It's that time of year and gotta make my wishlist. Everyone always asks each other what discs they like to throw and work well for them. What I've found, though, is that what a wraith does for others it does not often do that for me. So instead of asking what discs are in your bag, I would like to know what shots are in your bag.
What I mean by this is for example in my bag I need a drive that turns over the whole flight and fades straight at the end. For me this is a beaten up X Xpress, but that's not important. What's important is that I have that shot in my bag. What I'm wondering is what are the essential shots I need to have in my bag (roller, knife hyzer, headwind putt, etc). I can then figure out what I have to accomplish those and what I would like to try in a new disc. This has worked really well for me on my most recent purchases of an Avenger and a Roadrunner.
Have to make a good x-mas list this year, might as well be discs, right?
Primary Driver/Control drives/ Long distance anhyzers
Champion Orc
Have 3 in the bag. 171g, 172g, & 164g.
Distance Driver when wind is too strong for orc or need something with a little more speed.
CFR Wraith
Have 2 in the bag. Both 174g.
Headwind driver & thumbers
CE Eagle
Have 2 in the bag. 175g & 172g.
Headwind driver, spike hyzers, & skip shots
CE Firebird
Have 1 in the bag. 172g.
Turnover shots, long burners, & rollers
CE Valkyrie
Have 2 in the bag 171g & 175g.
Baby blue is super beat & burns like crazy. This is a magical disc!
Putts & Approaches
Aviar Putt & Approach
Have 5 in the bag, All 175g.
Mid Range Driver
Overstable, Striaght, & Anhyzer.
Roc
Have 4 in the bag. 3-180g, & 1-177g.
Hyzers & flex shots.
Z Wasp
Super Overstable
Have 1 in the bag. 178g.
QuoteIt's that time of year and gotta make my wishlist. Everyone always asks each other what discs they like to throw and work well for them. What I've found, though, is that what a wraith does for others it does not often do that for me. So instead of asking what discs are in your bag, I would like to know what shots are in your bag.
What I mean by this is for example in my bag I need a drive that turns over the whole flight and fades straight at the end. For me this is a beaten up X Xpress, but that's not important. What's important is that I have that shot in my bag. What I'm wondering is what are the essential shots I need to have in my bag (roller, knife hyzer, headwind putt, etc). I can then figure out what I have to accomplish those and what I would like to try in a new disc. This has worked really well for me on my most recent purchases of an Avenger and a Roadrunner.
Have to make a good x-mas list this year, might as well be discs, right?
I would advise you to just go to an open field and practice throwing anhyzers with stable drivers. This will help alot with the shot u want. Its not so much the disc as it is the thrower as we all know. Also its a very good idea to take very understable drivers and learn to throw them on hyzer lines and let them get flat. I use a 165 orc or a 168 orc for this shot. My long stable drivers are 174-175 orcs or a CFR Wraith.
Brett, I think baby blue has started to lose its magic. I haven't seen it performing lately quite like it used to :o
Backhand Air Hyzer
Sidearm " "
Backhand Air Anhyzer
Sidearm " "
Backhand Hyzer flip
Sidearm " "
Backhand Anhyzer with helix
Sidearm " " "
Backhand Hyzer flip with helix (S shot)
Sidearm " " "
Backhand Distance roller
Backhand Cut roller
Sidearm " "
Backhand 90 degree R turn roller
Sidearm " " " "
Backhand U-turn roller (get around mandos)
Sidearm " " "
Backhand Hyzer skip
Sidearm " "
Push putt
Straddle putt
Turbo putt
Sidearm putt
Okay there's 23 shots off the top of my head ( I have a few more that I rarely use anymore)
I typically carry around 10 discs. I am a believer that you should carry fewer discs and be able to use them for different purposes rather than carry many discs for the same purpose. Knowing your plastic is key to having a consistent game on many different courses and conditions. I think those of you who routinely carry 25-30 discs would do better if you pared it down to under 15. I also think keeping the same basic bag set up for several months or longer will serve you better than constant changing.
-my 5 cents
Watching David Greenwell's (http://www.pdga.com/tournament/playerstats.php?PDGANum=962) demo at the 2000 Worlds changed my approach to the short game. I have many throws that I don't know the names of. His demo got me thinking about unconventional grips and releases, looking for "windows" that will take me to the basket/landing area, and throwing the disc upside down, sideways or whatever. I rely on upside down thumbers, crossover upside down over the head stuff, spike hyzers, scooby rollers, sliding the disc on its back, skipping the disc off its back and many more. I call these junk shots because when David was introduced at 2000 Worlds for the demo, I think Lizard-lawyer Mark called him the King of the junk shots.
While I started using these shots to get out of trouble, I soon learned that the spike hyzer and upside down thumber approaches could be more accurate for me in certain circumstances. I use the thumber putt whenever my regular putting is in a funk.
As my rating shows, I'm a pretty mediocre player...but I have one of the best upside down thumber approaches in the area! ;D
I am one who carries 20 or so discs, but there are several backup discs in there that I use for practice drives (when playing rounds, I often throw 2 or 3 drives on a hole). I think everybody should try to get comfortabled throwing a variety of shots with any given disc. I am only a 957 rated player, but I've seen the bags of some top pros and they carry ALOT more that 10 discs!!! :D
Unless ur name is Zudong or you just don't really practice much and want to use what is most comfortable for you, I would strongly recommend you don't rely on thumber putts or upside down approach shots when there is no obstacles forcing you to make these shots. Then again, maybe I'd be 1017 instead of 957 if I started using thumber putts. who knows!
honestly, most of the shots i use are just about looking good and playing some readygolf; results are overrated. O0
Quote from: Dan Michler on March 09, 2006, 11:14:50 AM
I am one who carries 20 or so discs, but there are several backup discs in there that I use for practice drives (when playing rounds, I often throw 2 or 3 drives on a hole). I think everybody should try to get comfortabled throwing a variety of shots with any given disc. I am only a 957 rated player, but I've seen the bags of some top pros and they carry ALOT more that 10 discs!!! :D
Unless ur name is Zudong or you just don't really practice much and want to use what is most comfortable for you, I would strongly recommend you don't rely on thumber putts or upside down approach shots when there is no obstacles forcing you to make these shots. Then again, maybe I'd be 1017 instead of 957 if I started using thumber putts. who knows!
honestly, most of the shots i use are just about looking good and playing some readygolf; results are overrated. O0
Even if your name IS Zudong, you probably shouldn't throw junk shots unless you have to...just that its so much fun! ;)
If you're playing a practice round by yourself it's fine if you have duplicate molds and try to double your practice per round.(I've read Dr Rick does this)
However if you carry let's say a Z buzz, X wasp, KC roc and a sentinel all for the purpose of 200-280' hyzer shots, I think that's detrimental.
Golf is a very mental game. You need to simplify your decision processis not complicate them. Making a decision and then committing to your shot is crucial.There are many players I've observed whose time spent in making a shot selection is inversely proportional to their likelihood of success. In english, the more time they spend deciding on a disc, line, stance, etc the less chance they have of saving par, making birdie,etc.
One local (who I won't name) typically takes 3 discs out of his bag everytime he takes the tee or walks to his lie. He also goes to his car and makes five or six disc substitutions every 9 holes, and he's already carrying 30 discs. If he'd stop all this nonsense he'd play a lot quicker (his nickname is lightyear) and he'd play a lot better. He just overthinks everything.
Mike Moser (finished 7th at worlds this year) is one of the best players in my region. I've played many, many tournament rounds with him. In an entire 18 hole round you may see him only throw 5-7 different discs and 3 of those discs will make up 85% of his strokes. He knows an aviar better than anyone I know. He tells me he hardly ever practices other than his tournament rounds. Yet he is among disc golf's elite players.
I believe too many of the average joe 900-980 rated players get caught up in all the new disc hype and feel they need to have every new disc in every kind of plastic and in different weights.Wake up and smell simplicity people!
In summary, do more with less instead of doing less with more. (does that make sense?)
Gateway (one of Dan's favorite disc mfrs. apparently ;)), has built a company on this principle.
sweet! i guess i'll quit practicing then since thats what works for Mike Moser.
i see what u are saying though man. but I'm not like that. I limit my drivers to just a few select molds. Orcs, Crushes, Valks, Flashes, Vikings, Teebirds, Eagles, Pro Wraiths, Star Wraiths, CFR Wraiths, Beasts, Leopards, Starfires, and Firebirds.
I'm even thinking about taking the Beasts out of the bag, although I'm not sure what I would use for a stable long-range driver then.
The lack of practice time wasn't my primary point. The lack of practice time is most likely due to work and family demands. I just mentioned it since I find it's remarkable that he frequently beats the full time touring guys despite the lack of available practice time.
To my recollections he primarily throws an Orc or an Eagle for most shots over 400'. Once in a while a Banshee for spike hyzers or specialty shots. Occassionally he'll throw a Champion Beast for long distance rollers. And then nearly everything else is Aviars. I've seen him push putt an aviar 150' and hit metal. When he's on he makes a high percentage of putts inside 100' and make it look routine.
Now since the Wraith came out I suspect that probably found a home in his bag as well.
i'm just jerkin ur chain buddy :D
i know moser is well over 1000 rated, so he's definitely better than any of our local players. he doesn't throw any midrange discs?
Quote from: Mertzomatic on March 09, 2006, 04:02:12 PM
Golf is a very mental game. You need to simplify your decision processis not complicate them. Making a decision and then committing to your shot is crucial.There are many players I've observed whose time spent in making a shot selection is inversely proportional to their likelihood of success. In english, the more time they spend deciding on a disc, line, stance, etc the less chance they have of saving par, making birdie,etc.
I have to totally agree. I never play courses blind so I know before I get on the tee what I want to throw. If I have an upshot I look at what I need to do & stick with it. You cannot 2nd guess yourself. I do have 20 discs in my bag but in reality during a tournament I might throw 5 to 6 discs in a round. Wind is about the only thing that will change my choice of disc.
disctance backhand 300+
distance anhyzer
distance hyzer
two step under 300
no step 200 foot
300' flick
under 150 flick with driver, mid-range, and putter
staddle putt
straigh putt
turbo putt
spike hyzer
skip hyzer up to 250'
gernade
hammer
thumber (not to well)
backhand and forehand rollers (to be worked on more this season)
I carry the following to make these shots
Monster
Pro Wraith
Eagle
Viking
Gazzelle
Roc
Challenger
Bulldog
I swap out firebirds, orcs, aviars, and starfires. It depends on the course/conditions and if I am working on a certain shot.
Quote from: Dan Michler on March 09, 2006, 05:24:31 PM
he doesn't throw any midrange discs?
Sure he does: Aviar, Aviar and uh.......Aviar
Once in a great while he'll throw a roc, but when you can throw an Aviar up to 400 with accuracy there's not much sense in adding a lot of others.
The last time I played Tinicum with him he totally parked (<6' away) hole 17 (about 405') with his Aviar.
Wow, that is no fair! I can't throw 400ft with any disc :protest:
I bet he could not do that with a 5 mph headwind. Aviars are good when the winds are just right but why would you throw them on a hole like that it would not be that consistant.
I still would like to see someone throw a putter 400' with no wind.
one of my favorite shots to use it the upside down S-shot, for approaches in extreme winds.
Let me see if I can describe it...
Take your most overstable disc (I use a champ whippet). Put your thumb on the inside the rim like you are throwing a grenade shot. Throw the disc by pulling the disc from above your left shoulder down to the right side of your waist. (throwing RHBH) It should look like a mini tomahawk and the wind has pretty much no effect on it. It's pretty effective from about 120' and in.