Best Disc for Rollers?????

I have been working on my backhand and forehand rollers for the last couple of months. I have been using an Innova ArchAngel for most of my shots. Other than the DX plastic is just getting beat to crap, it is working pretty well. I use a Star Vulcan if I have a lot of room to work with and a large distance to cover. Are there any plastics or disc molds that work better than other, especially on a forehand roller?

[Dookville]

Around the hole on shortrange shots I am using the Magnet with my forehand throw, it works really well. It doesn't want to roll over on it's top very easily on a backhand throw though.

 

I haven't been using overstable discs on my forehand rollers, but the thought has crossed my mind. Since I throw the Crush, Firebirds, and Boss's for most of my forehand drives.

 

I find that I also have to use an arm slot somewhere between my forehand and a tomhawk to really get the forhehand roller going for distance. By bringing the arm up higher in the slot, i get a sooner turn to the left. Bring the arm down too low and the disc won't come up on edge at all.

 

I have shot the whole bag; first trying to find what discs roll well, and then eventually; like you said Mark, using them all as rollers. It took time to learn, but I do know what to expect now if I pull a disc out to roll, I know what the limitations are based on my ability and the discs speed and stability. 

 

@Mark- When are you coming to Southern California brother, we can just work out my roller sitch then. Would be willing to trade for lodging and the best Mexican food you ever had.

[Justin]

Thanks for saying this. I wanted to, but I am not an expert so it sounds better coming from you. I roll forehand with a firebird or flick. I find they stand up better and stay up longer.

[Mr No Non-Sense]

Discraft's X-Clone

[Dookville]

When I throw the ArchAngel, I just throw it backhand hard and flat and about 15' left of the target line. The disc will nose up a little and dive to the right, catch edge and bounce, when it lands from the bounce it smooths out and rolls.

 

The Vulcan needs to be thrown a little higher and a little more left of target. Since the disc is travelling much faster, you really have to pick your line much more careful.

 

How does the X-Clone need to be thrown to achieve its roll, and what distances does it achieve usually?

[kevin johnson]

if you can find an x-clone it has been discoed from production.

 

[Mr No Non-Sense]

Kevin's right, they've been discontinued for awhile now.  I find them here and there, people selling or trading them away, even got a couple for a $1 on ebay.  I let them go at about 1 o'clock and make ground contact at about 25' feet after releasing and they'll roll 200'-250' accurately.  I'm sure there are faster and further discs for rollers, but I've just grown personally accustomed to the X-clones predictable performance.

[Eric Day]

Backhand i like the star sidewinder.

As far as forehand goes, It don't matter much, the key is to get it on the ground faster. I try to get it on the ground at about 50feet out.

[Ian Macpherson]

Just started rolling discs myself. I use a roadrunner for cut rollers and a teebird for distance rollers.

[Greg D'OHogne]

I recently found an awesome roller disc in my old beat up 1st run ESP Nuke.  If I throw it as hard as I can BH and give it the proper turn over, it will hit the ground about 200'-300' out and hold its edge forever.  The first time I did this I inadvertenly threw a 500' shot...no kidding!  One of the guys on my card actually called it cheating.  Ha!

[Dookville]

The Vulcan has the ability to do do this also, the room it takes do though is not workable in most situations. The ArchAngel hardly needs any fairway width at all to pull off a roller, it just isn't that long of a roller, but I'm working on angles to coax more out of it.

[upshot]

I have used the Eclipse for years.I throw mostly forehand rollers.The leading edge seems to bite into the ground giving cut rollers alot of grip.I can also shape them to die left or right at the end.

Unfortuately my favorite early vintage 180gm models are hard to find.The newer one seem to always be softer plastic and are less predictable. I think the torque I apply on release warps the plastic and it's hard to predict how it will hit the ground.

There's alot to be said for having a stiff one ;-)

[Dookville]

I played a couple rounds at El Dorado in in Long Beach Ca. today. The pins where set close on a lot of holes today, just begging for a nice forehand roller. I took Mark E's advice and worked my overstable discs into my forehand rollers. Since I try and get my forehand to ground as soon as possible I didn't see a tremendous amount of difference in flight. The initial bouce after hitting the ground is completely different though. I was using a 175g Champ Firebird, and when it hit it would bounce and drift to the right in the air, land, bite, and went straight and cirled the wagons and tipped over on its lid at about 275'. Compared to an 173g ArchAngel, the AA would not drift right on the initial bounce, land, bite and run straight and strat ciraling the wagons at about 230'.

I messed around a bit with a longer launch, a shorter launch, more speed, less speed, but the Firebird worked best for me with a 30-50' launch at about 75% power. Into the wind it helld the line a little long than with the wind at my back. Wind from the side had similar effect on the disc, but I could more easily correct it with release angle.

Thanks Mark, overstable on forehand shots gives me a bunch more control over how I shape the shot.

Didn't throw any bankhand rollers today during the rounds, but I have been playing around with the Stingray. (Liking it) More to come I guess.