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:
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!
Legacy Fighter. OS= better for overhand throws. Fighter=super OS
If you’re throwing a thumber, you have to try out the MVP Resistor. The flat top combined with the overstableness. It’s mint.
Definitely a Star Firebird or a S-line FD2. But it really depends on how i want to shape the shot
I think the Star Firebird has to be one of the best “overhead” discs ever! It starts out as super stable and dumps hard. As it beats in, more shots become available like long flex shots. Love that disc!
I go for the Innova Teedevil on tomahawks and thumbers. Incredibly underrated disc, in my opinion. Flips over nicely for my arm speed and completes its flight every time!
I do not have a strong overhand shot as far as throwing with distance but I will not hesitate to go to it when I need to get myself out of a tricky spot, I have tried different ones out and for me the esp nuke rarely lets me down, it stays nice and straight with a slight finish to the right
Right now I love the champion mamba for overhands since it flips easy and fits in tight gaps and is also great for rollers though im probably going to upgrade to a star instead
We always called the overhead throw a hammer shot or throw. Always like using my max weight Katana to hammer with. Very predictable and great even in windy conditions. Good for uphill shots.
For me the XXX is such a magical disc. Overhand, underhand, sideways, thumber, and even makes for a great dinner plate! 🙂 The greatest disc/mold in my bag, I have close to 40 aces with this mold, all in Frost Line plastic. RIP Frost Line, luckily I have (6 new) (4 beat in) in reserve, ready to rock. I was born without a right hand, birth defect. I am primarily a lefty fore hander. I finally found a disc and a sport that allows me to have fun and succeed. I told my wife to bury me with a XXX on the way out the door. 🙂
I have religiously carried a Fireball for forehand placement and upshots for the last four years. I believe it is a highly under appreciated disc in general, but I have had no success trying to use it to learn how to throw a thumber. Then, literally 3 days ago, in a tourney, I had to get out of jail 3 times, and I turned to a XXX that I bought less than a month ago (based on its reputation as a thumber disc). Each shot was longer, through and over more trees, and was more ridiculous than the last, and each time my disc parked itself within 12 feet of an unseen pin for an easy par clean up. I’ve never practiced thumbers, let alone had enough experience with the XXX to really warrant its use in the tourney for any throw. So basically I bought a XXX and miraculously used it for the first 3 successful thumbers in my life. Now that I’m thinking about it, the slightly narrower rim and domey top of the XXX feels better in my hand for the thumber shot than the rim and flat top of the Fireball that I love some much for forehands. So…XXX gets my vote for best overhand disc.
I have religiously carried a Fireball for forehand placement and upshots for the last four years. I believe it is a highly under appreciated disc in general, but I have had no success trying to use it to learn how to throw a thumber. Then, literally 3 days ago, at a tourney, I bought a XXX and then miraculously used it for the first 3 successful thumbers in my life. Now that I’m thinking about it, the slightly narrower rim and domey top of the XXX feels better in my hand for the thumber shot than the rim and flat top of the Fireball that I love some much for forehands. So…XXX gets my vote for best overhand disc.
I like to use an Innova Monster as my overhand disc. It might not be the best disc but I’ve gotten used to it.
I’m a huge fan of either a Star Firebird or a Tour Series Big Jerm Thunderbird!
I have been using a westside northman for my go to overhand shots. Kind of a non traditional disc selection but it works very good for me
Lucid Verdict is my go to for overhands. Generally, I am throwing them to get out of trouble or on short tunnel shots off the tee. Verdict has the stability needed for overhands but is slow enough for my 50 year old arm to get good snap on it and make it pan the right way. Lucid is important because a lot of times I am playing a low thumber with an angled release so the disc gets on its face quickly and slides toward the basket and slick plastic is important for that.
I absolutely love the Firebird for overhead shots. It has that slow pan around with a very predictable finish. Cannot recommend enough. It is also my first ace disk so I am a little biased.
One of our locals swore by the Aerobie Epic, that disc with the elliptical rim that was supposed to be the only one you needed to carry (once you figured out which rim ‘width’ made it fly which way). If you stood 50′ in front of him when he threw, it sounded like a helicopter taking off and going by just over your head. The disc would literally corkscrew out of his hand out about 100′ and up nearly the same; then it would flatten off, swoop down, and fly straight down the fairway another 250′-300′. For HIM. I tried it once, and the disc almost came back and hit me right in the face.
I stick with a beat in first run Z Flick, myself.
Star Firebird is definitely the way to go. Not sure why it took me so long to add one to my bag. It’s a staple for sure.
Although I am not very proficient with overhand throws when I do throw overhand I prefer the XXX!
Give me a Star Firebird any day . It is a swiss army knife of overstable discs .Forehands , Tomahawks , thumbers as well as backhands, it is useful .