What's in my Bag #4

Bought a few new discs lately, so here's what's in my bag:

Distance Drivers, most overstable to most understable:

Discraft Force (ESP) (174g) - Just bought it, just thrown it a couple of times in a field. Feels pretty good, probably about the same feel as a Destroyer, which I also liked (and lost). This is a very overstable disc, and I think that will help me torque it into the wind. If not, I'm going to find a Flick, which is even more overstable than the Force. I'm hoping this will be my into-a-headwind distance driver and spike hyzer driver.

I've been wanting to play some Discraft discs, but I've had trouble finding them locally. I got this with my "winnings" in the plastic division of the mini-tournaments I've been playing in. Most of the forehanders I look up to play for Discraft so there is a feeling I'm missing out a little.

Innova Star Monster (175g) - I didn't like this disc at first, but I really do now. I think it's just a matter of time before you learn to throw any disc correctly. This disc works great into the wind if I don't try to throw it too hard. I can turn it over into the wind. In calm weather, which is not common in Corpus Christi, I can throw it really hard and it goes straight. I still am inconsistent, but when I hit it hard and right, it feels great.

Innova Pro Wraith (175g) x2 - bought a spare; I've lost 5 or 6 of these this year. I like this disc, for me it's a great tailwind driver but I can't thrown it hard into a headwind anymore. It used to be this big-impossible-to-turnover disc but now I can't throw it straight on a long drive. Into the wind it throws pretty flat but loops on an annhyzer (like the Roadrunner should, I think). It actually works pretty well as just a stand-there-and-whip-it disc; stand-there-and-whip-it is currently served by my Star Teebird, though. Eventually I might be able to do without the Wraiths or the Teebird.

Innova Star Roadrunner (175g) - right after I bought this, with the intention of using it as my left-turning forehand disc, I read a post by someone who said "there is no reason for any forehander to ever have a Roadrunner, period." I thought that was ridiculous, but I guess I'm getting more snap on my drives because I really struggle to not turn this thing almost on it's lid when I'm simply trying for a little anhyzer. My "little anhyzer" shots are now with Wraiths. The Roadrunner is a decent top-turning roller, but that's all it's doing for me right now. I don't trust it at all. Yeah, yeah, it's the bow not the arrow, but if the bow can't figure out the arrow... I have realized lately that this is a lower speed disc than the Monster, Wraith, TeeRex, Destroyer, etc, and so I've probably just been pushing it too hard, but I'm not finding a place for this except for long trouble shots where a roller is a the best option (and these are rare cases). Guess that dude was right. It may have to go.

Fairway Drivers most overstable to most understable:

Innova Banshee DX (175g) - This is a beat in DX disc, but it's still SO overstable. Amazingly overstable. I love it. I can only get it to go straight in a headwind and pushing it HARD. It will be a great barometer of how much snap I'm getting if I can ever throw it straight for 300 feet with a tailwind. Right now I use it for "guaranteed hyzers" -- from 250 on in. I use it for approaches more than my mid-range discs because it's so reliable. I don't know if this is an one-run abberation -- the Innova site doesn't talk about this being hugely overstable, like I'd think -- but if it's not, I'm always, always, always going to have a Banshee, just for my security blanket.

Innova Star Teebird (175g) - Ooo, but if you throw this right, you can thrown it straight. Last mini, I had two great throws with it. On one, I was worried about overdriving a 200 foot approach, didn't trust either of my mids (Shark & Cobra) to not turn over and roll somewhere unwanted, and the wind was strong left-to-right with a big tree there, too, so no Banshee. I only had a straight shot and it was either the Wraith or Teebird. I went TB. Since I was worried about over-shooting the hole, I just relaxed and tried to keep it low and straight -- and did I, wow. I overshot of course, but it felt great. If I'd relax like that more, instead of trying to crush everything, I'd be in pretty good shape, probably.

I don't really have an understable fairway driver and can't think of when I'd really need one. I'd probably just throw RHBH, which I can't do for big distance, but I can toss the Teebird or Wraith 250 feet on a sweeping hyzer easily, so that works.

Mid-range most overstable to most understable:

Innova Star Gator (175g) - I wanted a Discraft Drone but since I couldn't find one locally, I went for the Gator when I had a chance. I need -- badly -- an overstable mid-range because I'm always turning over my mid-ranges. I can't throw them at all into a headwind or right-to-left crosswind. I haven't thrown the Gator much, but I just took it out a field on a windy day and compared the Shark, Cobra & Gator and, wow, this is precisely what I wanted. I hope I continue to find it as useful as today. It's a huge problem for me, the inconsistent mid-range game. I can lay up from about 100 feet in with my putter (though I frequently miss the 15-footer!), but if I'm around 200 feet I often don't trust my mids and go for a sweeping hyzer with a Wraith or Banshee (sometimes the Monster). With the Gator, I'm hoping I'll have no situations where I can't play a straight-shot if I want. The Cobra and Shark do pretty well with tailwinds or calm days but I just can't put as much oomph on them as I'd like with shanking them badly. Yeah, bow not arrow. I got it.

Innova Star Shark (175g) - Man, this is my back-and-forth disc. I sometimes wonder why I have it. I love it some days, hate it others. Most rounds, I don't use it. It goes: Driver, maybe another Driver (if I shanked the first drive, or if I am spiking a 200 foot approach), then the putter, putter putter, however many times I need it (way, way too often!!). I bet most rounds the Shark doesn't see the light of day... but I still keep it in my bag. It's got this hold over me. Anyway, it flies a lot like my putters, though it seems a bit more stable and can be thrown a little harder & farther. I think it's a good wood-holes mid/short disc; you know, holes where you'd throw your DX putter but worry about tacoing on a tree. That's what the shark would work for.

Innova Star Cobra (CFR) (175g) - I don't use this one much in rounds, either, especially on roomy courses. I just don't trust it that much... don't feel like I can put it within 20 feet of the basket reliably. But, I really like the feel of the Cobra and it's flat inner lip. This is the most comfortable disc. I really want to get reliable with it, as I think it offers me the most versatility.

Putter:

Innova Aviar Putt 'n Approach, DX (175g) x4 - I have one I really like, but the other three are different molds or something. No two feel the same (some stiff on the rim, flopping in the middle, one rock hard throughout, one just right). I bought four to practice putting with, but after months of not getting any better, I've gone to a practice routine where I use only one putter. I think the putting routine is more important right now -- more important that making it, yes -- get in a game with some friends or a mini and I don't do my routine and I stink. I've spent a year trying to figure out what putting style is comfortable and I'm confident I've found it. Probably is, it often takes me three or four throws to remember exactly what to do to get the right "feel." And, of course, I get one chance.

When I'm practicing, I'm hitting everything 12 feet in, 9 of 10 from 15 and probably 6 or 7 of 10 from 20. I know that's not great, but wait for it... it's better than what I do in a round, where even a 12 footer seems like a football field away. By concentrating on my routine and reliably getting that "feel" the first time, I think I'll be good. When I settle down during a round and do my routine, I putt really well (this usually happens about hole 16 when I think, "crap, I'm sucking AGAIN... oh, yeah, I forgot about my putting routine!!"). So, for practicing, instead of have 2 or 4 discs and holding several in my hand while I do the routine half-assed or only sometimes, I just use one, putt, go get it, go back and do another. No bang, bang, bang. All routine.

The other three putters are all but useless unless I lose my Peach colored APnA and need to replace it.