Star TL vs. Sabre vs. ???

[Aaron_D]

For low straight shots over 300' I use my star wraith. The star plastic is more overstable, but for low, hard shots if you put the right angle on it with sufficient power it will fly straight as an arrow for at least 300' then fade predictably in the last 10% of the flight path. I recently threw my 174 star wraith over 400' with a powerful line drive shot maybe 8' off the ground at it's apex. Its still not as far as my champ beast, but for the flight path you are describing and the durability you want, if you have the power, a star wraith wont disappoint. I wouldnt use dx plastic if you are only going to get one disc to use for a long time. They can change significantly after a single round if its the only disc you use. I know Blake loves to talk about how dx plastic is superior, but if you are only getting one disc, I say go with premium plastic.

[Blake_T]

for the shot he is describing, i wouldn't recommend a wraith in any plastic...

too much low speed fade unless it's turned over and too fast to be overly accurate.

the z xl and q jls are a few of the only slower control drivers that are still moderately stable while being fairly straight available in premium plastic.

now for shots over 400'... i'd push the wraith, but anything shorter as a workhorse driver, a slower, more controllable disc will be a better choice in the long run.

the majority of the holes in dg are in the 225-325' range and imo, disc selection should cater towards that first.

[Aaron_D]

the majority of the holes in dg are in the 225-325' range and imo, disc selection should cater towards that first.

That is a very good point.

Lately Ive been suffering from a mild case Pure D disorder. <3 my 168 dx valk! I have a z xl 171 and 174 and they are great for 200'-300' straight drives with little fade, but the wind totally freaks them out and makes them pretty darn flippy for premium plastic...although not as flippy as anything dx under 170g.

[jiwaburst]

Yeah, though I love the wraith, it's not at all what I need here. A slower driver is less touchy, and I need to be able to throw a tight shot which is on a slight slope in either direction, going straight or slight right.

What's happening to my game, which is probably very normal for someone of my experience level, is that as I notice that my consistency gets better for some shots than for others.

Certain sidearm shots are easier as gradual turnovers, and vice versa. Mid-ranges get longer and are used more on tee shots when height is not an issue. Learning when to roll vs. when to try a hyzer flip with a valk vs. anhyzer driving an orc or wraith, or trying to throw a starfire as hard as I can down the middle.

I am trying to move on from the phase where I try and recreate shots that I pulled off one out of four times, and right now this straight to very slight right shot with little fade is the glaring hole in my bag, something I have to try and force with the wrong disc.

And my problem is that turning something over slightly makes it likely to ground out short, whereas gliding a TeeBird looks so good for eighty percent of the flight, and then fades out to leave me a 35-40 footer.

The flight of a low valkyrie (cue Wagner score here) is close to what I want, except slower, a little less nose angle sensitive, and not nearly as wind sensitive.

But again, most of the responses here really got that and gave me some good disc ideas. And I look forward to trying these discs and making the best choice I can.

[Aaron_D]

If you decide to go with a z xl ( I have 2 a 171 and a 174 ) there really is a noticable difference in their flight characteristics. The 171 is a lot flipper especially in a headwind, if you have good snap.

In my opinion, the z xl needs a very 'medium' strength shot with a level release (for less than 300'), and a nice hyzer release with 20+ feet of height for longer distances (over 350') to flatten out and S. I thought i would mention that considering you said you wanted the disc for low line drive type shots.

Take it with a grain of salt, as everyone throws differently, but im TELLING YOU a star wraith released with slight anhyzer for a low straight shot will sail for lightyears (although, you are right about the low speed fade, but with a nice low shot this is minimized).

gl.

[jiwaburst]

Take it with a grain of salt, as everyone throws differently, but im TELLING YOU Very Happy a star wraith released with slight anhyzer for a low straight shot will sail for lightyears (although, you are right about the low speed fade, but with a nice low shot this is minimized).

My pro wraith does do a heck of a hydroplane, but I'm not consistant enough to count on it yet. I haven't tried the star wraith yet, probably won't need more D until the pins get changed on our local course in May.

[presidio hills]

i used a D XL a lot in a tournament this weekend. i found throwing it relaxed i got to the point i could put it on any line. in light to medium headwind i was getting away with it, in tailwinds it worked awsome. i think XLs are great for low straight shots... the Z should be able to handle more snap so i figure it could go 350' only 5' off the ground if thrown well. and would be consistent as well... they do fade consistently... just a small fade. on straight shots you need to throw relaxed to just nail the line right... the XL really lets you get away with this, it needs to be thrown well, not hard.

[MrTasses]

I highly suggest the DX TeeBird. Since you already like the Star TeeBird, the DX will be right up your alley. I started throwing DX Tbirds for the exact same shot on a suggestion from Blake. Now my seasoned bird will fly straight as a laser beam, has almost no low speed fade, and is very forgiving.

I have heard that the Tbird-L is a little less forgiving, tends to turn-over easier.

[rodman]

You may want to consider a Roadrunner. She will fly straight and low on a line. It may want to move a bit right but that champion plastic should hold up in the jungle. It's my choice when I have a long alley of trees to negotiate. That or my Star TL.