FTT's (slower) bag project

[Fightingthetide]

A 175 SEX would be more wind fighting and more overstable than a Champ TB. At least if it is a flat SEX. Otherwise it looks ok, but there are alwas personal preference issues, which is why you should get both a TB and at least a mid 160s SEX.

I'm in a bind with disc money right now...bought about 5 or 6 and lost 3 in the last month. So I'm trying to be really sure of what to put in that slot before I drop more money this month. I've thrown Teebirds before and I really loved the way they would carry so much distance. I was able to flex them out really well and work them on forced turnover lines - specifically a really sweet 170 Star TB that had gradual dome. What I loved about them was their accuracy when headwind wasn't a big issue. I also loved the distance they could get, but now I have Wraiths in the bag, so I'm not wanting to use TB's (or even EX's) as my distance drivers. What I'm looking for is an easily controllable stable control driver (workhorse driver) that will fly on a variety of lines, can be used forehand and backhand easily, will eventually be able to flip up from hyzer, will handle a little bit of wind, and will be easy to gauge distances (won't fly past the pin). So am I describing an EX?

[Crosseyed0811]

yes

[Fightingthetide]

yes

awesome

[Crosseyed0811]

Simple answer

[Fightingthetide]

indeed

[JR]

yes

Agreed.

[Fightingthetide]

Here I go again, changing my mind like a fat kid who can't decide between cake or cookies. I'm going to go back to the purpose of my OP and stop the speed at 7, with the exception of a lighter DX Valk. I'll hang on to my Wraith and Archon for field work, but I'll try to pick up two or three more Teebirds to make the bag complete.

Cone of shame.

EDIT: Going slow, lighter, AND old school. Just ordered a 168 DX Valk, a 166 DX Teebird and a 166 DX Eagle-X

Distance - 168 DX Valkyrie
Very Overstable - 173 Champ Banshee
Overstable - 170 Champ Teebird
Stable - 166 DX Teebird
Stable - 166 DX Eagle-X
Neutral - 174 Champ Leo
Understable - 171 Pro Leo (fresh)
Very Understable - 175 Pro Leo (beat)

Stable Mid - 177 Vector
Neutral Mid - 178 Axis
Understable Mid - 177 GL Fuse

Drive/Approach - 172 Ion
Putting - 170 Ion

[Fightingthetide]

A little review of the bag, more for my own sake, but chime in if you want to.

168 DX Valkyrie - Just arrived in the mail today. Hoping that it will turn a little from flat out of the box and work for a max D driver. Also hoping it will season well and flip from a bit of hyzer. Once it gets too flippy for anything but tailwinds, I'll pick up a Pro Valk around the same weight or a touch lighter.

173 Champ Banshee - I've been practicing thumbers, tommy's, skip shots, and a variety of flex shots. I've found this disc to be so invaluable, helping me get out of trouble and also helping me hit gaps and certain lines that need to change direction quickly. I love it.

170 Champ Teebird - Thrown flat, this thing is beefy. If I give it anny and keep it low, it holds a turnover for quite a while...much longer than I would expect. It's actually been hard to figure out. It's my headwind D driver for now, until the wind gets too strong...then I switch to the Banshee.

166 DX Teebird - Just arrived today. I'm hoping this will be a more user-friendly Teebird than my Champ. I'm hoping it will break in to flip up just a touch and fly on a frozen rope for tunnel shots.

166 DX Eagle-X - Just arrived today. I'm testing it out next to the TB to see what I like better. I probably wont use it to be a turnover driver, because I love my Leo's for that slot.

174 Champ Leo - Very workable and right at the bottom of my ideal driver speed, making it good off the tee and on the fairway. I'm still learning how to make this a tunnel-shot disc. I either put it on too much hyzer or manage to make it turn right when I want it to stay flat. I thought it's weight and plastic would make it a straighter disc...however, I think I just need more time.

171 Pro Leo - Slowly breaking in. I've found it to be most useful on tailwind and shots that need to dodge trees and still fade softly. I'll add another one once this starts to flip more.

175 Pro Leo - I bought this used, and it is flippy as mess. I can put it on a steeep hyzer with a full rip and it will still turn right. It's my roller disc and what I use when I need to finish straight in front of me.

177 Vector - Flex approach shots and approaches that need fade. Simple and very useful for me. I haven't had much luck driving with it. I think the Proton plastic is tough to figure out with grips, but I'm slowly getting the hang of it.

178 Axis - I pulled my 178 Z Buzzz out to see if this would take it's place. While it doesn't handle a drive like a Buzzz, it has a very similar flight pattern with less fade and more glide. I love it on approaches that need glide and a straight finish. I need more time to practice driving with it. I tend to be inconsistent with it off the tee, just like the Vector.

177 GL Fuse - I have two of these right now, one being less stable than the other. I'm using the less-stable of the two for now so it will break in more. On a stronger pull with hyzer, they flip up and fade softly. From flat, they turn right at the end of their flight. Powered down, they are suuuper straight and glide so well. I have more control with my Axis, so I usually don't use these for approach shots. They are more of a driving mid for me.

172 M Ion / 170 MIon - Approach/Putt combo. Both are transparent and non-textured. These are great. Not much to say other than I love how straight they fly. I've threaded tiny gaps with these on approaches and learned to use them on shots under 200' with a clear view of the basket - point and shoot. On putts, I'm learning to give them more spin and gaining accuracy. I've also had a few succesfull jump-putts...never been able to hit those before.

[Fightingthetide]

After 1 round, the 166 DX Teebird and 168 DX Valk are pretty useless for me. They are both super domey and soft and flip like mad, and this is before they hit a few trees.

However, my 166 DX EX is really nice. It made me buckle and buy a 167 Star EX and a 170 Champ EX.

[Fightingthetide]

Played a round today and added my 170 Star Wraith and 166 Star Archon to the bag to see what they would do for me. I actually never played a round with them before removing them from the bag. I had enough field work with them to find that they might have been too much disc for me. I was partially correct. The course I played had a few fairways that were pretty long and usually were hard for me to get accuracy AND distance. The Archon bombed down a few fairways with a beautiful flight! It landed a few birdies on par 4's that I normally struggle with. The Wraith worked okay, but I ended up losing it, and I really think I could do the same shots (if not better) with my 170 Champ EX once it arrives in the mail. So the Archon stays in the bag.

Soon-to-be bag, once the EX's arrive:

166 Star Archon - Distance (favorable winds)
173 Champ Banshee - Very Overstable
170 Champ Eagle-X - Overstable
167 Star Eagle-X - Stable Control
166 DX Eagle-X - Stable Control (starting a rotation)
173 Champ Leopard - Understable
171 Pro Leopard - Understable (still breaking in)
175 Pro Leopard - Understable (flippy, rollers, etc.)
177 Vector
178 Axis
177 GL Fuse - more stable Fuse
177 GL Fuse - less stable Fuse
172 Ion
170 Ion

[JR]

Have you thrown a Vulcan? It is less HSS, faster and more gliding than the Archon. Depending on your form and power it could be longer than the Archon for you. The danger is, that you have enough power to push it so hard, that it becomes unfogivingly understable. If you throw it high it becomes much more usable and less flippy than on normal line drive heights.

[Fightingthetide]

Have you thrown a Vulcan? It is less HSS, faster and more gliding than the Archon. Depending on your form and power it could be longer than the Archon for you. The danger is, that you have enough power to push it so hard, that it becomes unfogivingly understable. If you throw it high it becomes much more usable and less flippy than on normal line drive heights.

My Archon has enough high speed turn for me, and seems to glide really well. It's a soft Star blend (which could be because it's light...166g), with a good bit of dome that almost seems to hide the bump on the shoulder. I've learned to give it a touch of hyzer for controlled D and flat with a little more height for max D. Yesterday during my round, I was giving it a touch of hyzer and about 75% power, and I was threading through the woods like never before, because with other discs I was needing to give more power to get the same D, which often led to inaccurate releases.

I feel like anything more would be too wild. If I know someone locally who has one I might give it a toss.

[JR]

Wild it is indeed, if you don't throw it way high. But the Vulcan is speed 13 vs the 11 of the Archon. Thus the distance also differs, because unlike other speed 13 discs, the Vulcan does not have a hard fade, that drops it quickly out of the air. It is better, when it's powered down. And it punishes hard, if you planned to throw powered down and accidentally get a good rip.

[Fightingthetide]

IF I put a warp speed driver in my bag, here's where I am not going with this - adding in a warp speed driver to neglect throwing the slower stuff further. I would only add it to gain D where it counts and wouldn't hurt...wide open, grassy fairways on 450'+ holes.

[Fightingthetide]

Here's another question. Would my flat 175 CFR PD be much different than a firebird? Im gonna add it back to the bag to try it out again as a faster/longer compliment to my 173 Champ Banshee.

I use my Banshee on thumbers, escape shots, headwinds, and flex shots. I'm wanting a faster compliment that will flex back just as well and increase my reach, and skip further. What I've noticed with my CFR PD is that it seems to be much more workable on a turnover shot than i would expect, but it stll fades hard. Is that the difference the Discmania top makes? I know PD's have the FB bottom.