Plastic upgrade

At what point do you know when to ditch the beginner disc and start working in more pro plastic?

[Donny Olow]

Start with less stable plastic first , like DX or regular plastic molds. The Pro plastic / Candy plastic takes longer to break in.

[steve driggers]

I have found molds that i like in cheap plastic but when shopping candy does not feel the same as dx.Also,am i hurting my distance by throwing cheap plastic

[Donny Olow]

No. Dx just beats up quicker than Pro or Candy plastic. I have some Great Dx plastic that flys just as far as the Good Stuff !!!

[steve driggers]

Thats good to know donny.One more,noticed that when i beat up a dx disc like a beast i can throw it hyz to flat.Is this normal

[Donny Olow]

Yes.

[Nibs Carter]

When you can afford to! LOL

[Joe Graham]

DX Destroyers are great straight fliers with good glide. DX Rocs and Aviars are very stable and durable cause they're so stiff. Different plastic basically has slightly different stabilities, the premium plastic is more stable and has longer durablilty.

[steve driggers]

Thanks for the help.Man you know you got it bad when its rained 4 inches the wind is blowing 30 mph and you tell yourself aww its not that bad and end up playing 36 and mad because it got dark.

[mark ellis]

How much a disc costs does not necessarily control how useful it is for a particular purpose. If you looked in the bags of tournament players, across the board, you will find that most of their putters are in "regular" plastic (ie... D or DX, not the more expensive stuff which is generically called "candy" plastic or a "candy-blend" plastic).

Some Pros are sponsored and pay nothing for discs. They pick whatever works best. What kind of putters do they generally use? Regular plastic. Why? Because it grips better than more expensive versions.

So a disc is not a beginner disc or an Advanced disc or a Pro disc based on what plastic is poured into it or what the price tag says. The quality of the mold (and how well it works for the particular needs of a particular player for a particular shot) is more important than the expense of the plastic involved. Even the comparatively inexpensive lines of some discs contain plastic which are specifically blended to optimize particular characteristics.

The more expensive lines of plastic (the various candy versions ... Z, ESP, FLX, Star, Champion, etc.) generally provide greater durability. Greater durability is highly valued in drivers since they are thrown harder and smack things harder. Most tournament players use candy drivers. It makes sense for players of any level to use candy plastic drivers. They cost more but they last until you lose them.

So why is grip more important in a putter than a driver? Because the harder you throw a disc the harder you grip it. If you grip hard the tackiness of a disc is less important. On a putter, where you throw softer "touch' shots it is easier for your grip to slip so you need a tacky texture to aid your grip.

Recently there has been some confusion what "premium" plastic means. Some inexpensive plastic blends are superior and widely preferred to their more expensive counterparts.

So, steve driggers, when do you ditch one of your discs? When you find something which works better in your hands. What works better in your buddies' hands doesn't mean it will work better for you. The process of getting better is constantly learning, practicing and adjusting what you do.

[steve driggers]

Wow,thanks for taking the time to explain.Really helpful.This site is awesome,where else could you find such information so quickly.Guys like you are great for this sport and even make this 40 year old hacker feel like par is obtainable.Looks like im going to have to call in sick tomorrow

[Nibs Carter]

I of course was being funny on my first reply. I have a mix of premium and base plastic in my bag and use all of them regularly. I prefer premium for drivers just because they simply last so long. DX or proD would be much less Cheap for me because as much as I play I'd have to change out DX discs almost monthly. I have champ discs that have been in my bag for years and are in no way getting "wore out" but middies and putters in lower grade plastics give good grip qualities and last much better than their driver counterparts. Its mostly up to your preference and what works for you.

[Joe Phipps]

I couldn't agree with Mark more. I'm no pro, or even one of the "better players" he mentions, but I have been playing for a while and I have experimented with all types of plastic and this is what I've found.

Putters: I heavily favor the pro plastics due to increased grip and typically higher stability in the Aviars. I use KC Pro Aviars not only because I like the grip and how they feel in my hand, but also because the big bead on the bottom is more comfortable for me. I've experimented with Star and champion aviars but what you lose in grip is too much to make it worth the switch. If he KC pro mold were used for DX plastics, I would probably be throwing those, but they are hard to find. I had a couple star aviars and rhynos, but i just hated them. I am trying out the Star Dart right now, which is kind of like a flex blend it seems, but in the one round I played I didn't really like it.

Midrange: Just like Mark said, the harder you throw a disc the harder you grip it and the harder it hits things. Well with midranges I find myself throwing anywhere from 50% to 100% depending on the range, so I feel like I need good grip and durability. For this reason I have been throwing a Champion Stingray (which is more like Star plastic) for years. It gives me a good grip no matter how hard I squeeze it and it NEVER changes no matter how hard I throw it. I also favor Super Rocs, but thats just because I got one for a gift a few years back and aced with it. I only throw this one super roc but it has good grip and also never seems to change (although it has become less stable over time)

Drivers: Depending on the use I like only champion and Star (ESP and Elite Z) drivers. For my flick shots, which I squeeze very hard and have much more snap than my backhand, I mostly use champion discs, like the Boss. My backhands vary, but I prefer a nice star teerex or wraith. But I've owned a few DX drivers in my day and as soon as I hit a tree, it's never the same again. No good. But for hammer (thumber) throws I've been known to pull out a dx firebird or banshee.


Basically every disc has its day, and its use, so don't rule any out.
Happy discin!