Best Distance Driver For 2022
This article was written for 2022. Check out this article and data if you’re looking for the most up to date best distance drivers list.
Best Distance Driver of 2022
We looked at the best selling molds, the best rated molds, and counted your votes for your favorite mold, and we can declare the winner of the Best Distance Driver. And boy was it close! The Innova Destroyer and Wraith traded position on top of the sales and fan vote categories. And the ratings were separated by a hundredth of a point!
The top five were all Innova/Infinite, which is not surprising after seeing the results of the individual categories. Four of the top five molds have fairly similar flights, the exception being the 5th place Maya, the only understable mold. Here are the top molds and their ranking in the different categories.
| Mold | Sales | Rating | Fan | Total |
| Innova Destroyer | 1 | 4.63 | 2 | 7.63 |
| Innova Wraith | 2 | 4.64 | 1 | 7.64 |
| Infinite Discs Emperor | 3 | 4.75 | 3 | 10.75 |
| Infinite Discs Pharaoh | 4 | 4.71 | 4 | 12.71 |
| Infinite Discs Maya | 5 | 4.58 | 5 | 14.58 |
Here are some comments mentioned by fans:
Matt M – “Destroyer has to be my all time mold. Why? There are so many different throws you can make with it. A controlled spike hyzer, a sidearm flick, an all out distance bomber.”
David M – “My go-to is a seasoned Star Destroyer. It has a good feel for backhand and forehand. One at a lighter weight like 167-170 if I’m wanting a little more turn. The Destroyer is the gold standard for good reason.”
Tom – “My favorite driver has always been the Wraith. As they break in the develop a little instability so I can bag several Wraith of various plastic / beat in yet have the same grip. The Wraith is also very good in wind as I find it very reliable and wind resistant. Plus what is not to like about the Halo Wraith, wicked cool stamp.”
In this series exploring the best discs of 2022, we started with putters and have been moving up the speed ratings until this week. You can check out the survey results for Putters, Mid Ranges, and Fairway Drivers by clicking these links. Today, we will finally check out the highest-speed discs, the distance drivers, or high-speed drivers. Once again we will look at the sales data to see what people are buying. Then we will rank the molds by their Infinite rating. Finally, we will ask you to vote for the distance driver that you feel is the best. Then we will compile the information and declare a winner! We will also award one lucky commenter a gift card for their input.
Best Distance Drivers
There is something about the feel of a distance driver that sets it apart from other types of discs. The wide rim makes you feel like there is something significant in your hand, both in terms of mass and of potential distance. The sharper edge has a distinct feeling that is unlike other discs. Their higher speed rating requires a little more effort in your throw, making the movement a little more physical. All of these things add up to a different experience when you throw a distance driver.
The high-speed, or distance driver category has been the bane of many new disc golfers. Someone new to disc golf may not understand that the name of the category refers to how fast the disc must be 
thrown in order to fly like it’s designed to do. Instead, newer players regularly buy discs that they don’t have the skill to be able to throw properly. Therefore, many bad habits might be formed before the disc golfer understands the need to start by throwing lower-speed discs. Lighter plastics can help someone without the arm speed to throw higher speed discs. However, there are benefits to throwing lower speed discs when starting out.
High speed drivers account for slightly over a quarter of all disc sales at Infinite. That’s pretty close to where we could expect it to be. It does trail putters as a category by a couple of percentage points.
To find out which molds were the most popular, I pulled up a list of the top 20 discs that were sold in the past year. Below is a chart with the top discs, along with the percentage of all distance drivers sold:
| Rank | Brand and Mold | % of all distance drivers |
| 1 | Innova Destroyer | 10.5% |
| 2 | Innova Wraith | 9.0% |
| 3 | Infinite Discs Emperor | 6.5% |
| 4 | Infinite Discs Pharaoh | 5.2% |
| 5 | Infinite Discs Maya | 3.2% |
| 6 | Innova Beast | 2.3% |
| 7 | Innova Shryke | 2.1% |
| 8 | Innova Mamba | 2.1% |
| 9 | Discraft Avenger SS | 1.9% |
| 10 | Discraft Nuke | 1.9% |
| 11 | Innova Tern | 1.7% |
| 12 | Discraft Force | 1.5% |
| 13 | MVP Photon | 1.5% |
| 14 | Discraft Surge SS | 1.4% |
| 15 | Discraft Hades | 1.4% |
| 16 | Innova Boss | 1.4% |
| 17 | Discraft Zeus | 1.3% |
| 18 | Discraft Thrasher | 1.3% |
| 19 | Discraft Scorch | 1.2% |
| 20 | Innova Katana | 1.2% |
Brands in the Top 20
Although most people know about the popularity of the Destroyer and Wraith, they may not know that one out of every five distance drivers sold at Infinite is one of those two molds! Those are some successful molds. In addition to holding the top two spots in the category. Innova is also responsible for 8 of the top 20 distance drivers we sell. That ties Discraft, who also holds 8 of the top 20 spots. In a distant third place is Infinite Discs, with 3 of the top 20. There were only four manufacturers in the top 20, and here is a chart with the breakdown:
Although Infinite Discs only had three molds in the top 20, those molds accounted for a significant portion of the distance drivers sold. In fact, sales of Infinite’s three top-20 molds surpassed Discraft’s eight molds in the top 20. Here is a list of the four manufacturers in the top 20, with the percentage of overall distance driver sales for the past year:
Best Rated Discs
Now let’s take a look at the Infinite Discs rating for the top molds. These are the ratings that customers have given each mold when they give a review. The ratings give us a picture of how people feel about 
the disc once they’ve had a chance to throw it. That’s a more accurate indication of the long-term view of people’s opinions of the disc, assuming it’s been around long enough for a significant number of people to rate the mold. Infinite Discs’ Emperor and Pharaoh top the list, with ratings a bit above the rest of the group. Here are the top 20 discs, sorted by Infinite rating:
| Infinite Discs Emperor | 4.75 |
| Infinite Discs Pharaoh | 4.71 |
| Innova Wraith | 4.64 |
| Discraft Zeus | 4.64 |
| Innova Destroyer | 4.63 |
| Innova Tern | 4.61 |
| Innova Shryke | 4.6 |
| Discraft Surge SS | 4.59 |
| Infinite Discs Maya | 4.58 |
| Discraft Hades | 4.58 |
| Discraft Thrasher | 4.58 |
Fan Vote Results
We asked you to let us know which mold you considered to be the best distance driver. You responded by the hundreds, and we’ve compiled a list of the top molds. Just like the top mold sales, the fan vote was all Innova/Infinite. Topping the list wasn’t the popular Destroyer. It was the Wraith, which is like a slightly slower Destroyer. In addition to the brands you would expect to make the list, there were votes for many other brands, including Divergent Discs, Viking, Millennium, Legacy, Axiom, Kastaplast, Thought Space Athletics, and DGA.
Here is a list of the top voted discs, along with the percentage of people who voted for that mold.
| Mold | Percentage of Votes |
| Wraith | 13.9% |
| Destroyer | 9.4% |
| Emperor | 4.5% |
| Pharaoh | 4.1% |
| Maya | 3.7% |
| Boss | 3.4% |
| Grace | 3.0% |
| Mamba | 3.0% |
| DD3 | 2.2% |
| Shryke | 2.2% |
Thanks to everyone who voted!
Let Us Know Your Favorite!
Now it’s your turn to let us know about your favorite distance driver. Even if your disc didn’t make the list, let us know what it is, and why it is the best disc for you or the best driver for beginners. This is a great chance to show people looking for a distance driver why your favorite disc works for you!
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.
I love the Discraft Avenger SS. Awesome disc and I can get some great distance with my lower arm speed.
The Star Boss is my main disc. This disc does what I want , what I need almost every time. Almost. . And when they are beat in they are even better. Star Boss Baby! Bam.
Tried the Legacy Outlaw Icon on a whim. It’s grippier than star plastic and very durable. The Outlaw is in the Destroyer mold but seems to have a more gradual fade.
I’m really diggin’ the Axiom Fireball (Neuton 170 &172). Primarily a backhand or thumber off the tee & the Fireball really stays true with nice distance. An excellent disc for skips when that option presents itself. Big Fan!
I throw Valkyries. I don’t know if that counts as distance, but that’s what Innova claims. Valkyries are close enough to stable that I can throw them hyzer and get a nice fade or anhyzer and get a gentle turn. They are also a low enough speed and understable enough that I can still throw them far despite my lack of power.
He about a list of most popular low spin drivers?
I throw an old Champion Boss on most tee shots. It holds a straight line until the last minute. It does skip well when thrown low.
My go to is the wraith. I was throwing the beast for a long time and then I tried the wraith And it just flies smoother without a sharp cut at the end
I have made the switch to mostly all Infinite drivers, and the Emperor is for sure the top dog! (Aztec is 1b) For me it has the distance of a shryke or tern, the reliability of a destroyer, and the controlability of a Wraith. Plus when one of the furthest bombers in the world has a signature model, you know its GG-great!
P.S.-
The gummy c maya is most perfect hyzer flip distance driver ever made. Every woods golfer needs one.
There’s a reason why the Emporer and the Pharoah are topping the charts in most categories. I love the Emporer as my go to distance driver because of its perfect balance between stability and glide. Feels great in the hand too!
Love my champion mako 3, but lately I have been throwing my really old Innova cobra.
I love the ballista pro from latitude 64. I tried it on a whim and threw it better than I’ve ever thrown a distance driver. It’s my most consistent driver in any condition as well. I couldn’t tell you exactly why it works so well for me other than the fact I’ve always thrown it properly since my first rip. Other driver have felt better in my hand, others have had better grip, and others have gone farther. This one is just more reliable and consistent for me. It also is the one disc I’ve gotten the most compliments for after throwing. I guess sometimes the disc picks you! 🙂
This is a tuff one for me to answer. As my favorite driver to throw is the one that’s working the best for me that day. Which that can change on any given day or course. That being said my most used driver right now would probably be a Discraft Punisher. Only because For me I can count on it to be somewhat over stable and predictable without becoming a meat hook. The one I have the most fun throwing and watching the flight of when the shot is required would be probably be my Hades. When thrown on a good line it just go’s forever. Truly a thing of beauty.
Star Boss. This disc gets thrown a lot. I have 3. One is stable, one under stable and other is over stable. I truly love this disc. If I could have one disc for life it would be this disc. Star Boss Baby!
My favorite distance driver is the Wraith. It has a subtle amount of turn with a consistent fade that has proven to be a reliable disc for me. It feels great in the hand and holds pretty much every line I put on it. I love its versatility for both forehands and backhands.
I have really been loving the Viking discs. Specifically the Odin. The overstable driver gives me the control I need to go low!
Love the shrike, as long as I don’t turn it over I get all the extra out of that S curve. Also favore the Lat 64 Grace, and Corvette.
Flat top Avery Destroyers are still my go to. They are less over stable than most Destroyers which helps here at elavation (Denver). But, they are long discontinued and thus expensive.
I think the Hades is going to get more popular at some point. Really easy distance without being squirelly. Not usable in a much of a headwind though.
I’m gonna go with my Champion Firestorm. It has become my go to for those long narrow tunnel shots that need a fast dump off. Also use it for those long distance forehand turnovers. Comes out super quick and gives one heck of a skip. I definitely don’t have an arm for a 14 speed but I somehow manage to use this disc. Highly recommend.
My go-to max distance driver is the discraft Hades. Even though I probably don’t have the arm speed for it, I can get it to go through its entire flight pattern, even into a head wind. It’s almost like a cheat code disc!