Best Disc Golf Plastics
As disc golf grows in popularity, so does the choices of molds and plastics. The type of plastic we choose for our discs has a big impact on the flight of the disc. Not only do different plastic types directly affect the stability and flight, but the feel of the plastic can affect our grip and confidence. In this blog we will talk about the best plastics in several different categories.
Plastic Characteristics
If you look at any disc on Infinite’s website, you’ll see a graph for each plastic type. The graph rates three characteristics of that particular plastic, and those three may make a difference as to whether we buy the plastic or not. Those three characteristics are Durability, Softness, and Grip. Those qualities will help us as we discuss the best plastics for each category that we will explore. Let’s find the best plastics!
Best Disc Golf Plastic For Drivers
When we reach for our drivers, we are more likely to be going for distance and throwing with more power. That means we will be hitting objects harder, and a more durable plastic would be preferable. However, durability is a double-edge sword when it comes to drivers. An extremely durable plastic will give you a longer life and once its broke in it will keep that flight for a long time. On the other hand, it may take a long time to break in, leaving you with a less than desirable flight. Overall, a durable premium plastic is desirable in a driver. That is why there are so many durable plastics in the top 5.
One exception is DX plastic. DX is a base plastic that beats in quickly. It is inexpensive, making it a great choice for beginners, or people wanting to try new molds. Although it does get seasoned quickly, it can also get too beat in, making it flippy.
Here are the top five best plastics for drivers:
- Star – This popular plastic comes in a variety of colors and molds. It is durable and has an amazing feel.
- ESP
- Neutron
- I-Blend
- DX
Best Plastic For Putters
When looking at the most popular plastic for putters, you get two different grip extremes. Softer, grippier plastics are great for short range putting due to their ability to ‘grab’ the chains. However, stiffer plastics are great for driving or approach shots. Here are the top five plastics for putters:
- Neutron – Some of our best-selling approach discs come in Neutron plastic. It is a durable plastic, and the overmold adds another layer of durability.
- D-Blend
- DX
- P-Blend Glow
- ESP
Best Plastics For Dyeing
Disc dyeing is a popular activity among disc golfers. It allows the dyer to unleash their creativity and end up with a unique disc. There are many different methods for dyeing a disc, but the goal is the same: to get the dye into the disc. They type of plastic used makes a huge difference in the results of a dye. In this category, premium plastics rule the day. Base plastics can be dyed, but the results are never as good as dyeing premium plastics.
Here are the best plastics for dyeing discs:
- Star – A white Star disc will give the best results from dyeing. It makes colors pop and resists bleeding.
- ESP
- S-Blend
- Prodigy 400G
- Tournament
Best Plastic For Winter
Playing disc golf in cold weather presents some new challenges for those willing to brave the cooler temperatures. First, discs fly differently in colder weather. The plastic is stiffer and you get less glide from your discs. They also tend to be more overstable due to the air density. Grip is also affected by the cold stiff plastic. And cold temperature disc golfers always run the risk of cracking their discs due to hitting a solid object like a tree or light post. With those challenges in mind, we can explore which discs are best for winter play
- GStar – Not only does the GStar excel in winter golf, it has a sheen and textured look that is beautiful. GStar plastic remains soft even in cold weather, giving you a consistent feel year ‘round.
- Neutron Soft
- Base Plastics
- G-Blend
- FLX
Honorable mention: Elevation Discs – Elevation’s extra-soft materials are just as floppy in winter as in summer. Try one of their molds and see what the hype is about.
Best Plastics For Beginners
When we are starting out in disc golf, most of us experiment with molds and plastics until we find the discs that work the best for us. A great plastic to start with is a base plastic. Base plastics have several qualities that make them good for beginners. They have good grip and are softer than some premium discs. They also break in faster than premium discs, giving you a good flight in a shorter amount of time. Plus, they are the least expensive plastic, so if you are experimenting with molds, it won’t cost as much to try new ones.
- DX – This plastic feels good and breaks in quickly. Being cheaper than premium is a nice bonus.
- Pro D
- D-line
- X Line
- I-Blend
Best Plastic For Night Disc Golf
Although glow-in-the-dark plastics are common and most brands offer some glow options, not all glow plastics are created equal. Some brands get it right and their plastic glows brightly and holds it for a long time. Others have a glow so weak that it is difficult to tell if it is actually glow plastic. Night rounds are a blast and one of the things that makes it great is watching your glowing disc in flight. Having a plastics that glows bright makes it fun to watch, and makes it easier to find your disc. Here are the best plastics for night disc golf:
- Eclipse 2.0 – MVP has some of the best glow plastic on the planet. They are consistently bright and long lasting. Get a few MVP, Axiom, or Streamline molds for your glow rounds.
- Lone Star Glow
- K1 Glow
- TSA Glow
- RPM Glow
Most Durable Disc Golf Plastics
Durable plastics are great for disc golf because there are usually lots of obstacles on a course and durable plastics can take a hit without losing its flight. Softer, less durable plastics get dinged up easier, which can alter the flight and stability of a disc. Sometimes dings and dents can alter the flight so much that it may need to be replaced.
Discs made of durable plastic take longer to get ‘seasoned’ and achieve the desired flight. But once they do, you can usually throw the disc for a long time and not lose that flight. Although the most durable discs are not indestructible, they can definitely take more abuse than softer discs. Here are some of the most durable plastics.
- Champion – This translucent plastic is an extra-durable workhorse. Get your favorite mold in Champion and that disc will last for a long time.
- Z
- Opto/Lucid/VIP
- C-Blend
- C-Line
Tell us about your favorite plastic, and win a gift card!
Let us know in the comments about your favorite plastic. It can be your favorite because it glows, because it’s durable, or just because it feels amazing in your hand. We’ll randomly select a few commenters and send them an Infinite gift card. (Make sure you include a valid email address.)
Ted Hegemann
Ted is the Chief Writer at Infinite Discs. He is responsible for the State of Disc Golf Survey articles and most of the "best discs" posts. Ted runs all kinds of local disc golf leagues and tournaments and tournaments in Northern Utah.
Champion – This translucent plastic is an extra-durable workhorse. Get your favorite mold in Champion and that disc will last for a long time.
Thank you for the article, Ted, and good read.
Gold Orbit by Latitude 64 has excellent softer tacky grip on the flight plate, yet remains firm around the edges, and tends to run more stable than Gold. It works well in cold weather for grip and durability, and gives a good snap. I haven’t tried the Halo Star yet, but it looks like it would have a similar feel.
For putters, I’m not as picky with the plastic as I’m typically not gripping as tight as I would other discs. Neutron has good feel, but Royal Sense and the NexEdge and NexFeel are excellent in the hand and release clean.
Recently picked up a TSA Pathfinder in the Aura Nebula and that plastic (MVP Cosmic Neutron?) is phenomenal too.
All in all, I think your observations on DX are spot on. It’s a great plastic to try out discs cost-effectively, and beats in quick. I’ve upgraded a few DX discs/molds that felt good to Champion or Star, and still like to bag the DX if I need a flippier flight from the disc.
I think it’s also worth a mention that Trash Panda only manufactures discs out of re and upcycled plastic, which is pretty cool. I have an Inner Core and it feels and flies great. A few other brands also recycle disc material (R2, BioGold, etc), and I think it’d be cool if more companies moved in this direction.
When I first started I bought into all the comments online saying “bah, dx is $h!%, get champion!” and I got myself a champion leopard. It flew like a brick, or a brick that fades hard left anyway. Once I tried a dx leopard my eyes were opened – it flew like a dream! More glide, less overstability – it was wonderful!
Now I’ve fully embraced base plastics. Not just dx, but prime, 300, basegrip, excel, suregrip, putter line, d-line, and d-blend. Not just for putters – mids and drivers, too! I love how they feel, how I can still grip them when it’s cold or wet or dirty, and how they slowly (for me) break in.
As an older, newer player with a noodle arm, flipping and burning a base plastic disc is never really a concern for me, and I have yet to beat something in to the point that it’s useless. YMMV.
This winter I build myself a cold-weather bag with discs in 200 and jawbreaker plastics. While winter has been mild here, they’ve worked well so far. Love that jawbreaker, so grippy! Has 200 changed recently?? That new H7 of mine feels totally different from my older 200 putter. Still nice in the hand, but more shiny, flexy and bendy than the chalky and stiff 200 I expected.
I agree
great review. I agree about dx plastics. I still bag a dx eagle I always throw on hole 6. And my dx leopard is razor straight and as dependable as the sun.
have a great 24
I’ve got about 4 dozen differently named plastics among my disc inventory, and I think I’d have to go with the Champion-grade plastics (i.e., Opto, Proton, Phoenix, Storm, C-Blend, etc from various brands), though with honorable mention to Star/S-Blend, ESP, and I-Blend ones. I do like the grippiness of some more basic plastics for slower discs, but also like the feel of the Champion plastic discs and how cleanly they release for me. The big selling point for me, though, is the durability and longer-lasting consistency of flight. Some of my more base-grade discs (in DX, Retro Burst, etc) got dinged up pretty quickly and became almost unusably understable in just a couple of seasons. I don’t like to lose or get rid of discs, so these have found occasional use still as rollers, or renewed use with beginners as I introduce them to the sport; but for myself I prefer to have the reliable, multi-season flight consistency that I’ve been getting with all my Champion-grade discs.
hi I am a fan of Simon lizotte and his new line of simonline discs. In the buying I have done with mvp, axiom, streamline, innova, and simonline discs I have decided that I like neutron plastic the best!
Wow. Is Infinite Discs an Innova owned company or what? This list is so biased its not even funny. While I appreciate the basic info and opinions of the author it should be noted this is an opinion list and a biased one at that and not based on any data. The vast majority of people who have played more than a year would tell you base plastic putters are preferred by a vast majority (watch any in the bag from a pro). Also to not even mention DD Supreme or Lone Star Bravo or K1 for drivers is simply ignorant and to put I-blend and DX on the list above them truly shows the bias 3 Innova made plastics in the top 5. Do better.
I do not see any explanation about how the best plastics were determined. My first thought was the best plastics are based on the top selling plastics from Infinite Disc’s website. That would be pretty objective. Without doing any research, I am guessing Innova and Discraft sell more discs than anyone else, or are at least both in the top 3 or 4. Plus Innova manufactures Infinite Discs. They have been around a lot longer than some brands and there are a lot more of their discs out there. So the results could be more aligned with the most popular brands than the best plastics. Or maybe the most popular brands are popular because their plastics are great. Or maybe a more scientific approach was used. But again, we can only guess because it was not explained.
Personally, I prefer ESP and I-blend. I think it is more economical to spend more on a disc that will maintain its flight characteristics for a long time than it is to spend a little less for a base plastic you might need to replace 3 or 4 times over the same time period. But I also do not cycle multiple discs of the same mold with different degrees of beat in.
I like Latitude 64 Gold line. It feels great in my hand.