Best side arm driver and general bag advice

[rodman]

Hello guys and gals. I'm on a quest looking for the best side arm driver. I'm currently learning to throw sidearm and it's a quite handy shot to have in the bag. I started throwing sidearm and picked up distance from my backhand but I've gotten a bit erratic with it as I've spent less time on the practice field and tried to throw while on the course.

My progression of discs for the sidearm drive has gone from the beast which was long but hard to control to the TL which is almost dead straight and is still a good option... to the longer firebird which does a slight S curve but seems longer than the tl. I just lost my firebird and need another but I've also read about some others that are nice. I see that the SL is rated by blake as the best sidearm disc but I cant seem to throw it. I'm seriously considering the Crush as I believe I've read it's a good one for sidearmers and it's fast.

It seems that I get better spin and about 30-50 feet better distance from a sidearm throw and thus I can start to consider the faster discs. Knowing this it disappoints me that my SL doenst fit the bill. IT's to fast and hard for me to throw backhanded as my backhand distance is around 290-320 right now. Mostly with the roadrunner or a valk. My backhand TL is solid and mostly my backhand driver of choice but it's only getting me around 280.

So... can you guys give me an idea of some great sidearm drivers and also an idea of the line it takes when you throw it well. Thanks.

[Blake_T]

i nowhere have written the SL is good for sidearm

for perfecting the technique, you are best off with versatile slow drivers and mids/putters... that being the same drivers i recommend for developing backhand technique. it will help you develop a full array of shots and learn to control/manipulate flight.

[AciDBatH666]

Well i can speak from experience. Ive got a nasty sidearm drive. Im trying to get away from it and work on my backhand. I was sort of on the same path as you. I was sidearming beasts a lot, and loved em. They had the perfect amount of overstableness to get some nice distance out of em.

But as my sidearm progressed, and I was able to gain more and more distance and power into the throw, Beasts started to turn understable on me. At this point I started flinging my Starfire around. I now carry a 175 Starfire, a 168, and a 171 StarSL.
THey are really great for accurate sidearm drives... (For me at least)
Now when I wanted more distance, I started to try to convert over to my orcs for some nasty D. And I learned to control the HELL out of em. I found out that the more power I put into it, the more I was able to turn em over. But I found the middle-ground between understable-stableness to get max D in a straight line.

I also found that the lighter weight i went, the more I was turning them over. My 2 main drivers are a 173 Champ Orc, and 168 Champ Orc.
Heres a vid i made the other day
http://s-series.org/albums/album27/AcidDG.wmv

The first few drives I was just throwin, The last half I was pretty much aiming straight ahead.
The normal backhand drives are around 320-330 feet, But my final 2 throws are a 175 Champ Starfire, Which just goes straight and dives right..
The last throw, Is one of my max D drivers. My 168 Champion Orc.
Just look at how long it holds the line.....



In a nutshell, I use Champion Orcs for most of my max D Sidearm drives, and Starfires for more accurate but shorter drives.

[rodman]

That was an awsome last toss. I guess i've misread the BEST OF list. The best sidearm is the star starfire. Is the SL not just the L version of the Starfire and if so... is it just not a great sidearmer because of the L?

The beast was also going left on me and I play mostly on a tight course so low and straight is best. That's why i've been going mostly with the TL but that firebird is serving me well now. Maybe I should practice a bit with a leopard and my TL and then step towards the orc and starfire.

[AciDBatH666]

Well, I bought my StarSL at a tourney just to check it out. But I dont find that it flies like my Starfire at all. It turns understable on me way too often from sidearm drives. My StarTL does it too. They almost act similar. Both of those discs turn left on me, but the TL glides a lil more.

If the beast is turning left on you, You might wanna just try to up the weight a hair.
I know for a fact that with my orcs, the lighter one does more of an S, and the 173 pretty much B lines a straight drive nearly the whole way.

I used to carry 2 beasts around for that reason. My 168 got more glide and did a big S, but the 175 Beast I had held a straighter line better. I found the heavier ones harder to turn over, ANd its pretty much a good rule of thumb for my drives.
I cant really think of other drivers that would be good to work on for more accurate/distance drives other than the Beast/Starfires.
If i sidearm Valks, I turn em over an unbeleivable amount cuz they rip so hard out of my hand. Sidewinders, roadrunners... All the same thing. I had to stick to more overstable discs, or learn to really control stable drivers like Orcs

[rodman]

Thanks, awsome info.

[Mr. Merchant]

I really like the monster and predator for sidearm in 173g+. they are very predictable since they are way over stable. I can throw a monster or a pred 300+ sidearm. I have been doing well with my champ starfires and a kc pro tee bird(175) for tighter shots, I seem to get more distance if I nail it right. when I go all out with these discs sometimes they don't turn back right enough for me. I've been practicing sidearm in the field with a 172 dx gazelle to get the technique down, when I nail it right it goes very straight and very long and its helping me be more versatile and not so reliant on super over stable plastic.

I agree with acid, I definetly think heavy plastic is best for side arm.

[Blake_T]

the starfire and SL are very different discs. predictability is the main difference.

basically, a great sidearm shot = you can throw any shot type and use nearly any disc.

[rodman]

Blake,

The problem is that at least for me, I'll never be GREAT at any of this. I will play enough to be pretty good but I'm figuring that if i can find discs that "work" for me then I'd have more chance to excell. I have found that I can do a lot with a sidearm throw that I cant with a backhander. I can take that TL and give it a bit of a "hyzer" (left tilt??) and she'll hold that line and get good distance. However when I try to throw that same line backhand then it gives me a different line. I love throwing both back and side arm as it gives me so many options vs. my opponents which exclusively throw backhand.

[jdawg4422]

I love the monster for my sidearms throws. I am pretty much a sidearm driver and backhand short game. I also started with an old mold beast and loved it but the it started turnning over too much on me and I switched to a wraith which was long but not as much control as i wanted. Then i tried the monster on a windy day and now i use that for most of my drives even when it is not windy. Very predictable disc, but may not work for you as it is not a dead straight disc.

[dscglfgeo]

I've found that for big sidearm hyzer shots I use a Z-crush more gets great D and holds the hyzer the whole time. I also use a Z-flick for long controled shots. The flick also has a shallow rim allowing for a cleaner release. I used to use an orc but it got understable on me.

[adidadg]

basically if you want to learn a forehand good enough just to "get by" with, use a really stable disc since they are most predictable and easiest to learn with. But Blake is right , if you want to be skilled in the ways of the forehand, you should be able to throw any disc that you would throw backhand.

I love my pro-Monster for forehands, but because its the only disc I throw for them I will turn anything else over that is less stable. Im sure if I learned with something like a JLS , my forehand would be way more versatile at this point.

side note... if you use something like a monster and want to add instant distance to your forehand, try a 150 class flick., they haul.

[jgarcia9102]

A Champion eagle is a great Flick disc. It has a good cobination of HS turn and LS overstability.

If you think about it though, there isnt really such thing as one good flick disc, no more so than a good backhand disc. its possible that forhand drives may cause discs to act less HSS, but most of the time its just that people need a firebird to drive with because they roll their wrist and over-tourque the thing.

if a disc is flipping on you, try trowing with hyzer, thats all, and if you still flip it its your own fault

i understand you dont really care about your form as long as it does what you want, but to me, carrying a designated 'forehand driver' seems kinda pointless.

[Blake_T]

The problem is that at least for me, I'll never be GREAT at any of this. I will play enough to be pretty good but I'm figuring that if i can find discs that "work" for me then I'd have more chance to excell.

if you aim for the stars and hit the ceiling, you are still above where you started.

proficiency is often enough for most. excellence occurs when the decision is made to be better than you are.

anyone that asks question deep down seeks greatness, but there are really no shortcuts. everything has a learning curve and mastery comes through experience.

throwing putters, mids, and slow drivers (both backhand and sidearm) will yield slower success in the short run, but 2 months from now the success will likely be more apparent.

the reason i frown upon using out of the box understable plastic as straight drivers (e.g. roadrunner, sidewinder, etc.) are because you CANNOT learn to throw far when throwing this plastic (however, players who can already throw far can throw this stuff far as well). similarly, very few players that throw ultra fast overstable plastic will learn to throw far until they can already throw well with slow plastic.

[rodman]

I understand your point. It's so hard to not pull out that Roadrunner that I know will sail a mile and have a pretty nice line. That disc is just now starting to go a bit S curvy on me. Before it was just straight and long with slight left at end. It's still my longest backhand disc though.

I hear you loud and clear Blake.