Best Disc Golf Overhead Discs

What exactly is an overhead disc some of you may ask?

These are discs used for specialty shots including ones often called the tomahawk or the thumber.

I’ve also heard people call them the baseball shot you throw the disc over your head like a baseball. This shot is often executed in order to get over a tall obstacle like a tree. Some also use an overhead throw to try and get a skip in a certain direction after making a low straight throw.

Disc Golf Tomahawk Throw

The Tomahawk throw in disc golf, sometimes referred to as the hammer throw, is a specialized overhead shot that offers a unique flight path and utility on the course. To execute this throw, a player grips the disc by placing their index and middle finger along the inside edge of the disc’s rim, securing the hold with their thumb on the top side of the outer flight plate. The motion resembles an overhand chop – similar to throwing a tomahawk or hatchet – hence the name. The disc is released at a vertical or near-vertical angle, and as it soars, it travels through an inverted flight path compared to a typical backhand or forehand throw. This throw can be particularly useful for navigating obstacles, as the disc will curve in the opposite direction of a traditional throw, and for getting out of tricky situations where the landscape or obstacles limit a player’s throwing motion.

Disc Golf Thumber Throw

In disc golf, the “Thumber Shot” is a widely recognized throw, named for the unique grip that defines it. To execute this shot, a player firmly places their thumb against the inner rim of the disc while the inside of their index finger presses against the outer edge, creating a secure hold. This grip gives the disc golfer precise control over the disc, allowing for a powerful overhead throw that can be particularly useful for skipping tight fairways by just throwing over the top, or for achieving a desired flight pattern. The Thumber is not just about grip; it’s also about the distinctive over-the-top motion used during the throw. It is a very valuable technique in a disc golfer’s arsenal for its effectiveness in taking “short cuts” and for the unique straight up straight down flight path it can produce.

For our purposes, the discs we nominate are all going to be very overstable discs. For some specialty overhead throws, some disc golfers prefer an understable disc, but for the most part this type of shot requires a very overstable driver that completes its rotation in a wider flight path and carries for more distance than an understable disc.

As always, our two keywords are popularity and utility. The utility part for this category isn’t so much about beginner disc golfers since the overhead throw is more popular with experienced disc golfers. But we still tried to choose discs that are good choices for learning how to throw overhead shots.

Now, here are the nominees for The Infinite Discs Best Disc Golf Disc: Overhead Disc.

Axiom Fireball

Now, the Axiom Fireball might be one of the worst selling discs for Axiom nationwide, but it is one of our top sellers in our Idaho shop where the overhead throw is very popular. The Fireball is a flat and very overstable fairway driver featuring the gyro technology overmold that all Axiom and MVP discs have. If you have tried other discs for the overhead but didn’t like them, give the Fireball a try.

Innova Firebird

I have already talked about this disc in a few recent nominee posts, which speaks to the Firebird‘s great versatility. It is a disc that can be thrown for so many shots, and the overhead shot is one of them. It offers a nice overstable flight and minimal glide that is great for overhead throws. The Firebird isn’t as overstable as the other nominees in this post, but it is still a popular choice that deserves another nomination in this category.

Discraft Flick

The Discraft Flick has always been a popular choice for overhead shots. It is a unique disc designed to be a very overstable forehand disc (if you couldn’t tell by the disc name). The Discraft Flick offers a thicker rim and a very flat flight plate. And to say that this disc is overstable is quite the understatement. It is one of those discs that wants to start fading as soon as it leaves your hand. It is a great choice for overhead shots.

Latitude 64 Stiletto

The Latitude 64 Stiletto is basically the distance driver version of a lot of the other discs nominated here. It features a very flat top, a thicker rim, and a crazy overstable flight that works great for long overhead shots. Some may find that the thicker rim isn’t as comfortable to grip for a thumber shot because their thumb doesn’t fit well under the rim of the Stiletto, but if you can make it work, it is a great option for overhead throws.

Latitude 64 XXX

The Latitude 64 XXX has been a long time staple in the Trilogy lineup. It is a very overstable fairway driver that has been a popular disc to throw in the wind. In recent years it has grown as a popular disc for overhead shots. It is a similar shape, but offers a little more stability than the Innova Firebird.

And The Best Overhand Disc Is….

And here is our selection for the winner:

DISCRAFT FLICK

All of the nominees are great, but it would have been very hard to choose a different disc besides the Discraft Flick. The Flick has always been a popular choice for overhand throws, and it was a lot of disc golfers’ first thumber and tomahawk disc. It is also popular in heavy and lightweights depending on the kind of flight and overhand throw you use it for. So if you haven’t learned the overhead shot, but would like to give it a try, the Discraft Flick is a great choice to learn with.

What is your favorite disc for thumbers and tomahawks? We had less nominees this round, do you think there is one we missed? Tell us your favorite overhead disc (nominated, or not nominated) in the comments. We will select three people who leave comments to receive their favorite overhand disc for free from Infinite Discs!

 

Jace Smellie is a poetry expert, writer, and editor at DiscGolfReviewer.com

96 comments

  • I don’t have a ton of power and I like the Axiom Wrath. Mine is very flat with a shallow rim depth which helps me get a good grip on it. I have messed around with an Aerobie Epic too but haven’t figured that disc out yet.

  • Hands down its got to be XXX. For me it is the best thumber or tomahawk that I have thrown. It is consistent, with a much slower turn than other discs which means I can get it to weave through trees. I play GG and on hole 13 position B I can reliable park it with my XXX through the trees.

  • XXX!!! Those who haven’t thrown it Overhand/Tomahawk are missing out! Unlike most overstable discs thrown overhand, the XXX has a long, smooth, gradual turn, with unparalleled accuracy. You can land this on a dime 300 feet and in. Don’t believe? Try it, you won’t regret it.

    Max weight Deco-dye seems to be the best of the XXX plastics for Overhand, IMO.

  • Hands down the best THUMBER control disc is the LATTITUDE 64 MOONSHINE FROST GLOW LINE SPARK. It has an incredibly reliable turnover because of its overstability and it glides out nicely after the turn. It is a very easy disc to throw because of its comfortable thin rim and no other thumber disc has better consistency through head winds.

  • I don’t really throw a lot of thumbers but since you all talked about the Firebird I got to go to the field and try it out now.

  • Definitely the Elite Z Flick. When I need to get great distance and control out of an overhead shot, this thing launches.

  • Innova KC Banshee – very underrated disc and has a very comfortable rim size for an overhand grip. Great for thumbers.

  • I use the Star Firebird and the DD Lucid Felon interchangeably for any overhead shot I may need they each have a similar flight pattern and are like throwing darts once dialed in.

  • Actually the westside Northman does a great job with over hands. Keeps a nice line and glides enough to get u what u need for distance.

    • Shawn Christophersen

      150g Discraft Flick. Perfect for thumbers. Its more overstable than a firebird and has such a great predictable flight path for a thumber.

  • My favorite thumber disc is a very flat sparkle FLX Predator. It’s just as overstable as a flat Firebird, the plastic seems indestructible, that infamous Predator “lip” combined with the moderate rim width fits in my thumb perfectly, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the slightly larger diameter helps it glide out- something I’ve also considered might be an advantage with the XXX on thumbers.

    For a tomahawk, which I don’t use often and can’t get as much power/spin/distance with, anything along the lines of a PD/Thunderbird/Orc works great and is very accurate.

  • I throw a ton of thumbers and my favorite overhand disc has always been the Discraft Nuke as I love the wide rim of these discs. I use the Nuke OS to get more distance with it’s slower turn. Also the Epic is a great disc if you get some practice with them, only way I can throw 450-500′ shots these days.

  • This is a very helpful post for me, as overhand throws are still foreign to me. Trying with the right disc is a good place to start. I’ll give the Fireball a try as I don’t throw it much except when I need instant fade. Now to find some good video tutorials!

  • Love Tomahawking my Tesla disc!! Consistent straightened & high speed!

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