so learning this type of disc will teach you better precision. They will, of course, punish you when you mess up. So a Nuke is a harsh teacher but a very good one. By the way, all good teachers are demanding.

So what do you try out now? 1. Understable discs. 2. High speed discs. 3. Discs which are both understable and high speed. High speed and understable discs require more precision to control them. Greater precision and greater power are what separate you from better players. (Well, there is that putting thing too but that is a different issue).

Flippy Putters and flippy Midranges are under-respected discs by those who don't use or understand them. Yes they are hard to control. But once you learn to control them your game will substantially improve. The tighter the course the more these discs are valuable.

Wasting money is an issue. Wasting time is an issue. Wasting anything is bad. But making an investment in something is necessary for success. Given how thrifty the game of disc golf is, trying out new discs is a cheap investment. Try out your buddies' discs. Buy them used. If you can, try a disc before you buy it. Invest carefully but invest. Once you find a mold which works then buy a few or more.

If Unbuzzled met me on a disc golf course at my vehicle in the parking lot and asked the same question as the OP then I would recommend he start with a Nuke and a Rattler. Then I would let him try out one of each and watch how he threw them. A few tips, if desired, comes with the price of a disc.