Disc Therapy

[Schoen-hopper]

I have an unusual problem (Friz Rocker quotes here).

I have an addiction...to plastic! I'm going out on a limb here, but I thought some of you might understand. I need your help. My game is at stake.

I've heard some advice from some great players to simplify the golf bag. I want to try to do this.


How does one know what plastic to throw? Different brands, different lines, and many different molds.

First consideration for me has always been the hype. Just kidding, it's the grip, right? Some discs just feel funky. The discs you do buy either give you good (typical) or bad results.

Obviously you can't throw a new disc in the bag every time something new comes out. If you do, you are throwing something else out and your bag is changing continually. The idea of simplifying is for the sake of predicatability. Along the same line, I think the choices should be of durable plastic or be replaced when worn out (something I haven't done). It should also be readily available. Purchasing multiple replacement copies of the same run might be good (also haven't done).

I got to say that I can't say much for why I thrown what I have. When the CE plastic first came out, I thought it was too slick. Now champion / Z plastic seems to give the best grip to me, especially after it wears in. I have gone with whatever yielded the best results, but when discs wore out or were lost, I switched to different molds and the bag kept changing.

Those that have played with me have noticed that I carry a lot of discs. Here's the main reason: My release doesn't change much, so i rely on different discs for different flights. I always release with a slight hyzer. I find this release is more forgiving of error. The reason I use it so exclusively is that I get terribly inconsistant results when I release anny. Instead, I've learned a hyzer-flip with flippier plastic that relies on more glide and less speed. Basically I've always felt that I need a disc for every situation. Yet, I can see that several discs overlap concerning shot selection.

I'll give a list of discs I've used successfully and those that I'd like to try out. I'll list discs I haven't thrown yet with a ?. ! for discs that I think will stay in the bag no matter what. I'll also give a stability rating for the drivers. I think I need one disc from each type of disc that follows, but we'll see where this leads.

Flippy Putter: For floating putts shouldn't end up long and need to land flat, or sharp annhyzer putts...
Omega SS
Soft APX

Main Putter: Neutral stability, good for long putts or upshots as well...
!Soft Challenger
Small Bead Aviar (more stable than soft challenger, I really like to have both)

Overstable Putter: I use these mostly for short putts
SS Wizard (drops like a rock; I think I'd rather stick with something not quite this overstable like the aviar or...)
?Warlock (a beadless wizard sounds like a solution to this)

Approach (faster and more reliable into the wind than the putter)
!Pro Rhyno (I can count on the rhyno to hyzer out)
?ESP Banger

Understable Slow Mid Range
Z Breeze

Overstable Slow Mid Range
Ch. Spider

Understable Mid Range
X MRV
D Buzzz

Straight Mid Range
!Z MRV
Ch. Coyote

Slightly Overstable Mid Range
!Z Buzzz
ESP Buzzz
?QMS

Overstable Mid Range (This category is tough to control for me)
Demon
Ch. Gator
?ESP Wasp

Driver, Stablility 1. Roller disc.
Beat up anything
DX Archangel
DX Cheetah
X X-Press

Driver, Stability 2. Stable roller disc.
Pro Starfire-L
Pro TL
Ch. Roadrunner
Polaris LS

Driver, Stability 3. Understable, long tailwind or annhyzer driver.
!Ch. Sidewinder
CE TL
Inferno
X XS
X XL
Z Flash
?Z Spectra

Driver, Stability 4. Straight, longrange. There are a ton of discs I like to throw from this category.
!Pro Wraith
CFR Wraith
Ch. Beast
ESP Surge
Z XL
Z Wildcat
X Crush
SOLF
SOLS
?Raging Inferno

Driver, Stability 5. Slightly overstable.
!Ch. Orc
Ch. Starfire
Z Surge
Z Crush
DGA Tsunami
?DGA Rouge
?Quarter K

Driver, Stablily 6. Overstable.
STAR TeeRex
STAR FL
CE Firebird
Ch. Firebird
X X2

Driver, Stability 7. Very Overstable. Even in this specified example of stability, I find these first 3 very distinctly different.
!Ch. Monster
!Z Predator
!Z Flick
?ESP Predator
?STAR Max

Driver, Stability 8. Rediculously Overstable, but quite useful as a midrange.
!Z X-treme
Ch. Whippet


Hopefully, writing these out will kind of help me answer my own question. A possible solution would be to take out discs with the same stability rating and give them a field test. I just got to get a starting line-up and stick with it!

What do I owe for my time here?

[MOthrows]

In your overstable mid-range category I don't think the wasp and the demon are even in the same ballpark. The demon is the fattest pig I've ever thrown and I had to end up taking it out of the bag just because I only needed it in gale force winds. I think the wasp is money and I'm carrying two of them nowadays.

[Friz-Rocker]

Mike if you can`t just take a roc and a putter and play well,all the plastic in the world will not help you.

[doc]

Buy a smaller bag...that'll force you to sell, or at least park, your trailer.

[Austin]

I tend to agree with the less is more philosophy. I try to group everything by type and then have two in each category. I do this in case I lose a disc or if something starts to go flippy I will have a replacement that is ready to go.

Long range bombers: Wraith (new), Tee- Rex (beat-in)

Utility Drivers: 2 Beasts (1 flippy, 1 fresh)

Stable Drivers: 2 Firebirds (1 lightweight, 1 pig), KC Pro Banshee (go to)

Mid Drivers: 2 Rocs (1 bread, 1 butter), ESP Buzz (Long tee box drives),

Comet (slow and straight)

Putters: 2 Aviars (1 soft, 1 hard)


I am not a pro by any means, but this is working a whole lot better for me than carrying 19 different molds like I was this time last year.

On the discraft website Ron Convers says:
Bag Philosophy: At any given time I will be carrying 5 or 6 trial discs, depending on circumstances. My regular bag of tricks is listed below. I like to have a lot of discs at all times, just in case a special situation comes up during a round, I know I'll have the exact disc I need to handle it.

So who knows which way is correct.

[superq]

I am of the simular persuasion as ronverse... My bag is pretty static there are 4-6 molds that are "IN THERE" and then a few others that are getting an audition or are in there for a certain shot (ie super puppy for 13 at the lake)

The better you know your plastic the better you will play, plus it cuts down on decision making and I know I dont need to be thinking anymore than the minimum when I am playing... "Long hole, wide open, Rage it up"

[Ruder]

I'd say go to a field and practice that anny release!

[Schoen-hopper]

I tried practicing it near the river on Oak #15 Short with my Ch. Starfire. Doh!