Your Golf Disc Buying Guide

Some useful information if you're buying Golf Discs for the first time.

With the fast growth of Disc Golf, these days there are literally 1000’s of different golf discs available. Here at Catch the Spirit we like to keep things simple... we stock carefuly selected discs from the two leading manufacturers; Innova and Discraft.

Innova have a long and rich history in making quality Distance Drivers, and Disraft have responded over recent years with many much loved distance discs as well. Most keen golfers seem to agree that Discraft make the best Mid-Range Drivers, but then there's the 'Roc' by Innova which is such a great Mid-Range disc too. Both Discraft and Innova make great putters... so give as many discs as you can a good try and then stick with what feels best to you. 

Trying to figure out which discs may be good for your game, without direct advice from experience players can be an a daunting task for newcomers to the sport. So we aim to keep the balance just right by offering an excellent selection of tried and tested discs - proven favourites throughout North America and Europe.

The products descriptions will tell you which ones are beginner friendly. Also, you can contact us for advice.

 Distance Driver – usually small in diameter with a low profile and a sharp edge, these discs are generally the most challenging to control, but also the longest flying. 

  Fairway Driver – these discs are slower and do not have the same distance potential as distance drivers. However, fairway drivers are also much easier to control and usually glide better than most distance drivers.

 Mid-Range Driver– these discs fall somewhere between the fairway drivers and putt & approach discs in terms of distance. They are even slower and more accurate than fairway drivers and are also the most versatile discs. The majority of your throws on the course will be performed with midrange discs.

 Putt & Approach – these discs are the slowest and shortest flying of the disc types. Often high profile, these discs usually have good glide and are very easy to control and are generally the most accurate discs available.

 

Stability of Golf Discs

Next the 'stability' of each disc is an important consideration. The stability refers to the way a discs flies, know as either under-stable, neutral or over-stable,

Under-stable – a general term used to describe the flight of a disc when it has a tendency to turn to the right at moderate speeds. These discs are the easiest for newer players to throw as they do not require a great deal of power to perform.

Neutral – the term used to describe the flight of a disc when it holds a flight path consistent with the angle it is released with. These are the most accurate disc and excellent for beginners as they flight straight, a lot like recreational discs. Most Putt & Approach discs have a neutral stability rating.

Over-stable – the term used to describe the flight of the disc when it has a tendency to pull to the left during the middle to later stages flight. Over-stable discs have the most consistent flights and are ideal for throwing into a headwind. Over-stable discs are challenging for novice players to control.

Stability in the Wind - When throwing a disc into a headwind, discs have a tendency to 'turn-over' which means they become less stable. So it's useful to have a fairly over-stable driver or two in your bag.  Side and tail winds also affect the stability of the disc. Throwing with a tail winds tends to make the disc more stable in flight. A good tip for tailwinds is to use a light disc, such as the 150g TeeBird, as it will carry further.

 

Innova Guide to Flight Characteristics:

Stable - The tendency of a disc to remain straight through most of the flight.

Understable/Turnover - The tendency of a disc to turn to the right during the high speed portion of the flight for a Right Hand Back Hand (RHBH) thrower.

Overstable - The tendency of a disc to turn to the left at high or low speeds for a RHBH thrower.

Hyzer - Is an angle of release where the outside edge or left edge of the disc is tilted downward for a RHBH thrower.

Anhyzer - Is an angle of release where the outside edge or left edge of the disc is tilted upward for a RHBH thrower.

 

 

Discraft Flight Guide:

Innova Flight Guide:

 

Disc Selection

A good disc golfer can make any disc fly almost any way they want to, but for beginners it is important to throw discs that are within one's capability to control, without having to make many physical adjustments. This helps establish a solid foundation for technique while keeping disc options open for the future. So one can develop greater power over time without picking up bad habits that would have to be unlearned in the future.

Most of the distance drivers that have been released within the past couple of years simply require too much power for the average beginning player to throw for distance and accuracy. Selecting discs that are suited to your level of play will make playing and learning disc golf much more enjoyable.

Disc Selection for New Players

Most players starting out will enjoy success using a neutral midrange or fairway driver. Although such discs may not remain as the 'go to' disc for very long, they will still have a place in the bag, perhaps for the rest of your Disc Golf career.

For new players looking to improve we generally recommend starting with a set of three discs:

An easy to control Fairway Driver: Stratus, Leopard, Cyclone or Sidewinder

An under-stable or neutral Mid-Range Driver: Meteor, Shark, Comet or Buzzz 

Stable Putt & Approach Disc: Magnet, Aviar or Soft APX

 

A Disc Golf Set including a putter, mid-range driver and fairway driver will provide valuable insights into typical the flight characteristics of each disc type, as well as equip the player with suitable 'tools' to navigate around the course.

The best plastics to start out with are generally the less expensive lines. While these are the least durable, they 'break-in', or become 'seasoned', quickly and will actually fly farther and be easier to control for newer players. Innova's DX plastic and Discraft's Pro-D plastic, will give the best results for those who are still developing their technique and do not yet have power to spare.

Beginners will also be interested in the extra durability and performance offered from the higher grade plastics such as Discraft’s Elite-Z and Elite-X plastics and Innova's Champion line plastic. These plastics are smoother, and therefore have less air friction which makes these discs faster and further. They have very good grip and durability and are renowned for their resistance to high speed impacts on obstacles such as trees! 

The premium grade plasticsm such as Discraft’s ESP line and Innova’s Star line, are made from advanced polymers. These plastics offer all of the benefits of the higher grade plastics but also offer more grip while maintaining a very high degree of durability.

Discraft Plastic Guide:

 

 

 

Click here for the Innova Plastic Guide

 

Disc Weights

The weight of the disc plays a large role in the way in which it performs. As a general rule, heavier drivers are more accurate as they rip out of the hand more consistently, are less affected by wind, and will be more stable in flight. Light-weight fairway and distance drivers have the potential to fly farther with more glide (especially when thrown on a tail-wind), and tend to be less stable in flight. Mid-range and Approach discs will actually fly farther in heavier weights, provided they are thown correctly and with good power!

For an active adult male we generally recommend starting with a 170-174g driver and working from there. For adults with less strength and younger players we would suggest starting with a lighter weight driver, such as 150-60g. If you feel the disc is too light, try heavier with your next purchase. If you feel the disc is flying too over-stable and with too little glide, try a lighter disc next time. For Mid-range and Approach discs, the weight is less important for success among newer players - anything from approx 165g upwards is a good place to start.

Future Golf Disc Purchases

As players gain confidence it's a good idea to experiment with different stabilities, plastics and weight of discs as you look to add more discs to your bag. A well balanced disc golf bag will include discs that will fly straight, curve left and curve right. We advise you to carry enough different types of disc to accomplish what you need to without extreme modifications to your throw - i.e. let the disc do the work!