Star Plastic by Innova

[maa4208]

On the Innova website, they talk about "Star" Plastic. The Star Sidewinder is the first one.

Anyone know anything else about it (which discs will be made in Star plastic, etc.)?

[Bruce Brakel]

It is a grippy blend of Pro Line.  They say it is more durable than Pro Line.  I have not seen any yet because I'm kind of in my off-season for ordering new discs.

[kyle]

Zonedriven is saying it's the "special blend" plastic. Got this from them today:

Dear ZD Friends,

Innova has officially released a new line of golf discs referred to simply
as "Star". Their words exactly: "Innova's new Star Line is created with a
special blend of grippy, resilient polymers. Star Plastic offers the same
outstanding durability of our regular Champion Plastic, plus improved grip
like our Pro Plastic. Star discs have the same flight rating characteristics
of Champion discs, although some Star discs may be slightly more high-speed
stable. High performance, longevity, and superior grip make Innova Star
discs the ideal choice for your game. Star Line discs will become available
in our most popular disc models during the coming year. Watch for your
favorite Star on the horizon."

We've just added the first model, the Star Sidewinder, to the ZoneDriven Pro
Shop. It is featured right on the front page so it will be easy to find.
Other models expected very soon are Beast, Stingray, TeeBird and Wraith.
Many more models will follow in the coming months.

Experienced golfers will recognize this as "Special Blend" material made
popular by two runs (2005 & 2006) of Champion Rocs. Players really seemed to
like the combination of feel and durability so a line was formed, instead of
continuing with random "special" runs. We have thoroughly tested (20+ smacks
against a brick wall) the durability of the Star Sidewinder and it held up
very well. There was no noticeable change in performance even after all of
the abuse.

As always, if you have any questions or are looking for something you don't
see in the Pro Shop, don't hesitate to drop us a line. We are more than
happy to help get you closer to the pin. Making the putt is up to you...

[Mike S]

Its the same plastic as the Special Blend Rocs from last year.  They also released Orcs in this plastic before they changed the name to star.  It is just as durable as regular champion, with abour the same stability, but it is grippier.  It feels similar to pro plastic.

[maa4208]

I also read somewhere that they will be making "Star" Wraiths for the '06 Worlds in Augusta. I think it was on the PDGA DISCussion.

[El Mexicano]

Sidewinders are already out at zonedriven and discgolfvalues.com. Teebirds were sold as well, but ran out quick.

Dave D. was saying that several drivers will be made in Star plastic (starfire, wraith, orc, etc). Aviars will also be made in such plastic.

[Guest]

Discette is selling Star Teebirds on the PDGA So. California Club Thread. She says they are first run and a little overstable but VERY durable.
-jimklem

[Chainmeister]

It would be interesting to see the Aviars.  I never understood having a hard plastic for a putter other than a long approach disc.  Yet it would be nice to have something that is more durable.

[Younk]

Dang!  I picked up a lot of discs this year and then they do this...Is this the kind of thing that will happen every year

[Dan Michler]

It would be interesting to see the Aviars.  I never understood having a hard plastic for a putter other than a long approach disc.  Yet it would be nice to have something that is more durable.

i have no use for this Star plastic.  I need DX plastic for putters/midranges cuz its NOT durable and will beat in.  For drivers i use only champion plastic cuz its the most durable.  I don't understand this special blend bullsh*t or the "Pro" or "X" plastic.

anybody who buys this shiznat has been taken!!!    jk    

[Bruce Brakel]

I still have not seen the Star plastic because my plastic ordering basically goes with the IOS tournament season.  

This is my experience and knowledge: special blends are just a blend of the polyurethane based plastic that makes the clear Z and clear Champion, and the polyvinyl based plastic that makes the Elite X.  Most Champion and Z plastic is a blend of the two so they call it bipoly.  The more polyvinyl you add to the mix the less durable the plastic becomes.  There is no bipoly that is as durable as the clear stiff Champion or Z.  

When Discraft has tried marketing bipoly blends at a Z price claiming it is as durable as Z, they have had mixed results.  The bipoly Storms that they released the first time they did Z-Storms a few year ago were nowhere near as durable as the true Z-Storms they are making now.  The bipoly Tsunamis they did for DGA came out better.  

Innova is the world leader in effective marketing gimmicks.  It costs them about $3 per to manufacture and distribute Champion Rocs, but they gim the market by only producing a limited number of them and you happily pay $25 for them.  I'd just as soon buy two cheap Z-Wasps or Buzzes for that kind of money, but that's my preference.  Special Blend is just another gimmick to sell to the player who needs to carry 50 discs to play a proper round of disc golf or has to have the latest gimmicky thing.  

As a player and a distributor I'm leery of gimmicks.  I never know if it is going to catch on or if large numbers of you will see through it after I've spent $1,000 on inventory.  The Proline driver thing never caught on big (but I got lucky on the timing there.)  Either you want a driver that will break in quickly, so you'll save a few bucks and buy DX, or you want a driver that that is durable so you'll spend money for Champion, because no way are you going to throw the same disc made by Discraft and sold by me for $4 less per disc.  So right there you are seeing through one gimmick and not the other.  

If you guys are still wanting the Star plastic in the spring I'll get it.  But it is as much a gimmick as paying $4 extra for Champion over Z.  

[Bruce Brakel]

It would be interesting to see the Aviars.  I never understood having a hard plastic for a putter other than a long approach disc.  Yet it would be nice to have something that is more durable.

I have Champion Aviars and Cryztal Z Challengers in stock most of the time, by the way.  

I agree that hard plastic tends to slide off and through the chains more than the soft, but it does make for a good mid-range disc.  

[Dan Michler]

Last I checked, Discrafts discs aren't exactly the same, or else I would throw a Discraft Orc instead for 4 bucks less.  I like and throw alot of Discraft plastic (wasp, buzz, rattler), so I'm not just being biased I don't think.

[El Mexicano]

I personally do like the Special Blend (STAR) drivers because they have the grip of Pro with the durablity close to a Champion disc. Champ discs are too damn slippery when it's cold or wet. DX drivers bang up too darn quick. Of course I am just a beginner, so I guess my opinion doesn't matter.

The wonderful thing about it all is that you have a choice not to buy the shit if you don't want to. Stop the bitching!

[Dan Michler]

thats true juan.  i was just messing     to me the grip doesn't feel that much different that i can hang on to it in the wet.  i learned at channy that i can't hang on to anything in the wet though.  best to just bring an umbrella nnd extra towels.

[El Mexicano]

I Hear that!  

[Bruce Brakel]

This is why I am so leery of Innova's marketing gimmicks.  All last year the gimmick monkeys were paying a premium for Champion Starfires, both the vendors and the players.  This just in from Innova:

Champion Starfire - Look for it January 1st

Innova will release the Champion Starfire into our regular line on January 1st. This will be the first time it has been available outside the CFR program. With a stability rating between an Orc and a Monster, this is a great driver for top players, and a great overstable disc for beginners

Vendors who paid a premium for CFR Starfires and did not move them will now be forced by the market to sell them for ordinary prices, assuming the 2006 Champion Starfire is more or less the same disc as the 2005 CFR Starfire.  Players who paid a premium for CFR Starfires, well, I'll let them tell us how they feel about this.  Every time I buy into a premium disc program either the disc never goes platinum, or the manufacturer pulls this manuevre on its distributors.  

I'll have Champion Starfires in 2006 and Champion Wraiths in 2007.  I can't pay for a 100 premium discs and then have them pull the rug out from under me like that.  

[maa4208]

FYI:

I looked on the Innova website and they have info about the Star Tee-Bird and the Star Stingray.

OK, it's not really any "new" info (like what the Star disc specifically does) but I'd thought I'd just say. Innova is just saying that the discs are out to the normal people like me.