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:

DISCRAFT FLICK

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.

 

Is Disc Golf a Team Sport? A Look at Our Current Disc Golf Team Culture

Is Disc Golf a Team Sport?

This seems like a silly question doesn’t it? Disc golf, like traditional ball golf is generally a one man or one woman show. It’s you against the course. It is an intimate mental battle. You aren’t relying on others to play their part to bring home a team win. Unless we are talking about a unique format like doubles or team match play, disc golf is a competition between individuals. And unlike other singles sports like tennis, the performance of each competitor does not directly influence anyone else’s performance. The golfer before you on your card could throw out of bounds or a hole in one. Either way, you have the exact same shot to throw. The course and elements are not changed. Golf in all forms—disc, ball, foot—is a lonely mental battle.

So why is it that this time of year our social media feeds are filled with news about disc golf “teams” and disc golfers of all skill levels announcing their allegiance to these teams?

This off-season has been especially exciting with big names like Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki announcing that they are switching teams. Paul McBeth signed a contract worth a cool $1 mil. to join Team Discraft while Raptor Legs Ricky jumped over to Team Innova and took Paul’s old spot on the stock stamp of the top selling Star Destroyer.


Now the mass response to these moves has been…interesting to say the least. There have even been folks selling their entire Innova stock of discs and searching for “the Discraft equivalent” discs to change their entire bag. While extreme responses like this may not be the majority, we at Infinite Discs have already seen an uptick in Discraft sales as can be seen in our recent top selling Tuesday posts as well as our report on the best selling discs of the fourth quarter of 2018.

So why do we respond this way? And where do our true loyalties lie as fans and players of the sport—with the pros or their disc manufacturers aka “teams?”

Indoctrination

Over the last 5 years of working at Infinite Discs, I have spent a lot of time manning our storefront. That has given me the opportunity to watch the spark of joy in new players who first come in buying cheap misprint beginner discs, and then come back again and again over the next few weeks asking me what discs they need to continue to improve. I love being a part of these new players’ start on their disc golf journey. Before long, they build up the courage to come out to the local weekly leagues and make new friends.

And then, there is a common trip to the shop that usually happens a few months after the first visit. These new players walk in with their first putters and favorite drivers and ask me, “Okay, what is the (Insert disc manufacturer here) version of this disc?”

I usually respond with a few similar discs, but I try to explain to them that if they like the disc they are throwing, the disc that is going to be most like it is that exact disc. But usually this is fruitless. They buy the similar disc.

Then on the next visit, they have a list of discs all from that same manufacturer that they got from an “In the Bag” video from their new favorite disc golf pro. And I think you can figure it out from there.

Jokingly, I call this the “Indoctrination Process,” and disc golf companies are getting pretty good at it. I think my journey into the disc golf world was just before the indoctrination and team disc golf culture hit disc golf hard. But how did it become that way?

I’m no expert, but I can share my story. I began playing disc golf in the Spring of 2010 and I was hooked. I bought my first disc—an overpriced DX Innova Aviar from my local Sports Authority. After that I became a frequent shopper at a small shop called Soccer Rockers. Soccer Rockers was a soccer shop that slowly saw disc golf expand from a small wall display to an entire room dedicated to the sport. With the help of my friends and the shop owner, I developed my 4 disc repertoire that I thought I’d never need to change. They were all Innova discs because I found their flight ratings system easier to understand and navigate than the former Discraft one. I also did some research online and discovered a some YouTube tutorials and learned about a few disc golf pros like Ken Climo and Nate Doss. At that time, I thought there were only two disc golf manufacturers in the world—Innova and Discraft.

Then I took off for two years to serve as a missionary for my church. I got the chance to play a round here or there, but for the most part I was disconnected until the start of 2013. I returned to my hometown and returned to Soccer Rockers and began expanding my disc choices. I also began attending local leagues and getting more involved in the community. At Soccer Rockers I learned about new brand names like Latitude 64. There was also this new funky putter and midrange company that made discs with a different outer rim called MVP Discs. And then there was a company that was taking the disc golf world by storm—Prodigy. I stuck with Innova discs until it was time for me to pick a new putter. I remember spending nearly an hour at the shop agonizing over the decision, but the owner helped me decide to give a Gateway Wizard a try. I consider this one of the best and most influential decisions of my young disc golf life. I fell in love with the disc.

That fall I moved to Logan, Utah where I began attending the local league and met the owners of this new online shop called Infinite Discs. I decided to check out their warehouse one day, and I thought I’d walked into heaven. Discs…everywhere. I didn’t start working there for another few months, but I became very close to the operation and learned a ton about discs and decided to try out all sorts of discs, and the rest is history. I have been a mixed bag player ever since. I have my favorite molds and plastic blends, but any sense of loyalty to a specific manufacturer has felt pointless. If I find a disc I love, why should I care who makes it?

Oh, and this is when I really learned about the pro game. After my mission was when Paul McBeth mania was just getting started, and it was hard to not be a fan. I have since made friends with several professional disc golfers, so choosing a favorite is a little more difficult, but just as a pure fan of the sport, there was nothing like watching Paul McBeth do work at that time. However, I think I was in the game enough before watching McBeth that it didn’t really change what I was throwing. But I could tell that the culture of disc golf and the relationship with disc manufacturers had changed since before my mission.

How Did We Get Here?

I think that the extreme brand loyalty that we see in today’s disc golf culture can be traced back to three main events in disc golf history.

First, the launch of Prodigy Disc was huge. Prodigy hit the shelves in 2012, and at that time there still were really only 2 big names in the game, especially in sponsoring professional disc golfers. But what Prodigy Disc did was a game changer. They didn’t just offer cash sponsorships for their players, but they offered them stock in the company. So the players who joined the new Team Prodigy weren’t just getting support on tour, but they were personally invested in the company. Naturally, these players were pushing their brand with more motivation than ever before because their own money was at stake.

And these weren’t just small name regional pros. Some of the biggest names in the sport at the time jumped on board. The original Team Prodigy featured touring pros like Will Schusterick, Paul Ulibarri, Catrina Allen, Paige Pierce, Nikko Locastro, Jeremy Koling, Garrett Gurthie, and a little known up and comer named Ricky Wysocki.

Another event that happened around the same time (we can call this event one and a half) was former World Champion and long time Innova team member Dave Feldberg joined team Latitude 64 to help promote the growing Swedish company. Also in 2012, Jeremy Rusco and the Dynamic Discs team joined forces with Latitude 64 to begin manufacturing discs under the popular Dynamic Discs name and started promoting Team Trilogy. So around this time we have all these moving parts helping to dismantle the two horse race between Innova and Discraft that had dominated disc golf sales for years. And most noteworthy for our purposes was Prodigy Disc getting professional disc golfers literally invested in disc sales as well as their own performance on tour which they were already invested in.

Our second event that has led us to our brand loyalty and team culture is Paul McBeth’s extremely dominant 2015 season. This was the Grand Slam year, meaning McBeth won all five of the PDGA Majors held in 2015 including the one that had gotten away from him every previous year—the United States Disc Golf Championship. Before this season, we all knew Paul McBeth was a special talent winning two straight World Championships and recording the highest PDGA rated round ever, but 2015 propelled him into a class of his own. As a fan and spectator of the sport, it was truly amazing to witness.

So how did such a dominant season contribute to brand loyalty? Well you have to look at the framework of what happened leading up to this season. Paul McBeth won the 2014 PDGA World Championships in a playoff against Ricky Wysocki, who was having a breakout year for himself.

This leads us to our third event—Ricky Wysocki left Prodigy Disc to join team Latitude 64. This was one of many moves in the world of professional disc golf endorsements that Latitude 64 made during this time including adding several former Prodigy Disc players, but Ricky Wysocki was the most influential. Almost instantly Wysocki became the darling of the Trilogy family (Latitude 64, Westside Discs, and Dynamic Discs for those unfamiliar with that term).

So a rivalry that was developing on the course between two competitors on the disc golf turned into a rivalry between brands. I believe 2015 was the season that we started to look at wins for individuals as also wins for their sponsors. When Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki faced off, for some fans it was the same as Innova facing off against Trilogy. And in a lot of ways the narrative fit. McBeth was the established champion and Wysocki was the newcomer trying to prove that he could compete on the same level as the reigning champion. Innova was the established disc golf powerhouse, and the Trilogy brands were trying to challenge the establishment. But as McBeth dominated on the course showing Wysocki and the world that he wasn’t backing down, so did Innova send such a message to the smaller brands that were growing over the previous few years.

And then, of course, if 2015 was the year of McBeth, 2016 was the year of Wysocki with Ricky winning his first ever PDGA World Championship putting a stop to McBeth’s 4 year reign as the world champ. If we want to stick with this brand vs. brand narrative, this was also a win for Latitude 64 and the collective rest of the disc golf world.

All of this was setting the stage for years dominated by products featuring signatures and tour series fundraiser discs. These were especially popular from Innova and their Factory Store including discs made with “McPro” plastic—a plastic blend literally named after a sponsored player. This wasn’t necessarily groundbreaking for Innova (see the KC, JK, and Yeti Aviar), but it again shows the efforts being made by the disc manufacturers to assimilate the identities of their pros with their brand identity.

A Look Outward

File:Tiger Woods02.jpg

For those of us who work in the industry and those who eat sleep and breathe disc golf, it’s easy to just kind of go with it. The comparisons aren’t perfect, but still if we take a look outward, the disc golf community’s relationship between disc manufacturers, professional players, and consumers is a bit of an enigma.

First let’s look at one of the oldest industries in American sports to navigate the professional endorsement game—basketball sneakers. It is a dream for many young ballers to one day have a shoe made with their name on it, but the bigger dream is sustained success at the professional level and taking home championships. On this level, the disc golf world is similar. Signature discs are great, but success on the course comes first.

Now when we add the third element of the consumer is where things get interesting. For our purposes, we will look at two loyalties of the consumer. There is the consumer loyalty which is the side that purchases sneakers and other products, and there is the fan loyalty which is the side that cheers for the athletes and teams.

The easiest way to analyze this for me is to look in the mirror a bit. I am a huge fan of LeBron James. I am also a huge fan of the Utah Jazz. Whenever LeBron is playing, I cheer for him and the team he is playing for unless he is playing against the Utah Jazz. My loyalty to my favorite team is stronger than my loyalty to my favorite player which I’d imagine is common in the basketball world as well as in other team sports.

On the consumer side, LeBron is sponsored by Nike. I’m no sneakerhead, but overall I have had good experiences with Nike and would consider them a favorite brand. However, I am not one to purchase a product just because of a professional endorsement. That doesn’t mean those endorsements don’t work—in fact they do work. Nike just signed LeBron James to a lifetime contract, and Under Armour has had a lot of success breaking into the market since partnering up a few years ago with an undersized up and coming guard in the league you may have heard of, Steph Curry.

But this is where disc golf steps it up a notch. Do fans of basketball watch in hopes that the Nike sponsored athletes will outperform the Adidas athletes? Are Steph Curry fans happy when Joel Embiid has a good game because he is also sponsored by Under Armour?

Now a common explanation I have been given when bringing this up to other disc golfers is simply, basketball is a team sport, so of course we will cheer for the teams. I have also been told that the disc golf manufacturing team support is often fueled by sports fans’ desire to bring that team element that they like in other sports to a singles sport. I think these explanations are fair, but it doesn’t check out when we look at other singles sports like tennis or our closest relative, golf.

I grew up during the heart of Tiger-mania. I have lots of memories of watching Tiger Woods on Sunday afternoons with my family. The world of professional golf has evolved over the last few years without Tiger, but with Tiger winning the tour championship in 2018, we are already seeing that he may still have a few more years left.

For our purposes, Tiger Woods is a perfect case study because Nike Golf was a brand built entirely around Nike’s relationship with Woods. Nike began manufacturing clubs after they signed on Tiger when he first turned pro in 1996. But as Tiger fell, so did Nike Golf who discontinued their club and ball manufacturing in 2016. Nike still sponsors Tiger as an apparel sponsor, but he now is endorsed by Taylor Made for clubs and Bridgestone for golf balls. Obviously the story of the success and failures of Nike’s endeavors in the golf industry is more complex than just Tiger Woods, but it does illustrate the influence these endorsements can have for companies.

And we see a lot of the same elements in the golf endorsement game as we do in basketball and disc golf. Consumers will buy products with signatures, custom logos, and names that feature their favorite athletes. Some may even develop an allegiance to the brands that sponsor their favorite athletes. But how far do they take that brand loyalty with them when they are watching the pros compete? When watching the Master’s this year, will the hardcore  Tiger Woods fans who have developed a brand loyalty to Nike also cheer for Rory McIlroy or Jason Day just because they also wear Nike Golf apparel? You really don’t see that very much in golf.

To be fair, another element that does bring in a team aspect to golf is country. I remember as a kid my dad who was a casual fan of the sport would often cheer for the American and Spanish golfers over all the others. He was an American obviously, and he lived in Spain for two years as a missionary. It is common in golf media coverage to see the flag of a golfers home country next to his or her name on a scoreboard.

But here is where it comes full circle again. Where that home country’s flag is in golf coverage, the disc golf manufacturing sponsor’s logo has been showing up in recent disc golf coverage.

A Personal Experience

I am going to keep this pretty general to protect the identities of everyone involved, but I was watching the final round of a bigger disc golf tournament a few years ago. I was following along in the gallery with a few people including a friend of mine who was a newer fan of the sport. This young fan fit the mold I described earlier about newer disc golfers who would jump all in on a disc golf brand of their choice. Also in our group of people watching the end of the tournament happened to be a touring pro who was sponsored by the same brand my friend had allegiances to.

This final round we were watching ended in a tie between two competitors and went to a playoff. The first competitor was sponsored by the same brand while the second was sponsored by a different company. In the end, the first of these two won the tournament.

As we were walking back to tournament central, the sponsored pro who was in our group made a comment that they were happy that the first competitor won.

My friend responded, “Yeah, go team (blank)!”

The sponsored pro immediately said, “Oh, no! I don’t care about that at all,” and explained how the first pro was just a friend, and it had nothing to do with their common endorsement.

I have always found this experience interesting because it shows that the team sport culture and mentality that we see and develop as fans doesn’t necessarily carry over to those who compete in the sport at the highest level. Friendships and support for one another are not formed just because you throw the same brand of discs. And this should be obvious right? Even in team sports, just because you are on the same team doesn’t mean you automatically get along and are best buds. I think the current state of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL is enough to prove that point.

So, What?

In simple enough terms, we have created a team sport culture in a sport that has no teams. Is there anything wrong with that? What’s the big deal?

Well, I think that depends on who you ask and in what context we are talking about. Obviously for the disc golf manufacturers, they are never going to complain about brand loyalty, and if the team loyalty that fans experience in other sports are being assigned to their brands, that has to be a dream come true.

Think about that one for a second. I think team loyalty is one of the strongest bonds in sports. You may love an athlete, but if they do something controversial or under-perform, as a fan you can just cut ties, and we do cut ties to athletes who break the law or cheat like Tom Brady…well, I guess not all of us, but you get my drift.

But if your favorite team hires a terrible head coach and makes a foolish trade and finishes the season worst in the league, are they still your team? In Cleveland, team loyalty had them burning LeBron’s jersey after “the decision,” and some of us in Utah are still pretty hurt after Gordon Hayward left because we are loyal to our team. Like I mentioned earlier, I love LeBron, but I always cheer for my team when they play, and that can be said for any of my favorite players and teams in any sport. The team comes first.

So if disc golf brands can get fans of the sport to develop that team mentality and loyalty to their “teams,” then that’s a huge win for them.

Ironically enough though, the team culture may not be so positive for the professional disc golfers. They are the ones who are doing the work that the disc manufacturers try to reap the benefits from. Don’t misunderstand, professional disc golfers benefit financially from endorsements as well, but money from disc sales go first to the disc manufacturers, and how much of that gets kicked back to the pro depends on the exact terms of their contract. There have been some rocky relationships between companies and disc golfers in recent years resulting in endorsement changes. Paul McBeth has made it clear that his main reason for leaving Innova was money.

During free agency periods in team sports, we often see players make moves from one team to another because of money, but I think this is especially pertinent in disc golf because it is still a small sport with less money. Also, in singles sports, your success is not predicated by which team you are on, so equipment endorsements–which is really all these “teams” are for the players–come down to the financial benefit and viability for the players.

And if you think that it has anything to do with the actual products available from each manufacturer, you are wrong…mostly. If they feel like they have a full repertoire of discs available to them, disc golfers will follow the money. Again, there still isn’t a lot of money in disc golf, and that includes tournament payouts.

So for these professionals who are trying to make disc golf their full time job and pursuit, they have to jump at the opportunities to make more money. Those who hope or expect these professionals to make their decisions based on “team” loyalties are going to be disappointed as the sport grows.

Which brings us to my personal number one concern for the sport. How does a team sport culture in disc golf influence the growth of the sport? Let me grab my soapbox really quick…

In my opinion, disc golf needs to and will outgrow this “team” phase that it has been in for nearly ten years. Does that mean I want to be rid of manufacturing sponsors? No, of course not. I believe that disc manufacturers will always have their personal “team” of players. But as we grow we will also see apparel and other equipment endorsements make their mark on the sport. We have already seen this sporadically with companies like Adidas, Keen, and Oakley. So in the next few years we could see professional disc golfers become members of a variety of big name “teams.” These additional endorsements will help make the current team structure irrelevant to the fans of the sport.

Personally, when the news broke that Ricky Wysocki would no longer be sponsored by Latitude 64, I was so hopeful that he would be joining Paul McBeth at Discraft. How would the fans have responded to the two biggest rivals in our sport now competing for the same “team?” Well, the ironic thing is that they wouldn’t be competing for the same team. Disc golf is not a team sport. They would be competing for the same team, themselves. They would just be using discs manufactured by the same company.

But that didn’t happen. Ricky Wysocki will be throwing Innova and Paul McBeth will be throwing Discraft this season. I think one of the most interesting demographics in the sport to take a look at are Paul McBeth fans who chose to throw only Innova discs when they play disc golf because of that fandom. What do they do now? Do they stick with Innova because they truly believe they are the superior manufacturer? Or do they jump ship and change their entire collection of discs because their favorite pro is now using different discs?

Again, a quick jump to golf—do you think fans of Tiger Woods who bought Nike Golf golf clubs a few years ago would get rid of their perfectly functional clubs just so they could get Taylor Made golf clubs to match what Tiger is now using on tour?

The Ricky Wysocki fans are also facing an interesting predicament because Ricky has joined the “team” his rival was on. So do they stick with their trusted Trilogy plastic, or start throwing discs from a company they had viewed as being “the dark side?”

To those who may be struggling with these or similar dilemmas, here is my advice—just do you. Throw the discs that you have the most confidence in, and don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. I’d also recommend deciding who you cheer for on the tour based on something more than what discs they are throwing. There are a lot of great guys and gals out on the tour right now who deserve support regardless of who they are sponsored by.

The Times They Are a Changing

Some of the sentiment expressed in that last paragraph was also expressed by Dave Feldberg in the video we just released announcing him as a member of Team Infinite this year. Part of the agreement with Dave joining Infinite Discs is that he can throw any disc he wants regardless of manufacturer. This is a crucial part of the agreement with the direction he is taking the Next Generation Tour, and it works well with us and our standing policy for members of Team Infinite.

I also think in some ways Paul McBeth joining Discraft helps in moving disc golf away from team allegiances. I mentioned that the two big names for a long time were Innova and Discraft, but in recent years Discraft sales took a hit as Trilogy, Prodigy, and other manufacturers got into the market. They also had a relatively quiet team presence in the disc golf world, but as they make waves again with new stamps and of course new endorsements, their sales numbers have already seen an increase.

In a lot of ways, I think all of the moves this off-season gives us a chance to reevaluate our disc golf culture. As we collectively think about our identity as disc golfers, are we divided into many tribes within the culture, or are we one big family focused on growing the sport as a whole? There has been a lot of talk about the perils of tribalism in our society today, and I hope that we can choose to come together as a disc golf family. Of course, we will always be individuals with our personal preferences, and I think rivalries and competition are great for the sport. But that shouldn’t change our common goal to grow the sport together.

So, is disc golf a team sport? No, of course not. A few years down the road we may look back and remember how much we used to care about the “teams” we were a part of or that we supported. But I believe disc golf as a whole will be on to bigger and better things.

Stamp Wars 2019 Final Round

The final round of STAMP WARS 2019 has begun. For the final round, we took the top 5 stamp designs from the voting rounds and had them stamped on popular disc models from Innova, Trilogy, and Discraft! So, the first place winner will be decided through sales. Whichever stamp sells the most in the next month (or reaches such low stock levels that we’re almost out) will be the all-around winner for this year. That will be the stamp that is put on more discs during the 2019 season.

So, if you are a fan of any of these stamps, you can now buy them for your own collection! Here is where to find each one.

OCTO CATCHER – Click Here

SECOND PRESSING – Click Here

THE MAN, THE BOG, AND THE FROG – Click Here

DON’T ANGER THE ENTS – Click Here

SHARK CHAINBUSTER – Click Here

 

Thanks to all of the participants who submitted stamp designs and thanks to all of those who voted and made the contest a lot of fun. 

Now let the battle begin!

TOP TWENTY TUESDAY – JANUARY 29TH 2019

Infinite Discs is happy to present another Top 20 Tuesday chart, looking back at the discs that sold the most during the last week. We break these charts down by plastics as well so you can see which plastic types are most popular for each disc. New discs will often spike in the chart as other top sellers shuffle position. It can be fun to see which discs keep up the pace.

Here we go…

Top Twenty Tuesday for JANUARY 29th, 2019

#1 – Signature ESP BUZZZ
#2 – ESP FORCE
#3 – Star DESTROYER
#4 – Signature Elite Z ZONE
#5 – Signature Titanium UNDERTAKER
#6 – D-Line P2
#7 – Metal Flake Glow C-Blend PHARAOH
#8 – I-Blend PHARAOH
#9 – XT BULLFROG
#10 – S-Blend TOMB
#11 – P-Line Soft P2
#12 – D-Blend TOMB
#13 – Neutron ION
#14 – KC Pro X-Out Aviar
#15 – Star WRAITH
#16 – I-Blend SPHINX
#17 – Signature Elite Z FORCE
#18 – Classic Burst WARDEN
#19 – S-Blend EXODUS
#20 – Champion FIREBIRD

The first thing you may notice on this week’s chart is that the Star Destroyer finally fell from the top spot. Yes, that happens from time to time, but it was crushed this week by the Signature Paul McBeth ESP Buzzz which, once restocked, sold like crazy. Other McBeth signature discs remain on the chart as well, including his signature editions of the Zone, Undertaker, and Force. Speaking of the Force, Infinite Discs put out a custom stamped edition on beautiful ESP plastic and it made a strong jump to the #2 spot. That left the Destroyer at #3.

Infinite Discs brand raided the chart this week due to a sale that ran for a few days last week. The Pharaoh took two spots in two different plastics as well as the Tomb flat-topped putt-and-approach disc taking two spots. In fact, Infinite Discs brand led the way in number of times appearing in the top 20 with Discraft and Innova tying with 5 spots each.

–> Each week we’ll invite you to leave a prediction for a certain chart position on next week’s TOP TWENTY TUESDAY report. The first three people to predict that chart position correctly in the comments will win a $10 gift card for the Infinite Discs website.

WINNER – The #20 spot is a hard one to pick, and it looks like nobody got it this time. Nobody guessed Champion Firebird as the #20 spot. I saw that somebody guess Neutron ION which is a valiant guess considering it had a special edition come out this last weekend, but that release pushed it beyond the #20 spot. Hopefully we get a winner next week!

GIFT CARD PREDICTION FOR NEXT WEEK:  Leave your comment below this blog to predict the #10 spot for next week’s chart.

Best Disc Golf Driving Putters

Disc Golf Tee Pad

It’s time for another post choosing the absolute “BEST” discs in another category (according to our unfortunately flawed opinions :))! Today, we will be looking at the best driving putters on the disc golf market.

Throwing Putter vs. Putting Putter

What makes a putter a driving putter? the term “driving putter” Isn’t really a technical term when it comes to disc design and manufacturing. However, discs that are commonly referred to as driving putters are discs that fall into the traditional “Putt and Approach” classification.

They are sometimes popular discs used for putting as well, but what makes them a driving putter is they are discs that perform well off the tee on shorter holes, usually about 300 feet or shorter. They are discs that can hold up when thrown with power for longer shots. While many people usually have putters that they only putt with (like within 60 feet), these are the putters made to be thrown. 

As always, we are using two key words when selecting our nominees and winners–popularity and utility. We are looking for popular driving putters that can be utilized by disc golfers of a variety of skill levels. For reference to popularity, here are the top 10 best selling putt and approach discs during the final quarter of 2018:

Top Selling Putt and Approach Discs

  1. Discmania P2 Psycho
  2. Axiom Envy
  3. Innova Aviar
  4. Westside Maiden
  5. Dynamic Discs Judge
  6. Dynamic Discs Warden
  7. Gateway Wizard
  8. Innova Nova
  9. Discraft Zone
  10. Westside Harp

Now, here are our nominees for The Infinite Discs Best Disc Golf Disc: Driving Putter Disc.

Axiom Envy

The Axiom Envy is a slightly overstable putter that functions well as a driving putter. It has a flat top and features the signature gyro technology overmold. For driving, the Envy maintains a straight flight with a reliable soft overstable finish at the end of the flight.

Westside Harp

Here we have the recent winner of our best approach disc award, and the way it is used off the tee makes it a popular choice as a driving putter as well. The Westside Harp might be our most overstable disc nominated today, and some may argue this overstablility makes the Harp not a true driving putter. But the Harp is available in a lot of plastic blends, and these different plastic blends offer a variety of stability performances. The BT Hard Harp which was made popular by Ricky Wysocki is a more straight and stable flying Harp, so it is a great choice for those looking for a more mild Harp.

Dynamic Discs Judge

The Dynamic Discs Judge has always been a top seller ever since its release in 2012. The Judge is a beaded putter that is very popular both as a putting putter and a driving putter. Beaded putters are often popular choices for driving putters because they offer a little more stability so it can handle more power and a little more wind than their beadless counterparts. The Judge is no exception to this. It is a great, straight flying putter that is very predictable and easy to learn to use.

Innova Nova

The Innova Nova was nominated in our approach discs article, but not in our putters article because approaching and driving is really where this disc excels. It is one of the most unique discs on the market featuring an overmold design that allows this disc to fly very very straight for a long time. It is a true stable flyer, meaning when thrown on a straight flat line, it holds that line very well with nearly no fade at the end. The Innova Nova is a true driving putter.

Discmania P2

The Discmania P2 has been topping the sales charts over the last couple of years. The P2 is a popular choice for putting and driving. in the best putters post, I mentioned that Discmania does a good job of differentiating the different plastic blends and the benefits of each blend. This is especially applicable for the driving aspect of the P2. The S-Line P2 is a more overstable driving putter, while the D-Line P2 is a great hyzer-flip driving putter for more understable flights.

Prodigy PA-4

All of the discs in Prodigy‘s PA series are popular choices for driving putters, but the one that we are nominating is the PA-4. The PA-4 has a unique rounded rim and is often referred to more as a driving putter than a putting putter. It offers a pretty straight to understable flight pattern and is available in pretty much all of the Prodigy plastic blends.

Dynamic Discs Warden

The Warden was nominated in our best putters article, and there I explained that is basically a beadless Judge. That is interesting when you look at those two discs as driving putters. The Warden is straight to understable off the tee with lots of glide. It is great as a straight flyer, maybe the only disc on this list that can compare to the Nova in the way it holds a line with minimal fade at the end.

Gateway Wizard

The Gateway Wizard won our best putter award, and in that article we mentioned how the Wizard is also a popular driving putter choice. Similar to the Judge, it has a bead and a deeper dish which allows for lots of glide and a smooth and soft overstable finish at the end of the flight. Also the Wizard is available in a bunch of plastic blends so whether you like a soft or stiff driving putter, you can find a Wizard that will work for you. straight flying putter that can be lethal from distance as well.

Discraft Zone

I may have spoken too soon when I said that the Harp was the most overstable disc nominated today. The Discraft Zone is another flat topped and overstable driving putter that has always been a popular choice for approach and driving off the tee. It has a comfortable rim for forehand shots off the tee as well. Again, this may not fit the “mold” as a traditional driving putter, but the Discraft Zone is a popular and reliable choice for shots off the tee, so it has earned a nomination today.

The Best Throwing Putter Is….

Okay everyone! It is now time to announce our winner of the Infinite Discs Best Disc Golf Disc: Driving Putter Disc! This is a category that has lots of great nominees, and making the final choice was difficult. But we tried to stay true to our criteria of our two key words: Popularity and Utility. And I think we made the correct choice. Before we reveal the winner, here are the nominees once again:

And here is our selection for the winner:

THE INFINITE DISCS BEST DISC GOLF DISC: DRIVING PUTTER DISC

INNOVA NOVA

To be honest, this one came down to two options. It was either the Innova Nova or the Discmania P2. The P2 is a very popular disc that makes a great driving putter, but what tipped the scales in favor of the Innova Nova is the fact that it is a pure driving putter. It is rare to find someone who putts with the Nova.

So the fact that it continues to finish as a top 10 selling disc in the putt and approach category is very impressive. It also offers a very unique flight pattern that is so straight for so long with minimal fade. When all is said and done, the Innova Nova is a truly versatile disc that is used by disc golfers at every skill level.

What is your favorite driving putter?

What is your favorite driving putter? Tell us your favorite driving putter (nominated, or not nominated) in the comments below. 

Click this link to find out the best overall putters

 

2019 State of Disc Golf Survey

While the United States federal government might not be ready for the State of the Union address, we are ready to start gathering data for the 2019 State of Disc Golf Survey. A lot has changed in the disc golf world in 2018, and your input matters. The results this survey provides are beneficial for potential sponsors, tournament directors, disc golf companies, and parks departments considering adding disc golf.

This survey takes about 15-30 minutes to complete.

Prizes

Large and small prizes will be given to random winners who fill out the survey. Past years prizes have included discs, backpack bags, and disc golf practice baskets.

Please share the survey with your disc golf friends and social media disc golf groups. The results to this survey are valuable to disc golfers everywhere, and everyone’s input matters.

If you have trouble scrolling through the format of the survey Click this link to go directly to the survey.

 

TOP TWENTY TUESDAY – JANUARY 22nd 2019

Infinite Discs is happy to present another Top 20 Tuesday chart, looking back at the discs that sold the most during the last week. We break these charts down by plastics as well so you can see which plastic types are most popular for each disc. New discs will often spike in the chart as other top sellers shuffle position. It can be fun to see which discs keep up the pace.

Here we go…

Top Twenty Tuesday for JANUARY 22nd, 2019

#1 – Star DESTROYER
#2 – Signature Titanium UNDERTAKER
#3 – Signature Elite Z FORCE
#4 – XT BULLFROG
#5 – Star WRAITH
#6 – Champion FIREBIRD
#7 – DX X-Out ROC3
#8 – K3 REKO
#9 – Origio Burst MAIDEN
#10 – C-Line Luster FD
#11 – D-Line P2
#12 – XT Mix NOVA
#13 – Signature Elite Z ZONE
#14 – KC Pro AVIAR
#15 – C-Line PD Freak
#16 – ESP VULTURE
#17 – Star X-Out DESTROYER
#18 – Star LEOPARD3
#19 – Star SHRYKE
#20 – K3 BERG

The Star Destroyer absolutely destroyed the chart, wiping out any other top contenders in this week’s sales. A lot of that has to do with the fact that we got a big restock of Ricky Wysocki Destroyers, while we ran out of Paul McBeth signature discs. More of those are coming from Discraft soon, so the numbers should swing a bit in that regard.

We see a couple of X-Out (factory 2nd) entries into the chart this week as well as we also got a big restock of misprints and factory 2nd discs from Innova. Another restock that made a splash was the much needed restock of Kastaplast discs, boosting both the Reko and Berg putters into the top 20 for this week.

Here is a chart showing the number of times that different brands appeared in this week’s chart:

–> Each week we’ll invite you to leave a prediction for a certain chart position on next week’s TOP TWENTY TUESDAY report. The first three people to predict that chart position correctly in the comments will win a $10 gift card for the Infinite Discs website.

WINNER – The #12 spot was the pick for this week’s chart and we saw four people get it right with the XT Mix Nova as their guess. We’ll go ahead and give those four people the gift card for this week. But get your guess in early because we’re going to make sure we only pick three if there are a lot of same guesses coming in the future. Congratulations Steven, Dawson, Drew, and Matthew!

GIFT CARD PREDICTION FOR NEXT WEEK:  Leave your comment below this blog to predict the #20 spot for next week’s chart.

Best Disc Golf Roller Discs

Cole Redalen throwing a roller

Well, the holidays are over, and it is the dreaded disc golf off season! But we at Infinite Discs are doing our best to make the snow and cold more bearable! It is time for the next article in our best discs series. Today, we are announcing the nominees for The Infinite Discs Best Disc Golf Discs: Roller Disc. It has been a couple weeks, so just to review, the two key words we always use when choosing our best discs are popularity and utility. The utility part of this equation is a little tougher when it comes to roller discs, because a roller shot is generally a skill shot that is executed by more experienced disc golfers. However, we will try to include popular discs and ones that are good for learning how to throw the roller. This is a difficult category, because the roller can be executed in a variety of ways with a variety of discs. All that being said, here are our nominees!

Prodigy F7

The Prodigy F7 is considered THE roller disc in the Prodigy lineup. It is their most understable fairway driver, and it is available in lots of weights and plastic blends. Prodigy is sometimes considered not beginner friendly because their discs tend to be less understable, but the F7 is a great choice for learning the roller, and continuing to use as your game improves.

Discmania FD

The Discmania FD was nominated in our best beginner discs, and in that post I mentioned how the D-Line FD is noticeably more understable than the other plastic types. A lighter weight might be too understable for roller shots, but a heavier D-Line FD is a great choice for learning the roller shot and executing it with consistency.

Latitude 64 Fury

The Latitude 64 Fury has become somewhat of a forgotten disc in the Trilogy lineup of discs with all the new releases they have come out with in recent years. But the Fury remains as one of the great understable fairway drivers in their lineup that is great for air shots and rollers. It is a great roller disc for golfers of all skill levels.

Westside Hatchet

Similar to the Fury, the Westside Hatchet feels like a somewhat forgotten disc in the Trilogy lineup of discs. But for those who have been using both of these discs, many would find it hard to replace them. The Westside Hatchet performs a bit more understable than it’s flight ratings indicate. It is a fantastic fairway driver that disc golfers of all skill levels use not just for rollers, but also long turning air shots.

Innova Leopard

This is the third nomination for the Innova Leopard. This is one of the most popular fairway drivers for beginners and experienced disc golfers, and it can be used in a variety of ways. The Leopard is a great choice for learning and executing the roller shot that is available in a variety of plastic blends.

MVP Orbital

The MVP Orbital is an extremely understable distance driver that works well as a distance roller disc. This disc is a great first distance driver for newer golfers. Then as those beginners’ arm speeds improve, the Orbital can then be used by those same players as a roller disc.

Westside Queen

The Westside Queen is by far the highest speed disc on this list. Generally Fairway drivers are chosen for roller discs, but the Westside Queen is very understable for how fast it is, and it allows for a lot of air time before it makes contact with the ground and begins its roll, which makes it a good choice for longer distance rollers and ones in a more open fairway.

Innova Sidewinder

This disc was also nominated in our beginner discs post, and in that blurb I mentioned that it has grown in popularity as a roller disc. The Innova Sidewinder has been a popular choice for players of all skill levels for a long time. Newer players may have a hard time rolling a max weight Sidewinder, but they should be able to work with the lighter weights. Part of what makes the Sidewinder so popular is its use for hyzer-flip air shots and roller shots.

THE INFINITE DISCS BEST DISC GOLF DISC: ROLLER DISC

INNOVA SIDEWINDER

This is the Innova Sidewinder‘s second nomination and first win. Like was mentioned above, this category is especially subjective, but for disc golfers of any skill level who want to learn how to throw a roller, the Sidewinder is a great choice. The Sidewinder is an understable driver that offers a nice smooth turning flight pattern that can easily be manipulated for rollers. So whether you are new to the roller or a roller veteran, the Innova Sidewinder is a fantastic disc to throw. 

Share Your Opinion

Do you throw rollers? What discs work best for you on your roller shots, share your opinion in the comment section below.

 

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