What's in my Bag #1

I love reading about what people, pros or joes, have in their bag. I'm going to make this a series give the current status and update with a copied post every time it changes. For this first post, I'm going to list everything I've ever used, even if I don't use it now.

(Note: I'm not crushing everything, but I'm 6'/210 and throw almost exclusively sidearm/forehand, even on huge left doglegs and tunnels. We're all different, it's just better for me. I can't throw a driver well at all backhand, though mid-range discs under 250' I'm okay.

Distance Drivers
Star Destroyer (175g) - oh, but this one feels right. The bevelled rim is wide, and it feels odd sometimes, but I really like it. I have plenty of power (I'm not great at utilizing it... matching power/arm speed to the snap) so this one is great. I can throw it arrow straight or put it a little higher and just bank it up a little for a left-to-right forehand hyzer that hits with a spike.

Star Teerex (175g) - great into the wind disc that I like as much as the Destroyer. I had & lost two of these, and miss them. I'm in a stage of trying out a lot of discs and have used a Banshee, Monster and (just bought but haven't yet used) a Firebird as my headwind distance drivers. Don't really like the Banshee, really don't like the Monster -- weird grip feel on the forehand, ugh. If the Firebird doesn't do it, then I'm buying another Star TeeRex for my headwind shots. You have to have a good headwind driver where I live (South Texas) as we get lots of wind year round (I moved here in 2001 for the windsurfing...).

Star Wraith (172, 174, 175g) - Good disc, but the Destroyer is pretty much doing the same thing. I've had several after finding one in a tree, using it for a week & loving it (pre-Destroyer days), then finding it's owner and returning it. I might go back if I ever decide it's better than the Destroyer but it's not looking good.

Pro Wraith (174, 175g) - I only have one left, one somebody gave my son (who has given up the sport for now). I don't use it much but have it for practice and for when I wonder if I really like the Destroyer better.

Star Monster (175g) - I don't like this disc at all. I've crushed it a couple of times on windward drives and it's done well, but don't like the feel of the grip. I don't know what to do with it. It's not for beginners (very unfriendly rim & dome and cranks hard hyzers with little glide potential) so maybe I'll just keep it for reference or find someone who loves Monsters and work out a trade.

Champion Beast (172g) - I bought this because I wanted something I could easily turn over, for high, over-the-trees shots that I needed to come left a lot. I end up flipping it too far 8-of-10 tries though, so that didn't work out. I have used it with great results as a tailwind distance driver. It's pretty sweet for that, but the Roadrunner is more fun. Part of it is the Champion plastic. This is my only Champion disc and me-no-likey. Star & Pro and better for me and how slippery it can be here, where it's either hot & humid, hot & raining, cool & humid or cool & raining, so anything that's slippery is out. Having said that, I haven't given this disc up yet, but I have a friend who I'm going to loan it to, to see if they like it.

Star Roadrunner (175g). I really like this disc. I bought it for two holes with sweeping lefts that I have trouble with and it works great. It also works great as a tailwind driver and for tunnel shots. It's very versatile and I could see the day where I might have something like a Firebird/Teerex, Destroyer and a Roadrunner and that's it... all strong Star plastic so I wouldn't have to deal with changing characteristics but would have essentially an overstable, stable and understable in grips I like.

Fairway Drivers
DX Eagle - First disc I ever lost, put it in a pond, couldn't find it. I've used a few of these, at the beginning of my playing days and never could throw it worth-a-darn. Probably could now, but there are other discs that are similar to it.

DX Banshee - Seem to be the most common "found" disc in the courses I play. Must be easy to lose or maybe just really popular because it's so windy here. I don't really like this disc very much as a fairway driver, but it's still in my bag because if I need a huge hyzer shot from about 150-200' feet, I can just flick this thing out there flat without the speed and snap it needs and that's that, hyzer city.

I can throw a great forehand annhyzer with a variety of discs, mid, fairway or distance. Close in I can float in an anny just right. Close in hyzers? Not at all. A finesse forehand hyzer eludes me, but the Banshee eliminates the need.

DX Gazelle - I've had a few of these, never figured them out. My current DX version is very beat up and somewhat light so I have it in my loaner bag. Since it's so beat, it plays pretty good for someone who's just getting the hang of drivers.

Mid-range
Pro Roc - I play mid-range discs mostly forehand, too. I can throw this a lot farther backhand (maybe 250') and it throws straight. Having said that, I'm not comfortable backhand, and the rim on the Roc is too deep for my forehand/sidearm grip, so I usually just loan this to people who are starting out and want something pretty easy to throw straightish. I was given my Roc by a guy who got it at a tourney but already had a dozen of them. I feel kind of stupid that I don't love this disc, because apparently everyone does.

Star Shark - I bought this before I was given the Roc. I can't really tell the difference between the two. Everyone loves the Roc and hardly mention the Shark, though, so there must be something there. This one has a similar interior rim (to the Roc), so it doesn't work that well for me. I can throw this one backhand pretty far, but see above about that. It's also in my loaner bag because it seems to be easy to throw flat for 150' if you are learning and haven't really figured out the power part. You can also putt with it, so it makes for a good one disc round.

DX Cobra - one of the first discs I owned. I LOVE this disc. Definitely my go-to mid-range. The rim is shallow and fits my forehand grip perfectly. I have a DX right now and can't find a Pro version to buy. The problem is... DX beats up so quickly and the Cobra is pretty understable to start, so now I have a very understable Cobra that's useless into the wind. When I finally decide to use a roller, I'll probably use this disc, though. In the meantime, I bought a DX Skeeter, which feels good. Hopefully I'll like it, as it starts out stable and might last longer. If I like the DX, I'll buy it in Star, too. I'm hoping the Skeeter replaces the Cobra, but if it doesn't, I'll probably use a Pro Cobra and a Star Skeeter as my only two mid-range discs to cover the types of shots I need from that distance.

Stingray - I bought this and put it in the jungle on it's 1st shot ever. Finally got it down 90 minutes later but that was the peak love for this disc. In it's defense, I didn't know how to finesse it. I bought it for the reason I now have a Roadrunner, and was putting way, way too much power-per-snap on it, so it never flew flat, just flipped wildly and started rolling off in whichever-ole-direction. I loaned it to a new player and he promptly moved (the next day, but I didn't find out for weeks). Haven't seen it since.

Putt & Approach
Aviar P&A (172, 174, 175g) - for a month I played all my rounds at Lamar Park with the 175g "Peach" (it's color). I learned so much then, and my scores were about the same as when I used a bunch of drivers I didn't know how to throw well and would scatter all over the place. Within a round, I could put this putter almost exactly where I wanted it up to about 200' (and then would start getting wild... if started with enough hyzer, it will flip flat and go 300', but what's the use of that when there are 1,000,000,000,000,000 different mid-range discs to choose from?).

As practice I highly recommend using your putter for EVERY shot for a month at your course. It forces you to learn that puppy, even if it takes you several shots to go where one used to take you. Thing is, short parks reward accuracy. I was throwing my driver all over the place and soon was able to go pretty much where I wanted with my putter. I could sometime park a drive right at the hole, but if I was more than 20 feet out then I was still two shots away. With the putter I'd go 200 then 80 then 20 instead of 270 then 30 (miss) and 20. Not much diff, especially if I was wild with the driver (common at the time, still happens sometimes). I might hit for 270 but still be 80 feet away, maybe risk OB... being able to drive the hole makes little difference if you have to two putt. Having said that, I'm no Ken Climo, but I'm better than I would have been. I also spend way too much time practicing drives because I'm a man, I have an ego and parking a drive at the basket is a great feeling.

I now use the P&A for anything within 150', nearly all backhand. I don't like to throw it forehand unless I'm ~75' away and can bring it in with a sweeping annhyzer flick. I can do that shot pretty well.

Other
The coolest disc I ever had I got for my birthday in the early 90's. I don't know what model it was or who made it, but it had dimples all over it just like a golf ball. I lost it in a pond and though it had my name on it and someone even called me about it, I never could connect. :-(

I know it's currently popular to have multiple versions of the exact same disc, and I understand why (if you don't, the reason is that once you get comfortable with a disc, having several "ages" allows you to use a disc you know well for various shots. The more nicks, scrapes and dents a disc gets, the more it tends to fly straight or start bending the opposite way (if you throw right-handed backhand, that would be right, for me (right hand forehand) it's left. This is good because with a familiar grip and disc you can have an array of shots without having to change your motion.). Perhaps one day I'll do that, but for now I'm hoping for a bag like this:

Distance:
Pro Teerex - headwind driver, right turning (RHFH) driver
Pro Destroyer - general distance
Pro Roadrunner - tailwinds and left-turning shots

Fairway:
Star Teebird - tons of people use this one and I bought a DX. We'll see if I end up liking it.

Mid-range:
Star Skeeter - Straight mid-range
Pro Cobra - if I need something to fade left once-in-awhile

Putt & Approach:
DX Aviar P&A (though I may upgrade to Star... I usually replace when I lose, but I've never lost a putter).

Seven discs that will cover me perfectly, if it works out. Initially, I wanted to get to know a putter, a mid-range and a driver and not get into a huge bag. For almost two years I did it, but then I started realizing how much wind affects the discs and how much the right disc and weight can change things. After I get familiar with these discs, if I find I have a hole in the quiver of discs, I'll test out trying to fill it with different disc weights.

Hans