New Release – Launch Discs

Launch Disc Golf is now available for purchase on InfiniteDiscs.com. They are a UK based disc manufacturer that produces quality discs for the fast-growing disc golf market. There are two types of plastics available; Alpha and Omega. Alpha is the premium plastic, while the Omega is more of the putter type plastic. You can get the Cipher in Alpha, Code in Omega, and Lander in Omega. Read more about them below:

Cipher

The Cipher is the first driver release from Launch Disc Golf. It is a straight-to-overstable driver that can be used as a workhorse disc to traverse the fairway. It is comfortable to throw either backhand or forehand and it recommended for players at all experience levels, since it does not have an overly fast rim speed.

The alpha plastic is a little bit on the slicker side of plastic feel. This plastic has some bend to it, regardless, it still feels firm and durable. This disc is available for purchase on InfiniteDiscs.com/Launch-Disc-Golf-Cipher for $17.99

Code

The Code is an all-purpose mid-range disc. When thrown with power, it will reach a surprising distance. It has a slight turn when thrown with high speed, superb glide phase with a reliable fade finish.

The Omega plastic is on the tackier side of plastic feel. This plastic is stiffer than the Alpha plastic. This disc is available for purchase on InfiniteDiscs.com/Launch-Disc-Golf-Code for $12.49.

 

Lander

The Lander is an excellent debut putter from Launch Disc Golf. It has a flat top, a nicely rounded nose (rim) for comfort, and a smooth micro-bead for a little added stability. Categorized as a stable putter, having a straight flight path with a little fade at the end.

The Omega plastic is on the tackier side of plastic feel. This plastic is stiffer than the Alpha plastic. This disc is available for purchase on InfiniteDiscs.com/Launch-Disc-Golf-Lander for $12.49

Which of these discs would you want to try?

 

 

 

Exodus I-Blend Myth C-Blend Slab I-Blend

There are some new plastics released for some of our Infinite Discs molds. The Myth is now in C-Blend. The Exodus is now available in I-blend. And you can get the Slab in I-Blend as well.

The Myth is a dependable, beaded putter with a comfortable rim that can be used for precision putting, or as a driving putter and approach disc. If your putting game can’t be a thing of legend, then at least let it be a thing of Myth. Inspire friends and family to talk about your epic putts around late-night campfires for generations to come.

The Exodus is a stable, controllable fairway driver. The comfortable rim design and manageable speed are perfect for players at all experience levels. It is a trustworthy disc on the fairway and excellent for navigating wooded courses.  It has a precise, long flight pattern with a consistent fade, plus it can also handle all the power you can give it for long-distance flights.

The Slab is a high-speed, very overstable distance driver with a flat top and wide rim. TIt is designed for power throwers who want a disc that still fades, no matter how hard it is thrown. This disc works wonders for spike hyzer throws, strong forehand throws, as a wind fighter, or as a utility disc when you need to fade hard around obstacles. Watch the Slab slice dependably through the air under any conditions.

 

Best Disc Golf Fairway Drivers of 2020

Best Fairway Drivers in Disc Golf

Fairway drivers are arguably the workhorse of the disc golf world. With their slower speeds, the can be handled, shaped, and used by beginners and professionals alike. Their stability range gives us the opportunity to shape shots and avoid obstacles. They are slightly more forgiving than distance driver and require less power to throw, fairway, or ‘control’ can more easily be used for technical shots. So, which is the most popular control driver? Let’s find out.

As usual, we will look at our sales records to see which control driver molds have sold the most this year. Then, we will look at the ratings that readers have contributed, including the star rating and the number of reviews. Then we will turn thing over to you to vote! We will give you a chance to vote on your favorite control driver, whether it’s on our list or not.

Best Disc Golf Fairway Drivers

Sales Rank Star Rating Fan Vote Average
Innova Teebird 2 1 1 1.3
Innova Firebird 1 4 2 2.3
Discraft Undertaker 5 6 3 4.7
Innova Thunderbird 6 2 6 4.7
Innova Valkyrie 3 9 4 5.3

Taking first in both the ratings and fan vote, the Teebird wins the title of the Best Fairway Driver. This mold has been around for a long time and has proven it’s worth. With a flight rating of 7, 5, 0, 2 the Teebird has won the admiration of many voters. Noe C. said that the Teebird is “Great out of the gate and gets better with age”. Click the link above to get yours!

The Evolution of Disc Golf Discs

For those of us relatively new to the sport, from our perspective the distance drivers that we know and love today have always been a part of the game. Ask a seasoned veteran what ‘high speed’ discs they threw in the nineties and they might reel off a list of molds you’ve never heard of, including molds from Wham-O. The discs we call ‘fairway drivers’ were the ‘high-speed drivers of yesteryear. Fairway drivers were the discs used to cover a lot of ground.

For this blog, we will define control drivers as discs with a speed of 6 through 9. As was mentioned in the blog about the best drivers, speed 9 discs are the ‘tweeners, with some people and manufacturers calling them high speed, and some control drivers.

Top Fairway Driver sales for 2020

Let’s start by checking out the best fairway driver in terms of sales. Here is a chart of our sales for fairway drivers for 2020. Innova holds a big chunk of the category, and takes the first four places.

Here is a list of the top 20 molds according to our sales data:

2020 Sales Rank Disc Mold
1 Innova Firebird
2 Innova Teebird
3 Innova Valkyrie
4 Innova Leopard
5 Discraft Undertaker
6 Innova Thunderbird
7 Discraft Heat
8 Discraft Anax
9 Innova Leopard3
10 Innova Roadrunner
11 Innova TeeBird3
12 Innova Sidewinder
13 Infinite Discs Sphinx
14 Discmania FD
15 Discraft Raptor
16 Latitude 64 Diamond
17 Latitude 64 River
18 Discraft Stalker
19 Latitude 64 Explorer
20 MVP Volt

 

The popular overstable mold, the Firebird, leads the way. In second is the straight-flying Teebird. In third and fourth spot are the Valkyrie and Leopard. These last two are very popular discs in starter packs, although starter pack sales were not included in this blog.

Although, once again, Innova and Discraft have the most molds represented, in this category there are three other companies with a mold on the list: Discmania, Latitude 64, and Infinite Discs. One of those three, Discmania, has the FD mold on the list. That molds was PDGA approved in 2011 and has had time to gain a fan base. The other two companies, represented by the Explorer and the Sphinx, are much newer molds, getting approved in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

Rating Rankings

And here is the top 10 by ratings and reviews:

Rank Disc Mold Star Rating # of 2020 Reviews Weighted score
1 Innova Teebird 4.78 42 5.02
2 Innova Thunderbird 4.66 43 4.92
3 Infinite Discs Sphinx 4.9 22 4.86
4 Innova Firebird 4.64 38 4.83
5 Latitude 64 Explorer 4.83 22 4.79
6 Discraft Undertaker 4.77 25 4.77
7 Discmania FD 4.73 20 4.66
8 Discraft Raptor 4.76 16 4.63
9 Innova Valkyrie 4.52 31 4.61
10 Innova TeeBird3 4.74 14 4.58

How Old Is The Mold

Although discs in the 6-9 speed range have been around since the early years of disc golf, there have been many discs that have been discontinued or fallen out of favor in the disc golf world.  The list above contains discs whose approval date spans over two decades. From the ‘old school’ Innova Teebird, Leopard, Firebird, and Valkyrie, to the freshly minted Anax. The oldest discs on the list were approved in 1999 and 2000, with the newest member of the group getting approved in 2019. The average approval date is about 2011, the same year the Discmania FD was approved by the PDGA for sanctioned play.

Here is a list of the PDGA approval years:

Innova Teebird 1999
Innova Leopard 1999
Innova Firebird 2000
Innova Valkyrie 2000
Innova Roadrunner 2005
Discmania FD 2011
Innova Thunderbird 2014
Discraft Heat 2014
Discraft Undertaker 2016
Latitude 64 Explorer 2017
Innova Leopard3 2017
Innova Teebird3 2017
Discraft Raptor 2018
Infinite Discs Sphinx 2018
Discraft Anax 2019

2020 VS Last 8 Years

Out of curiosity, I pulled up the all-time sales for the discs on the list to see how the current year sales for the best fairway drivers compared with the sales for each mold since Infinite began in 2012. Here is the all-time top ten fairway drivers, compared with the top ten for 2020:

 

All-Time Sales Rank Mold 2020 Sales Rank Disc Mold
1 Innova Firebird 1 Innova Firebird
2 Innova Teebird 2 Innova Teebird
3 Innova Thunderbird 3 Innova Valkyrie
4 Innova Valkyrie 4 Innova Leopard
5 Innova Leopard 5 Discraft Undertaker
6 Discmania FD 6 Innova Thunderbird
7 Innova Leopard3 7 Discraft Heat
8 Innova Roadrunner 8 Discraft Anax
9 Innova Teebird3 9 Innova Leopard3
10 Discraft Undertaker 10 Innova Roadrunner

Averaging Sales With Age of Disc

Many of the molds on the top control driver list didn’t even exist when Infinite opened its doors. The older molds have had a lot more time to get accepted by disc golfers. That makes the newer mold’s place on the list a little more impressive. In an attempt to account for the age of the best control drivers, I took their total sales and divided it by the number of years that the mold has been around to get a sort-of average number of discs sold per year of existence.

For this list, the advantage goes to the much-hyped newer molds that might have short term boosts in sales, but that might fade after time. However, the fact that one of the oldest discs on the top sales list made this list shows the popularity of the Firebird.

 

Rank of Sales Divided by Age Mold Year Made
1 Discraft Anax 2019
2 Innova Leopard3 2017
3 Innova Thunderbird 2014
4 Innova Teebird3 2017
5 Infinite Discs Sphinx 2018
6 Discraft Undertaker 2016
7 Discraft Raptor 2018
8 Latitude 64 Explorer 2017
9 Discmania FD 2011
10 Innova Firebird 2000

Voting Results: Top Fairway Drivers

What amazing results for the best fairway driver of 2020! There were far and away more different molds chosen as people’s favorite than any other class of disc so far. A whopping 80 different molds received votes! The molds represented all of the larger manufacturers, and many smaller ones. One prototype mold even made the top five. We also received more total votes for this category than any other so far. Let’s jump into the results!

Rank Mold Percentage of Votes
1 Innova Teebird 8.6%
2 Innova Firebird 8.1%
3 Discraft Undertaker 6.5%
4 Innova Valkyrie 5.4%
5 AGL Locust 4.3%
6 Innova Thunderbird 3.8%
Latitude 64 River 3.8%
7 Dynamic Discs Explorer 3.6%
8 Infinite Discs Sphinx 3.4%
9 Discmania FD 3.2%
Innova Leopard3 3.2%
10 Innova Eagle 2.5%
Innova Sidewinder 2.5%
11 AGL Sycamore 2.3%
12 Innova Leopard 2.0%
13 Axiom Crave 1.8%
Discraft Heat 1.8%
MVP Volt 1.8%
14 Dynamic Discs Escape 1.6%
Innova Teebird3 1.6%
Dynamic Discs Getaway 1.6%

Voting Highlights

In some close voting the Teebird just edged out the Firebird as the favorite disc among voters. Many voters explained their choice for the Teebird:

  • Bryant V: I throw forehand 90% of the time and it is my most predictable disc. I can get it to go wherever I want it to go especially right to left.
  • David P: Does everything I need it to!
  • Colby: Best disc there is. Period.

Most of the top molds on the list also made the list for the top sales of 2020. A couple of notable exceptions are Above Ground Level’s Locust and Sycamore. The Sycamore has a flight rating that is slightly less overstable than a Teebird. While the prototype Locust sports a flight rating of 9, 4, -1, 3. The Locust even broke the top 5 for votes tallied. The disc was released as a prototype, but Infinite has ordered the disc and they will be available soon. Many voters heaped praise on the disc.

  • David D: The Locust from AGL Discs has been an absolute go to disc. Since getting my first one it has opened up my game so much. Definitely a disc that will always be in my bag.

Although Innova made up nearly have of the top voted molds, there was a total of nine different manufacturers that made the top 20 list. Quite a diverse bit of voting. In addition to the high number of different molds that were selected as people’s top choice, 56 molds received multiple votes.

As promised, we randomly selected a winner for the $50 gift card, and the winner is Drew P!

 

Let Us Know Your Favorite Fairway Driver

 

Now it’s your turn to let us know about your favorite fairway driver. Even if your disc didn’t make the list, let us know what it is, and why it is the best disc for you. Only comments with explanations of “why” will be eligible for the gift card. We will add the votes to our criteria for selecting the best fairway driver for 2020. This blog post will be updated next week with the final list of the top molds.

Prodigy Ace Line F, M, & P Model US

Prodigy has released some new discs to their Ace Line disc line up. Prodigy designed the Ace Line plastic to have excellent quality and performance. It is meant for all players, from beginner to advanced. Also, they make this plastic available at an accessible price point.

These are the New Discs:

F Model US

This fairway driver is designed to be understable, intended for the beginner to intermediate players. Prodigy created this disc to have an understable to straight flight path. Despite it being a 10 speed it feels like a fairway driver.

 

 

M Model US

The M Model US midrange is another understable to stable disc that flies pretty straight, which makes this an all-purpose midrange. The rim is comfortable to the grip, and easy to work with for all types of players.

 

 

P Model US

This is a understable putter that has a lot of glide to it. It also has a beadless rim making it feel comfortable to grip. Prodigy designed this disc for the beginner to the advanced player.

 

 

 

Head on over to InfiniteDiscs.com to pick these up today!

Drew Gibson Signature Stamps & New Inca Release

Drew Gibson’s Inca

Yesterday we released the Inca, a new mid-range disc among the Infinite Discs line line. This mid-range is released with an epic Incan warrior. I imagine him charging the chains on the disc catcher. We’ve decided to start it off with a P-Blend Glow plastic. Allowing you to play a round of disc golf at night and during the day!

This is a great disc for the individual who is looking for a moderately overstable mid-range. It has a consistent flight with slight end-fade. You can also manipulate this disc fairly easily and it will hold most lines you put it on. The P-Blend Glow plastic feels good in the hand and has enough grip that it won’t slip out prematurely. Check out this great video that talks about the Inca and shows you the flight path. Thanks Taylor!

Drew Gibson’s Scepter

Disc golf fans have never seen a Scepter as majestic as the Drew Gibson signature edition. This control driver looks even better than it did before in this Swirly S Line plastic with this sweet signature stamp. Thanks Drew Gibson, yet again. You can get yourself this disc to add to your disc golf collection, whether it is for the wall or for you bag.

All of us here at Infinite Discs, we thank you all, for making it possible for us to provide awesome discs to our fellow disc golfers. Throw on!

Best Disc Golf Fairway Drivers of 2018

Disc Golf Tunnel Shot

Note, this article was written in 2018. If you’re interested in more details of the best fairway drivers this year, check out this article as well:

Last week we kicked off our new series of posts naming the best disc golf discs on the market. We chose our pick for the best distance driver, and today we will take a look at the fairway drivers. Like the distance drivers, there are lots of new fairway drivers for players to choose from. Do you just want someone to tell you which one is the best? Well, let’s try to answer that question today.

Before I list our nominees for The Infinite Discs Best Disc Golf Disc: Fairway Driver, let me break down what we are looking for in a fairway driver today. Like the distance drivers, our keywords for choosing nominees will be popularity and utility. We will select popular fairway drivers that can be utilized by disc golfers of all skill levels. This especially gets interesting for control/fairway drivers, because we see a larger spectrum of stability and uses for different types of control drivers. Just a reminder from our last post as well, we will avoid nominating similar discs from the same brand (think TeeBird and TeeBird3).

So first, lets look at which fairway drivers have been the best sellers in 2018 so far.

Top sellers of 2018:

  1. Innova Firebird
  2. Innova Teebird
  3. Innova Thunderbird
  4. Discmania FD
  5. Innova Valkyrie
  6. Innova Leopard3
  7. Innova Leopard
  8. Infinite Discs Exodus
  9. Innova Teebird3
  10. Innova Roadrunner

Innova has traditionally dominated the best sellers in the distance driver category, but in 2018 they have really made gains in the fairway drivers as well. But what is interesting to know is of the next 10 best sellers, only 2 of them are Innova discs. Nearly all brands have released a competitive selling fairway driver.

But like I said, it takes more than popularity to receive a nomination and be named the best! So here are the nominees:

Latitude 64 Diamond

The Latitude 64 Diamond is considered by many to be the beginner driver.

This fairway driver is very understable and only comes in lighter weights. That combination makes it perfect for younger players or newer players who are still working on their form. Even more experienced players who like to throw at slower speeds have been able to put the Diamond to work for their game.

 

Dynamic Discs Escape

The Escape was the first Fairway Driver made by Dynamic Discs, and it has been a staple of the lineup ever since.

The Escape offers a pretty straight and neutral flight that can be used at all skill levels. The Escape gets a little more distance than some of the other fairway drivers nominated, and it is offered in a variety of DD’s plastic blends.

 

Discmania FD

The Discmania FD has been around for seven years now, but it has really just grown in popularity over the last 2 or 3 years.

Many players consider this the slightly understable cousin of the Innova TeeBird. The FD is straight to understable with a glide rating of 6 that is no joke. The FD is a sneaky far disc with a flight pattern that can accommodate all skill levels.

 

Dynamic Discs Felon

The Dynamic Discs Felon falls in the more overstable side of the fairway driver category.

With a flatter profile and overstable flight, many would consider this disc a primarily forehand or flick disc, but more seasoned players can manage this disc throwing backhand as well. What sets the Felon apart is it isn’t a true “meathook.” This disc, when given the right power, will hold straight before delivering a reliable overstable fade at the end of the flight.

 

Innova Firebird

The Innova Firebird‘s popularity has skyrocketed in recent years due to the Nate Sexton Glow Firebirds.

But even before then, the Firebird was known as a reliable overstable fairway driver perfect for getting around a corner or when you needed a disc to hold up in the wind without turning over. The Firebird along with the Felon are probably the least beginner friendly of our nominees.

 

Innova Leopard/Leopard3

We decided to list the Innova Leopard and Leopard3 together. If we were putting this list together last year, we probably would have just nominated the Leopard. But over the last year the Leopard3 has jumped way up on the sales charts and is becoming more and more mainstream. They are similar discs, with the Leopard3 offering a little more speed and stability. The Leopard is a very popular beginner’s disc, especially in DX plastic where it is inexpensive and offered in lighter weights. But both the Leopard and the Leopard3 have a flight that all throwers can find a use for.

 

Latitude 64 River

The Latitude 64 River has moved down the sales charts a bit over the last year, but it still is a very popular disc that has a unique mold and flight.

The River is slightly bigger than most drivers, but it has a smaller rim and a slight dome. I personally don’t know the science of it, but the River has great glide that allows the disc to stay in the air for what seems like forever. This disc is a long, straight flyer that can accommodate all arm speeds.

 

Innova Roadrunner

The Innova Roadrunner has been around for over 13 years, but it is experiencing a bit of a resurgence.

It has always been a very popular understable disc that is great for beginners. But recently the Roadrunner is growing in popularity as a distance roller disc for more experienced players. That being said, bigger arms will still enjoy this disc for long understable air shots.

 

Innova TeeBird

The Innova TeeBird will turn 20 years old in 2019, and throughout that time it has been an extremely popular disc for players of all skill levels.

It is in that sweet spot in stability where it isn’t too overstable for newer players, but it is overstable enough to handle big power from the pros. The TeeBird has a reliable flight and is available in a large variety of plastic blends and weights.

 

Innova Thunderbird

The Innova Thunderbird is often described as being a faster TeeBird, offering a little more distance. And if you just go by the manufacturers flight ratings, that is exactly right.

The higher speed makes this disc a little less beginner friendly, but is still very popular among all disc golfers. If you have found a shot that the TeeBird just comes up a bit short on, try a Thunderbird and you should be pretty close!

 

MVP Volt

MVP and their Gyro technology disrupted the disc golf world when they first hit the scene.

At first they just offered putters and midranges, but at the end of 2012 they brought the overmold to the drivers with their release of the Volt. The Volt has continued to be one of MVP‘s best selling discs ever since. It is a straight to slightly overstable fairway driver that delivers a consistent flight pattern.

 

We have quite a few more nominees for our fairway drivers than we had distance drivers, but like I mentioned, the fairway driver category covers more types of flights, so we felt that there were more discs that deserved nominations in this category.

Best Fairway Driver of 2018

All of these fairway drivers are very popular and can enhance the game of disc golfers of all skill levels. But today we have made our decision for the BEST fairway driver on the market. And the winner is…

THE INFINITE DISCS BEST DISC GOLF DISC: FAIRWAY DRIVER

INNOVA TEEBIRD

It is hard to make a case against the Innova TeeBird. The TeeBird has been the standard of the fairway driver category for years, and it offers a flight that can compliment the game of all skill levels of disc golfers. The TeeBird is available in a large variety of plastic blends and weights, so if you haven’t, check out the TeeBird today.

What’s your favorite fairway driver? Share your opinion with the disc golf world by commenting below.