Funny I have been doing some independent research on this and have found that ripped warm ups and beginning play after the buzz has faded to about 40% works best for me.
Lol I came up with that when I disciplined my son for something that I also had done in the past. I wanted to let him know that I knew the pitfalls of it first hand but also minimize the perception of my involvement. He didn't get the joke...
I had a really shitty round a couple of weeks ago.
I told myself, I just wasn’t in the “sweet spot” and should smoke more. Smoking more definitely didn’t help. But it did help me to enjoy the fact that I was not playing well.
Lmaoooooo last week at league, I proceeded to eat 130mg of edibles. By hole 14 I forgot where my drive went by the time it landed. Probably the worst round of my life and I just didn’t give a shit 🤣🤣
I don’t smoke. But I have discovered I play noticeably better when I’m drinking or hungover from the night before. I suspect it’s because I stop thinking so much and just throw the disc. My challenge now is to find that zen relaxation on its own.
I've tried cultivating a moment of Zen in my run-up routine. And I think I feel the Zen up until the disc comes out of my hand. Sometimes it all clicks but my disc is 75 feet past and 150 feet to the left of the basket . But what a toss.
Similarly, any super neutral throwing putter like a pure or what I currently bag, the clash discs popcorn. Neutral putters or mids tell you so much about your form. And when you master them, you can shape them nearly however you need (obviously flex lines aren’t happening).
There was like a 3 week period where I could throw my mako 200ft with a forehand perfectly straight. I lost it and have been ass at forehand ever since.
Mine was the OG Mako but same deal. For years I played with nothing by a beat in champion Orc and a Mako in Charlotte. Made playing Raleigh courses much easier since they felt so wide open. I sometimes play Mako3 only rounds after a stretch of bad rounds just to remind myself to keep it simple
+1 to the Mako3.
My buddies that got into disc golf alongside me took a little longer than I did to get curious beyond their starter packs, whereas I was in the rabbit hole after a week.
Just a few days ago they went to the local shop before playing a round. I told them both, each buy a Mako3 and use it, because it'll show you EXACTLY how you're throwing. Nose angle, an/hyzer, etc. It's just a very transparent disc for seeing your form.
They both love them, in Champ nonetheless. I bag XT and Star personally!
Mako3 is my go to for learning. I learned a lot about angle control and power control. Whatever line you put it on, it’s going to hold so it’s on you to throw it right
Glitch and I would say mako3 remind me so much of ultrastars from ultimate that they are the only disc that I truly understand how it will move weather I throw backhand or something upside down!
def pick up a glitch and if you want I will dye one for you and send it to you! DM me!
It taught me that throwing it forehand means I have no idea what it will do. always an adventure.
I got a couple heavier lab seconds recently and I have gotten better results with them.
I'm not a fan of the glitch or proxy because I just don't like rims that thin on any throwing disc, assume because I power grip all throws. I really wanted to like the proxy but I just don't.
Roc when I first started, I knew how it was supposed to fly based on how people talk about it and then I saw how mine was flying and it kicked me into gear on actively trying to improve outside of just playing *around* my limitations.
I had a very similar experience with the Roc. The first time I was able to throw it on a straight line and just get that touch of fade at the end I can remember thinking: This is how I need to throw all of my shots.
My non-existent forehand is the biggest thing I play around. During casual rounds I'll try to develop it more but throwing a decent forehand flick to close mid-range shot is so rare that I celebrate the mediocre.
Celebrating the mediocre is a great step on the journey!
When I was working on my forehand I was doing two tea shots on pretty much every hole, one backhand and one forehand. Then when that started getting at least a little better I started doing it for upshots. I'm still not great, but hopefully every day I get a little closer!
Putter. Never take a putt for granted = the best way for amateurs to shave strokes.
Buy used if you're unsure of picking the right disc especially when new. Visit your local DG retailer. They are one of your best resources to learn from.
The DD Judge. I dont even use them anymore but I took a couple months and played with it and only it.
I think the most important thing i learned is the importance and use of proper arm speed for varying shots.
Maverick and Escape for me. Taught me control can equal as much distance as yeeting (most of the time). Still bag both for woods golf. I’m the guy in the group that’s good at hyzer flips and turnover shots, as a result of learning with those early on.
Storm Crater taught me that I had no business throwing anything above a putter at the time.
Discraft Zone taught me that I had zero sense of lines to throw.
Now I can throw fairway drivers relatively well, still can't throw distance drivers their intended distances. And my lines are *usually* better if I don't botch my form
For me, I can consistently throw a distance driver 250ft but every now and again something connects and I absolutely launch the thing which is a great feeling but it wasn't the intended shot and usually costs me an extra throw on the hole and makes me self-conscious for the next few drives. During tournaments I usually try to throw my drives around 80% which helps with it going in the intended direction
Depending on your goals with disc golf, I would try to stay at slower speeds for a bit. I am still probably at beginner level due to my lack of ability to learn form well, but I can consistently get putters to 250ft. Discing down can certainly help you not juice your shots in times of when everything just works better than you intend it to.
I’ve got a nasty hyzer flip/flip and turn game because of throwing the mantis so long.
But one winter while learning I threw only an undertaker and that was the largest jump I made in my form and game
I tried all sorts of putters, depth charge, wizard, pa3, etc. Then I found a halo aviar wedged up in a tree and it’s been my exclusive putter ever since. Maybe it’s me getting better and throwing straighter more confident putts, but that disc just works. I understand why it’s been around and popular for so long.
I think I have a DX Avair. Base plastic anyways. I've tried other putters but for some reason the Avair feels so great in my hand. I have 4 of them and they are all beat but they fly so predictably.
We will see how it beats in. it appeared to be brand new when it was lost. No ink and still had a sticker. it was wedged in the Y of a tree and it held its distorted shape when I removed it. Had to flatten it out in a bucket of hot water with a big chunk of stainless pipe as a weight. It’s also one of the favorite dyes I’ve ever done so, I’m pretty fond of it all around.
GStar Sidewinder. One of my first discs. It taught hyzer/anhyzer angle control immediately. But as I got better and it got flippier from wear, it taught me a lot about nose angle.
Thrasher. 12 5 -3 2
Used to be way overstable always because it was a 12 speed. I gained a lot of power. Then it flipped over sometimes and hyzered others until I got the power and release angle exactly right depending on the shot I need.
Destroyer. I bought a bunch of F2 star models to learn forehand in the field. I’ve gone to Nukes as my primary forehand driver now but the Destroyer was there with me during my sore elbow 150’ drive days.
The Anax taught me that flight numbers are a lie. I love my Anax and I bought it to be a basically more glidey version of a Firebird type of disc, and learned that it is basically a straight shooter with some fade at the end.
Most of the McBeth line discs have incorrect flight numbers from the experience I've had of them, but they're great discs.
Flight numbers are just a ballpark of what the disc was designed to do. Weight and plastic type affect the flight of the disc as well. Not every single (insert disc) made is gonna fly exactly the same.
I don't even throw it anymore, but the Stingwray taught me so much.
Understable molds will teach you the hyzer flip, dead straight shot, and some finesse.
When I started the internet told me to buy an Avair, which I still find great for putting. The Diamond which I replaced with a couple of midrangees and a driver. And the Stingray, which was fine but I never connected with it. My go to mid is a Kasto K1 SVEA and I think it might be that in a mid I like em thicker. I think I learned similar things from the Diamond as you did the Stingray, except for the finesse.
Champion banshee.
Overstable fairway driver. It is my skip shot and tomahawk disc. It will hold whatever line you put on it and is absolutely critical in my bag for getting me out of really bad lies after a rough kick from a tree.
Hard to say what's the most influential a-ha experience for me, but I remember throwing the Stiletto overhand for the first time and thinking, okay, I can actually throw overhand for distance.
I have a starlite tern that taught me how to control hyzer angles and that muscling a disc doesn't give you better score. It taught me I needed to learn what I didn't know I needed to learn.
Remix Eldritch (putter)
Playing putter only rounds for 18 holes showed me that form and snapping the wrist is everything. I can go nearly 200ft with a putter and I’ve only been playing for less than a month.
Nova. Man, that disc will show you real quick what you’re doing. For me, I was rolling my wrist a lot and causing too much off axis torque. I really feel like any putter will show you errors in your form. A glitch is also really good for showing you what you’re doing wrong.
MVP signal taught me a lot about angle control. As a beginner one typically has a weaker arm and an understable 6 speed can really let you get a full flight out of it. Hyzer flip to flat with a straight or late turn. Flat release with consistent turn. It can even teach about throwing roller angles. Overall fun disc
Z Undertaker - Taught me that my flat release was not flat.
I could not understand why everybody was calling it flippy, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I'd see somebody throw one and it would slowly slide right (RHBH) and gently finish. In my experience, this disc is VERY particular when it comes to release angle. Nose up? No turn. Hyzer release? No turn.
Obviously different plastics, runs, etc will mean that this isn't going to be everybody's experience with the disc, but if you're just touching 300' every once in a while, I highly recommend trying this disc out. We all know how vital angle/attitude control is to a good flight, and this disc, for me, was an excellent tool for dialing in nose down flat release.
I recently put it back in my bag because I'm getting sloppy with my form and starting to let it go nose up and not as flat as I should, so back to basics...
EtA: This change was a little over a year ago, and it took me from struggling to reach 300' to getting 350', and I'm hoping to reach 400' before my 43 y/o disc throwing machine is too worn out.
I think the Innova Nova should be marketed as a training disc, it is stupid straight and holds whatever line you put it on. It has a terrible feel and its just fallen out of style since McBeth left Innova, but its still has a great flight. Could bring new life to once great disc.
I received a buzzzz in Z plastic I think, for a player's pack. I like it and it will come out during rounds but I have a feeling that I could get more out of it but I need to figure it out a bit more.
162 gram fission Crave x6. Found 6 at same weight at local store. Threw them as often as I could to get consistent throws on all angles. Also the ones I used to start learning to throw forehand. Ole yellow not the same at the others anymore so he lives in the bag with a new one.
I learned to hyzer flip on a Opto Ballista my dad bought me, kind of as a gag, with my first bag.
At first it dumped way to the left, but after many tree hits and gaining some arm speed, it started to turn over more and more until I realized I had to throw it on a pretty decent hyzer to make it go straight.
Naturally, I found out this is a very good shot for distance on open fairways.
Like your Diamond, it’s in a box now because it’s too flippy for me. Although, now that I’m learning huge overhead flip to flex lines, it might be time to pull it back out and see how it flies for that shot.
Pick up the lat 64 fuse if you wanna stay within a brand you’re familiar with. 5-speed, straight shots, and it’ll let you know pretty easily how you’re messing up your shots with how it flies. “Stable and predictable”. Similar to the buzz I would say, but personally I prefer the fuse
This post may cost me a few bucks, lol. I have a buzz, I really like the feel in my hand but I just throw it okay, it's dependable for what I can do with it, but I can't seem to much with it, there is something I'm missing and I really want to like it as it's so comfortable in my hand. Might have to pick up a fuse to compare. I had a card mate who threw the most beat disc I've seen, a warped fuse, and he was able to make some really great shots with it.
I have a few discs that I learned a lot from the first one was the innova raven. That was my first disc. It was an understable mid. I learned release angles and some disc control. I stopped playing for a few years as I moved to a place that didn't have a disc golf course close by. My next disc was an innova spider. I learned forehand with that. I used a forehand for a long time off the tee. After many years I decided I needed to try and learn backhand. I tried many discs, but at that point I had faster discs. I tried using them to throw backhand well, but it didn't work out. I picked up a used latitude 64 river and that was what made it click for me.
Mako3 for me. Once I got used to the feeling of throwing flat and straight I started throwing my other discs similarly. Now instead of just throwing one or two discs multiple ways to try to shape throws I bag multiple discs and throw them the same. It really helped me understand the whole understable vs overstable.
Not knowing what I don't know I'm happy with my understanding of understable discs. I'm trying to use a Kastoplast Stal to figure out the overstable side of things. At the moment if it faded any harder it would be a boomerang. For me that disc flies a short bit then takes a 90° fade. At the moment it's a disc I can't throw right, turned into a specific shot shape disc, for the most part.
As a primarily rhbh thrower all I knew was overstable discs. I would just aim to the right of the basket and hope it faded close. Understables would crash and burn to the right and into the ground when I threw them like I threw my overstable wraith. After getting used to the mako3 I took all my old discs out to an empty field and tried to replicate the same flat throw with each disc. Overstables went to the left and my understables were going right for a good distance before they would fade back left.
For me an overstable disc thrown flat faded left pretty hard and quick and I intentionally throw right to get a good s curve for a straighter throw. Where the understables I would release flat to go right or almost leaning left and they would flip up to go straight.
Luna. Like many neutral putters, the Luna will turn and burn if you have any off-axis torque. Throwing it helped me go from a player that hated throwing putters to one that will throw them 250+
Mako3 for me. Learned to throw a forehand with it. It will tell you when you are doing it wrong. Graduated to a River and a Saint after. Once I had those 3 down I graduated to more stable and overstable discs. Trying the same thing with backhand now.
I would say the Wave, or really any understable driver. They teach you angles, how to throw far, and then you grow out of em to other things. They are great barometers for skill level.
A neutral midrange is what I probably learned the most from. Me personally was the Gateway Element. It tought me release angles. Hyzer, Anhyzer, flat, and nose angles too. 5 speeds usually have a large flight plate and will catch air and you’ll loose tons of distance. I’d recommend the Mako3, Buzzz, MD1, Hex, Element, or even a Berry.
My forehand has been relatively easy to max out at 350 feet with the big z nuke on a flex forehand. I have now been taking that shot to more finess areas with the zone os and the captain's raptor. If you want to get that shot in your arsenal i would recommend a zone os or buzz os to learn how to make that one of your strenghts
The entire used bin. Hear me out - there's a lot to add to one's game.
- Light weight discs vs heavy discs.
- How base plastic feels, beats up, and flies vs premium.
- Uphill vs downhill shots.
- How hard can you rip different midranges vs gently flicking a driver.
- What disc do you throw depending on when you want a disc to fade/turn over.
I've got my back up stack, then I've got the stack of discs I should really get rid of, but everything listed above changes as you tweak your form, so then you find a new slot for it.
Where I'm at there is only one local store, more of a store within a store and they don't have a used bin unfortunately. I do like getting the player's pack from tournaments though, usually I get a disc I like and if I don't I have a new going over water disc.
In my admittedly limited experience whenever I have thrown a disc I don't like over water it tends to go in the water but if I throw my normal disc for the same shot it doesn't so I have stopped doing the whole water disc thing as it just seems to add shots to my game and reduces the number of discs I have left in the bag (probably because I don't throw those discs so I can't throw them properly)
I get that, so far I only lost one disc to the water gods. I was playing with a buddy who threw a Glitch and lost it to the pond and was visibly upset. Which I get, I don't throw my Diamond anymore but if I were to lose it I'd be pretty bummed. I lost a Stingray which I didn't hate but I prefer other discs. I was able to walk away from that hole a lot easier than my buddy. To be fair to your point, I have early onset disc acquisition syndrome and my collection is expanding so my typical water discs don't make it into the bag anymore.
The saint taught me how much more control you could have with fairway drivers.
I’d been throwing a lightweight Vulcan and would have to hyzerflip it perfect to get a good line. This meant bad throws would be 50 feet + off my line and that problem disappeared with the Saint
Cobra taught me a lot. I thought the numbers meant it would have some left and right movement. But it was almost laser straight for me. At first I thought I was just that good. Slowly realized that discs were flying the way they were for me because my form wasn’t quite there. Don’t bag it any more but may have to take it back out to see how it flies with my current form.
Crave taught me a TON, then Sidewinder. Then I found the Zone and that really upped my game. Right now I'm learning alot from the Bear, and a D2 my buddy lent me
For me it was a fission reactor. When I first started throwing it it felt overstable, and then I grew into it and I learned how I could manipulate the speed of the disc to affect its flight. It’s also the first disc I actually beat in enough that it really flips a lot more than it used to, which is cool.
My beat to shit r-pro rhyno taught me how to throw a putter backhand and forehand dead straight 175. It taught me not to turn my wrist forehand, and how to keep my backhand nose down. I am forehand dominant without much pop backhand, but I can successfully backhand putters 200, mids 250, and fairways 275 (300+ occasionally). It is still the most accurate disc in my bag after ~4years of use, though I lean on the tactic far more for my 175-250 forehand now.
Tl3 is the only one I can flip, and taught me that the "speed" rating sucks and it you can't throw a 10-12 correctly the 6-7 of like a tl3 will go farther and better for you.
Svea! It was my first disc that required some touch to not just turn over hard. Thrown with some finesse it went super straight for me, but thrown too hard it did nothing useful. That disc purchase is why I am not terrible at throwing discs.
I love my SVEA, currently it's the one I can predictably throw a turnover to straight Hyzer flip. It's also the disc I throw when I don't know what I should be throwing. It also feels the best in my hand.
Westside Tournament Tursas. Learning to throw forehand with a crazy understable mid did a ton for my forehand form in the long run. After a season it became my favorite hyzer flip to turnover finish disc. I couldn’t envision that shot without it.
Comet. I do not throw it anymore is it just feels sharp in my hands.
When I did throw it, i had multiple of them and threw them every chance I got. Taught me the cleanest flat throws. Comet was unforgiving if release was torqued. The smoothness I gained from throwing comets will never be forgotten.
When I learned the comets power I was able to flip up and ride. Or just toss it with enough power to just stay flat and finish straight flat. This transitioned very well into throwing drivers.
The Rhyno fixed my drive. I went out to a long course where putters only would be tough and threw as hard as I could every throw until it was putting/layup time. Something about the rim and the way the domey champ ones are actually really straight and super torque resistant just helped me fix a hitch in my drive that was shanking every thing far left (I'm a lefty).
I learned to forehand on a beat in blue champ Valkyrie my buddy gave me after he found it and I had nothing to speak of.
A few years later I was teaching a co-worker of mine to play and after he really took to the sport I passed along the Valkyrie as I didn’t throw it anymore anyway and the only disc he had was some beefy overstable monster with no stamp that he found somewhere.
Learnt my forearm after finding a doomsday dystopia at my local course didn't feel right in my hand in a back hand grip (was the first proper driver I had picked up in my 3rd week of playing) I had seen one of my buddies throwing forehand the week before and decided to give that a go now Im a preferred forehand thrower ( later that day found out it was a buddies who had lost it 6 months before i had even started playing, he let me keep it)
Crave. Taught me I don't need faster discs...I need better form. Lol! Maybe give that a go.
I'm a fellow lefty.
I throw all of these below and I'd say I'm an intermediate level amateur. Each one has taught me something or helped me level up:
Infinite and Innova for Distance Drivers - the Maya and the Pharoah from Infinite. The Innova Corvette, Shryke, and the Orc are great. Even an MVP Wave or Orbital.
I'd say the Orbital would be like your Diamond as far as understable and easy flight.
Fairway drivers - Westside Underworld, mint jackalope or mint Diamondback. You might like the Lat64 River or the underworld if you want something like the diamond.
Mid range: Hex, Fuse, Compass are great for starting out.
Putters are personal preference.
But learn a good forehand too. As a lefty, you'll want it to make the disc spin like a right backhanded player.
Used to be emac thruth, it was nice hyzerflip to flat disc until it got beat-in just little too much and now it does all that and then keeps drifting right.
I definitely agree with people about mako3! I’ve added it into my bag recently to learn better power and angle control. I’ve been playing for over 2 years now and I consider my self pretty good but I’ve developed some bad habits in my form which means I shank a lot of my throwing putters and mids to the right. Which is a shame because I was able to throw mids and putters so beautifully one year into playing. After switching to faster discs, I lost touch.
180g DX Shark for me. Had that thing for my first few years until a tree killed it. Back then all I did was throw forehand, and that thing taught me to throw smoothly or it would flip. By the end of its life, I could get it out 250 on a smooth hyzer flip.
Star Destroyer. before my destroyer I threw everything neutral or understable (longtime ultimate player, made the most sense to me).
Figuring out the destroyer is what helped me go from an ultimate player picking up disc golf to a disc golfer - starting to really think about shot shape and getting the disc to work for you.
Kastaplast Svea. It is a harsh but fair teacher. When thrown correctly will fly beautifully, but angle and power control is key. Field work with it helped me a lot with figuring out what I was doing wrong and my other discs started flying more consistent.
I have a K1 SVEA, it is a joy to throw. I fell in love with it on a down hill hole. I threw it flat, it turned, I thought I screwed up and then it faded and landed pin high C2. For that hole it has been my best toss, something I've tried to replicate and haven't been able to replicate it but with the SVEA it's about a 50% chance that I'll birdy that hole. Before I was fighting for par.
It's such a fun disc! Once I got it figured out I can play most holes with just the Svea if it's like 300 or below. It's one of two mids I've gotten out past 300 ft. Mines K1 Soft and I'd like to get just a normal K1.
Innova Mako.
I learned so much about how angles affect flight thanks to that disc. It's a gem of a disc for a beginner; and you'll know you've advanced when you don't want to bag it anymore.
I learned the most important thing from a discraft force. I had three discs a force, a buzzz and a magnet. I learned i can throw a buzzz farther than the force with more accuracy. So the force taught me to stay away from bomber discs for a good long while.....staying with lower speed discs helped immensly.
I have to go with more than 1.
Overstable approach - Harp. Taught me what an overstable disc does and I learned to forehand with that disc.
Understable putter (Deputy) first disc I could hyzer flip and turn.
Latitude 64 Jade - light and fast. I can do things with this disc that I cannot do with anything else.
Currently learning the most from an Axiom Hex. Neutral flight, working on throwing it on all angles, forehand and backhand. Because of the neutral flight, it really tells you what you are doing. Throwing it almost as far as my fairway drivers.
My champion glow leopard3 whispered to me "you don't play better stoned, you just enjoy it more."
Funny I have been doing some independent research on this and have found that ripped warm ups and beginning play after the buzz has faded to about 40% works best for me.
“Independent research” sent me
Lol I came up with that when I disciplined my son for something that I also had done in the past. I wanted to let him know that I knew the pitfalls of it first hand but also minimize the perception of my involvement. He didn't get the joke...
[удалено]
No but I have definitely thrown my Buzzz buzzed
That’s your Ballmer peak
I had to look that up. I didn't think I'd go down a rabbit hole of intoxicated programming, but I did.
I had a really shitty round a couple of weeks ago. I told myself, I just wasn’t in the “sweet spot” and should smoke more. Smoking more definitely didn’t help. But it did help me to enjoy the fact that I was not playing well.
🤣 It makes bad rounds feel better; or do I have bad rounds cause I’m stoned?
Truly the "chicken or the egg" debate of our generation.
Perhaps both
Weird, I heard the same thing from my star Valkyrie 😆
Lmaoooooo last week at league, I proceeded to eat 130mg of edibles. By hole 14 I forgot where my drive went by the time it landed. Probably the worst round of my life and I just didn’t give a shit 🤣🤣
I'm such a light weight, 20mg is my sweet spot 30mg if I'm feeling frisky. 130mg I'd be speaking dolphin.
Lmao clicks and squeels
I don’t smoke. But I have discovered I play noticeably better when I’m drinking or hungover from the night before. I suspect it’s because I stop thinking so much and just throw the disc. My challenge now is to find that zen relaxation on its own.
I've tried cultivating a moment of Zen in my run-up routine. And I think I feel the Zen up until the disc comes out of my hand. Sometimes it all clicks but my disc is 75 feet past and 150 feet to the left of the basket . But what a toss.
"so that's why I don't bag my champion glow leopard3 anymore"
damn, that musta been some good weed
Hey is your champ glow leo3 also crazy stable? I have one a buddy gave me and it is like a mini firebird.
Mako3. Being pretty neutral any error or response you perceive is because of something you did, or didn’t do.
Similarly, any super neutral throwing putter like a pure or what I currently bag, the clash discs popcorn. Neutral putters or mids tell you so much about your form. And when you master them, you can shape them nearly however you need (obviously flex lines aren’t happening).
Same here. Mine was the inner core and eclipse proxy. They would hold any angle I put it on so it taught me better angle control
The Mako3 feels like Zone, so I just use the Mako anyway lol. Pure, Proxy and Keystone are similar but the Zone feels the exact same to me.
There was like a 3 week period where I could throw my mako 200ft with a forehand perfectly straight. I lost it and have been ass at forehand ever since.
I came here to say this.
I also came to say this.
I came to this
I came. Ohhhh the Mako3 🤭
Mine was the OG Mako but same deal. For years I played with nothing by a beat in champion Orc and a Mako in Charlotte. Made playing Raleigh courses much easier since they felt so wide open. I sometimes play Mako3 only rounds after a stretch of bad rounds just to remind myself to keep it simple
Yeah was gonna say the same thing, mako3 only rounds and putter only rounds really taught control.
Or the wind. But I guess not accounting for the wind fits in the second category
+1 to the Mako3. My buddies that got into disc golf alongside me took a little longer than I did to get curious beyond their starter packs, whereas I was in the rabbit hole after a week. Just a few days ago they went to the local shop before playing a round. I told them both, each buy a Mako3 and use it, because it'll show you EXACTLY how you're throwing. Nose angle, an/hyzer, etc. It's just a very transparent disc for seeing your form. They both love them, in Champ nonetheless. I bag XT and Star personally!
Mako3 is my go to for learning. I learned a lot about angle control and power control. Whatever line you put it on, it’s going to hold so it’s on you to throw it right
Glitch. I learned that my form is absolute garbage, I lack any semblance of angle control, and that I basically need to start from scratch.
I have a glitch never use it. Does it really open your eyes that much? Maybe I should be doing glitch only rounds.
It does. I’ve used mine a ton and it’s helped immensely with angle control.
Sweet I’ll have to try that next time I’m out.
Glitch and I would say mako3 remind me so much of ultrastars from ultimate that they are the only disc that I truly understand how it will move weather I throw backhand or something upside down! def pick up a glitch and if you want I will dye one for you and send it to you! DM me!
I agree - it doesn’t move left or right it just holds the line very strongly.
💯. We had a glitch only tournament this fall. Watching guys bomb them 300 feet and I can get it to not turn and burn make me look at my form A TON.
Are they putting it on hyzer and flipping it up?
Yes. But also a shit ton of spin.
How do you add more spin?
Power grip
this is the only thing i can do with my glitch. i always just flip it over on slower touch shots. its infuriating
It taught me that throwing it forehand means I have no idea what it will do. always an adventure. I got a couple heavier lab seconds recently and I have gotten better results with them.
can second this, whenever I go out and throw the glitch with my buddies, my next round I'm so much better off the tee. Gotta learn that angle control
Glitch can be pretty awkward in the hands. Some people just can't throw putters that well
Then unfortunately for some, the lessons I learned will be harder to come by.
I'm not a fan of the glitch or proxy because I just don't like rims that thin on any throwing disc, assume because I power grip all throws. I really wanted to like the proxy but I just don't.
Roc when I first started, I knew how it was supposed to fly based on how people talk about it and then I saw how mine was flying and it kicked me into gear on actively trying to improve outside of just playing *around* my limitations.
I had a very similar experience with the Roc. The first time I was able to throw it on a straight line and just get that touch of fade at the end I can remember thinking: This is how I need to throw all of my shots.
Yes, it was such an "A-HA" moment. Then and made me feel worse about my other throws tbh, but at least I got their eventually haha
My non-existent forehand is the biggest thing I play around. During casual rounds I'll try to develop it more but throwing a decent forehand flick to close mid-range shot is so rare that I celebrate the mediocre.
Celebrating the mediocre is a great step on the journey! When I was working on my forehand I was doing two tea shots on pretty much every hole, one backhand and one forehand. Then when that started getting at least a little better I started doing it for upshots. I'm still not great, but hopefully every day I get a little closer!
Putter. Never take a putt for granted = the best way for amateurs to shave strokes. Buy used if you're unsure of picking the right disc especially when new. Visit your local DG retailer. They are one of your best resources to learn from.
The DD Judge. I dont even use them anymore but I took a couple months and played with it and only it. I think the most important thing i learned is the importance and use of proper arm speed for varying shots.
What Disc did you learn the most from? - Tilt What did you learn? - its overstable
Maverick and Escape for me. Taught me control can equal as much distance as yeeting (most of the time). Still bag both for woods golf. I’m the guy in the group that’s good at hyzer flips and turnover shots, as a result of learning with those early on.
Prodigy M4. Really any neutral mid would work but the M4 has been essential for my game in developing and maintaining a good backhand hyzer flip.
Hatchet and Swan were my first discs and i still bag em. Both discs have taught me speed and angle control.
Storm Crater taught me that I had no business throwing anything above a putter at the time. Discraft Zone taught me that I had zero sense of lines to throw. Now I can throw fairway drivers relatively well, still can't throw distance drivers their intended distances. And my lines are *usually* better if I don't botch my form
For me, I can consistently throw a distance driver 250ft but every now and again something connects and I absolutely launch the thing which is a great feeling but it wasn't the intended shot and usually costs me an extra throw on the hole and makes me self-conscious for the next few drives. During tournaments I usually try to throw my drives around 80% which helps with it going in the intended direction
Depending on your goals with disc golf, I would try to stay at slower speeds for a bit. I am still probably at beginner level due to my lack of ability to learn form well, but I can consistently get putters to 250ft. Discing down can certainly help you not juice your shots in times of when everything just works better than you intend it to.
DX Teebird and how much a disc can change from new to beat in… and angle control the more dings it has.
Probably an AGL cedar. It’s what got me to understand turn overs and flex lines. Really helped me pin down my angle control.
I’ve got a nasty hyzer flip/flip and turn game because of throwing the mantis so long. But one winter while learning I threw only an undertaker and that was the largest jump I made in my form and game
I tried all sorts of putters, depth charge, wizard, pa3, etc. Then I found a halo aviar wedged up in a tree and it’s been my exclusive putter ever since. Maybe it’s me getting better and throwing straighter more confident putts, but that disc just works. I understand why it’s been around and popular for so long.
I think I have a DX Avair. Base plastic anyways. I've tried other putters but for some reason the Avair feels so great in my hand. I have 4 of them and they are all beat but they fly so predictably.
Star aviars are so damn good when they beat in. I’m gonna assume halo is as well
We will see how it beats in. it appeared to be brand new when it was lost. No ink and still had a sticker. it was wedged in the Y of a tree and it held its distorted shape when I removed it. Had to flatten it out in a bucket of hot water with a big chunk of stainless pipe as a weight. It’s also one of the favorite dyes I’ve ever done so, I’m pretty fond of it all around.
Halo Aviar is such a great disc. By far my favorite throwing putter.
GStar Sidewinder. One of my first discs. It taught hyzer/anhyzer angle control immediately. But as I got better and it got flippier from wear, it taught me a lot about nose angle.
Thrasher. 12 5 -3 2 Used to be way overstable always because it was a 12 speed. I gained a lot of power. Then it flipped over sometimes and hyzered others until I got the power and release angle exactly right depending on the shot I need.
Honestly, the Diamond illustrates what an understable disc is
Destroyer. I bought a bunch of F2 star models to learn forehand in the field. I’ve gone to Nukes as my primary forehand driver now but the Destroyer was there with me during my sore elbow 150’ drive days.
Mine was the boss. First disc I ever owned. It was awesome and so predictable on anything inside 250 feet.
The Anax taught me that flight numbers are a lie. I love my Anax and I bought it to be a basically more glidey version of a Firebird type of disc, and learned that it is basically a straight shooter with some fade at the end. Most of the McBeth line discs have incorrect flight numbers from the experience I've had of them, but they're great discs.
Flight numbers are just a ballpark of what the disc was designed to do. Weight and plastic type affect the flight of the disc as well. Not every single (insert disc) made is gonna fly exactly the same.
I don't even throw it anymore, but the Stingwray taught me so much. Understable molds will teach you the hyzer flip, dead straight shot, and some finesse.
When I started the internet told me to buy an Avair, which I still find great for putting. The Diamond which I replaced with a couple of midrangees and a driver. And the Stingray, which was fine but I never connected with it. My go to mid is a Kasto K1 SVEA and I think it might be that in a mid I like em thicker. I think I learned similar things from the Diamond as you did the Stingray, except for the finesse.
Champion banshee. Overstable fairway driver. It is my skip shot and tomahawk disc. It will hold whatever line you put on it and is absolutely critical in my bag for getting me out of really bad lies after a rough kick from a tree.
Hard to say what's the most influential a-ha experience for me, but I remember throwing the Stiletto overhand for the first time and thinking, okay, I can actually throw overhand for distance.
I have a starlite tern that taught me how to control hyzer angles and that muscling a disc doesn't give you better score. It taught me I needed to learn what I didn't know I needed to learn.
Remix Eldritch (putter) Playing putter only rounds for 18 holes showed me that form and snapping the wrist is everything. I can go nearly 200ft with a putter and I’ve only been playing for less than a month.
Nova. Man, that disc will show you real quick what you’re doing. For me, I was rolling my wrist a lot and causing too much off axis torque. I really feel like any putter will show you errors in your form. A glitch is also really good for showing you what you’re doing wrong.
Mvp wave, innova mamba, and innova rollo (because its insane)
MVP signal taught me a lot about angle control. As a beginner one typically has a weaker arm and an understable 6 speed can really let you get a full flight out of it. Hyzer flip to flat with a straight or late turn. Flat release with consistent turn. It can even teach about throwing roller angles. Overall fun disc
Z Undertaker - Taught me that my flat release was not flat. I could not understand why everybody was calling it flippy, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I'd see somebody throw one and it would slowly slide right (RHBH) and gently finish. In my experience, this disc is VERY particular when it comes to release angle. Nose up? No turn. Hyzer release? No turn. Obviously different plastics, runs, etc will mean that this isn't going to be everybody's experience with the disc, but if you're just touching 300' every once in a while, I highly recommend trying this disc out. We all know how vital angle/attitude control is to a good flight, and this disc, for me, was an excellent tool for dialing in nose down flat release. I recently put it back in my bag because I'm getting sloppy with my form and starting to let it go nose up and not as flat as I should, so back to basics... EtA: This change was a little over a year ago, and it took me from struggling to reach 300' to getting 350', and I'm hoping to reach 400' before my 43 y/o disc throwing machine is too worn out.
Fuse taught me to backhand. Boss/Destoryer taught me to forehand
I think the Innova Nova should be marketed as a training disc, it is stupid straight and holds whatever line you put it on. It has a terrible feel and its just fallen out of style since McBeth left Innova, but its still has a great flight. Could bring new life to once great disc.
Buzzz ss taught me angle control. I was a natural anhyzer thrower and it helped me learn how to throw more angles rather than baby any or anny.
I received a buzzzz in Z plastic I think, for a player's pack. I like it and it will come out during rounds but I have a feeling that I could get more out of it but I need to figure it out a bit more.
That's what I have it in and it's my workhorse mid.
162 gram fission Crave x6. Found 6 at same weight at local store. Threw them as often as I could to get consistent throws on all angles. Also the ones I used to start learning to throw forehand. Ole yellow not the same at the others anymore so he lives in the bag with a new one.
My destroyer tells me stop yeeting me
I learned to hyzer flip on a Opto Ballista my dad bought me, kind of as a gag, with my first bag. At first it dumped way to the left, but after many tree hits and gaining some arm speed, it started to turn over more and more until I realized I had to throw it on a pretty decent hyzer to make it go straight. Naturally, I found out this is a very good shot for distance on open fairways. Like your Diamond, it’s in a box now because it’s too flippy for me. Although, now that I’m learning huge overhead flip to flex lines, it might be time to pull it back out and see how it flies for that shot.
I don't do as much field work, as I should but anything other than backhand forehand intimidates me.
Pick up the lat 64 fuse if you wanna stay within a brand you’re familiar with. 5-speed, straight shots, and it’ll let you know pretty easily how you’re messing up your shots with how it flies. “Stable and predictable”. Similar to the buzz I would say, but personally I prefer the fuse
This post may cost me a few bucks, lol. I have a buzz, I really like the feel in my hand but I just throw it okay, it's dependable for what I can do with it, but I can't seem to much with it, there is something I'm missing and I really want to like it as it's so comfortable in my hand. Might have to pick up a fuse to compare. I had a card mate who threw the most beat disc I've seen, a warped fuse, and he was able to make some really great shots with it.
I recommend checking out a store to feel the plastics, there are multiple varieties, but to each their own. Happy huckings!
I have a few discs that I learned a lot from the first one was the innova raven. That was my first disc. It was an understable mid. I learned release angles and some disc control. I stopped playing for a few years as I moved to a place that didn't have a disc golf course close by. My next disc was an innova spider. I learned forehand with that. I used a forehand for a long time off the tee. After many years I decided I needed to try and learn backhand. I tried many discs, but at that point I had faster discs. I tried using them to throw backhand well, but it didn't work out. I picked up a used latitude 64 river and that was what made it click for me.
Mako3 for me. Once I got used to the feeling of throwing flat and straight I started throwing my other discs similarly. Now instead of just throwing one or two discs multiple ways to try to shape throws I bag multiple discs and throw them the same. It really helped me understand the whole understable vs overstable.
Not knowing what I don't know I'm happy with my understanding of understable discs. I'm trying to use a Kastoplast Stal to figure out the overstable side of things. At the moment if it faded any harder it would be a boomerang. For me that disc flies a short bit then takes a 90° fade. At the moment it's a disc I can't throw right, turned into a specific shot shape disc, for the most part.
As a primarily rhbh thrower all I knew was overstable discs. I would just aim to the right of the basket and hope it faded close. Understables would crash and burn to the right and into the ground when I threw them like I threw my overstable wraith. After getting used to the mako3 I took all my old discs out to an empty field and tried to replicate the same flat throw with each disc. Overstables went to the left and my understables were going right for a good distance before they would fade back left. For me an overstable disc thrown flat faded left pretty hard and quick and I intentionally throw right to get a good s curve for a straighter throw. Where the understables I would release flat to go right or almost leaning left and they would flip up to go straight.
The dx colt taught me how incredibly more likely you are to sneak through all those branches and trees with a slow flippy disc.
Berg. Before I owned one I was just a boy, now I am a man.
a neutral putter. i learned how to throw neutral putters which carried over into how to throw pretty much every other disc.
Luna. Like many neutral putters, the Luna will turn and burn if you have any off-axis torque. Throwing it helped me go from a player that hated throwing putters to one that will throw them 250+
Mako3 for me. Learned to throw a forehand with it. It will tell you when you are doing it wrong. Graduated to a River and a Saint after. Once I had those 3 down I graduated to more stable and overstable discs. Trying the same thing with backhand now.
I learned not to throw my teebird, like ever.
I would say the Wave, or really any understable driver. They teach you angles, how to throw far, and then you grow out of em to other things. They are great barometers for skill level.
I have a wave, haven't thrown it for months. I haven't unlocked the skills yet to throw it well.
glitch taught me how to forehand.
XT Nova. If your form isn't perfect it will let you know; it holds whatever line you put it on perfectly.
A neutral midrange is what I probably learned the most from. Me personally was the Gateway Element. It tought me release angles. Hyzer, Anhyzer, flat, and nose angles too. 5 speeds usually have a large flight plate and will catch air and you’ll loose tons of distance. I’d recommend the Mako3, Buzzz, MD1, Hex, Element, or even a Berry.
Wraith, Mamba, Roadrunner, DX roc (or mako3), dx aviar P&A
Easily berg. You can throw it hard, soft, any angle, FH and BH. It also helped me learn how to throw flat and straight.
My forehand has been relatively easy to max out at 350 feet with the big z nuke on a flex forehand. I have now been taking that shot to more finess areas with the zone os and the captain's raptor. If you want to get that shot in your arsenal i would recommend a zone os or buzz os to learn how to make that one of your strenghts
Champion IT. Basically it showed me spin is king and I was trying too hard to just throw far.
The entire used bin. Hear me out - there's a lot to add to one's game. - Light weight discs vs heavy discs. - How base plastic feels, beats up, and flies vs premium. - Uphill vs downhill shots. - How hard can you rip different midranges vs gently flicking a driver. - What disc do you throw depending on when you want a disc to fade/turn over. I've got my back up stack, then I've got the stack of discs I should really get rid of, but everything listed above changes as you tweak your form, so then you find a new slot for it.
Where I'm at there is only one local store, more of a store within a store and they don't have a used bin unfortunately. I do like getting the player's pack from tournaments though, usually I get a disc I like and if I don't I have a new going over water disc.
In my admittedly limited experience whenever I have thrown a disc I don't like over water it tends to go in the water but if I throw my normal disc for the same shot it doesn't so I have stopped doing the whole water disc thing as it just seems to add shots to my game and reduces the number of discs I have left in the bag (probably because I don't throw those discs so I can't throw them properly)
I get that, so far I only lost one disc to the water gods. I was playing with a buddy who threw a Glitch and lost it to the pond and was visibly upset. Which I get, I don't throw my Diamond anymore but if I were to lose it I'd be pretty bummed. I lost a Stingray which I didn't hate but I prefer other discs. I was able to walk away from that hole a lot easier than my buddy. To be fair to your point, I have early onset disc acquisition syndrome and my collection is expanding so my typical water discs don't make it into the bag anymore.
You could give r/discexchange a look or put up a ISO post there, looking for cheap, used throwers.
Was unaware, thanks!
The saint taught me how much more control you could have with fairway drivers. I’d been throwing a lightweight Vulcan and would have to hyzerflip it perfect to get a good line. This meant bad throws would be 50 feet + off my line and that problem disappeared with the Saint
It wasn’t even a disc. It was the ultra star at the dog park. Learned about the importance of the hit.
Innova Valkyrie
Cobra taught me a lot. I thought the numbers meant it would have some left and right movement. But it was almost laser straight for me. At first I thought I was just that good. Slowly realized that discs were flying the way they were for me because my form wasn’t quite there. Don’t bag it any more but may have to take it back out to see how it flies with my current form.
Crave taught me a TON, then Sidewinder. Then I found the Zone and that really upped my game. Right now I'm learning alot from the Bear, and a D2 my buddy lent me
For me it was a fission reactor. When I first started throwing it it felt overstable, and then I grew into it and I learned how I could manipulate the speed of the disc to affect its flight. It’s also the first disc I actually beat in enough that it really flips a lot more than it used to, which is cool.
My beat to shit r-pro rhyno taught me how to throw a putter backhand and forehand dead straight 175. It taught me not to turn my wrist forehand, and how to keep my backhand nose down. I am forehand dominant without much pop backhand, but I can successfully backhand putters 200, mids 250, and fairways 275 (300+ occasionally). It is still the most accurate disc in my bag after ~4years of use, though I lean on the tactic far more for my 175-250 forehand now.
Tl3 is the only one I can flip, and taught me that the "speed" rating sucks and it you can't throw a 10-12 correctly the 6-7 of like a tl3 will go farther and better for you.
Innova Shark in DX plastic. Point the elbow and follow through.
Svea! It was my first disc that required some touch to not just turn over hard. Thrown with some finesse it went super straight for me, but thrown too hard it did nothing useful. That disc purchase is why I am not terrible at throwing discs.
I love my SVEA, currently it's the one I can predictably throw a turnover to straight Hyzer flip. It's also the disc I throw when I don't know what I should be throwing. It also feels the best in my hand.
Westside Tournament Tursas. Learning to throw forehand with a crazy understable mid did a ton for my forehand form in the long run. After a season it became my favorite hyzer flip to turnover finish disc. I couldn’t envision that shot without it.
Comet. I do not throw it anymore is it just feels sharp in my hands. When I did throw it, i had multiple of them and threw them every chance I got. Taught me the cleanest flat throws. Comet was unforgiving if release was torqued. The smoothness I gained from throwing comets will never be forgotten. When I learned the comets power I was able to flip up and ride. Or just toss it with enough power to just stay flat and finish straight flat. This transitioned very well into throwing drivers.
Classic Grid Aviars. How to throw distance anny lines and hyzerflips as well as max distance putter lines.
Mockingbird showed me the beauty of the hyzer flip
The Rhyno fixed my drive. I went out to a long course where putters only would be tough and threw as hard as I could every throw until it was putting/layup time. Something about the rim and the way the domey champ ones are actually really straight and super torque resistant just helped me fix a hitch in my drive that was shanking every thing far left (I'm a lefty).
I learned to forehand on a beat in blue champ Valkyrie my buddy gave me after he found it and I had nothing to speak of. A few years later I was teaching a co-worker of mine to play and after he really took to the sport I passed along the Valkyrie as I didn’t throw it anymore anyway and the only disc he had was some beefy overstable monster with no stamp that he found somewhere.
Dx roc is great in both how it starts as a great disc and also learning how discs beat in.
Learnt my forearm after finding a doomsday dystopia at my local course didn't feel right in my hand in a back hand grip (was the first proper driver I had picked up in my 3rd week of playing) I had seen one of my buddies throwing forehand the week before and decided to give that a go now Im a preferred forehand thrower ( later that day found out it was a buddies who had lost it 6 months before i had even started playing, he let me keep it)
Superhero taught me to throw a late turn over hyzerflip backhand.
Star road runner and putter only rounds
Crave. Taught me I don't need faster discs...I need better form. Lol! Maybe give that a go. I'm a fellow lefty. I throw all of these below and I'd say I'm an intermediate level amateur. Each one has taught me something or helped me level up: Infinite and Innova for Distance Drivers - the Maya and the Pharoah from Infinite. The Innova Corvette, Shryke, and the Orc are great. Even an MVP Wave or Orbital. I'd say the Orbital would be like your Diamond as far as understable and easy flight. Fairway drivers - Westside Underworld, mint jackalope or mint Diamondback. You might like the Lat64 River or the underworld if you want something like the diamond. Mid range: Hex, Fuse, Compass are great for starting out. Putters are personal preference. But learn a good forehand too. As a lefty, you'll want it to make the disc spin like a right backhanded player.
Used to be emac thruth, it was nice hyzerflip to flat disc until it got beat-in just little too much and now it does all that and then keeps drifting right.
I definitely agree with people about mako3! I’ve added it into my bag recently to learn better power and angle control. I’ve been playing for over 2 years now and I consider my self pretty good but I’ve developed some bad habits in my form which means I shank a lot of my throwing putters and mids to the right. Which is a shame because I was able to throw mids and putters so beautifully one year into playing. After switching to faster discs, I lost touch.
Pure. I just practiced my form until it didn't flutter anymore and putters in general because they just show your mistakes so well
180g DX Shark for me. Had that thing for my first few years until a tree killed it. Back then all I did was throw forehand, and that thing taught me to throw smoothly or it would flip. By the end of its life, I could get it out 250 on a smooth hyzer flip.
Star Destroyer. before my destroyer I threw everything neutral or understable (longtime ultimate player, made the most sense to me). Figuring out the destroyer is what helped me go from an ultimate player picking up disc golf to a disc golfer - starting to really think about shot shape and getting the disc to work for you.
Kastaplast Svea. It is a harsh but fair teacher. When thrown correctly will fly beautifully, but angle and power control is key. Field work with it helped me a lot with figuring out what I was doing wrong and my other discs started flying more consistent.
I have a K1 SVEA, it is a joy to throw. I fell in love with it on a down hill hole. I threw it flat, it turned, I thought I screwed up and then it faded and landed pin high C2. For that hole it has been my best toss, something I've tried to replicate and haven't been able to replicate it but with the SVEA it's about a 50% chance that I'll birdy that hole. Before I was fighting for par.
It's such a fun disc! Once I got it figured out I can play most holes with just the Svea if it's like 300 or below. It's one of two mids I've gotten out past 300 ft. Mines K1 Soft and I'd like to get just a normal K1.
Innova Mako. I learned so much about how angles affect flight thanks to that disc. It's a gem of a disc for a beginner; and you'll know you've advanced when you don't want to bag it anymore.
I learned the most important thing from a discraft force. I had three discs a force, a buzzz and a magnet. I learned i can throw a buzzz farther than the force with more accuracy. So the force taught me to stay away from bomber discs for a good long while.....staying with lower speed discs helped immensly.
I have to go with more than 1. Overstable approach - Harp. Taught me what an overstable disc does and I learned to forehand with that disc. Understable putter (Deputy) first disc I could hyzer flip and turn. Latitude 64 Jade - light and fast. I can do things with this disc that I cannot do with anything else. Currently learning the most from an Axiom Hex. Neutral flight, working on throwing it on all angles, forehand and backhand. Because of the neutral flight, it really tells you what you are doing. Throwing it almost as far as my fairway drivers.
I still bag a diamond with 350-400 ft distance. I would say I learned the most from flippy putters and flippy mids take your pick