Tag: disc golf brands

CHEENGZ

Infinite Discs carries over 55 brands of discs! We started this blog series to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. Because of Covid shutdowns our supply of discs was severely affected. Therefore, we may not have all of the molds from all of the brands we will talk about. But, it might put a few more molds on your radar for the future. This week come back to the USA to check out CHEENGZ.

 

In the northern part of Georgia lies the city of Atlanta. Among its many suburbs is the city of Marietta, Georgia. Marietta is near the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, site of an 1864 Civil War battle. And it is home to disc golf manufacturer, CHEENGZ.

Southern Folks

 

CHEENGZ was started in 2016 by canine disc competitor turned disc golfer, Troy Burns. The sound the disc makes when hitting the chains was the inspiration for the brand.  Troy came up with idea of spelling it ‘CHEENGZ’ during a round of disc golf. Troy and his wife, Karen, had been entrepreneurs since 1997, running a variety of businesses, from online marketing to importing chandeliers from the Czech Republic. With his new found love of disc golf, Troy initially started a company selling sportswear for disc golfers. He was bothered by the fact that companies selling shoes and apparel to disc golfers without promoting the sport.

In addition to selling apparel, Troy also wanted to use CHEENGZ to grow the sport. He set goals to add baskets to parks, and improve existing courses. One example of improving courses was Frog Rock disc golf course in Austell, Georgia. CHEENGZ helped the city buy and install 18 additional baskets and an additional tee pad, giving disc golfers plenty of options for play.

After the course improvements, Troy starting working to grow the sport by holding parent/child doubles disc golf tournaments. The clever format ensures that parents are involved in the sport with their child. Only the youth member of the team is allowed to throw from the tee pad. After the drive, the parents can then contribute to the team effort. The events were hampered by COVID19 restrictions last year, but are already being scheduled for this year.

 

Reconnecting With A World Champion

 

Although Troy was retired from canine disc sports, he went to the Skyhoundz World Canine Disc Championship where he reconnected with World Frisbee and World Canine Disc champion, Peter Bloeme. (Incidentally, Peter’s PDGA number is #123!) Troy ended up doing some video production for Peter and floated the idea of working together to make a golf disc. Much to Troy’s surprise, Peter told him he already had one!

 

 

 

 

 

Peter Bloeme had been involved in disc sports since he was a kid. Along the way he got involved in canine disc sports, and eventually started manufacturing his own dog discs under the name, Hyperflite, Inc, along with business partner Jeff Perry. Hyperflite is in Roswell, Georgia. The two men had designed two molds several years ago, a dog disc and a disc golf disc. After growing uncomfortable with

their business manufacturers overseas, they had the molds shipped to them in Georgia, and began manufacturing the Z-Disc (dog disc).

 

 

Dog Discs to Disc Golf

 

Once Troy found out the disc golf mold existed, he had Hyperflite make a prototype and really liked how it flew: straight! It was a 100g prototype, but flew straight and never faded. He knew at that weight it would be great for kids and beginners. And if he could get the weight above 170g, it would be great for anyone in disc golf. He had a heavier prototype made and it flew straight as well. On December 30, 2020, Hyperflite received PDGA approval for their mold. That mold became the I-One.

Hyperflite, Inc. has been producing dog discs for a couple decades, so it was not a big leap to make disc golf discs. They started manufacturing in 2000 with their mold, the K-10 a 8.76” disc. After that they released the Pup disc, a 7” diameter disc similar to the K-10, but made for smaller dogs. That mold was excellent for kids with smaller hands, so Troy rebranded it the Kidzee for younger kids learning to throw.

 

Other Products And Events

 

Some new products available soon from CHEENGZ are the Puttmaster and their new card game, Cheat Sheetz. Cheat Sheetz are used while playing casual rounds to make the round a little more interesting. Puttmaster is a game that teaches accuracy as a first skill for disc golfers. It is a freestanding pole marked with three scoring zones. Players get points based on where they hit.

Coming up for CHEENGZ is a really fun, family-friendly event, the Flying Disc Festival. Troy wants to

give kids under 16 and their parents an opportunity to participate in a disc golf event that focuses on the fundamentals of disc sports: disc golf, accuracy, and freestyle development with a new game called KwikFlik™. The game of KwikFlik™ is played on a field by two players who throw discs back and forth and earn points in the process. There is a link to their website, which has information about the Flying Disc Festival and the rules of KwikFlik™.

With Peter’s connection to the canine disc community, he was able to arrange for an exhibition from the local Dog and Disc club. That will introduce a lot of people to that sport. The first Flying Disc Festival is scheduled for May 29, 2021 at Frog Rock. The event will be filmed to produce a media kit for promoting future Festivals.

Helping You To Grow The Sport

 

CHEENGZ would also like to encourage other people to hold their own Flying Disc Festival. They are willing to teach and help anyone interested in holding one. Troy is happy to be giving people an opportunity to participate in disc sports. When he was growing up, he never even got to see events like those that Peter Bloeme won. With the Festival, kids will even get to participate! That will do amazing things for our sport!

Supporting Disc Golf

 

CHEENGZ doesn’t have sponsored players yet. They are too new for that. They do have disc golfers that love their molds, but no official sponsored players yet. Besides, they look at their role as more of a sponsor of the sport. Their focus is to grow the sport and introduce young people to disc golf. With that goal in mind they will continue to offer events for families with kids.

Troy is optimistic about disc golf in the future. He believes the sport will become more diverse and courses will be more common. He thinks the growth trend will continue, forcing more communities to explore options for disc golf courses, including pay-to-play courses. And CHEENGZ and Hyperflite will be there encouraging and contributing to the growth. Troy and Peter both agree that they are in this business for the sport. Our growing sport can certainly benefit from people who have that motivation.

 

 

See Infinite’s selection of CHEENGZ discs here:

https://infinitediscs.com/category/CHEENGZ

Check out CHEENGZ website here:

https://CHEENGZ.com/

And Hyperlite’s line of dog sport products here:

https://hyperflite.com/

Check out some Bounty Aces here (Check out the CHEENGZ website for Bounty details):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q_mPQq3DAE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5jllrbk510

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zztmw1WTuq8

Comment About CHEENGZ

 

We want to hear from you about CHEENGZ! We’ll give a CHEENGZ disc to three random commenters. To be eligible, answer one of the questions below:

If you’ve thrown a CHEENGZ disc, how did you like it?

What disc in your bag would the CHEENGZ I-One replace?

We will choose the winners and post them next week when we feature our next disc golf brand.

 

Last Week: Fourth Circle Discs

 

Last week we looked at Fourth Circle Discs. We selected three random people who commented on that blog. Here are the winners:

Sean N

Brian F

Doug D

Congrats! We’ll ship your disc out shortly.

 

 

 

Fourth Circle Discs

 

Infinite Discs carries over 55 brands of discs! We started this blog series to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. Because of Covid shutdowns our supply of discs was severely affected. Therefore, we may not have all of the molds from all of the brands we will talk about. But, it might put a few more molds on your radar for the future. This week we travel overseas and around the world to introduce you to Fourth Circle Discs.

Southern Hemisphere

 

Along the east coast of Australia lies the state of Queensland. Within that state you’ll find the cities of

Brisbane and Gold coast. And between those cities you’ll find Logan City, home to Fourth Circle Discs.

Although the first disc for Fourth Circle wasn’t approved until June of 2018, the company had been around for a few years before that, in another form. Its founder, Rhys Kruger, had been running disc golf events and started a business as an event management company in 2014. Those events led to the beginning of the top tier tournament, the Gold Coast Classic.

The New Beginning

 

A year after it was started, Rhys had the opportunity to start selling discs after an existing retailer moved out of the area. He started out selling Innova Starter sets. Slowly, his inventory grew to include other brands. Then, things changed a bit in 2017 when he broke his hand.

Rhys was playing in a tournament in Finland when he hit a tree while throwing. He was a sponsored player, representing RPM Discs. Although he had already been thinking about manufacturing discs, and talking to a local player about it, the down time with a broken hand gave him an opportunity to get serious about the idea. It was during that time that Rhys decided to turn his knowledge of disc golf into a manufacturing company. And Fourth Circle Discs was born.

 

The Beginning: Taipan

 

The first mold out of the gate for Fourth Circle was the Taipan. Initially, the disc was made in Finland by Prodiscus. However, the goal was to have them made in Australia. Rhys was looking around for a local manufacturer when unforeseen circumstances sped up the decision. Rising shipping costs along with unfavorable exchange rates forced his hand and Fourth Circle began producing discs in their home country.

Dingo

 

The second mold released by the company was the Dingo. It was approved and released last year. It was the first mold to be made in Australia by Fourth Circle, and it was definitely a learning experience for them, and for the manufacturer and tooling company. The mold was intended to be an overstable midrange, but they ended up with a disc that was too overstable. After some tweaking with the mold and the process, they ended up with a disc that they are thrilled with. It has a good amount of wind-fighting glide and a strong finish at the end of flight.

Fourth Circle learned from their mistakes and when they started producing their third mold, things turned out much better. That mold is the Firehawk, and it has been very popular. The fairway driver is popular among beginners because of its -2 turn and mild fade. More experienced players will appreciate its shot-shaping flight.

 

The Latest From Down Under

 

The Firehawk and Dingo are control driver and midrange. The Taipan is Fourth Circle’s high speed driver. It is a speed 13 disc with no turn and a pretty big fade. This year the company got approved and is ready to start selling their fourth mold, the Huntsman is an overstable putter, similar to the Infinite Myth, Challenger, and Aviar-X. Infinite is ordering the mold and will make it available as soon as we receive them. The new Huntsman is currently available for

presale from Fourth Circle Discs.

After years of selling discs, Rhys noticed that people would often buy a disc based on the name. That knowledge influences the names he chooses for his molds. When it came to picking mold names, Rhys wanted to pick names meaningful to Australians, and memorable to anyone checking out the discs. He also likes to find names that, to him, really ‘fit’ the disc. The Huntsman and Firehawk didn’t get those names until he held the discs in his hand.

 

Australian Animals

 

All of the molds are currently named after animals found in Australia. A Dingo is a wild carnivorous canine native to Australia. The Firehawk is a bird of prey that hunt near wild fires to catch insects that are fleeing the fire. They have actually been seen carrying burning sticks to spread the fire to get food. A Taipan is a fast-moving, highly venomous snake endemic to Australia. The Huntsman spider is also found in Australia.

The Firehawk has been the most popular disc for Fourth Circle Discs. The company had to make a second run of the mold just two months after the first run. Even with that success, Rhys anticipates the new mold, the Huntsman might surpass those sales, based on how much hype the mold has received so far.

Fourth Circle Plastics

 

The plastics offered by Fourth Circle are premium plastics that are both very durable, but feel different and offer different levels of grip. Their Ekka plastic is similar in feel and durability to Star or Gold Line Plastics. Iron Plastic is translucent and similar to Champion or Lucid Plastics. The Huntsman presale is in Ekka Plastic.

With their beaded putter, the Huntsman coming out this month, Fourth Circle can focus on a few molds that are currently in the works. They are planning on releasing a less overstable high-speed driver, a stable to overstable fairway driver, and a straight to understable midrange.

 

Supporting The Locals

 

Fourth Circle Discs is currently focusing on sponsoring local players while they establish guidelines for future team members. Darnley Pearson was the first player sponsored by Fourth Circle. Todd Nowack and David Bandy are two more players on the team. Also, Ken Summers from Perth is on the team. After years of playing, Ken moved up to Open and Open Masters. He has helped promote Fourth Circle and disc golf by running events and helping new players get into disc golf.

Rhys (left) with pro Darnley Pearson

 

The future is looking great for Fourth Circle Discs. And it will be busy! In addition to working on new molds for the company, they will be adding apparel and another hot stamping machine to the mix. Then they can make full disc stamps, while they add molds to their collection.

Rhys and Fourth Circle Discs are happy to be an Australian owned and operated company. That fact, along with their unique naming strategy helps them get brand recognition around the world. The company is helped by being run by a touring player, since that gives them insight into the pulse of the disc golf scene. Steve Rico, another touring player that runs a disc golf company, is an inspiration to Rhys. Rhys is a fan of Steve and Legacy discs, and what they have grown into. Fourth Circle is working hard to emulate that success.

Check out Infinite’s selection of Fourth Circle Discs here:

https://infinitediscs.com/category/Fourth-Circle-Discs

Check out Fourth Circle Discs website here:

https://www.fourthcirclediscs.com/

 

Comment About Fourth Circle Discs

 

We want to hear from you about Fourth Circle! We’ll give a Fourth Circle Discs mold to three random commenters. To be eligible, answer one of the questions below:

If you’ve thrown an Fourth Circle Disc, which one(s) did you throw, and how did you like it?

If you haven’t thrown a Fourth Circle Disc, which one would you most like to try?

We will choose the winners and post them next week when we feature our next disc golf brand.

 

Last Week: Lone Star Disc

 

Last week we looked at Lone Star Disc. We selected three random people who commented on that blog. Here are the winners:

Bob M

Jason B

Paul T

Congrats! We’ll ship your disc out shortly.

 

 

Infinite Discs carries a large selection of brands and we want to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. Because of Covid shutdowns, our supply of discs was severely affected. Therefore, we may not have all of the molds from all of the brands we will talk about. But, it might put a few more molds on your radar for the future. This week we are traveling to the west coast to visit one of the newest manufacturers, Elevation Disc Golf.

First Elevation Disc

North of San Diego and southeast of Los Angeles lies the city of Temecula, California. It is home to one of the younger manufacturers that we will cover in this series. It is so new that its first mold was just released a couple of days ago. That first disc, the Interceptor, is the result of a year and a half of preparation, planning, and designing. (Infinite sold out of the Interceptor fast! We’re ordering a ton more.)

The Team

The company was founded by husband and wife team, Austin and Macy. Austin was working as a Biomedical Engineer and despite having a good job, he also had a burning desire to start a business. With some financial support from family, and lots of support from his wife Macy, he started Elevation Disc Golf. The name comes from the couple’s philosophy of life and of disc golf. The logo includes the image of a falcon, which represents peoples ability to conquer whatever mountains and obstacles come before them, and use those obstacles to climb to higher heights in life. They look at disc golf as an expression of individualism and freedom.

 

 

Macy was in the Army Reserve and finishing a doctorate degree when Austin had the idea for the business. Since he supported her while she finished her degree, she was happy to support him and his dream. She fills many roles in the company. Everything from shipping, media, and customer service, to testing the discs. All vital roles in a small business.

Starting With A 3D Printer

 

Austin started by getting a 3D printer and studying aerodynamics while experimenting with designs.

Once he felt like he could create usable discs, he knew he could start a business. After many attempts to find a prototype that would work, he came up with a design for an overstable midrange/approach

disc. That became the company’s first mold, the Interceptor. The mold name is a nod to the Peregrine Falcon. The Interceptor, like the bird of prey diving for its meal, will end its overstable flight by diving toward the basket. While the mold shape is definitely unique, so is the material used to make it.

Durable Rubber

 

Instead of the usual variety of plastics that we see with most manufacturers, Elevation went a different route for their discs. They found a premium rubber material that offers grip, comfort, and impact absorption not found in plastics. The flexibility of the disc helps it stick to the chains when you hit the target, or stick to the ground if you miss. My first throw with the Interceptor was straight into a tree. It didn’t ricochet in another direction. It just dropped. Currently, that material is the only option available from Elevation. In the future they will offer a variety of firmness’s. Right now they are in the process of making another run of Interceptors in three new color combinations.

Elevation doesn’t sponsor any pros at the moment. They want to focus on amateur players who are active on a local level. They also want to focus on underrepresented demographics, so that everyone feels like they can be part of the sport. For now, Austin will be representing Elevation on an amateur level when he plays in tournaments. As the company grows, they will have more opportunities to add more players to their team.

New Disc On Deck

 

Another thing that will change as they grow is the number of molds offered. Next up for Elevation Disc Golf is a putter. They are working on a straight-flying putter for approach shots or putts. Their goal is to have a disc that compliments their current midrange, the Interceptor. They have a couple of other mold ideas, too.

Moving forward, Austin and Macy will continue to grow the company and seek to accomplish some goals they have set. As the sport grows and as technology improves, they want to meet the needs of the market through their unique materials and innovative ergonomic designs. They will focus on staying at the forefront of creativity and engineering. However, creating new products isn’t their only goal.

All Inclusive

 

At Elevation Disc Golf, they want everyone to have an opportunity to enjoy our sport. That includes people who might not have conventional access to disc golf: people with disabilities and people who can’t afford equipment. Macy has worked with people with disabilities and even envisions a disc golf course that allows people in wheelchairs to play. She would also like to see equipment in underprivileged schools so children can play during P.E. or recess.

Another area of focus for Elevation is the environment. Austin and Macy want to use their company to draw attention to environmental and conservation issues. They plan on choosing good causes, then

using the sale of their discs to support those causes. They want to tie the causes to certain molds so disc golfers can support the ideas they are passionate about by purchasing the specific mold associated with the cause.

The Future

 

Elevation Disc Golf is optimistic and excited about the future of our sport. They are happy to be a part of the growth, and will continue to find unconventional designs and materials for the disc golf community. And they want to use their goals and business ideas to promote a positive influence in the world.

 

Check out Infinite Discs’ selection of Elevation discs here:

https://infinitediscs.com/elevation-disc-golf

See Elevation’s website here:

https://www.elevationdiscs.com/

Watch a video of the benefits of floppy discs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ4QRJOECIg

Elevation’s Instagram: @elevationdiscs

 

Comment About Elevation Disc Golf

If you’ve thrown an Elevation disc, let us know what you think.

Last Week: Wild Discs

Last week we looked at Wild Discs. We selected three random people who commented on that blog. Here are the winners:

Mike M

Micah M

Thomas H

Congrats! We’ll get your disc shipped out shortly.

 

Infinite Discs carries a large selection of brands and we want to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. Because of Covid shutdowns, our supply of discs was severely affected. Therefore, we may not have all of the molds from all of the brands we will talk about. But, it might put a few more molds on your radar for the future. We are back in the US this week and we’re featuring Buffalo, New York manufacturer, Wild Discs.

Wild in Buffalo

Buffalo, New York, sits next to Lake Erie in the western part of the state. It is just across the Niagara River from Canada.  It is home to the Buffalo Bills, and Wild Discs.

Wild

Discs was started in June, 2020, by Kyle Knab and Becky Fix. It was created out of a two-pronged desire: first, to grow the sport of disc golf by providing quality discs and accessories. And second, to give back to the world by committing 5% of all proceeds to wildlife conservation. The founders love disc golf, love animals, and love to spend time outdoors enjoying the wilderness. Wild Discs is a combination of their passions.

First Molds

The first disc approved by the PDGA for Wild Discs is the Hummingbird putter. The mold has a small, smooth bead and a straight flight with a lot of glide. It was approved at the end of 2020, and since then two other molds have been approved and released: the Orca and the Addax. The Orca is a high-speed driver whose flight is similar to an

Innova Tern. The Addax is their midrange with a straight flight and solid fade. The stamps for all of their discs are created by Co-founder, Becky Fix.

What’s An Addax?

Although most people are familiar with orcas and hummingbirds (the animals), the Addax might not be as familiar. You have probably seen a picture of one, without knowing its name. It is an African animal whose body shape is similar to an antelope, but with long, spiral horns. The animal is nearly extinct in the wild. Details about each the animals featured on their molds are found on Wild Discs’ website.

Wild Discs currently offers three plastic types for their discs. However, the have several more plastic types that they are experimenting with. Currently, the company lists Landslide, Quicksand, and Whirlpool as their available plastics. Landslide is a durable plastic that is firm, but still has good grip. Whirlpool plastic has even more durability than Landslide, and with a little more grip. Quicksand is a nylon based plastic mixed with some Landslide plastic, with a ton of grip – the most of all their plastics. It also has a soft flex and is very durable.

Coming to Wild Discs…

As mentioned above, Wild Discs has several new plastic types they are experimenting with. They are also working on expanding both their disc and product lines. What will the future hold? Coming out in a couple of months will be a fairway driver and a mid/approach disc. Even before those hit the market Wild will be releasing a new bag that, according to founder Kyle Knab, will be “the most eye-catching bag on the market” whose functionality is “next level”. Stay tuned to Wild Discs for their new releases! Here is a sneak peak of the bag.

Although Wild Discs is a new company, selling their first discs in October 2020, they are already looking forward to the future. One avenue of growth that Wild uses is supporting an ambassador team. Anyone can apply to be on the team. Details can be found on their website.

Growing And Supporting Conservation

In addition to adding more molds and products to their brand, they are excited about the growth of the sport. They are looking forward to getting more women and youth involved in disc golf and are glad to be in a position to make a difference. Even in the short time they’ve been a business, they have received a lot of support, kind words, and positive feedback from the disc golf community. They have already raised over $1,000 that will go toward wildlife conservation.

Wild Discs will continue to support conservation efforts, and that commitment is one of the unique aspects of their company. They will continue to contribute 5% of proceeds toward conservation efforts. Plus, they will be holding charity events and tournaments to further support the cause. Wild Discs’ commitment to animals is apparent in their mold names, stamp designs, and even their company name. Check out Wild Discs today! Then see below how you can win a Wild Discs mold.

Check out Infinite’s selection of Wild Discs molds here:

https://infinitediscs.com/category/Wild-Discs

Check out the Wild Discs website (and their awesome hoodies!) here:

https://wilddiscs.com/

See how you can support conservation efforts here:

https://www.wcs.org/

Comment About Wild Discs !

 

Do you throw Wild Discs? Tell us which mold is your favorite.

Never tried them? Tell us which mold you would like to try.

 

 

Last Week: Disctroyer

Last week we looked at Disctroyer. We selected three random people who commented on that blog. Here are the winners:

Colby S

Brian F

Harry S

Congrats! We’ll get your disc shipped out shortly.

 

Disc Golf Manufacturer Spotlight

 

Infinite Discs carries a large selection of brands and we wanted to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. Because of Covid shutdowns, our supply of discs was severely affected. Therefore, we may not have all of the molds from all of the brands we will talk about. But, it might put a few more molds on your radar for the future. For the last couple of blogs, we traveled overseas to check out a couple of brands. This week we come back home to visit a company in Texas, and introduce Mint Discs.

 

 

Mint Discs is an Austin, Texas company started a few years ago by friends Guy Boyan, Zach Jansen, and Chris Herbert. The trio were avid disc golfers and in 2015 had a thought about a disc golf business that undoubtedly many others have had about their passion: Why aren’t we doing this?! That conversation led to a years of work and planning, and it culminated in the release of their first disc, the Alpha.

Minted In The Heart of Texas

Mint’s first release, the Alpha, was released in April, 2017, and was their sole mold for a couple of years, until their next few releases, the Bobcat, the Freetail, and the Profit. That added a midrange, a distance driver, and a putter to their catalogue. Those three molds were all PDGA approved in 2019, and have been released.

Last year, another batch of three molds was approved by the PDGA for Mint Discs: the Mustang, Bullet, and Longhorn. That gave them another mid, another putter, and another distance driver. Mint already has one disc approved for 2021, the Jackalope. The Jackalope is a control driver with a little more turn than the Alpha, and will be released in the spring or summer.

Choice of Plastics

In addition to offering a variety of molds, their company has several plastic types to choose from. When Mint releases a mold, they usually do so in a variety of plastics, giving the thrower choices. Their plastics include, Apex, similar in feel to Star, Neutron, and ESP Plastics; Eternal, similar to Champion, Opto, and Lucid Plastics; Nocturnal, which is their glow plastic; Royal, a more firm plastic, similar in feel to DX or Prime Plastics; and Sublime, which is similar in look and feel to Plasma plastic.

Mint Discs Molds

Let’s take a look at the molds offered by Mint Discs to see how they fly. Starting with the putters, the Bullet and Profit have a similar flight, with the Profit being a slightly faster mold. It is comparable in flight to the PA-2, Atom, and Infinite’s new release, the Alpaca. The Bullet is one speed slower. The Profit got its name from the Estimated Prophet at Moody’s Disc Golf Ranch in Texas. It is one of Mint’s favorite courses.

For midrange molds, the Mustang is most like the popular EMAC Truth. It has good glide and a solid fade. Need a little more dump at the end for precision shots? Check out the Bobcat. It has a little less glide and is a little more overstable than the Mustang. Perfect for when you want a disc to fly as long as it should, and still finish strong. Infinite will be releasing a limited edition of the Bobcat on February 4.

Newest Kid on the Block

As mentioned earlier, the Jackalope will join the O.G. mold, the Alpha, in the fairway driver slot for Mint. The Jackalope will have a little more flip than the Alpha, making it more of a candidate for tailwind or shaping shots. The Alpha, on the other hand, has the straight, wind resistant flight found in molds like the Teebird3 or DGA Pipeline.

Doing the heavy lifting for Mint are their distance drivers, the Freetail and the Longhorn. The flippier of the two, the Freetail, is a great mold for those who need a little more turn in their flight, or for rollers for the big-arms. In premium plastics, the Freetail will take a little longer to ‘season’. But, once it does, it will have a nice, long flight. The Longhorn is a great driving disc with the turn and fade similar to the Wraith.

Sublime Freetail

Coming up shortly, the Sublime Freetail will be released. Although that mold has been released in Sublime before, this time it will feature a stamp from artist Levi Whitpan. The folks at Mint say it might be their favorite stamp they’ve ever printed! Look for that disc to drop on February 9.

Texas Disc Golf Scene

The disc golf scene in Texas is thriving, and Mint is happy to be in the middle of the growth. They strive to support local disc golfers and local tournaments. Team Mint is made up of local 1000+ rated players, Master’s players, and Legends. One of their team members is FPO player Krissie Fountain. Last year, she won numerous tournaments while watching her PDGA rating rise, and plans on touring even more this year. Check out Fountain in action at the Jonesboro Open last year with Ellen Widboom, here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t424vRh_9f8

New Year, New Opportunities

Although 2020 was an interesting year for all of us, Mint Discs included, this year is already off to a great start for the company. Mint has already had growth opportunities this year, and doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. In addition to always having new molds in the works, Mint recently moved into a new warehouse. The expansion will come in handy as they take over a local tour series, the Heart Of Texas Tour (HOTT). The tour series includes the popular tournament, Capitol of Texas Open, which will be the 30^th year of that tournament. Mint is thrilled to be running the competition. They hope to elevate some of the tournaments into NT and A-tiers events.

 

Mint Disc’s Unique Serial Numbers

One of the unique aspects of Mint Discs is their serial number approach to identifying the year and run of any of their discs. They keep a database on their website that lists the serial numbers of all of their runs. The serial number indicates the plastic, mold, run, and year of their disc. The database also lists the stamp used, the available colors, and the artist who created the stamp. That is perfect for people who want a disc from a specific run. It is also interesting if you want to learn more about their stamps and the people who designed them.

The people at Mint Discs are thrilled to be a part of our sport, and excited about the future. They love the fun and passion that can be found in disc golfers. From the post-production videos covering tournaments, to the accessibility of touring pros, ours is a great sport, and Mint Discs are happy to be helping it grow.

 

Popular Mint Discs for 2020

Taking a look at the sales for Mint Discs last year, we see that the Mustang was the best selling mold for the year. The Mustang and the Freetail accounted for half of the disc sales. In third is the putter, the Bullet. Here is the breakdown of mold sales for Mint Discs.

 

 

 

Infinite Discs would like to give a couple Mint Discs to random commenters to this blog post. Answer one of the questions below with your opinions of Mint Discs.

Do you throw Mint Discs? Tell us which mold is your favorite.

Never tried Mint Discs molds? Tell us which mold you would like to try.

We’ll pick the random winners and post the results next week when we look at another brand we sell.

 

Check out Infinite Discs’ selection of Mint Discs molds here:

https://infinitediscs.com/category/Mint-Discs

Check out Mint Discs here:

https://mintdiscs.com/

 

Last week we looked at Guru Discs. We selected three random people who commented on that blog. The winners will receive a Guru disc. Here are the winners:

Kjell R.

Derek H.

Paul T

Congrats! We’ll get your disc shipped out shortly.

Disc Golf Manufacturer Spotlight

 

Infinite Discs carries a large selection of brands and we wanted to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. Because of Covid shutdowns, our supply of discs was severely affected. Therefore, we may not have all of the molds from all of the brands we will talk about. But, it might put a few more molds on your radar for the future. Last week we featured Disc Golf UK/Launch Disc Golf. This week we leave England and travel across the North Sea to pay a visit to Guru Disc Golf.

Guru Disc Golf

 

Guru Disc Golf is another great example of how global our sport has become. The company is based in Oslo, Norway. It is one of many non-US based disc golf companies. Guru Disc Golf grew out of another company, Sune Sport, which was started in 1996 by Sune Wentzel, a multiple-time Freestyle Players Association Overall World Champion. Currently, Sune Sports carries a variety of hobby and sport related products.

Guru was started in 2016 by Wetzel and former European Disc Golf Champion, Espen Møkkelgjerd. They wanted to have a company that would add to the growth of the sport in Norway. To that end, the company offers molds that are excellent for beginner disc golfers, or more experienced disc golfers who can shape their shots. The first three molds released by Guru Disc golf are the Mjolner, the Thor, and the Midgard. The names come from Norse mythology.

Guru Molds

The Mjolner is a stable, beaded putter that flies straight and finishes with just a little bit of fade. It is available in D-Plastic, which feels like Innova’s DX plastic or Infinite’s D-Blend. Those plastic types beat in easier, giving you a seasoned flight more quickly. It shares the same name as Thor’s hammer. Their midrange mold is the Thor, named after the Norse god. It has flight numbers similar to the Innova Shark. The Thor flies straight, with a decent finish. It also comes in the base D-Plastic, and is available in C-Plastic, similar to Innova Champion plastic. The last of their initial molds is the Midgard. The Midgard is a speed-6 fairway driver that has a little turn and little fade, for an overall straight flight. It is available in D-plastic. The name also comes from Norse mythology. It refers to the inhabited, visible world.

Those three molds make up a starter set offered by Guru. Their flight numbers are excellent for beginners, and are a great way to introduce people to the sport. Since those initial discs were approved by the PDGA, two other molds have become official, the Sleipner and the Fenris.

 

Higher Speed Discs

 

Guru’s first foray into high speed discs is their Sleipner, a speed-10 disc similar in flight to an Infinite Discs Aztec. It is named after Odin’s eight-legged horse (Sleipnir) in Norse mythology. It is made in D-Plasitc and S-Plastic. The Sleipner, like the Aztec, is suitable for a variety of skill levels.

The other high-speed driver in their lineup is the Fenris. The Fenris (Fenrir) Wolf creature was featured in the Thor Ragnarok movie. He is the son of Loke. In mythology, it is It flies similar to the Infinite Emperor. The speed-13 disc comes in durable C-Plastic.

Growing Disc Golf

The folks at Guru Disc Golf have been active in growing the sport, particularly in their home country of Norway. They sponsor players from the pro ranks, to up and coming amateurs. One of their sponsored women is FPO player Anniken Steen, who has been racking up a lot of wins the last few years (see her in action at the PCS Open here. American pro Logan Bowers also uses Guru discs and equipment. Check him out battling with McBeth at the 2016 World Championships here.

Guru is excited about the future of the company and disc golf. Despite the challenges the world faced with the pandemic, the worldwide interest the disc golf has been increasing in Norway, too. The number of courses in the country has passed the 300 mark, with no signs of slowing down. Guru Disc Golf is excited about the number of young people discovering the sport, and the increased acceptance by the general public. They anticipates being right in the middle of the growth by sponsoring tournaments and continuing to introduce new players to disc golf.

Veteran Disc Golfers

One of the things that Guru feels is unique about their company is their experience in the sport. Sune Wentzel has been part of the disc sport community since the mid 80’s. Espen Møkkelgjerd has been involved since the 90’s. More recently, professional disc golfer and Norwegian champion Peter Lunde has been added to the team. Lunde, along with other local talent, is helping to bring growth and interest to the nation’s disc golf scene. Keep an eye on Guru Disc Golf, and Norwegian disc golfers!

Infinite’s Top Selling Guru Molds

Taking a look at the most popular molds by sales, the three molds that we sold in 2020 were fairly close. The Midgard took the top spot by just a few percentage points. Coming in second was the Putter, the Mjolner. Following the Mjolner is the Thor. Infinite has a shipment on the way from Guru, and we’ll post about it when it arrives.

 

Win discs from Guru Disc Golf!

 

Infinite Discs would like to hear which Guru disc would make it in your bag!. Head to Infinite (links below) and check out our listing of Guru Disc Golf molds. Then let us know:

Which Guru mold would you be the most interested in trying?

We’ll select a few random responses and ship out some swag. Check back in a week when we post the next disc golf manufacturer, and we’ll list the winners.

 

Last Week’s Winners

There were a variety of discs that people chose as the mold they would like to try from Disc Golf UK/Launch. We have a shipment from them on the way, but it will take a while to get here. We’ll get the word out when it arrives so you can try them out. Meanwhile, two molds tied for first for the disc people would like to try the most: the Count and the Duke. Both of these molds received over 26% of the votes. The Cipher was close at 23%. The rest of the votes were split among the Launch, Duchess, Lander, and Baron.

We picked three random winners from the comments on last week’s blog, and here are the three winners:

Jesse P

Justin H

Scott H

Congrats! We’ll get a disc shipped out to you shortly.

 

 

Infinite Discs’ Guru Molds

https://infinitediscs.com/category/Guru-Disc-Golf

Guru Disc Golf

https://gurudiscgolf.com/

 

 

 

Disc Golf Manufacturer Spotlight

 

Infinite Discs carries a large selection of brands and we wanted to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. Because of Covid shutdowns, our supply of discs was severely affected. Therefore, we may not have all of the molds from all of the brands we will talk about. But, it might put a few more molds on your radar for the future. This week we travel across the pond to check out Disc Golf UK and their spin-off company, Launch Disc Golf.

Disc Golf UK/Launch Disc Golf

 

Disc Golf UK (DGUK) is a disc golf manufacturing company that started a few years ago in England. It was formed in 2014 and registered as a business in 2015. The founder, Richard Hatton, was already involved in the disc golf scene in England. He was a member of the British Disc Golf Association, an advocacy group that exists to organize and promote the sport in the Country. He felt like those goals could be better met by having a private business approach landowners and others about disc golf, instead of a volunteer organization.

Disk Golf UK is located in Warwick, England. It is near the Quarry Park disc golf course. (Check out the link below to a tournament at that course, featuring DGUK sponsored pro, 16-year-old Noah Smithson.) Its warehouse, shop and factory are south of Chesterfield, England.

Humble Beginning

 

The company was created to make inexpensive discs that could be rented out at the courses being created in the area. The exchange rate was not favorable for them, making discs expensive to import. The first mold they made was the Duke, an overstable midrange. However, once people started throwing the disc, people started raving about it! It wasn’t even PDGA approved at the time. The positive comments told them they were onto something more than a cheap rental.

 

A Quick Start

 

Shortly after the Duke was PDGA approved, the Baron and the Count were quickly designed and approved. That added a putter and a control driver to their portfolio. The Baron is a beadless overstable putt/approach disc similar in flight numbers to a Harp. The Count is a fairway driver with a little turn and a solid fade. It is similar to the Innova Eagle in flight numbers.

 

The Duchess, an experiment that turned out to be a success, was the fourth mold from DGUK. The Duchess is an understable midrange/approach disc. Its flight numbers make it great for people just starting out, and a shapeable disc for more experienced players. It is available in Noble plastic, which is their base plastic.

 

A New Brand Gets Launched

 

In 2020 DGUK launched a new line of discs under the Launch Disc Golf brand. Launch was started by Dan Whiteman, who is now the area manager for Southeast UK. Four molds have been released under the Launch brand: The Lander, the Code,  the Code X, which is the most recent release, and the Cipher. They are a putter, two mids, and control driver, respectively. The Cipher is the first disc released in the new premium plastic, Alpha. The new plastic is similar to Gold Line or Star plastic. The other molds are available in the Omega Plastic, Launch’s base plastic.

The Cipher is a fairway driver, and the first driver from Launch Disc Golf. The Cipher offers a slight turn, with a good fade at the end. Its flight is similar to a seasoned Thunderbird. The Code and Code X are midrange discs, with the Code X being the more overstable of the two. The Code X has a great wind-fighting flight and a solid, dependable finish. The Lander is the first putter from Launch, and performs nicely as both a driving and putting disc. The mold can give a little turn, or a slight hyzer-to-flat flight and sail until the fade at the end.

 

Hatton, the founder of DGUK, said that the Baron, the Duchess, and the Count are the top selling discs for Disc Golf UK. These three molds make up their starter sets and are found at courses all over the country. Outside of starter sets, the Lander and the Baron are the favorite molds of DGUK/Launch Disc Golf fans.

 

The Pros Throwing DGUK

 

Many of the company’s mold are thrown by the top disc golfers in the UK. Multiple-time British Champion James Luton throws the Duke, and calls it the best forehand disc he has ever thrown. Another British Open winner, Noah Smithson, uses his Lander as a driving putter. The 2020 National Matchplay Champion, Jon Tweed, used a Baron for every putt at the tournament. He has been throwing a prototype Cipher, too. FPO British Tour Champion Sian Lee loves the Duchess, and uses it as her go-to mid. All of the above mentioned pros are on Team Disc Golf UK.

In addition to the pros playing on Team DGUK, the company recently launched an ambassador team. These player were selected because of their contributions to disc golf, and their love of DGUK discs!

 

Popular Plastic

 

As for plastic types from DGUK, until the recent release of their Alpha plastic, only variations of base plastics were available. The Noble plastic is for DGUK molds, and Omega is for Launch molds. There are also glitter, glow options available in base plastic.

 

The Future for DGUK

 

DGUK has lots of plans for the future. Most importantly, they want to continue to add to their line of molds. They recently received technical drawings for three of their upcoming molds.  In addition to the molds, they have found a glow plastic formula that they like, and that has received positive feedback from testers due to the brightness of the glow. DGUK also want to expand their line of baskets and bags.  They will also be working hard to install more courses around the country. Their long-term goal is to have a course within a half hour of everyone in the country.  Plus, they will be working to grow the sport by introducing disc golf to school-age youth.

 

Infinite’s Sales of Disc Golf UK and Launch Disc Golf Molds

 

Here is a breakdown of the most popular molds based on Infinite Discs’ sales for 2020. For Disc Golf UK, the Duchess led the pack, a few ticks ahead of the Count for the most sales last year. Coming in third was the Baron.

For Launch Disc Golf, the results were a little closer. Their putter, the Lander, barely beat the Cipher for the most sales last year.

 

Win Some DGUK/Launch Merch!

 

Infinite Discs would like to give some swag to some random people who answer the question below. Head to Infinite (links below) and check out our listing of DGUK/Launch molds. Then let us know:

Which DGUK or Launch mold would you be the most interested in trying?

We’ll select a few random responses and ship out some swag. Check back in a week when we post the next disc golf manufacturer, and we’ll list the winners.

Last week we featured AGL Discs and selected three random commenters to win some AGL prizes. The winners are:

Nate D.

Austin D.

James H.

Congrats! I’ll send you an email to verify your mailing address.

 

 

Infinite Discs – Disc Golf UK

https://infinitediscs.com/category/Disc-Golf-UK

Infinite Discs – Launch Disc Golf

https://infinitediscs.com/category/Launch-Disc-Golf

Disc Golf UK

https://discgolfuk.uk/

Launch Disc Golf

https://launchdiscgolf.co.uk/

Noah Smithson at 25^th Quarry Park Open

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5O8NRodzSg&t=327s

 

 

 

Disc Golf Manufacturer Spotlight

Infinite Discs carries a large selection of brands and we wanted to introduce you to some of the brands and molds that you might not be as familiar with. Each week we will spotlight a different company and tell you a little more about them. We’ll start with a California brand, Above Ground Level Discs. And we will give you a chance to win some AGL stuff!

 

AGL Discs

Above Ground Level discs (AGL) is a family run California-based disc golf company that currently operates in San Jose. According to their website, the name comes from the company’s policy of viewing the sport from “the 10,000 foot level”. The company formed in 2011 by Josh Jones and Sam Cooper, and has been operating under the name Above Ground Level since 2016. Sam also started the disc golf apparel company, ChainBang Disc Golf.

Filling Disc Golf Needs

From the beginning, the people at AGL have worked hard to design discs that fill the needs of disc golfers. Using modeling and testing, they have created an ever growing list of molds to cover the range of shots and conditions faced by users. AGL also works to provide the most durable plastics possible, giving a longer life to its molds. Early on, AGL adopted the policy of naming molds after trees, and also including a corresponding seed with every disc purchased. That policy and practice continues today.

The Cypress, AGL’s First Disc

The inaugural mold for AGL is the now-discontinued high speed driver, the Cypress. The name honors disc golf enthusiast and course designer, Stancil Johnson, and the course he designed in Seaside, California. The initial design of the mold was a very overstable disc. It was later retooled to make the mold more usable for a variety of skill levels. In early 2020, the Cedar was released, with flight numbers similar to the Cypress.

After the Cypress, two putters were released, the Madrone and Manzanita. The Madrone, with a flight similar to the new Infinite Alpaca, along with the overstable midrange, the Magnolia, continue to be the most popular discs they sell. As for which mold holds the number one spot, that title changes frequently between the two molds. The Sycamore, a fairly straight control driver, was approved in 2019. It has a flight similar to a TL.

Also released last year is the speed 9 control driver, the Locust. The new mold received great reviews from testers and early buyers. AGL has plans for a high speed driver that has some understability to it. After that release, they will look at increasing their offering of additional understable discs.

In addition to the Locust and the Cedar, two additional putters were approved in 2020, the Baobab and the Ponderosa. The Baobab is a beadless, overstable putter that would be great for headwind shots and big arms. The Ponderosa is a little slower than the Baobab, and slightly flippy. Great for tailwinds or hyzer-flip shots.

AGL Plastics

Their most popular plastic is the Hemp blend, which is both grippy and environmentally friendly. Nearly as popular as Hemp plastic is their premium Alpine plastic. It is reminiscent of the old CE plastic that is popular due to its durability and feel. AGL also offers Woodland Blend, a base plastic that has a variety of firmness.

Supporting the Pros and Disc Golf

Above Ground Level is proud to sponsor dozens of players round the world, up to and including professionals. On the FPO side, they sponsor Amy Lewis and Marissa Kula. Their men’s pros include Michael Henson and Hayden Kujala. A search of these players on YouTube will show a number of tournaments with some of their pro players. AGL also helped to sponsor a couple courses.

One of the exciting parts of the sport for AGL is the growth that disc golf is currently seeing. With the increased exposure from companies like CBS sports and many professionally produces YouTube videos, our accessible touring pros, and courses popping up all around the world, it’s a great time to be involved in disc golf.

Growing Disc Golf for Women and Youth

Two areas of growth that are of high importance to AGL is additional focus on the women and the youth side of disc golf. In addition to sponsoring female players, AGL sponsors female-focused events and will be sponsoring the 2021 USWDGC. It helps that one of the owners has an 8-year-old daughter who plays and looks up to the female players she gets to watch. She also helps out in the business! Their plan for the youth and new players is to work with schools to help them install baskets and teach disc golf fundamentals.

 

 

 

AGL and the Environment

Disc golf isn’t the only thing that the folks at Above Ground Level Discs care about. They also like to take care of the environment. In addition to naming all of their molds after tree, AGL also includes a tree seed with every disc purchased from them. The seed corresponds with the name of the mold. Order a Sycamore in Alpine plastic from them, you’ll get a Sycamore seed with your purchase. Some of their customers have sprouted their seeds into saplings and planted them on their local courses.

Top Selling Discs for Above Ground Level Discs

Taking a look at the sales of Above Ground Level Discs at Infinite, it looks like the Ponderosa is the top selling AGL disc of 2020. The Ponderosa is a straight to understable putter that is currently available in Woodland and Woodland Hemp Blend plastics. The Ponderosa accounted for nearly 18% of all AGL molds that Infinite sells. It just edged out the next four molds, the Baobab, Locust, Cedar, and Sycamore. Those four molds made up around 15% each of sales. All things considered, that’s a pretty even amount of sales for the top mold.

Win some AGL Swag!

To promote AGL, Infinite Discs would like to give some swag to some random people who answer the question below. Head to Infinite (link below) and check out our listing of AGL molds. Then let us know: Which AGL mold would you be the most interested in trying? Want something beefy, like the Cedar? Or maybe a straight putter, like the Madrone. Comment below to be entered in the drawing.

We’ll select a few random responses and ship out some AGL merch. Check back in a week when we post the next disc golf manufacturer, and we’ll list the winners.

 

See Infinite’s selection of AGL discs here:

https://infinitediscs.com/category/Above-Ground-Level

Check out AGL’s website here:

https://www.agldiscs.com/

Here is a link to ChanBang Disc Golf

https://www.chainbangofficial.com/