MVP Ion

[jubuttib]

I only use the JOKERi when I need more fade than the ION has to offer, in heavy headwinds, some forehands and for thumbers. It's my utility putter, ION takes care of 99% of the business, and since I only carry the ION and JOKERi, I'm not overloaded on putter molds.

[Frank Delicious]

what do you throw for turnover putter shots?

[jubuttib]

what do you throw for turnover putter shots?

A thrashed ION, duh. I also have two deflashed first runs that are eager to turn, but ever since I beat in a couple of mediums I've shied away from using them on wooded, underbrushy courses.

[Frank Delicious]

How long did it take you to thrash those Ions? Also I didn't think about the first runs.

[jubuttib]

Not too long actually, though I did have plenty of help from my DIY basket. Lots of sharp corners on that one, they eat the bead nicely. =)

EDIT: I should mention that these are early mediums that were really straight to begin with. I haven't yet beaten in a newer textured medium ION that has a totally flat top and more consistent bead.

[uNicedmeMan]

Finally got an Ion to try and I have to say I was pretty impressed. FWIW my Ion is of the new/current transparent run and is a 170g soft (red). I've been a wizard thrower for the past 5+ years so any comparisons/observations made in the following review are with wizards. All observations were made in one day at my friends putter only course.

Looks:
Sweet looking disc. Zero mold imperfections and the plastic is straight sexy.

Grip / Feel:
The soft proton plastic is quite gummy / tacky and the shape of the disc feels great in my hand. I haven't had a chance to try it out in very wet conditions but I haven't had a problem with it in the cold. The rounded edge where the inner rim meets the flight plate actually makes the disc feel a little shallower to me which I liked.

Performance Throwing BH (as opposed to putting):
It's been said a million times on here but the Ion really does like to glide and get sneaky long D. As a wizard thrower the Ion seems a little bit faster with a touch more HSS and a touch less LSS. I expected the Ion to be a bit more HSS but I enjoy the LSS it has. I'm with Mike C in that I don't really throw too many short-touchy BH annies so I didn't try many but the Ion performs excellently on stronger/longer anny lines just fine. I threw a bunch of anny lines that held the angle all the way to the ground and I even overcompensated a few times earlier on with too much anny that tuned and burned where a wizard would have come out.

FH:
Yunz weren't kidding when you said that Ion's were awesome putters for flicking. I really enjoy flicking putters for upshots and with some snap the Ion locks into a line and sails at the target. It took me a few tries to really get this dialed in because I was overthrowing everything by 30-40', it just goes...

Putting:
The wizards that I use for putting are firm and tacky. As a push putter I don't like much give in the flight plate because I feel that it creates inconsistent releases and my putts with the Ion were just that - inconsistent. I didn't feel comfortable putting with it and would like to try a 170ish medium to see what that's like. Disregarding my release issues, it did seem that the Ion liked a little more juice for putts than the wizard which I don't like and it was really dying out on longer jump putts where my beat wizards (and even newer wizards) would have kept going.

Overall:
Interesting disc indeed. I am playing a round tomorrow with the Ion in the bag for further testing. I am going to limit this testing to drives and upshots because I don't think my wizards are going anywhere for putting duties (would still like to try an medium Ion and Anode for putts). After seeing what I can do FH with the Ion, it's gonna be tough to not have one in the bag.

[uNicedmeMan]

I think it's been said in this thread already but I don't feel like rooting for it. Will a 175 medium ion have less glide and more LSS than a 170 soft? I love the 170 for throwing far and working lines but I would like a bit more fade for approach duties. If a heavy medium is a bit beefier, I think I can cover the gamut of driving / approaching with it and the 170 soft.

[JR]

Provided the disc doesn't buckle under the thumb a soft and a medium fly the same weight for weight usually or the soft is just a hair less HSS with the same LSS. At least in the ones i've thrown.

[discspeed]

I think it's been said in this thread already but I don't feel like rooting for it. Will a 175 medium ion have less glide and more LSS than a 170 soft? I love the 170 for throwing far and working lines but I would like a bit more fade for approach duties. If a heavy medium is a bit beefier, I think I can cover the gamut of driving / approaching with it and the 170 soft.

The medium(regulars now) Ions do glide a little less, but they have less LSS than the softs. Softs get a more lateral fade where the harder variety finish more forward as they lose speed. FWIW, I think the 170ish med Ions have more LSS than the 175s. I would recommend one of those or a max weight soft (which should glide a bit less and be more LSS than your 170).

[7ontheline]

I prefer the feel of soft Ions, and favor the soft opaques @ 167. I picked up some a couple glows @ 168 thinking they would be more stable, which they are. Maybe its an opaque vs. clear plastic thing but my glows are a touch more firm and stable than my opaques.

Its rarely windy in Memphis but I bought a 170 med glow (3rd top row) and it for sure fades more and goes further than my other Ions, although I think it could be that its easier to throw it that it doesn't flex when thrown hard or at least handles my OAT better. In case you haven't heard, light weight Ions GLIDE.

Anyone got any opaque 167 FSOT? I have a problem...

[Jelyman]

I have a question that I asked in a different thread, but have heard conflicting tales so thought I could ask here as well.

I've been putting with, I believe, the first run ions. They are the white opaque ones with no stamp. Anyway I like them plenty. My only complaint/wish was that they were a bit more stable to hold up in the wind a bit more. It can get pretty gusty here and the ion Was.....not quite as good as I hoped there.

All this being said are the new molds any more stable or the glow eclipse plastic maybe? Mine are all 168/169 mediums too, so maybe just heavier? Idk.

Thanks

[jubuttib]

I have a question that I asked in a different thread, but have heard conflicting tales so thought I could ask here as well.

I've been putting with, I believe, the first run ions. They are the white opaque ones with no stamp. Anyway I like them plenty. My only complaint/wish was that they were a bit more stable to hold up in the wind a bit more. It can get pretty gusty here and the ion Was.....not quite as good as I hoped there.

All this being said are the new molds any more stable or the glow eclipse plastic maybe? Mine are all 168/169 mediums too, so maybe just heavier? Idk.

Thanks

First run IONs were blue with a red/orange overmold, so your IONs are definitely from a later run.

Ever since they lost the textured bottom the IONs have been more HSS and LSS, the clear ones most so. They're still not really overstable putters, but do have some noticeable fade now, unless you spin them like a mofo.

[7ontheline]

First run IONs were blue with a red/orange overmold, so your IONs are definitely from a later run.

Ever since they lost the textured bottom the IONs have been more HSS and LSS, the clear ones most so. They're still not really overstable putters, but do have some noticeable fade now, unless you spin them like a mofo.

^^^ This.

I believe the blanks were the second run opaques. My second run opaque red does NOT have the "Proton" plastic stamp above the MVP stamp. Also, see the "textured bottom" of the second run red where the outer 1.5" of the bottom flight plate is sanded/rough vs. the entire smooth bottom of the white, stable straight, third run white.

[Jelyman]

Ok cool. Thanks for the replies. Yeah at first I was surprised at how straight they were, but I really like them a lot. I have been thinking about trying the anode as well because it reminds me of the pure which I really like too.

Thanks again

[JR]

Soft Anodes fade. Mediums not so much. Clear Ions fade quite a lot. The spin on the Ion is not hard to do in putts even long ones but it may reduce accuracy if you eliminate the spin. For me it is unfeasibly inaccurate trying to spin that much. I've yet to do a shoot out with anodes of the less fading medium kind and the straightest Ions. I used the soft opaque ion 167 as my main putter the last year. Slips in the rain with the soft Ion were too much and now that the soft Anode may fade more than that i'm not happy about the grip. Especially in the cold weather my miserably slick skin producing stupid slips even in putting to the point of using the birdie grip to avoid slips even with soft X APX. A very grippy disc. No dice with washed regular Vibram either once my hand got colder and slicker. Meh. I gotta look into moisturizing the hands and actually using lotions unlike now.