This week’s Focus Friday is for the Infinite Discs Scarab. It is a beaded putter with a shallow rim and a decent amount of glide.
If you have yet to throw this disc, now is a great time to try it out. From now until the end of Monday, you can buy it with 20% off by using the promo code: FOCUSSCARAB.
What I have enjoyed about the scarab is its versatility. Spin, push, and turbo putting with this is easy. Driving with this disc is really consistent as well. I have found that the product description is pretty dead on for this disc:
The Scarab is a beaded putter that has a similar rim configuration to the Infinite Discs Myth, but with a different flight plate that provides a longer glide for longer putts and approaches. If you love throwing putters for distance, or you’re seeking pinpoint accuracy with your putting game, the Scarab will earn a spot in your disc bag.
We initially designed this disc for Joel Freeman who then named it the Scarab. You can get his signature Scarab here . Also, if you want to learn more about him, watch the video below.
Head on over to our site and pick one up this weekend. Use the discount code FOCUSSCARAB and you’ll get 20% off. It’s a great time to buy this disc.
Note: After placing your discs in the shopping cart and before checking out, click on the “Discount Code” box under the shopping cart and enter that code. Then proceed to checkout.
What are your thoughts on the Infinite Discs Scarab?
Fairway drivers are arguably the workhorse of the disc golf world. With their slower speeds, the can be handled, shaped, and used by beginners and professionals alike. Their stability range gives us the opportunity to shape shots and avoid obstacles. They are slightly more forgiving than distance driver and require less power to throw, fairway, or ‘control’ can more easily be used for technical shots. So, which is the most popular control driver? Let’s find out.
As usual, we will look at our sales records to see which control driver molds have sold the most this year. Then, we will look at the ratings that readers have contributed, including the star rating and the number of reviews. Then we will turn thing over to you to vote! We will give you a chance to vote on your favorite control driver, whether it’s on our list or not.
Taking first in both the ratings and fan vote, the Teebird wins the title of the Best Fairway Driver. This mold has been around for a long time and has proven it’s worth. With a flight rating of 7, 5, 0, 2 the Teebird has won the admiration of many voters. Noe C. said that the Teebird is “Great out of the gate and gets better with age”. Click the link above to get yours!
The Evolution of Disc Golf Discs
For those of us relatively new to the sport, from our perspective the distance drivers that we know and love today have always been a part of the game. Ask a seasoned veteran what ‘high speed’ discs they threw in the nineties and they might reel off a list of molds you’ve never heard of, including molds from Wham-O. The discs we call ‘fairway drivers’ were the ‘high-speed drivers of yesteryear. Fairway drivers were the discs used to cover a lot of ground.
For this blog, we will define control drivers as discs with a speed of 6 through 9. As was mentioned in the blog about the best drivers, speed 9 discs are the ‘tweeners, with some people and manufacturers calling them high speed, and some control drivers.
Top Fairway Driver sales for 2020
Let’s start by checking out the best fairway driver in terms of sales. Here is a chart of our sales for fairway drivers for 2020. Innova holds a big chunk of the category, and takes the first four places.
Here is a list of the top 20 molds according to our sales data:
The popular overstable mold, the Firebird, leads the way. In second is the straight-flying Teebird. In third and fourth spot are the Valkyrie and Leopard. These last two are very popular discs in starter packs, although starter pack sales were not included in this blog.
Although, once again, Innova and Discraft have the most molds represented, in this category there are three other companies with a mold on the list: Discmania, Latitude 64, and Infinite Discs. One of those three, Discmania, has the FD mold on the list. That molds was PDGA approved in 2011 and has had time to gain a fan base. The other two companies, represented by the Explorer and the Sphinx, are much newer molds, getting approved in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Although discs in the 6-9 speed range have been around since the early years of disc golf, there have been many discs that have been discontinued or fallen out of favor in the disc golf world. The list above contains discs whose approval date spans over two decades. From the ‘old school’ Innova Teebird, Leopard, Firebird, and Valkyrie, to the freshly minted Anax. The oldest discs on the list were approved in 1999 and 2000, with the newest member of the group getting approved in 2019. The average approval date is about 2011, the same year the Discmania FD was approved by the PDGA for sanctioned play.
Here is a list of the PDGA approval years:
Innova Teebird
1999
Innova Leopard
1999
Innova Firebird
2000
Innova Valkyrie
2000
Innova Roadrunner
2005
Discmania FD
2011
Innova Thunderbird
2014
Discraft Heat
2014
Discraft Undertaker
2016
Latitude 64 Explorer
2017
Innova Leopard3
2017
Innova Teebird3
2017
Discraft Raptor
2018
Infinite Discs Sphinx
2018
Discraft Anax
2019
2020 VS Last 8 Years
Out of curiosity, I pulled up the all-time sales for the discs on the list to see how the current year sales for the best fairway drivers compared with the sales for each mold since Infinite began in 2012. Here is the all-time top ten fairway drivers, compared with the top ten for 2020:
All-Time Sales Rank
Mold
2020 Sales Rank
Disc Mold
1
Innova Firebird
1
Innova Firebird
2
Innova Teebird
2
Innova Teebird
3
Innova Thunderbird
3
Innova Valkyrie
4
Innova Valkyrie
4
Innova Leopard
5
Innova Leopard
5
Discraft Undertaker
6
Discmania FD
6
Innova Thunderbird
7
Innova Leopard3
7
Discraft Heat
8
Innova Roadrunner
8
Discraft Anax
9
Innova Teebird3
9
Innova Leopard3
10
Discraft Undertaker
10
Innova Roadrunner
Averaging Sales With Age of Disc
Many of the molds on the top control driver list didn’t even exist when Infinite opened its doors. The older molds have had a lot more time to get accepted by disc golfers. That makes the newer mold’s place on the list a little more impressive. In an attempt to account for the age of the best control drivers, I took their total sales and divided it by the number of years that the mold has been around to get a sort-of average number of discs sold per year of existence.
For this list, the advantage goes to the much-hyped newer molds that might have short term boosts in sales, but that might fade after time. However, the fact that one of the oldest discs on the top sales list made this list shows the popularity of the Firebird.
Rank of Sales Divided by Age
Mold
Year Made
1
Discraft Anax
2019
2
Innova Leopard3
2017
3
Innova Thunderbird
2014
4
Innova Teebird3
2017
5
Infinite Discs Sphinx
2018
6
Discraft Undertaker
2016
7
Discraft Raptor
2018
8
Latitude 64 Explorer
2017
9
Discmania FD
2011
10
Innova Firebird
2000
Voting Results: Top Fairway Drivers
What amazing results for the best fairway driver of 2020! There were far and away more different molds chosen as people’s favorite than any other class of disc so far. A whopping 80 different molds received votes! The molds represented all of the larger manufacturers, and many smaller ones. One prototype mold even made the top five. We also received more total votes for this category than any other so far. Let’s jump into the results!
Rank
Mold
Percentage of Votes
1
Innova Teebird
8.6%
2
Innova Firebird
8.1%
3
Discraft Undertaker
6.5%
4
Innova Valkyrie
5.4%
5
AGL Locust
4.3%
6
Innova Thunderbird
3.8%
Latitude 64 River
3.8%
7
Dynamic Discs Explorer
3.6%
8
Infinite Discs Sphinx
3.4%
9
Discmania FD
3.2%
Innova Leopard3
3.2%
10
Innova Eagle
2.5%
Innova Sidewinder
2.5%
11
AGL Sycamore
2.3%
12
Innova Leopard
2.0%
13
Axiom Crave
1.8%
Discraft Heat
1.8%
MVP Volt
1.8%
14
Dynamic Discs Escape
1.6%
Innova Teebird3
1.6%
Dynamic Discs Getaway
1.6%
Voting Highlights
In some close voting the Teebird just edged out the Firebird as the favorite disc among voters. Many voters explained their choice for the Teebird:
Bryant V: I throw forehand 90% of the time and it is my most predictable disc. I can get it to go wherever I want it to go especially right to left.
David P: Does everything I need it to!
Colby: Best disc there is. Period.
Most of the top molds on the list also made the list for the top sales of 2020. A couple of notable exceptions are Above Ground Level’s Locust and Sycamore. The Sycamore has a flight rating that is slightly less overstable than a Teebird. While the prototype Locust sports a flight rating of 9, 4, -1, 3. The Locust even broke the top 5 for votes tallied. The disc was released as a prototype, but Infinite has ordered the disc and they will be available soon. Many voters heaped praise on the disc.
David D: The Locust from AGL Discs has been an absolute go to disc. Since getting my first one it has opened up my game so much. Definitely a disc that will always be in my bag.
Although Innova made up nearly have of the top voted molds, there was a total of nine different manufacturers that made the top 20 list. Quite a diverse bit of voting. In addition to the high number of different molds that were selected as people’s top choice, 56 molds received multiple votes.
As promised, we randomly selected a winner for the $50 gift card, and the winner is Drew P!
Let Us Know Your Favorite Fairway Driver
Now it’s your turn to let us know about your favorite fairway 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. Only comments with explanations of “why” will be eligible for the gift card. We will add the votes to our criteria for selecting the best fairway driver for 2020. This blog post will be updated next week with the final list of the top molds.
Prodigy has released some new discs to their Ace Line disc line up. Prodigy designed the Ace Line plastic to have excellent quality and performance. It is meant for all players, from beginner to advanced. Also, they make this plastic available at an accessible price point.
This fairway driver is designed to be understable, intended for the beginner to intermediate players. Prodigy created this disc to have an understable to straight flight path. Despite it being a 10 speed it feels like a fairway driver.
The M Model US midrange is another understable to stable disc that flies pretty straight, which makes this an all-purpose midrange. The rim is comfortable to the grip, and easy to work with for all types of players.
This is a understable putter that has a lot of glide to it. It also has a beadless rim making it feel comfortable to grip. Prodigy designed this disc for the beginner to the advanced player.
Head on over to InfiniteDiscs.com to pick these up today!
Infinite Discs is excited to introduce the newest disc golf backpack to join the ranks of the Infinite Discs brand: the Infinite Discs Huck Pack. This backpack is available on Infinite Discs website for $39.99.
There are similarities between the Innova Adventure Bag, the Dynamic Discs Trooper Bag, or the MVP Shuttle Bag. Despite the similarities, the Huck Pack is different to those bags, as it has two deep insulated water bottle pouches. It’ll carry a 40oz insulated water bottle in it easily. The pouch covers a 32oz non-insulated water bottle completely, ensuring optimal insulation. This bag will hold even small water bottles. Also, it has an accessible spot for a pencil/marker and mini marker.
These are some of the reasons why this bag may be the bag for you:
You want an affordable backpack
It can carry around 20 discs regularly
The mini marker slot is easily accessible
This is a lightweight bag, even fully loaded the weight isn’t too noticeable
You desire a bag with thick straps and pads for increased comfort
The Quiver pouch is large, it can carry at most four putters in that pouch
All in all, this bag can be used by all skill levels. Uses will include casual rounds with the family, playing in the local tournament, or taking it onto a PDGA sanctioned event.
Head on over to Infinite Discs’ website to pick up your Huck Pack today!
Focus Friday is back! We are starting it off with the Westside Harp. That means over the weekend, you can buy this disc at InfiniteDiscs.com at a 10% discount!
The Harp is a very overstable approach putter. I’ve had great success flicking it, using it on hyzer throws, and for straight approaches. It is a trusty putt-and-approach disc that can handle some power. I’ve been throwing the Harp in BT Hard plastic which has some good grip to it and it can handle some tree hits and rough landings on rocks. Despite all the collisions I’ve put it through, I haven’t noticed much of a loss in the BT Hard Harp’s stability. This is a fantastic driving putt and approach disc!
Here is a look at a few of my throws with the Harp, trying it out both forehand and backhand at different angles. This helps illustrate the difference between my old, beat-in Harp and a brand new one.
Head on over to our site and pick one up this weekend. Use the discount code FOCUSHARP and you’ll get 10% off. It’s a great time to restock or try out the disc.
Note: After placing your discs in the shopping cart and before checking out, click on the “Discount Code” box under the shopping cart and enter that code. Then proceed to checkout.
Which disc would you guys like for us to focus on next week? Post in the comments below.
This week we will continue to examine the sales numbers and ratings to determine the best distance drivers for 2020. Last week we looked at all drivers, (check out those results here) but this week we will narrow the criteria and limit the candidates to speed 10 and higher discs. And like last week we will look at the sales numbers and the user submitted ratings to determine which distance driver is the best. Then we will consider your votes for a week, and declare the winner.
Despite taking the number 2 spot in the fan voting, the Destroyer maintained the number one spot, taking first in sales and ratings. According to O’Connor G., “Destroyer is number 1 for a good reason! I love the variation in the flight patterns of the different molds. You can bag 5 destroyers that all feel the same in the hand (a good size for my hand as well) but have drastically different flights.”
How We Chose the Best Disc Golf Driver For 2020?
There are several different components to our rating system that we used to determine the best disc golf distance drivers for 2020:
First, we counted the sales volume and made a list of the top sellers of 2020.
Second we look at both how you have rated the discs, and how many reviews you have made for the top drivers to date on Infinite Discs website. A high rating and a lot of reviews translates into a desirable disc.
And finally, we considered what you our blog readers and social media followers said when asked the question: What do you think is the best disc golf driver?
In The Beginning
When I started playing disc golf, I did what so many of us did before we understood the flight numbers on the discs, I went for the high speed discs. “Super Long Distance Driver”? Yes, please! “High Speed Driver”? Of course I want my disc to fly fast! It was as if we expected our drivers to jump out of our hands the moment we quit holding them tight.
Most of us have since come to understand that higher speeds mean that we have to be able to throw faster in order for them to fly the way they were designed. Although that may limit the speed of the disc that we choose, with a variety of lighter weight plastic types available today, even less experienced players can generate enough speed to be able to throw the faster discs. That creates a much larger audience for higher speed discs. Today we are going to take a look at how that audience fills their bags with those long distance drivers.
Best Disc Golf Distance Drivers by Sales
We already know from last week’s blog about several of the top high speed drivers. Since they made the list for the best overall drivers, obviously they are going to make the list for the best high speed drivers. Those include the Innova Destroyer and Wraith, the Discraft Zeus and Hades, and the Infinite Discs Emperor and Pharaoh.
Also like last week, there are a few discs that made the list for top sales, but not for the top ten in reviews. And a couple that made the top ten for reviews, but not the top ten for sales. Let’s start by looking at the top selling distance drivers for 2020:
2020 Sales Rank
Disc Mold
1
Innova Destroyer
2
Innova Wraith
3
Discraft Hades
4
Discraft Zeus
5
Innova Beast
6
Discraft Force
7
Innova Shryke
8
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
9
Discraft Avenger SS
10
Infinite Discs Emperor
11
Discraft Thrasher
12
Innova Boss
13
Innova Mamba
14
Innova Tern
15
Discraft Nuke
16
Infinite Discs Aztec
17
Innova Katana
18
Inova Corvette
19
Discraft Crank
20
Nuke SS
The Best Distance Drivers According to Star Ratings
These are the rankings based on reviews and highest ratings submitted by users on Infinitediscs.com
Rank
Disc Mold
Star Rating
# of 2020 Reviews
Weighted score
1
Innova Destroyer
4.8
70
5.44
2
Innova Wraith
4.61
53
5.01
3
Infinite Discs Aztec
4.83
21
4.77
4
Discraft Zeus
4.69
22
4.65
5
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
4.72
18
4.62
6
Discraft Hades
4.77
14
4.61
7
Infinite Discs Emperor
4.7
16
4.57
8
Innova Shryke
4.58
19
4.49
9
Discraft Thrasher
4.65
13
4.48
10
Innova Tern
4.63
13
4.46
List of Top Distance Drivers
Click the links below to see check out the details of the mold.
We’ve shown you the total sales and reviews for the top drivers of 2020. Now it’s time to look at what YOU chose as your top distance driver. We added up the hundreds of votes and here is the top choices.
Several companies crashed the Innova-Discraft party with this list. Although those two companies still dominated the top ten, and owned the top five, the fan vote showed interest in several other brands.
The Dynamic Discs Trespass just missed the top five by one place, and a percent-and-a-half. This distance driver has the same flight ratings as the Destroyer and Zeus. Infinite Discs made the list with their popular driver that has a ton of glide, the Pharaoh. And MVP made the list with the Wave.
The next ten spots include molds from seven different brands:
11
Mamba
2.3%
12
DD3
2.3%
13
Tern
2.3%
14
Boss
2.3%
15
AvengerSS
1.9%
16
Destiny
1.9%
17
Raider
1.5%
18
Ballista Pro
1.5%
19
Trace
1.2%
20
Mayhem
1.2%
Infinite Discs Aztec
The Aztec isn’t even a year old, but it already has the best star rating of any of the distance drivers. The only thing keeping the Aztec out of first place is the number of reviews. With a 10, 5, -1, 2 flight rating, the Aztec delivers surprisingly long drives, with a stable flight and a solid finish. The Aztec is available Metal Flake Glow C-Blend, which is more stable than the I-Blend or G-Blend plastics.
Innova Shryke, Tern, and Beast
This high-speed distance driver has enough turn and fade to give you amazing s-curved distance drives. Once it is beat in, it becomes a shapeable disc while maintaining its long glide. Despite its speed 13 rating, the mold can still be used by less experienced players. However, with the right arm speed and room to throw, the Shryke can bomb down the fairway.
The Innova Tern has the same flight rating as the Shryke, only one speed slower. That combination makes the disc popular for throwing big flex shots. The Beast also has that flight rating, only it is a speed 10 disc. Also, the Beast takes the title of oldest disc in this group. It was approved in 2002
Discraft Thrasher
The Discraft Thrasher joins the Hades and Avenger SS as the most understable molds of our distance drivers. Those three molds edged out the Shryke, Tern, and Beast for the title of most flippy disc. Unlike our overall driver top ten list, there are a lot more understable discs on this list. Maybe the higher speeds allow a wider variety of skilled players to throw those molds, where the slower speed understable discs might be too flippy for the big arms.
Discraft Force
At the opposite end of the stability spectrum from the Hades is the Discraft Force. This overstable driver is popular among stronger players due its turn resistance and strong fade. It is a little too much disc for newer players. But, its brisk sales this year indicates that there are a lot of players skilled enough to handle the overstability.
Discraft Avenger SS
I’ve been bagging a near-max weight Avenger SS for a few months, and I love it. It is a shapeable mold that delivers nice s-curve shots when thrown fairly flat. Despite the flight numbers, the Avenger SS rarely gets away from me by turning too much. I get long drives, with slightly more fade than the flight numbers indicate. As an intermediate player, the Avenger SS has served me well. Although the Avenger SS is already a popular mold, having the disc released with touring pro’s stamps on them, like so many of the top selling discs do, definitely boosts sales.
Average Flight Ratings of the Top Distance Drivers of 2020
Taking a look at the average flight of the discs on the list, we find the flight numbers round to the flight of the Tern, 12, 5, -2, 2. Naturally, the average speed will be higher than the overall driver average, since overall includes control drivers, but the turn and fade are different, too. The average turn for distance drivers on the list is flippier than the overall drivers, -2 vs -1. And there is less fade than the overall average, 2 vs 3.
With the Beast being the oldest disc, getting approved in 2002, the Hades is the newest disc, with a 2020 approval. Being only a couple of months old, the Hades came out with a bang. Five of the 13 discs on the list were approved in 2008 or before. The average approval year is 2013.
A Small, Elite Group
One of the obvious facts that jumps out at us when we look at the top selling and top rated discs is that there is not a variety of brands represented. Three companies make up the list of 13 molds that made it to the top. It’s rarely a surprise to see Innova and Discraft battle it out for the most molds at the top of any list. Each company had five molds on our list. What may be more surprising is the new kid on the block, Infinite Discs, claiming three spots on the list. Infinite’s oldest mold is still only a couple of years old. With its lineup of desirable flights and unique plastic blends, Infinite may be sitting at the top of the sales and ratings lists for a long time.
Covid-19 and Sales
Since the Covid shutdowns that have occurred around the world have affected supply chains at all levels, it would be crazy to say that it didn’t affect the sales numbers. While different manufacturers were affected to varying degrees, our list would most certainly look slightly different had the pandemic not occurred. In addition to supply lines being affected, sales were also affected, with people snapping up discs in unprecedented numbers. However, rather than try to dissect how each brand was affected and whether or not they were hurt or helped by the pandemic, we just presented the sales numbers for the year and made our top selections from the those numbers.
Tell Us What You Think.
Now it’s time for you to tell us about your favorite distance driver. Which is your top choice? Are the older, classic molds going to continue to stay at the top? Are the newer discs just hype, eventually fading into obscurity while the latest, greatest discs move up the sales charts? What about the smaller brands that are fighting for their share of the disc golf pie? Please take a few minutes to let us know which distance driver is number one for you. If your go-to distance driver is not on the list, let us know what it is.
Dynamic Discs is releasing some new Team Series Discs in the Lucid-X Chameleon plastic. There are four Pros, each with their own discs. They are as follows:
You’ll be able to watch Eric Oakley and Zach play in this weekend’s Idlewild Open by Dynamic Discs & The Nati. Paige Shue will play in the upcoming Discraft Green Mountain Championship this September 12.
In this unprecedented year of pandemic, unrest, and shutdowns, we’ve seen people buying discs faster than suppliers can get them made and shipped. People are still playing disc golf. What better activity for either staying home, with putting and upshot practice, or maintaining social distancing out on the course. Since people are still playing, and buying discs, we wanted to see what kind of impact the world situation might have had on our disc selections. For the next few weeks, we will look at the best discs of 2020, broken down by disc type. This week, we will look at the best disc golf drivers of 2020.
2020: What An Interesting Year
Since a bulk of the year was during the pandemic, we will see if our disc selections have been different than in years past. There would likely have to be something bigger than a global pandemic to get us to change our favorite discs. But, there are factors that do get us to change.
For example, if our favorite disc golf pro, who happens to be a world champion, puts out a new disc. Or puts out a new version of an old disc. Those kinds of things affect disc golf sales, as we’ve seen in the past. Let’s start by jumping right in and see who is the King (no pun intended) of drivers for 2020.
There are several different components to our rating system that we used to determine the best disc golf distance drivers for 2020:
First, we counted the sales volume. That makes sense. The mold that sells the most is certainly a contender for the number one disc.
Second we look at both how you have rated the discs, and how many reviews you have made for the top drivers to date on Infinite Discs website. A high rating and a lot of reviews translates into a desirable disc.
And finally, we will considered what you our blog readers and social media followers say when asked the question: What do you think is the best disc golf driver?
Best Disc Golf Drivers by Sales
According to online disc sales at InfiniteDiscs.com, the following are the top drivers in disc golf for 2020:
2020 Sales Rank
Disc Mold
1
Innova Destroyer
2
Innova Wraith
3
Innova Firebird
4
Innova Teebird
5
Innova Valkyrie
6
Innova Leopard
7
Discraft Hades
8
Discraft Undertaker
9
Innova Thunderbird
10
Discraft Zeus
11
Discraft Heat
12
Innova Beast
13
Discraft Force
14
Innova Shryke
15
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
16
Discraft Avenger SS
17
Discraft Anax
18
Innova Leopard3
19
Infinite Discs Emperor
20
Discraft Thrasher
Best Discs According to Star Ratings
Based on user submitted reviews and star ratings, these are the top 10 rated drivers of 2020:
Rank
Disc
Star Rating
# Of 2020 Reviews
Weighted Score
1
Innova Destroyer
4.8
70
5.44
2
Innova Wraith
4.61
53
5.01
3
Innova Teebird
4.77
41
5.00
4
Innova Firebird
4.57
49
4.91
5
Innova Thunderbird
4.67
35
4.81
6
Discraft Undertaker
4.78
23
4.75
7
Discraft Zeus
4.69
22
4.65
8
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
4.72
18
4.62
9
Discraft Hades
4.77
14
4.61
10
Infinite Discs Emperor
4.7
16
4.57
While most of the top discs appear in both lists, two understable Innova fairway drivers — the Valkyrie and Leopard made the top 10 sales list but not the top rated discs list. Interestingly, the two discs that replaced them — the Pharaoh and Emperor are high speed distance drivers. It appears that website visitors are more likely to buy easy to throw fairway drivers, but more excited to review discs that provide maximum distance.
So, here we go with the breakdown of some of the top contenders for best disc golf driver of 2020 based on sales, reviews, and ratings. After we hear back from you in the comment section at the bottom of the page, we will update the blog to declare an ultimate winner of the best disc golf driver of 2020.
Top Drivers of 2020: Fan Choice!
For our third and final criteria we reached out to our fans in this post and on social media to let them have their say on what they think the best disc golf driver truly is. The results of the fan vote are as follows:
Fan Vote
Rank
Disc Model
Percent of Vote
1
Innova Destroyer
20.0%
2
Innova Wraith
19.0%
3
Innova Thunderbird
6.3%
4
Discraft Hades
6.3%
5
Discraft Zeus
5.3%
6
Discraft Undertaker
3.0%
7
Innova Teebird
3.0%
8
Streamline Trace
2.4%
9
Innova Katana
2.4%
10
Innova Valkyrie
2.4%
We’ve tallied your votes to determine the fan winner. We counted 127 votes on the blog and on Facebook. Garnering just over 20% of the votes is the Innova Destroyer. In a very close second place is the popular, and similarly flying Innova Wraith. The Wraith got just under 19% of the votes. In a tie for second place, with 6.3% of the votes is the Innova Thunderbird and the Discraft Hades. Just one percentage point behind those two molds is the Discraft Zeus.
The next few spots are occupied by the Undertaker and TeeBird at 3%, and coming in a 2.4% is the Trace, Katana and Valkyrie. Although the Streamline Trace is the only non-Innova or Discraft mold up to this point in the tally, there were 29 different molds that only received one or two votes. Those include molds from Discmania, Prodigy, Westside, Latitude 64, Dynamic Discs, MVP, Infinite Discs, Axiom, and Vibram.
A Summary of some of the Top Drivers
The Innova Destroyer
This perennial powerhouse made a splash when it was released over a decade ago, and has pretty much dominated the category ever since. Its popular flight numbers, giving a little turn with a reliable fade, has made this disc a winner from the beginning. The Destroyer’s availability in lighter plastics makes it a hit with people of all skill levels.
Innova Teebird
The only thin rim control driver in the top five of the best disc golf drivers of 2020 category, this reliable workhorse has a spot in the bag of many pro and amateur alike. It has been around for two decades, and clearly has a popular flight number. It has become a signature disc for a couple of pros, which might contribute to its popularity.
Innova Firebird and Thunderbird, Discraft Undertaker
These three molds are ‘tweener’ drivers, with thicker rims than traditional fairway drivers but not thick enough to be considered distance drivers. Whatever you call them, all of these molds are popular with people of all skill levels, helping them make the list of best drivers for the year.
The Thunderbird is a straight-flying disc that still has a decent fade at the end. It is the definition of ‘control driver’.
The Firebird could be called a more stable Thunderbird. Its ability to fight headwinds and deliver a solid fade has made the Firebird one of the most in-demand drivers for many years. Certain Firebirds, such as the Sexton Glow Firebirds, are popular for their added overstability, making them even more in demand.
The Undertaker has a little more turn than the Firebird or Thunderbird, but still has a good fade at the end. With a hyzer flip, the Undertaker can be shaped for some long throws.
Discraft Zeus and Infinite Discs Emperor
While the Destroyer has been the #1 rated disc for years, it’s no surprise that similar discs by other brands are also very popular.
It wasn’t long after McBeth moved to Discraft that they announced the newest disc to the Discraft line-up, the Kong. The name was later changed to the Zeus. With a flight number similar to the popular Destroyer and the Infinite Discs Emperor, the Zeus was an immediate hit. With its desirable flight, beautiful swirly plastic, and its endorsement by a world champ, the Zeus fought for the number one spot last year. And, it remains a contender this year.
With its Destroyer-like flight and popularity among professional disc golfers like Garrett Gurthie, Dave Feldberg, and Kona Panis, it’s no surprise that the Emperor achieved top 10 status for ratings this year.
Infinite Discs Pharaoh
This high-speed driver has been one of Infinite’s most popular drivers since it was released. It has a slight turn and a reliable, but not too harsh, fade. Available in several plastic blends, the Pharaoh’s distance is its strength. Fortunately, the mold comes in lighter weights, too, giving the novice player and touring pro alike and option for long-distance throws. Making its top-ten appearance for three years in a row, the Pharaoh is here to stay!
Discraft Hades
New to the Discraft lineup this year is the understable, but controllable, speed 12 Hades. With lots of glide and flight numbers that fill the needs of a variety of skill levels, the Hades has been a hit for Discraft. Introducing a disc with the name of a repeat world champion on it surely helps with sales. Then, mix in some popular flight numbers and you have a winning combination. The Hades has flight numbers that are similar to the widely used Innova Tern. If you want a flip-to-straight flight with a solid fade, or a big turnover shot, the Hades would fill that slot in your bag. Of all the drivers in the top 10, the Hades has the most high speed turn by far.
Innova Valkyrie and Leopard
The Valkyrie and Leopard are known as Innova’s “easy to throw” drivers. These are the very drivers that are included in most Innova three disc starter sets. In their base DX plastic, these popular beginner discs can be very understable. With the huge growth of disc golf during the pandemic it is no surprise that these popular beginner discs made the top sales list. But do the Valkyrie and Leopard have what it takes to be considered the best disc golf driver of 2020?
What Makes a Top Ten Disc Golf Driver
So, why do we like those discs? If we break down the flight ratings of all of the top ten discs, we can come up with an average flight, and see if that helps us understand why these discs are popular. The ‘average’ flight rating of these ten discs, using the common flight rating of speed, glide, turn, and fade, is 10.6, -5, -.9, 2.6. If we round those numbers, we pretty much get the flight of the Wraith, which is the second most popular disc on the list. The Innova Wraith is one speed slower than the Destroyer, which occupies the number 1 spot. As was mentioned, the Destroyer shares the same flight rating as the Zeus and the Emperor, as well as other popular molds that didn’t make the top ten, like the Trespass, Outlaw, and DD3. Apparently, we like that general flight.
The average flight is similar to the flight of 6 out of the 10 best discs. We like discs that give us a little turn, but also give us a reliable fade. We like wide rims, but not too wide. Other than the Hades, we don’t want a lot of turn. (Discs in the 11-20 most popular range have more flip, or turn, to them, such as the Beast, Valkyrie, Shryke, Heat, and Avenger SS) We also like some of our discs to have all fade and little to no turn, for utility shots.
In With the Old, In With the New
The first four molds on the list, Destroyer, Wraith, Teebird, and Firebird, were all released prior to 2008. They’ve been around for a while and have proven their value to the disc golf community. The last four discs on the list, Zeus, Pharaoh, Hades, and Emperor, were all released in the last couple of years. Only time will tell is they remain as popular in years to come. Probably so, since three out of four of them have the popular flight characteristics mentioned above. For the record, the average PDGA approval year for the top ten drivers is 2012.
Feel Free to watch this video which summarizes the results in a minute and thirty seconds:
Your Opinion: What is the best driver for you?
We want your opinion. What do you think the best disc golf driver is and why? What weight and plastic do you like it in. How long have you been playing disc golf, how far can you throw? Please comment below.
of Monday, you can buy it with 20% off by using the promo code: FOCUSSCARAB.
Prodigy designed the Ace Line plastic to have excellent quality and performance. It is meant for all players, from beginner to advanced. Also, they make this plastic available at an accessible price point.
This fairway driver is designed to be understable, intended for the beginner to intermediate players. Prodigy created this disc to have an understable to straight flight path. Despite it being a 10 speed it feels like a fairway driver.
The M Model US midrange is another understable to stable disc that flies pretty straight, which makes this an all-purpose midrange. The rim is comfortable to the grip, and easy to work with for all types of players.
This is a understable putter that has a lot of glide to it. It also has a beadless rim making it feel comfortable to grip. Prodigy designed this disc for the beginner to the advanced player.
The Harp is a very overstable approach putter. I’ve had great success flicking it, using it on hyzer throws, and for straight approaches. It is a trusty putt-and-approach disc that can handle some power. I’ve been throwing the Harp in BT Hard plastic which has some good grip to it and it can handle some tree hits and rough landings on rocks. Despite all the collisions I’ve put it through, I haven’t noticed much of a loss in the BT Hard Harp’s stability. This is a 
