Putter Wars 2017 – Summer Update

PUTTER WARS…

At the end of April 2017 we took a look at how putter sales at Infinite Discs were panning out. The disc golf season was still young at the time, but we could already see which putters had momentum behind them.

Now it is time to follow-up and see if that momentum has carried through the summer months. This update covers through the end of July 2017.

At the end of April, the top four spots were held by the Discmania P2 at #1, the Innova Aviar at #2, the Gateway Wizard at #3, and the Dynamic Discs Judge at #4. Interestingly, those top four spots have not changed since the spring, though the sales have accelerated, leaving a larger gap between those leaders. For example, the quantity difference between the P2 and the forth place Judge is now a 57% difference!

Here is a chart of the top 10 putters according to numbers sold through Infinite Discs:

As you can see, the discs that are chasing the top four include three of the popular approach discs, like the Innova Nova, the Westside Harp, and the top-10 newcomer Innova Aviar3. In fact, the Aviar3 joined the race as a new disc this year and has moved up two spots since the last Putter Wars update.

The Streamline Pilot, which started the year as a hot new release, has dropped from the top 10, while the Latitude 64 Dagger has moved into the 10th spot. Rounding out the chart, we can see the Latitude 64 Pure holding strong in 8th place, and the MVP Atom holding on in 9th place.

The two honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the top 10, but that are still strong sellers are the Streamline Pilot and the Dynamic Discs Warden.

We will keep you updated as we head into the home stretch, just before the final, end-of-year holiday sales kick in. Until then, will anybody be able to catch the P2? 

Best Disc Golf Driver?

What is Best?

When it comes to disc golf drivers, there are many hundreds of different molds from dozens of different brands. Some are quite similar in purpose and design, while others have slight variations that give them a more unique feel and differing flight characteristics. When trying to judge “the best” disc golf drivers, it is a complicated task because the best driver for any given player is a disc that is “tuned” to that player’s throwing style, strengths, and weaknesses.

A player with a slower arm speed will find that a slower-speed fairway driver will probably be much easier to control and will even fly further for them than a high-speed driver that is designed in a way that requires more speed than that player can muster. Somebody who throws with a lot of speed and cocks their wrist in a certain way might find that overstable discs fly better for them while understable discs crash early onto the ground.  There are many little factors that go into a player’s throw, and different drivers can exaggerate or negate those factors.

Thus, the use of words like “the best” really amount to “best for you”. But if you want to measure the popularity of discs, meaning that those discs seem to work wonderfully for larger numbers of players, then disc sales figures are a very useful tool.

Here are the best-selling drivers (both fairway drivers and distance drivers) at Infinite Discs in the year 2016. They are arranged in descending order, from number one through number ten. Feel free to share your favorites in the comments.

Infinite Discs Top-Selling Drivers for 2016

  1. Innova DESTROYER (speed 12)
  2. Innova TEEBIRD (speed 7)
  3. Innova WRAITH (speed 11)
  4. Innova VALKYRIE (speed 9)
  5. Innova TERN (speed 12)
  6. Latitude 64 SAINT (speed 9)
  7. Innova BOSS (speed 13)
  8. Innova FIREBIRD (speed 9)
  9. Latitude 64 RIVER (speed 7)
  10. Discmania DDX (speed 12)

Some new drivers from 2016 that really made an impact for being so new on the market were the Discmania DDX, the Innova Colossus, and the Westside Destiny.  We’ll watch 2017 closely to see what trends fall into place with disc golf drivers.

Best-Selling Disc Golf Backpacks of Summer 2016

We often look with great interest at the best-selling disc golf discs for given periods of time. Best-sellers of the summer. Best-sellers of the year. Best-sellers of the quarter, etc. It is about time that we take a look at some of the hottest selling backpack bags from the summer of 2016.

bp-3#1 – Prodigy BP-3 Backpack – The number one spot was quickly claimed by a new backpack, the BP-3, that came out near the end of the summer. It flew of the shelves and onto the backs of players for one simple reason: The PRICE was right at only $29.99!  The sales numbers would have been higher, but they sold out at Prodigy’s warehouse. The BP-3 certainly fills a niche for players who want to use a backpack, but always found the price a bit higher than they wanted to pay. It has very basic features, but is certainly serviceable for casual play. It can even be used for hiking or camping, or as a school backpack. At that price, why not?

#2 – Dynamic Discs Commander – The second place spot goes to the Commander which it a high-end bag that lands in the reasonable $120 range. It has become a popular backpack with players who like a compact feel and the sturdy nature of the bag. The “Black Ops” edition recently came out with a blackened stars-and-stripes theme.

#3 – Dynamic Discs Sniper Backpack – Once again, price plays a factor in the sales for the Sniper backpack by Dynamic Discs. At $69.99 it is an affordable and dependable pack that gets the job done. It holds 16 discs in the main compartment plus has dual water bottle pockets. Perfect for a casual tournament round.

#4 – Innova Heropack – The Heropack is Innova’s more affordable, entry-level backpack at $89.99. It comes in a large variety of colors and it holds upwards of 25 discs plus putter pockets on the top and front of the bag. It also includes extra accessory pockets and a drink holder. It is a very well-rounded bag for the price.

#5 – MVP Voyager – The new Voyager takes the number five spot as another end-of-summer release. It is the newest backpack offering from MVP. It features a heavy duty padded back and straps for support, plus putter pocket, large upper compartment for storage, plus drink holders, accessory pockets, and straps for a stool, etc. It is a bag that competes on a professional level and sells for $139.95.

Those were the top-selling bags at Infinite Discs for the summer of 2016. It will be fun to see which backpacks get the most traction heading into the holiday season. Have fun out there!

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