Best Disc Golf Discs for Ultimate Frisbee Players
With the global pandemic shutting down much of organized Ultimate in 2020, many Ultimate Frisbee players have picked up disc golf as a new hobby.
While these are both flying disc sports, the flight of Ultimate discs is substantially different than that of most disc golf discs. Ultimate Frisbee players are able to adapt to and excel at disc golf faster than many without frisbee backgrounds, but learning to throw disc golf discs can be a frustrating experience.
In this article we are going to discuss the best golf discs for ultimate frisbee players. We’re going to go over some of the different golf discs that fly and feel more like Ultimate Frisbees, and provide tips for helping Ultimate players transition to disc golf.
We’ve asked hundreds of Ultimate players for their feedback and have assembled our own local panel of players to help us determine the absolute best frisbee golf discs for the Ultimate player.
Best Discs Overall
The overwhelming feedback from Ultimate to Disc Golf converts is to start out with putters and midrange discs. From our online voting, these are the top 15 golf discs recommended for the Ultimate Frisbee player. Note that not a single driver made the top 15.
| Rank | Disc Name | Disc Type |
| 1 | Innova Mako3 | Midrange |
| 2 | Innova Sonic | Putter |
| 3 | Discraft Buzzz | Midrange |
| 4 | Discraft Comet | Midrange |
| 5 | Infinite Discs Anubis | Midrange |
| 8 | Innova Zephyr | Specialty Disc |
| 6 | Discraft Buzzz SS | Midrange |
| 7 | Discraft Meteor | Midrange |
| 9 | Innova Aviar | Putter |
| 10 | Innova Condor | Specialty Disc |
| 11 | Discraft Zone | Approach Disc |
| 12 | Innova Nova | Putter |
| 13 | Innova Polecat | Putter |
| 14 | Innova Fuse | Midrange |
| 15 | Dynamic Discs Truth | Midrange |
It’s also interesting to note that almost all of the most highly recommended discs are made by the top two brands Innova and Discraft. It’s no surprise that a high number of Ultimate players choose Discraft as this brand is by far the #1 choice for Ultimate Frisbees. When it comes to organized Ultimate teams and leagues a few teams use Aria, but basically everyone else in the US throws Discraft.
Best Putters for Ultimate Players
According to our online feedback, the following are the best putters for Ultimate Players. In general, the more understable flying putters — like the Innova Sonic, and the deep dish putters were recommended.
| 1 | Sonic |
| 2 | Aviar |
| 3 | Zone |
| 4 | Dart |
| 5 | Nova |
| 5 | Polecat |
| 5 | Rattler |
| 7 | Luna |
| 8 | Fierce |
| 9 | Myth |
| 9 | Sol |
| 10 | Banger GT |
| 11 | Birdie |
| 12 | Challenger |
| 13 | Cohort |
| 14 | Deputy |
| 15 | Ruru |
| 15 | Tui |
Best Midrange Discs For Ultimate Players
When it comes to Midranges, neutral flying wide diameter mids were the most highly recommended.
| 1 | Innova Mako3 |
| 2 | Discraft Buzzz |
| 3 | Discraft Comet |
| 4 | Infinite Discs Anubis |
| 5 | Discraft Buzzz SS |
| 6 | Discraft Meteor |
| 7 | Latitude 64 Fuse |
| 8 | Dynamic Discs Truth |
| 9 | Innova Roc |
| 10 | Innova Shark |
| 11 | Innova Cobra |
| 12 | Prodigy M4 |
| 13 | Innova Tomahawk |
| 14 | DD Emac Truth |
| 15 | Discraft Archer |
Best Drivers for Ultimate Frisbee Players
While drivers are the most difficult for Ultimate Players to get used to, once they do they absolutely love getting the incredible distance that only a bevel edge golf disc can provide. While many like to recommend the low speed drivers that are best for normal beginners, many Ultimate players can handle understable high speed drivers after just a few throws. Listed below are the most recommended drivers for the Ultimate convert.
| 1 | Infinite Discs Maya |
| 2 | Discraft Avenger SS |
| 3 | Innova Leopard |
| 4 | Innova Roadrunner |
| 5 | Latitude 64 Diamond |
| 6 | Innova Shryke |
| 7 | Innova Teebird |
| 8 | Innova Sidewinder |
| 9 | Discmania FD |
| 10 | Discraft Hades |
| 11 | Axiom Insanity |
| 12 | TSA Mantra |
| 13 | Latitude 64 River |
| 14 | Infinite Discs Sphinx |
| 15 | DGA Sail |
What are the best golf discs for Ultimate players?
Are you an Ultimate player who has picked up disc golf? Let us know what discs did it for you and helped in your transition. Our goal is to help make disc golf as enjoyable as possible for everyone, and having the right discs makes a big difference.
Alan
Alan Barker is the founder and owner of Infinite Discs and has tried more different disc golf molds than just about anyone on the planet.
I transitioned to disc golf once Utah State’s season was canceled, and it has been so fun! As an avid ultimate player these are my favorite discs
Approach: Discraft Luna
It feels really good out of my hand and is so easily controlled. I know what it’s doing every time and it has a wider rim which feels great for ultimate players
Midrange: Meteor ESP
Similar to the Luna this disc does what it’s supposed to and the rim feels really nice. I use it in a lot of situations
Driver: Discmania PD2 C line
this is tricky because some ultimate players love under stable drivers. I actually greatly prefer overstable drivers because they are reliable and ultimate players already have great arm speed and can really crank this disc. I like it for flex shots and forehands too.
I started with a DX Polecat and DX Cobra after being pretty into Ultimate for all of high school and picking up DG in college. I’d recommend those and then also picking up an overstable driver or fareway like a Firebird or Wraith for understanding the overstable flight path (which Ultrastars don’t have)
Dynamic Discs Deputy for the putter, nice understable flight
Buzzzz for the midrange, super straight and great disc to learn with
Shryke for the driver, great disc when flown flat and it goes.
As a baseball and ultimate player, it took a while to get the form and mechanics of disc golf down but trying new discs often helps too
I thought the Leopard was a nice starter disc moving from ultimate. Doesn’t require as much arm speed as some discs and has a nice predictable flight.
I leaned on my Zephyr SO hard when I first started getting into DG. Similar to what other posts have said, the under stable flight path of an outside-in (anhyzer) throw in ultimate plays really well to the flight of under stable approach discs. I have recently been putting with Fierce’s but will use them to hold that anhyzer line that I would expect with an ultra star. Again, under stable is the name of the game for transitioning players. Here are some of my favorites:
Approach: Zephyr, Fierce
Mid: beat up DX Shark, Mako3
Fairway: 170+ Karat Diamond
Distance: Freedom, Haydes, DDx
As an ultimate player, it took me a while to get used to fade. So the COMET has been fantastic for me, it flies similarly to an Ultrastar and will have a very neutral finish. Same goes for the DART – very straight flier, and feels very intuitive.
However, I would recommend learning with a stable disc as well. As Ultimate players, we’re used to “early releasing” everything in order to not turn over the ultrastar, and so the biggest struggle for me has been to learn to hold onto the disc. Understable discs tend to forgive that bad habit. Although many recommend learning how to throw understable discs first, I would recommend learning to throw a stable disc as an ultimate player because of the throwing background that we’re coming from. The BUZZZ, FD, or ESCAPE have been great for that purpose.
Mako/Mako3’s are what I usually recommend out of the gate to ultimate players… if they have more power and control then Roc/Roc3’s. For a fairway driver something similar to a Valkyrie or FD and for a distance driver something similar to a Shryke. Putting is just something that comes with time and practice.
I began playing with Flicks and Firebirds because my forehand developed much faster than my backhand, so much so I remember turning over so many discs because I didn’t understand stabilities yet.
I always recommend other ultimate players start playing with putter only, like a standard Aviar or similar. Once they understand how to throw that they can move up to a straight mid, like a Wombat, and eventually move to neutralish drivers, like a Leopard or TL. Can experiment with other stabilities once they get the basics down and can control some shape with the putter.
Any mids that have a deeper rim. I recommend a Discraft Buzzz SS if you’re looking for an UltraStar-like flight, or an Innova Spider for a similar feel (although it has a bead).
After starting with Ultimate in high school and picking up disc golf a little later in life, I got a DD Slammer and really felt familiar with the feel. The thumbtrack on the top of the Slammer is just slight enough to feel like some of the ridges you get on Ultimate discs. That helped me get form down.
I came into golf from Ultimate and it took me a while to find discs I threw well on the golf side. I have most of my issues with drivers. I was used to getting big distance with an ultimate disc. Suddenly, I’m not feeling in control anymore with the golf discs. I’ve been playing a couple of years now, a couple/few times a week.
Like others, I’m finding that more understable discs do it for me. I have more finesse to my delivery, even when throwing what I think is hard. Vibram Unlace is one of my favs but not made anymore and I’ve stared to turn that over pretty easy now so it’s a good anhyzer disc. Discs like that The Yikuri Wei- (and the Yikuri Tomamhauk for a mid is a straight “right where you put it” mid that I get great tunnel shots and distance with), Guru Midgard (good fairway/approach driver), DGA Sail will really fly predictably and gives some of that float that Ulitmate players are used to, Discraft ESP XL thrown hard and confident will fly well and stays where I throw it, Thoughtspace Mantra another good control driver for me, also Lat 64 Bryce in a heavier weight like mid 170’s flies well for me, Axiom Insanity (I like a number for Gyro two plastic discs for some reason).
After only knowing how to throw an ultimate disc for 5+ years of my life, the switch to discs was very challenging. I only started playing disc golf in April 2020 and the only disc I ever threw was a really beat up shark in dx plastic. Every single shot I threw was a straight hyzer. I told some of the guys I played with – who have played disc golf for many years – that the mid ranges fly so similar to an ultimate disc. So my first purchase was a buzz and that disc helped my form and game improve dramatically. Also, a pretty beat up discraft surge helped me too.
Hey! I was an ultimate player through college and for a total of 10+ years before ever being introduced to disc golf. Disc golf fits my life much better for me in my thirties and as a dad.
I would definitely recommend Paul McBeth’s signature putter – the “Luna” from Discraft, specifically in tour (harder) plastic. It’s great for approaches and shorter drives off the tee and can take a beating without showing almost any wear. In my opinion it’s rim shape just feels natural to me and similar to an ultra star in all the right ways.
Thanks! Matt
I played both Ultimate and Disc Golf in the 80’s and back then I used the Discraft Phantom for drives along with a Innova XD or Gumbputt for putt and approach. I don’t play Ultimate any more but still use a Discraft Ultrastar for disc dying. If I was to recommend current discs for an Ultimate player new to disc golf I would recommend the following discs: Discraft Buzz SS or Latitude 64 Fuse as it seems to have more glide than the Buzz SS. As for a putt and approach I would recommend the Legacy Hunter. If you like Ultimate you will enjoy Disc Golf.
I played Ultimate for a couple decades pretty competitively before switching to disc golf (due to failing leg joints, primarily). It was mostly a natural transition, but a couple discs really helped me out.
First, the Rattler. It feels almost exactly like an Ultrastar rim, just shrunk down onto a disc golf sized disc. It flies exactly like an ultimate disc would. This really helped me play confidently from the start, and I still bag 3 all the time even after progressing and learning how to throw disc golf stuff for real.
Second, learning forehand was harder than learning backhand. Finding a good, stable but not overstable fairway driver to throw ended up really helping me find the smoothness and arm speed to get a consistent disc golf forehand to match the distance I had with an ultimate disc. The driver that helped me do that was an Infinite Discs Exodus. Learning to lean into that, hit a tight line, and really put spin on it helped me carry the ultimate forehand throw into a very potent disc golf flick without falling into the lazy flex line.
Played ultimate for just about 10 years. The easiest disc for me to transfer to was the Discraft Rattler. The overall feel and flight was so similar. Best for touch shots.
I played ultimate for 30 years, and starting really playing disc golf just a few years ago. It’s important to note that my backhand is much stronger than my flick, although my flick is still good. I had trouble with discs diving, and it was quite frustrating as I could can a frisbee very well with lots of different throws and conditions. I found the Archer and Stratus to fly straight and I still use them for mid range and drivers. The two other discs I highly recommend for ultimate players are the Wraith – which I find is great for flicks and backhands, and the Sphinx, which flies straight and is very controllable.
After learning how to throw golf discs (started in August) I have grown to like the Shryke and X3 for distance drivers, a Roadrunner and fd for fairway, buzzz/roc/mako3 for midrange, and neutral putters. The disc that I have found that flies most like an ultrastar is a Wedge, rip it on hyzer and it will turn way over and then finish with a slight fade.
Discraft Jstar. No other answer. It is literally an ultrastar sized down for children to play with. This means it fits in a disc golf bag, and is great for flying exactly like an ultrastar especially inside 100′. It’s pdga approved and should be more recognized.
Comet is good if you’re looking for something you can really throw not just use for upshots. Especially in X if you’re new to the game. Even having played for 5 years I throw an x and a z Comet because the x is so good for low power shots where I want something that can flip up under low power. And for touchy flicks that need the midrange speed. Comet really let’s you get back to ultimate and still progress up the fairway.
Putter Myth
Mid. Anubis
Driver Maya
These 3 all infinite discs seem like the best transition to me. Starting off with GG the putter and mid. the driver due to the rim difference might take longer but the flight while most likely work out best.