3-Color Aztec Stamp from MVP Axiom

Infinite Discs continues the popular run of our Aztec stamp with a wonderful 3-color rendition on MVP / Axiom discs. We’re really excited about how beautiful these discs turned out, and the artwork seems to stare into your soul. The stamp is limited to a run of 300 discs on mixed models.

This is a comprehensive list of the molds and plastics that feature the 3-color Infinite Discs Aztec stamp. Click on the disc name to jump directly to the listing on the Infinite Discs website, then click “Select Your Disc” to browse what is available:

Neutron Catalyst
Proton Catalyst
Neutron Nitro
Neutron Octane
Proton Octane
Proton Matrix
Neutron Orbital
Proton Wave
Plasma Wave
Neutron (Axiom) Vanish
Proton (Axiom) Vanish
Fission Photon
Proton Photon
Plasma Photon
Neutron Photon
Plasma Anode
Electron Anode
Electron Soft Anode
Proton Soft Anode
Electron Soft Ion
Proton Soft Ion
Neutron Relay
Neutron Phase

We hope that players enjoy these special, limited runs of quality discs with the Infinite Discs Aztec stamp!

State of Disc Golf 2017–Wanna Throw Far?

So, do you wanna throw far? Or at least farther than you can right now? As disc golfers, I think we all would say we’d like the ability to get our discs a little further down the fairway. Those of us who have had the opportunity to play long championship level courses know that the guy in the group with the longest drive has a nice advantage. Of course, you can argue, “drive for show, putt for dough” right? But I don’t think too many folks would disagree that a good drive won’t hurt your chances of pulling in that dough either.

How Far Do Disc Golfers Throw?

So, how do we throw far? I don’t think anyone will argue with or be surprised with the answer I found from the results of the State of Disc Golf Survey…but what looks like the key ingredient to throwing far is: Practice. Practice, practice, practice—specifically, field work. Let’s take a quick look at the numbers.

Here we see how all participants in the survey answered our question about average driving distance. In my last article, I analyzed how practice affected our skill levels, and I identified weekly field work as a good indicator and separator for how well we play disc golf. Well, as I broke down how far we throw compared to whether or not we did weekly field work, I found a pretty consistent pattern.

Field Work

This chart shows the percentage of people within each throwing distance that do field work at least once per week. Of everyone who took the survey, 31.5% said they do field work at least every week. As we can see, there is a pretty consistent trend—The farther you throw, the more likely it is that you are doing field work at least once per week. Again, I don’t expect any of this to be surprising, but there was one other pattern I found to be pretty interesting–disc ownership.

Disc Ownership

How many discs do we own? And is there any correlation to how far we throw? To analyze this, I broke down the answers for the number of discs we own into three based on the responses we get. Each account for about 33% of the total: 0-30 discs (33.3%), 31-80 discs (35.4%), and 81+ discs (31.4%). Then I plugged these three in with how far we throw in the same way I did with weekly field work, and here is what I found.

First, a look at those who own 30 or less discs. We see the highest response percentages with those who throw the shorter distances.

The 31-80 discs range has the most representation in the middle distances.

Then, naturally, the 81+ discs answer was most popular with the farthest throwing groups.

So, does this mean all you need to do to throw far is by more discs? Not exactly, but I think what this is a good indicator of is how involved we are in disc golf. The more discs you own, I’d think the less casual your disc golf experience is.

So the secret formula to throwing far isn’t all that secret—just get out there and practice! Field work works, and stay involved in disc golf (aka, let that disc collection grow a little bit :)). Of course, proper technique is key. There are so many great tutorials out there to help you, like this one from Will Schusterick:

So get out and throw, and throw far!

State of Disc Golf 2017 – Is Game Play Too Fast? Too Loud?

In the State of Disc Golf 2017 Survey, we asked thousands of players a couple of questions about subjects that are sometimes a bit touchy when it comes to playing the game with others. First of all, we thought we’d ask about the speed of play. We’ve all met those players who like to take their time before each throw, seeming to measure the weight of each disc in their hand, drawing imaginary lines through the air, and finding their apparent moment of zen before finally taking their throw. Or, perhaps you are bothered by that pushy player that wants to step up and throw right away, regardless of who should take the box first according to turn order.  Is the game generally too fast for you? Or is it too slow for you? Here is what the surveyed players thought:

Which statement about speed of play typically applies to you for recreational disc golf rounds?

Despite those occasional irritations when it comes to speed of play, the majority 57% of those surveyed felt that the rounds move along at the right pace. But when it comes to those who wish the speed of play were different, it is more about wanting to take their time, rather than wanting to push the pace up a notch. 35.6% of players like to take their time, so if you add together those who are content, and those who like to take their time, you come up with 92.6% who are fine with the way things are or who like to take their time, so apparently it is a vocal minority of 7.4% that wishes things would speed up.

The percentage of those who feel the game is too slow was higher when narrowed down to those who called themselves “professional” on the survey, with 12% feeling the game moves too slowly. However, those who called themselves beginners, recreational, intermediate, and even advanced, fell right in line with the majority who are fine with the pace of the game.

How important is it that those around you stand still and are silent before you throw?

This is another touchy subject in some casual and competitive rounds. We’ve heard announcers say things like, “Oh, that is a shame,” when an observer coughs or makes a sudden noise just as a professional is throwing. For a really good player, should it make a difference if there is some background noise or movement in their field of vision? Let’s see how those surveyed responded when it comes to stillness and silence before the throw:

For all the emphasis on being silent during putts or throws, it looks like it is a huge minority that fines the silence to be “very important”– so much so that they won’t throw with a potential distraction. That 7.7% pales in comparison to the 69.2% majority who feels that it is only “somewhat important” and who are not generally bothered by a little noise or movement. That 7.7% also pales in comparison with the 23.1% who feel that silence and movement is “not important”.

We looked at those who called themselves “professionals” on the survey to see if the competitive nature of their game play makes the distraction factor more or less important. It turns out that 17.1% feel that silence is “very important” and 66.1% feel it is “somewhat important”.  That leaves 16.8% feeling it is “not important”. So, to a small professional players find distractions to be a nuisance.

In fact, moving through the categories from beginners to advanced, the more advanced the player, the higher percentage that said silence and stillness was important, though never a majority.

 

 

 

How Disc Golfers Throw

Dominant Hand

To no surprise, the vast majority of disc golfers throw right handed which helps to explain why disc manufacturers don’t focus on left handed discs (that’s a joke). 90.7% of disc golfers surveyed throw with their right hands, 7.1% with their left, and just 2.3% of disc golfers have the coveted advantage of being able to throw with both hands.

Primary Driving Style

The vast majority of disc golfers surveyed prefer the traditional backhand drive. What surprised me was how big the disparity was. Nearly 83% said that they primarily drive backhand while only 16% use the “forehand,” “sidearm,” or “flick” as the preferred option. And that guy that throws thumbers all the time is the rare exception as only .7% of disc golfers throw overhand as their primary driving style.

Primary Approach Style

When it comes to approach shots, the percentages are very similar to drives with slightly more disc golfers choosing the backhand from short range. Almost 85% of disc golfers surveyed will choose a backhand throw for a wide open approach shot.

New Golf Discs for 2017

Spring is finally here for most parts of the country. For those of us who haven’t been as active in the disc golf world while our courses are covered in white stuff, here is a summary of new discs that have been or will be released in 2017.

Axiom

Axiom has been quiet so far this year. The exciting announcement from the MVP family thus far is the release of their new single mold brand Streamline Discs.

DGA

  • Quake – This new midrange will shock the world. It’s a flat top overstable mid with a very comfortable feel and flight ratings 5/3/0/3

Discmania

Discmania hasn’t yet released any new discs in 2017, but there are a few known discs we are expecting:

  • PDX – The Discmania PDX is a power driver that was released as a fundraising disc for the Disc Golf World Tour. We expect it to be released with a stock stamp sometime in 2017.
  • CD3 – This new control driver was recently PDGA approved. This driver is supposed to be easy enough to throw that a beginner can handle it, but consistent enough that experienced players will find a place in their bag for it.

Discraft

  • ArcherThis is the 2016 Ace Race disc released as the Archer. This is a solid understable midrange that has a similar flight to the Discraft Stratus.

And while not exactly disc golf discs, Discraft has also release their very popular mini discs. If you haven’t tried them yet, these are really fun to throw.

Dynamic Discs

 

  • Sheriff – This High Speed Distance Driver has quickly become a top selling disc. Many are boasting new distance records with the DD Sheriff.
  • Slammer – This thumbtrack putt and approach disc is overstable, and highly anticipated. So far it has only been released to Dynamic Discs Buy Back retailers in a Special Edition that is available for in store sales only. We expect a first run and stock version to be released soon. Look for a limited edition stamp from Infinite Discs.

To be released:

  • Criminal – The Criminal is an overstable driver.
  • Deputy – The DD Deputy is an understable putter that will be released as one of the player pack discs for the Trilogy Challenge.

Full Turn

The newer manufacturer Full Turn disc recently had a driver known as the Drifter PDGA approved.

Gateway

Gateway has already released a new distance driver, the Siren, and plans to release a new PDGA approved version of the popular Ninja driver. As always, they continue to release the popular Wizard putter in new exciting plastic blends.

  • Siren – High speed distance driver.

Innova

Innova hasn’t wasted much time with the release of new understable mids and approach discs in 2017. They have already released the Manta, Wombat3, and Aviar3, and have new PDGA approved molds that will be coming soon.

  • Manta – This understable approach disc was initially slated to be the VStingray. Playing on the Sting Ray theme, they decided to go with the Manta Ray, or Manta for short. This is a unique disc with a thin profile.
  • Wombat3 – If you’re looking for a disc that isn’t going to fade at the end of the flight, you’ll want to try the Wombat3. The Wombat3 is said to be slightly faster than the original Wombat with the same great flightpath for fineesse shots.

To be released:

  • Aviar3 – A faster version of the worlds most popular putter — the Aviar. This flatter, less glidey, version is ideal for driving and approach shots.
  • Firstorm – A new very overstable speed 14 high speed driver. 14/4/0/3

Innova also has a number of discs they’ve released as part of their sponsorship packages and at their pro shop that may be released in stock runs this year including the, Commander, Gargoyle, Mystere, and Savant.

Latitude 64

Latitude 64 has already released a driver, midrange, and putter this year. They continue to pump out lots of new molds in Sweden and there will surely be many more to come in 2017. Infinite Discs has created unique limited edition stamps for the Latitude 64 Anchor, Caltrop and Gladiator.

  • AnchorReliably overstable midrange with a moderate dome and a big bead.
  • Caltrop – This unique stable putt and approach disc features a thumbtrac.
  • Gladiator – The Gladiator is an overstable high speed driver that combines glide and overstability.

Soon to Come:

  • Beetle – The Latitude 64 Beetle is unlike any disc Latitude has released. This disc is described to have the flight of a traditional Frisbee, but is PDGA approved. Latitude gives it a speed rating of only 1 but a glide of 7!
  • River Pro – The River Pro will be released in Trilogy Challenge player packs. This fairway driver should be slightly more overstable than the populare Latitude 64 River.

Latitude 64 has also hinted at their development of double mold discs similar to those made by MVP.

Legacy

  • FighterThe Legacy Fighter was originally released as the 2016 Battle of the Aces disc. This is an overstable control driver built for wind fighting. The Fighter is one of the most ridiculously overstable discs on the market.

MVP

MVP has released new plastic molds for a few of their popular discs including the Proton Atom. It appears that most of their efforts this year are going into the new Streamline Brand. MVP has announced a new version of their portable course quality basket, the Black Hole Pro HD.

Soon to Come:

  • Particle – Beginning May 26th disc golfers will be able to get their hands on the MVP Particle putter by participating in a MVP circuit.

Prodigy

No news from the Prodigy camp in regards to new discs. They are coming up with a new BP2 Backpack and have released some special edition versions of existing discs.

RPM

  • Ruru – RPM discs in New Zealand released a new putter the Ruru. This straight flying disc is not only available in some of the most beautiful plastic blends you will ever see, but it flys great too.

Streamline

The announcement of Streamline discs is one of the hottest topics for new releases thus far in 2017. MVP Discs, which has boasted the benefits of their Gyro double mold technology for the last five years has decided to enter the market of single mold discs saying that they can do it better and for less money. They have two discs announced already, and look for some special limited edition stamps from Infinite Discs as well.

  • Pilot – A straight flying putt and approach disc with a small disc. This disc will be available in familiar Electron plastics, but without the harder outer rim.
  • Trace – A stable, consistent flying fairway driver that will keep you where you want to go.

Vibram

Vibram has released the Launch, and we have also seen tester versions of the overstable Crag hit the market. We are not sure if or when that disc will actually be released.

  • Launch –  The Vibram Launch is a new slightly understable straight flying midrange discs.

Viking Discs

Viking Discs is a new manufacturer in Finland that has several discs that have been PDGA approved. These new discs will arrive at Infinite at the end of March. They include:

  • Axe – A straight flying midrange with a putter like flight.
  • Berserker – Understable distance driver designed for rollers and anhyzers.
  • Knife – This is a multipurpose putter that can handle power. 2/3/0/2
  • Nordic Warrior – Overstable midrange. 4/4/02
  • Thunder God Thor – High Speed distance driver 14/5/0/2

Westside

Westside will soon release the Crown putter and for the Trilogy Challenge, a midrange known as the Pine.

  • Crown – A dependable beaded putter.
  • Pine – A stable midrange that is supposed to be more overstable than the Warship but that doesn’t fade as much as the Bard. 5/4/0/2

Do you know of other new discs that aren’t yet included on this list? Please let us know about them in the comment section below.

State of Disc Golf 2017 Results–Does Practice Really Work?

In the immortal words of NBA Hall of Fame-er Allen Iverson…”We talkin’ about practice!”

Every disc golfer has at least pondered the question as they’ve pulled late nights in their garage or backyard with a stack of putters and a practice basket. Or they ask it as they throw their arm out at the local soccer or football fields. “Is any of this really helping me?” “Am I getting any better?” I think most folks with any experience in developing a skill or a good habit would agree with the old adage that practice makes perfect, or at least practice makes you better than you were before.

Of course, our analysis of this question today is imperfect, but it is still very interesting to look at how the surveyors rated their own skill levels in conjunction with how often they practice. While there may be some discrepancy between how one disc golfer would rate his/her skills compared to another, I think it is a somewhat safe assumption that those who took this survey that participate in PDGA tournaments (about 3/4 of the survey played in at least one PDGA event last year) rated themselves simultaneously with what division they play in.

So first of all, let’s just look at how good we think we are. Just shy of half the folks who took the survey consider themselves intermediate, while the advanced disc golfers just barely outnumber the recreational and beginner players. So, just shy of 75% of the disc golfers surveyed rate themselves as being below advanced in their skill level. I think that this is a decent reflection of the true state of disc golf, and really most sports. There tend to be more casual participants than serious competitors (probably) because of the work, time, and practice required to compete at a top level.

Now for a look at our practice trends. We asked about practice putting and field work. It looks like putting is the most popular form of practice, which makes sense considering it is the most convenient of the two, requiring the least amount of space. About 60% said they practice putting at least once per week, while only about half of that, approximately 30%, said they do field work practice at the same frequency.

So in playing around with the data I decided to use the one week mark to divide the practice time frames up. In my opinion, practicing your disc golf game off the course at least once a week is a pretty good indicator of taking your disc golf game seriously and of seeking improvement in your game.

So, here is a breakdown of what percentage of players within each skill category answered that they practice putt and practice field work at least one per week. The percentages look to trend somewhat how I would have predicted them, at least in relation to each other. The higher the division, the more that golfers within that division practice at least once per week.

Putting Practice

First, lets break down the practice putting. Again, I think it is important to remember that this is the most convenient form of practicing. 78.8% of disc golfers who consider themselves to play at the professional level practice their putting at least once per week. while each division drops at a pretty consistent 10% from there on out. With the Rec/Beginner division at 51.1%, we know that the majority of players within each division are practicing at least once per week. Of course, we do not know the intensity of each player’s practice routine, but at least they are going out and getting the practice done.

Field Work

Now, the field work is where things get a little interesting. Just under half of professional level disc golfers say they do field work at least once per week. Then between the pro and advanced divisions there is a slightly larger difference (11.6%) than the difference we saw in practice putting (8.6%). Then only about 27% of both Intermediate and Recreational/Beginner disc golfers practice field work at least once per week.

So across the board we see that consistent field work is less common than consistent putting practice, but perhaps the field work is the difference maker for those who feel stuck in the advanced or intermediate skill range? More research would be needed to make a definitive claim. But I definitely find it interesting to see the slightly larger gap between skill levels when it comes to field work.

But at the end of the day, this data just reinforces what we already know–if you practice, you are going to get better. Practice makes perfect. There is no substitute for hard work. Nothing worth having comes easy. Or, one of my personal favorites that I first heard from Paul McBeast McBeth, “Everybody wants to be a beast, until it’s time to do what beasts do.” So go out, work hard, and maybe give the field work a little more time than you have before. Here’s to a 2017 disc golf season where we all find improvements in our game through our practice!

Utah Open Stamped Discs Available!

The UTAH OPEN is part of the Disc Golf 2017 Pro Tour and it powered by Latitude 64. As part of the Utah Open tournament fundraiser, there are a bunch of really nice Latitude 64 discs available to order at Infinite Discs. This is a run-down of the discs available with the Utah Open stamp. They are available on some nice plastic types, including a lot of smooth, white Gold Line discs and Opto Sparkle:

Gold Line ANCHOR

Opto ANCHOR

Gold Line BALLISTA

Opto BALLISTA

Gold Line BOLT

Gold Line COMPASS

Opto COMPASS

Gold Line CULVERIN

Gold Line CUTLASS

Opto DIAMOND

Gold Line DIAMOND

Opto Sparkle GLADIATOR

Gold Line HALO

Gold Line HAVOC

Gold Line KNIGHT

Gold Line PURE

Gold Line RIVER

Gold Line SAINT

Opto Sparkle SAINT PRO

Gold Line SAINT PRO

You can search these Utah Open stamped discs, as well as other special editions discs, or discs of specific plastic types, weights, colors, and more by using the Infinite Discs Advanced Disc Search function.  Here is a video that shows you how…and the Utah Open stamps can be browsed by searching “extras” and “Utah Open Stamp”:

Disc Golf Brand Popularity – 2017 State of Disc Golf Results

Small but popular brands on sale

Brand Awareness

When it comes to disc golf brand awareness, Innova remains king. While Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64 have taken great strides to increase their popularity and reputation, far more disc golfers are aware of Innova than any other brand.

This graph shows a break down of the overall awareness of brands included in the survey by combining all categories other than the “not aware of”.

While more disc golfers are aware of the long established “Discraft Brand” when it comes to “regularly follow”, Dynamic Discs and Latitude 64 rank higher. Westside Discs ranks #8 for brand awareness, but #5 for “regularly follow.”

It’s interesting to see that while the gap isn’t very big in awareness between the companies, when it comes to “regularly follow” there is a large gap between Innova and everybody else. Discmania, MVP, and Prodigy who rank 6th – 8th were only “regularly followed” by about 15% of the surveyed disc golfers.

Favorite Brands

At Infinite Discs we are able to get a good feeling for which brands are favorable by what sells. It’s also interesting to see which brands people find favorable based on a survey. The results are pretty similar and not surprisingly, Innova is the most favorite brand according to the 2017 State of Disc Golf Survey. The graph between “Favorite Brands” and “Regularly Follow are pretty similar.

It’s interesting to note that the trend over the last few years made it appear as if Dynamic Discs and the Trilogy brand might overtake Innova as most popular, but 2016 saw a significant step back from the up and comers. Through 2017, we are seeing a trend with Innova widening the gap.

I Bag ‘Em

While 75% of those surveyed include Innova among their favorite brands, the number of players that throw at least one Innova Disc is even higher! 83% of surveyed disc golfers carry at least one Innova Disc in their bag. This is 24% higher than second place Discraft where 59% of surveyed disc golfers bag their discs.

An interesting relationship occurs here between “bagged discs” and popularity in that Discraft doesn’t rank nearly as high in terms as popularity as the Trilogy Brands, yet a higher percentage of disc golfers actually throw their discs. This could say something about the quality of Discraft discs and the relationship to their limited marketing efforts.

Limited to an Exclusive Manufacturer

Likely a result of Innova’s dominance in terms of recognition and the number of people that own their discs, when the question “If you could throw discs made by only one manufacturer?” was asked, nearly half (45.5%) of survey respondents said they would choose Innova.  One third (32.6%) chose the Swedish manufactured trilogy discs. Only a very small percentage of disc golfers said they would choose any other manufacturer if they had to exclusively throw only that brands discs.  Discraft came in third at 7.8% followed by MVP at 6.5% and Prodigy in a distant fifth at 2.7%.

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