Best Disc Golf Approach Discs
The Christmas Holiday is fast “approach”-ing! Seems like a great time to talk about the best disc golf approach discs! What is an approach disc? for our purposes today, we are going to be talking about the discs you would use inside of your personal driving range when you are trying to set up a nice and easy putt to finish off a hole out on the course.
Before we list our nominees for The Infinite Discs Best Disc Golf Disc: Approach Disc, let’s again review what we are looking for when making our selection. Our two key words are popularity and utility. We want to choose a popular approach disc that is utilized and can be utilized in a variety of situations out on the course. We want this disc to be good for short approach shots as well as a driving putter for short disc golf holes. We also are not limiting these discs that are just categorized in the more broad putt and approach classification of discs, but they can be from any of the four traditional classifications.
That being said, we do not track this subcategory in our sales lists, so we will first review the chart we had on last week’s post, which is the best selling Putt and Approach discs of 2018 so far:
Top sellers of 2018:
- Discmania P2
- Innova Aviar
- Dynamic Discs Judge
- Westside Harp
- Dynamic Discs Warden
- Axiom Envy
- Gateway Wizard
- Innova Nova
- Innova Sonic
- Latitude 64 Pure
Now, here are our nominees!
Prodigy A2
Prodigy Disc recognized the difference between putters and approach discs a few years ago with the release of their “A” series of discs. all four discs in the series have been popular, but the Prodigy A2 has been the best seller this year, and it offers a stability that makes it very workable for disc golfers. It is an overstable disc with a more shallow molding that is comfortable in the hand. If you don’t put enough power behind it, it can be a bit of a meathook, but when thrown hard with a smooth release the A2 will hold straight and offer a reliable fade at the end.
Axiom Envy
The Axiom Envy was included in our nominees for best putter, and this overstable putter works great for those looking for a nice overstable approach disc that they can also use for putting. It has a nice flat top and a rim that fits comfortably in the hand for both backhand and forehand throws. The Envy is now available in a large variety of Axiom‘s plastic blends as well.
Innova Firebird
The Innova Firebird is the only driver we are nominating as an approach disc as it is a commonly used disc especially for forehand approach shots. The Firebird is an overstable disc that is especially popular for those who have a hard time gripping midranges or putters with a forehand grip. It is also a great option for approach shots in a stiff wind.
Innova Gator
The Innova Gator is definitely one of the staples of this category. It was nominated in our midrange awards a few weeks ago, but it is mostly used as a true approach disc. The Gator is an overstable disc that features a flat top (sometimes :)) and a noticeable bead along the bottom of the disc. It is a disc that is great in the wind and offers a little more distance than some of the putters we have nominated as well.
Westside Harp
The Westside Harp has become one of the most popular discs as Ricky Wysocki has thrown it all over his tour over the last few years. With Latitude 64 announcing that Wysocki will no longer be a part of their sponsorship team, it will be interesting to see if he will still throw the Harp. But either way, the Westside Harp is a fantastic overstable approach disc that has also become a very popular forehand disc. It is available in several plastic blends that offer slight variations in stability and flight that help to make the Harp one of the best approach discs on the market.
Dynamic Discs Justice
Another disc that we nominated in the midrange category, the Dynamic Discs Justice is a beefy overstable disc that is often used as an approach disc. It is great for making an approach when you need to get around a sharp corner. It also holds up in stiff winds. Like I said in the midrange article, pretty much nothing is going to make the Justice turn over in flight.
Hyzerbomb Mortar
The Hyzerbomb Mortar was also nominated in the midrange discs, but it is primarily used as an approach disc. The mold is just like an Innova Gator but it has a beadless rim. This makes it more friendly to forehand throws, but it still has a strong overstable flight that is workable from all over the disc golf course.
Innova Nova
The Innova Nova is one of only two Innova molds that features an overmold design, and it has grown into one of the most popular discs in their lineup. The Nova is not very popular as a putting putter, but is has one of the most unique flights in the disc golf world. It also has a unique mold and shape that is one of the tallest discs. It is a truly stable disc in that it is very straight with almost no fade at all at the end. It is a bit touchy and can be turned over in the wind or if thrown too hard. But when thrown correctly, it flies so straight and reliable.
Discmania P2
The Discmania P2 was also nominated in our putter category and is currently the best selling putt and approach disc on the market. I mentioned last week that Discmania has done a great job of differentiating be benefits of each plastic type, and that is especially applicable to those who use the P2 as an approach disc. The S-Line P2 is known as the most overstable P2 and the D-Line is one of the more understable versions. Both plastic blends are popular driving putters that can serve different purposes for your approach game.
Best Approach Disc of 2018: WESTSIDE HARP
In this category we nominated putters and midranges ranging from stable to very overstable, and the Westside Harp is the perfect middle ground of all of them. It is an overstable putt and approach disc that disc golfers fall in love with after just a few throws. The Harp‘s flat profile and smooth rim makes it a great selection for forehand and backhand throws. It has enough stability to fight some wind and provide a predictable fade, but it isn’t a meathook that is going to be too much for newer throwers to handle. The Westside Harp is a great addition to any disc golfer’s arsenal, and is our choice for the best approach disc on the market.
For more information, check out the top selling disc golf approach discs here.
What are your favorite approach discs?
Which approach disc do you think is the best? Share your opinion by commenting below and telling us which disc you think is the best approach disc in the world and why!
The number 1 approach disc by far is the Axiom Envy
I’m a hard agree here. The notable perk I find it has over other discs mentioned here is the low glide. It gets up to speed, does what’s necessary, but then it sits on down nice and quick like. Similar to how my old gator just dumped at the end, but it seems to do this faster without literally dumping and landing on edge.
Discmania P2 & MD
I have to stick with the Westside Harp in BT Hard Burst plastic. This disc is easily the most used out of all my “approach discs” due to the incredible variety of lines it can hold! Definitely looking to try the Tournament Burst Harp and see how it feels.
I like the P2 and the harp…. the course I play around the corner (Stafford Woods DGC Voorhees NJ 08043) is not an easy track, playing onthe old stafford woods trail is pretty cool in its own right as it has been a landmark in south jersey for as long as any of us can remember. With horse carriage racing on the farm, it was a great place ,to now get to play thru those woods is fun!!! If you know how to miss trees that is. I use the harp soft any time i get in trouble i take out 2 discs , whichever has a better line is thrown. I have to take my medicine on all those shots though P2 is for the long narrow hole back to position . The issue is that there is usually a crazy line that the soft non skip toss of the harp ensures it lands and stops… P2 is more fun though
The Innova Firebird, often imitated, but never duplicated. One of the best and classic molds of all time for Innova. Very versatile, as it is good for forehands, backhands, dirty hands, tomahawks, and scoobies. Power it up or power it down for aces, and birdies. Carry only one on the bag, Champ Plastic. If you steal my car, please leave my Innova Firebird behind.
I recently discovered the Harp and it’s become my fave. I love it! It putts, it drives, it ups. It doesn’t pee in the house. It’s my shizz. Just picked one up in the hybrid plastic to accompany my BT medium burst. I’m gonna get me a BT hard next. I loooove the Harp.
Harp by all means. always trust this one.
No love for the zone? A Pro-D zone is a do it all approach disc for me.
No Zone?!? Figured that’d be the clear cut winner….
Exactly. Same here.
Disappointed that the Zone didn’t make the list. Please consider the Discraft Zone as a write in candidate I believe it’s the best approach disc out there.
My favorite approach disc is the Nova. Once I learned how to throw it, the Nova flies super straight for me and just sits where it lands. I carry one straight and one flippy Nova. It is also a great putter for the winter.
Pretty stupid list, if clear nr 1(Zone) is left out.
I know i’m old school but I I love the dependability of the Aviar Pro
Westside Harp #1 for me!
My vote is for the Harp since it currently is in my bag as my approach disc.
The Nova is the best approach disc for me. I bag a Nova and a P2, the P2 for straight to overstable approaches and the Nova for everything else. I like how versatile the Nova is. I can put it on any line and trust it to hold the line I release it on.
Wizard, you can put drive and approach with a wizard. Very versatile disc
Of these A2, but otherwise Zone for stability or Pure for touch shots.
I like the mortar but I’ve really been digging the AviarX3 lately. It’s a little slower with less ground action which makes it great for approach shots under 200 feet.
By far the best is the Vibram summit