my buddy was at fairfield and ran into the founder of gateway discs and 2 disc diesigners, and they gave him 2 proto discs that dont even have patents yet. but anyway one was adriver that has little circles on the lip the other is a putter that has a hard inner circle and super soft plastic on the outside 2 inchs they are both sweet so look for them in the future
Different molds don't get different patents. All discs manufactured in the US were either licensed under Innova's patent or were produced in violation of the patent. Both patent challenges were settled out of court, so the validity of the patent was never tested. It has since expired. Anyone with the R&D money can make discs now. The expiration of the patent has led to a mini-explosion of new discs and new disc companies. There are at least ten golf disc manufacturers right now.
Discwing applied for a patent on their design. I don't know if it was granted. Patents are granted in a somewhat perfunctory manner if no one challenges them. Someone patented a warp drive spaceship engine not too long ago.
Oh. Snap Disc. At least 11.
anyway they are called the oddesy and are now avalible at the gas station by fiarfield ------peace
Well now that they are releasing their protos from Quest Tech let me try to educate everyone on what they got. They have a lot of variations of the Odyssey. Flexible or stiff, big bead or no bead and another mold that has a smaller rim in the two-piece molding process they use. The stiffer models with the big bead have a lot of potential for more advanced players and the flexible ones with no bead are better for beginners. I have not got the try their wizard looking two-piece putters yet but I bet those are nice. They have also have a one piece long distance driver that is PDGA approved called the scream, I would say this disc has a similar flight path as the Orc but with a taller rim, the plastic has a nice feel. Quest Tech. is also working on a disc that has dimples on the bottom wing. From the first couple of protos this works way better than I thought it would, it made the disc have more glide but slight more under stable. This would be an awesome driver for someone who does not have that big of an arm. The Gateway owner has merged with Quest Tech and is helping him with the exp. he has.
Thanks Neal!!! I was hoping for more info on that Odyssey. That thing might replace all the discs in my bag soon. Its down to either that or the Blowfly.
blowflys rock
Quote from: Cannon Boy on April 25, 2006, 12:55:09 AM
Well now that they are releasing their protos from Quest Tech let me try to educate everyone on what they got. They have a lot of variations of the Odyssey. Flexible or stiff, big bead or no bead and another mold that has a smaller rim in the two-piece molding process they use. The stiffer models with the big bead have a lot of potential for more advanced players and the flexible ones with no bead are better for beginners. I have not got the try their wizard looking two-piece putters yet but I bet those are nice. They have also have a one piece long distance driver that is PDGA approved called the scream, I would say this disc has a similar flight path as the Orc but with a taller rim, the plastic has a nice feel. Quest Tech. is also working on a disc that has dimples on the bottom wing. From the first couple of protos this works way better than I thought it would, it made the disc have more glide but slight more under stable. This would be an awesome driver for someone who does not have that big of an arm. The Gateway owner has merged with Quest Tech and is helping him with the exp. he has.
Just to update you, Quest is no longer making the 2 peice Odyssey with teh smaller rim as you say. That was a driver, but has been scrapped, and there is now a driver with a wider rim, and the inset is the same size as the other Odyssey's.
As for the dimples, there is one with dimples on the bottom, the Scream DT, one with dimples on the top, the Scream DT Max, and one with dimples on the bottom of the wing and the top of the flight plate, and this is called the Scream DT Ultra. All of these discs are PDGA approved. The Scream DT as you said is good for players who don't throw as hard, while the other two are designed to be able to be thrown by the hardest throwers. Right now Quest is in a production run of all of their discs. The Odyssey's are available and varying locations around the Fairfield park, which includes the Gas station on 134 and Fairfield. As of now, all that is available there is the 4 Odysseys, and a set which includes the 4 odysseys. Soon, Quest will be opening a store in Round Lake which will carry all the discs.
I think the whole Odyssey line is a terrible move. The discs feel like cheap toys. I have one of the putters, which I got out of novelty more than anything. It flies exactly like any other putter, but has an awkward feel with anything but a regular power grip. I also seriously doubt they would hold up for any amount of time on a disc golf course. Good for playing catch with, though. The driver is a complete joke. KVN showed me one of the scream protos and it didnt feel too great either. Really bad plastic.
Quote from: Mike S on April 25, 2006, 06:11:53 AM
I think the whole Odyssey line is a terrible move. The discs feel like cheap toys. I have one of the putters, which I got out of novelty more than anything. It flies exactly like any other putter, but has an awkward feel with anything but a regular power grip. I also seriously doubt they would hold up for any amount of time on a disc golf course. Good for playing catch with, though. The driver is a complete joke. KVN showed me one of the scream protos and it didnt feel too great either. Really bad plastic.
Those discs you've thrown are exactly what you said they were, Proto's. The Driver you threw, if it was the Scream, is not made out of a different material. If you threw the Odyssey Driver, the one you would have thrown is an older version that was discontinued, and now there is another one out there.
Quote from: pearso66 on April 25, 2006, 06:40:24 AM
Quote from: Mike S on April 25, 2006, 06:11:53 AM
I think the whole Odyssey line is a terrible move. The discs feel like cheap toys. I have one of the putters, which I got out of novelty more than anything. It flies exactly like any other putter, but has an awkward feel with anything but a regular power grip. I also seriously doubt they would hold up for any amount of time on a disc golf course. Good for playing catch with, though. The driver is a complete joke. KVN showed me one of the scream protos and it didnt feel too great either. Really bad plastic.
Those discs you've thrown are exactly what you said they were, Proto's. The Driver you threw, if it was the Scream, is not made out of a different material. If you threw the Odyssey Driver, the one you would have thrown is an older version that was discontinued, and now there is another one out there.
No, I picked up one of the newer odyssey putters at the IOS this weekend. It says "PDGA Approved" on it and has "Gyroscopic Technology". Ha. Show me a frisbee that doesnt have gyroscopic technology. The driver was one of the new ones also. It has the most awkward grip I have ever seen. It has a wide rim like a beast, with a shallow lip. Inside the rim of all the odyssey's there is a second lip, where they have the overmolded rim lock onto the inner piece. That inner lip really gets in the way on the driver and its hard to even hold it properly. The scream I saw was definitely a prototype, though. There was even an extra little bulge on the inner part of the rim, where the end mill on the CNC went too far inside on the mold tool.
I play with KVN about once a week and he throws that Scream driver a lot. It is not a bad disc at all and there is one in my bag for now. The dimpled one works great in the woods. I do agree, though, that the two piece discs won't ever get a fair shake because the rims is uncomfortable to grip. For those that don't mind it, it flies nice, but I agree with Mike, there are other discs that fly better with a normal grip.
I have a few of the Oddysey discs but I have not thrown them yet. I got some from the Oddysey guy who was at the tournament on Saturday. Their putter feels it would work great if you putt with a fan grip. The driver has a very shallow rim, like a Venom. I'll try to get out to throw them today or tomorrow, when the wind settles down a little. It is hard to evaluate a new disc in gusty weather.
I think it is great that there are a lot of companies experimenting with new ideas and older ideas that did not catch on last time. Dimples may be new this year but they were also new ten years ago! Unfortunately, I can't stock discs from 15 different companies for the same reason that I can't buy 60 T-Rexes for a single tournament. I have no way of knowing what is going to be hot or how long it will stay hot, or even whether the tournament will have 200 players or 70 players.
crap, that is the way that I would describe the molds I have thrown so far, minus the Scream. Understable, awkawrd to grip, and not shatter-proof. I have to agree that they look like a toy or a free disc I get at a parade.
Quote from: Mike S on April 25, 2006, 08:14:06 AM
Quote from: pearso66 on April 25, 2006, 06:40:24 AM
Quote from: Mike S on April 25, 2006, 06:11:53 AM
I think the whole Odyssey line is a terrible move. The discs feel like cheap toys. I have one of the putters, which I got out of novelty more than anything. It flies exactly like any other putter, but has an awkward feel with anything but a regular power grip. I also seriously doubt they would hold up for any amount of time on a disc golf course. Good for playing catch with, though. The driver is a complete joke. KVN showed me one of the scream protos and it didnt feel too great either. Really bad plastic.
Those discs you've thrown are exactly what you said they were, Proto's. The Driver you threw, if it was the Scream, is not made out of a different material. If you threw the Odyssey Driver, the one you would have thrown is an older version that was discontinued, and now there is another one out there.
No, I picked up one of the newer odyssey putters at the IOS this weekend. It says "PDGA Approved" on it and has "Gyroscopic Technology". Ha. Show me a frisbee that doesnt have gyroscopic technology. The driver was one of the new ones also. It has the most awkward grip I have ever seen. It has a wide rim like a beast, with a shallow lip. Inside the rim of all the odyssey's there is a second lip, where they have the overmolded rim lock onto the inner piece. That inner lip really gets in the way on the driver and its hard to even hold it properly. The scream I saw was definitely a prototype, though. There was even an extra little bulge on the inner part of the rim, where the end mill on the CNC went too far inside on the mold tool.
My bad, the way you stated, it sounded like you only threw the protos. It's fair to say that not everyone likes the same thing, as most I have heard about the Odyssey's has been good. Most of the criticism that I have heard was about the inner rim, but if they threw it a few times, they got used to it. The driver itself is probably too understable for hard throwers, but for people who don't throw as hard, or beginners, it actually flies very well. That whole line was designed with the intent of helping beginners throw further and more accurate. But there has been a lot of craze for the midrange.
The Scream and the Scream DT Max (dimples on the flight plate) are now being made in a similar plastic as the star plastic from Innova. The Scream DT will also probably be understable for people who throw hard, but if you either throw it with some hyzer, or slow down your arm speed, it should go pretty far.
I can definitely see the odysseys as good beginner discs... Much better than playing 1-disc with a monster or something, which is definitely way too common. I'd like to try one of the screams in production plastic, for sure. The one I saw was clearly something else.
You should make sure these discs are marketed/explained that they may turn over for harder throwers. I picked up the Odyssey Driver and Midrange at the IOS #1. I had the opportunity to throw the protos as well. I would like to see the protos in production over the ones that I purchased. The protos were much more stable than the current run.
Unfortunately no one who I let throw them liked them.
The only one that received positive criticism was the Scream and NightHawk.
I don't know what it is but Gateway does not catch my attention. I've thrown a few of these new discs and would never throw them again. The only disc I really don't mind is the Wizard. I'm not trying to be a $%^& but Gateway needs to take a new approach if they want to become a contender in the disc market. They do make great bags and their baskets are pretty good.
Here are my thoughts on Gateway & why I don't throw Gateway. It would take a heck of an offer for me to switch over to Gateway.
#1
If you take an Innova, Discraft, & Gateway disc and lay it on the table then give a new player that has yet to play disc golf a chance to pick a disc, I can gurantee they would not pick the Gateway disc. They do not look good nor do they feel good. Their graphics & marketing areas need some major improvement.
#2
Their quality control is ridiculous.
#3
Their discs are not available. In the past 3 years I have not seen any Gateway discs offered at any events except for the club stock that DISContinuum carries. In gas stations and stores i've never seen Gateway either.
#4
Their drivers are way too overstable for me to throw.
Gateway makes discs that can more accomadate a big arm thrower. Brett when I am are trying to win a tourny I do not give a $#!^ what the disc looks like as long as its got the flight path I am looking for. For me Gateway discs seem to be a little more consistant but I am still in the expierimenting stage with most of their discs.
My entire bag is gateway and has been for a couple months now and I'm really happy with my discs. I have field tested a ton of discs (I have stacks of plastic from all 3 vendors) and the Gateways have won every time. For me they are more consistent, predictable, and controllable than any others I have tried (although the star teebird I picked up at parkside is poking around in my bag now too). For me, the Illusion beats the Crush, Avenger, Wraith, Orc, etc. - the Element X beats the tar out of the Roc, Wasp, Buzz - the Wizard beats all others...for me. And the plastic my Nike Spirit is in is the best plastic I've felt. Yes, the graphics suck. Yes, some look like they were made in someone's garage. Yes, the new 2 piece discs are pretty much not great (IMO). But I could point out things like that about all 3 companies. I kind of like that they are not trying to be the same thing as the other two. They are definitely not for everyone, but I am happy for now. Just wanted to give another point of view, but keep in mind I'm not the best at this game either.
Can Neil lose his amatuer status being a spokesman for Gateway? ;D
Quote from: Cannon Boy on April 26, 2006, 09:42:41 PM
Gateway makes discs that can more accomadate a big arm thrower. Brett when I am are trying to win a tourny I do not give a $#!^ what the disc looks like as long as its got the flight path I am looking for. For me Gateway discs seem to be a little more consistant but I am still in the expierimenting stage with most of their discs.
Neal, you failed to read #1 of my post carefully. You may not give a #$^8 about the way a discs looks, however new players do. They will pick something that looks and feels cooler every time. That is why tye dye is popular. Just look at what newbies are throwing. I remember when the moster came out. I saw tons of rec players throwing monsters. They have no clue what the discs are designed for. It's basic marketing. Get players throwing their discs and they will continue do to so. It's the same thing McDonald's and any other successful company does. That is why in #1 I stated gateway is lacking in the marketing area. Discraft has really bumped up it's marketing program in the last few years. It seems to be paying off some. You really should care if you want that Gateway sponsorship. The more discs that get moved = more revenue & resources to take care of it's players. Think outside the box Neal.
Marketing is key in almost any industry. Wanna know more...read "Purple Cow" by Seth Godin, and you'll understand why companies like the ones Brett mentioned succeed.
Anyway... that's my 2 cents.
I <3 Gateway Putters and Midrange discs.. I absolutley loathe their drivers though
Quote from: myndcraft on April 27, 2006, 07:52:00 AM
I <3 Gateway Putters and Midrange discs.. I absolutley loathe their drivers though
Agreed. I could replace my Rocs with the Element if I needed to (but I wont). I think the Wizard is the best putter on the market. I havent thrown a Gateway driver that I really liked except the Spirit, and I like the grip on Firebirds better.
I think anyone could replace a Buzzz with an Element or vice versa. The Element is a good mid-range. The Wizard, Aviar and Challenger would be interchangeable for most players too.
Players who think otherwise mostly have just gotten sucked into the marketing. I've never been much influenced by marketing. I laugh at the suckers who pay $12 for a disc because it has Ken Climo's signature machine stamped on it when they could get basically the same thing for $6-$8 if they'd look at the Challengers or Wasps. Doh!
Quote from: bruce_brakel on April 28, 2006, 08:50:41 AM
I think anyone could replace a Buzzz with an Element or vice versa. The Element is a good mid-range. The Wizard, Aviar and Challenger would be interchangeable for most players too.
Players who think otherwise mostly have just gotten sucked into the marketing. I've never been much influenced by marketing. I laugh at the suckers who pay $12 for a disc because it has Ken Climo's signature machine stamped on it when they could get basically the same thing for $6-$8 if they'd look at the Challengers or Wasps. Doh!
I like the SB/Star and KC Pro plastics better than anything discraft has. I also find that the elements and wasps have flatter tops than most rocs. I dont really like that. Thats generally speaking, as you can definitely find flat rocs and domier wasps if you look hard enough. I agree with your comment about the putters, although I will say the Wizard has a slightly lower profile than the other two. You can really only tell if you throw with a power grip... The Aviar definitely feels like it has a deeper rim. For putting purposes, they are almost identical.
has anyone inquired about getting a wholesale account with Gateway? I'm looking at getting into retail disc sales, but I wanted to do more than just Innova and Discraft. What are their base order requirements? Do they have other special requirements? I know that on gdstour.com they have contact info of St. Louis, but I've also read that they are in the area of the Fairfield course? I doubt that I'd be able to pick up the discs that I order, but that would ease dealing with shipping costs.
Just curious :)
Scott
The club is a Gateway dealer, you don't have to jump thru any special hoops for them unlike Innova.
I got out and threw the Oddysey discs today. For comparison purposes I threw them with a Sidewinder because I had heard they were understable.
The mid-range is a true mid-range. Nice and straight at medium powered mid-distances but it got flippy if thrown full power like a driver. It is a fairly slow mid-range also. The mid-range grip is not a problem for me. Because the rim is narrower than the driver, there is plenty of room for a four-finger power grip between the rim and the bottom ridge. At any distance where it would be useful for me, I'm currently throwing a putter.
The driver was neither flippy nor overstable for me. I was throwing a Sidewinder on a RHBH slight hyzer release and it would flip up and turn right. The Oddysey thrown similarly would flip up and finish straight. The Oddysey driver is probably the slowest disc I've thrown in the last few years that has been billed as a driver. If someone was paying me to throw that disc, I'd throw it for throws where accuracy is more important than distance. Both upwind and down it was fairly straight.
I was able to adjust to the grip easy enough, but I've also been throwing the Venom. A grip that worked great for me was a power grip with the index and pinky finger with the two middle fingers fanned out to the bottom ridge. I was also able to throw it with a four-finger power grip, but there is not a lot to grip there. It feels funky but you adjust.
All in all, I don't foresee these discs as a revolutionary step forward in disc evolution, but more of an evolutionary dead end. There is no payoff for the funky grip. There is already a good selection of mid-range discs on the market. If you are a disc collector, I suspect that in five years these will be a rarity, like the original dimpled disc is now. If Mirth was asking, "Should Discontinuum load up on these?" I'd tell him to go lightly here.