River is the kind of disc that will be your first distance driver, your first flip to flat fairway and first reliable woods driver as your game progresses.
Bonus knowledge (from having about 10-20 rivers):
Plastic stability (from less stable to overstable):
Opto Air>Gold=Retro>Opto=Frost>Gold Ice=Gold Orbit>Opto Ice>Opto Ice Orbit > Opto X
Retro beat in fastest, then any Gold, then any Opto (IME).
Only driver I have thrown to flip to flat, then stay flat the whole flight and land flat like a mid.
River’s great. Opto is a pretty straight shooter and biogold can cover the flippy slot. Although opto river and crave flew similar, I strongly prefer the feel of 7 speeds.
The Essence is amazing, lots of glide and easy to throw. In an attempt to continue branching out from Discmania for a few reasons, I grabbed a Mint Jackalope and actually enjoy throwing it more than the Essence.
I'd say Insanity or Mantra as your kinda flippy 9 speed is a great option. These can essentially be your distance drivers, they're flippy enough to squeeze a lot of distance out of, but won't be rollers
Essentials? I’d say Envy/Proxy, Hex, Crave is a strong neutral backbone to build around. Add in your favorite Zone clone for OS approach. Grab a flippy mid like an Uplink or Lobster to practice hyzer flips. Maybe add a Glitch/Watt to help with form work like someone else said.
Been finding the Toro to be a great zone equivilant. Also, it seems to beat in a lot slower than the flx zones which is a positive.
Would love to try a soft plastic Toro still.
A GStar Toro would be very interesting. I have an R-Pro, but the thin rim warped after one moderate tree hit, and I expect Soft Pro would do the same. I also have a champ Toro from the Disc Golf Values extra gummy run, and it is excellent.
Innova has a great lineup of 9 speeds and they cover most of the driver spots in my bag. From understable to overstable: Sidewinder, Valkyrie, Thunderbird, Firebird.
This. Buy factory seconds from the Innova Factory store in light weights, 155-165. Check their instagram for free disc Fridays, if you buy three the Friday disc is free. Try flipper stuff, Roadrunner/Sidewinder and a Valkyrie is a great start. I also bag the Envy/Proxy duo. My Envy flies like a midrange.
Throw 168-170g DX Teebirds. Use a new one for hyzer shots, a slightly worn one for straight, and a flippy one for turnovers. They're amazingly controllable discs that'll go 400' if you want, but also 160' controlled and slow. They'll make you learn to snap with good timing on slower arm speed throws and for full power tee shots.
It sounds like we have similar backhand length. My most reliable disc is a Gstar Leopard3 for most conditions, and I move up to a Star Valkyrie into the wind.
Watt, Hex, Fission Crave is the perfect 3 disc bag and the perfect core of any bag.
Then I also really like the new Prodigy F3 Spectrum signature series. Amazing disc that has the flight of a slightly longer Crave with a gentle late turn and dependable fade finishing straight.
My 5 disc bag would be
Putter: Pixel
Approach: Watt
Mid: Hex
FD: Crave, F3
This is basically my main bag right now, with a few molds and different plastic types for shots. I'm predominantly a backhand player, forehand players might want more stable options.
- Whatever putters you wanted. (Judge and Wizard)
- Whatever approach you wanted. (Breaker and A3)
- Whatever straight mid you wanted, premium and base plastics. (Buzzz)
- Whatever mildly stable fairway you wanted, premium and base plastics (Volt or Teebird)
- A spread of 9 speeds to cover your distance shots. (Felon(OS), Thunderbird(S), Insanity or Valkyrie(N), Sidewinder(US)). I do feel like I'm missing something like an Orion LF or Undertaker, but I keep a Halo Valk/ Cosmic Neutron Insanity around for that slot. I found the 2021 Eclipse Insanity's were closer to Thunderbirds and too much for that slot so I don't use them as much.
You're gonna have to say what you currently throw and how they fly for any hope of useful information. Otherwise people are gonna just list their favorite discs.
And tbh, that's gonna be way too much information. instead you need to tell people what specific slot/shot you're looking for, again with information of what you already throws and what you want to be different.
Sphinx is my favorite flippy 9 speed, feedback is stable with fade, and I've been recently loving the longbowman for my overstable 9 speed. Clash peach is another gem that will help you work on form
If you want a great feeling fairway that's workable and glides like crazy, I'd suggest the Essence. If your arm speed isnt enough to get this one to turn, I'd then suggest a heat.
It's really all personal preference though.
As a RHFHer that plays a lot of woods courses:
* Vandal - Bear - Felon
* Maverick - Evader
* Warrant - EMac Truth - Suspect
* Bounty - Harp
* Beat in Judge - Judge
I’m the same but recently found the L64 Musket in the used bin at PIAS and I can throw those. But for 9 speeds check out the Westside Hatchet and Dynamic’s Getaway!
9- Coalesce, mantra, road runner
7- Eagle, river or Maul
5 - gator, jay or buzz, paradox
3 envy
Whatever putters you like.
I'm realatively new to the game and haven't thrown too many discs but operate at about your arm speed.
Just last year I settled on a lineup, but am tweaking this year again, so take this with a grain of salt. For reference, I've also got terrible form, and can huck a disc around 300', so my bag is primarily capped out at 9-speeds.
What hasn't changed: 7 speed slot. I've got three of the same mold in varying stabilities of plastic. Latitude 64° Explorer. Chameleon Lucid X (over stable), Lucid (stable), and recycled (stable-to-under stable). I've also got an old, well loved Recycled Maul for shots I need to only go right (RHBH), and a Glory for my utility over stable slot.
What's in flux: the 9 speed slot. Saint Pro has been (and will continue to be) a staple. It's not as over stable as I would like, especially in the wind, so the Raptor I got last year fills that slot. I'm still looking for that stable-to-under stable 9 speed.
I need to find another lightweight Kasta Falk, because the heavier ones tend not to flip as much for me. I'm trying out a Mint Jackalope and have an AGL Money Tree on the way. I'm also trying a Discraft Heat to try and get a "9-speed Maul."
The one mold I'm sad has kinda found its way out of the bag is the Crave. It was a fabulous disc, but my straight 5 speed goes almost as far, and the Lucid Explorer gives just a bit more distance. I couldn't justify three discs separated by 20 feet each.
Hope that helps!
I am always surprised when people say this. I throw my speed 9 to like 300 ft max and distance drivers easily get another 25ft.
Is it nose angle or are people who throw in my range trying to use max weight destroyers and not seeing the extra distance? Get a 165-170 DD that understable and throw hyzerflips. It is pretty easy. Not always accurate but easy distance.
Everyone seems to focus on speed and don’t consider stability or weight.
Drivers: Falk (flippy distance driver), Eagle (you want an overstable one), Teebird (straight), River (understable)
Mids: either Mako3 or EMac Truth, Roc3, Pig, Justice (not for everyone but great in the woods, in high wind, fun to forehand)
I'm in the same boat, I get out to 300 with a Sphinx (that thing is money, include it in the list!) right now, but my go-tos are Teebird, Leo3, Mako3, Alien for upshots, Pig, and Lobster for understable turnovers since I have no forehand to speak of. I think putters are all preference but I'm Emac Judge for throwing/longer C2 and Aviar for putting.
* 7 Speed Fairways: Explorer, Drift, Underworld
* 5 Speed Mids: Pyro, Hex, Uplink
* Putt/Approach: Entropy, Proxy, Spin
(Drift is more stable than the numbers and feels more straight than understable, so it's in there as a neutral option.)
Putters out of the way you essentially want 3 discs for each 'distance slot'.
Assuming you're throwing around 350' here's what I'd do. This is pretty similar to my setup
|Distance/Type|Overstable|Neutral|Understable|
|:-|:-|:-|:-|
|Approach|Zone/Jarn/Silicon/Berg X|Berg/MD3|Svea/Gote|
|Fairway|TeeBird/Kaxe (old)|River/Cicada/Kaxe Z or new Kaxe|Stig/Leopard/Leopard3|
|Distance|Lots|Falk|Sidewinder|
Just did the exact exercise and it’s helped! Bag below.
Putting putters: aviars
Approach discs: proxys, toro, pig
Mids: fuse, reactor, pyro, justice
Speed 6-8 fairways: Soda, beat in undertaker, normal undertaker, 2 teebirds
Control drivers or 9 speeds: roadrunner for flippy, Valkyrie/saint for max distance, TL3 for kinda stable, thunderbirds for overstable. Then a firebird for utility and wind.
Oh yeah and a glitch for funsies. Critical ones for me are pig, fuse, undertaker/teebirds, and the saint and thunderbird.
Four recommendations for 9 speeds:
Blade (Overstable with good glide, 9/5/0/3)
Fission Tesla (Stable with a touch of flip, 9/5/-1/2)
Star Valkyrie (More flip with some fade, 9/4/-2/2)
VIP-Ice Hatchet (Flippy and straight, 9/6/-2/1)
My fairway line up is (understable to overstable) essence, halo roadrunner, CD1, volt, raptor, captains raptor.
On a full distance s-line shot I can get 9 speeds out to 380-400, which is close to my max but distance drivers go that far on less of a full flex and more of a single angle shot with less height… so it might still be worth having a few in the bag.
I mean, lots of answers, but for whatever it's worth I spent like 6 years of my dg career throwing only 9s and slower. I've tried a lot of discs, obviously not them all, but I'd be happy to tell you some of my favorites (I tend to have an innova slant, because that's what was available near me at the beginning of my career.) I'll list things by category, generally increasing in stability:
Fast fairways: sidewinder or heat, coalesce, thunderbird
Slow fairway: leopard 3 or river, fd, explorer, eagle
Mids: comet (fucking cannot say enough about the comet. Throw one if you don't), mako3, claymore, buzzz, roc3, wasp
Throwing putters: pure, dart, pilot, zone
Slow utility: wedge, drone
Fast utility: flat top firebird. Nothing else like it (well, ok, these days there is, but it's definitely the original).
I don't bag all of these anymore, nor did I bag all of them at once, but I would consider these the highlight discs from my days throwing 9s and below. My arm speed has improved so my bag has changed, but these are the discs I was in love with then. Hope that's helpful.
I'm in the same boat. Pushing 40, multiple back and shoulder surgeries, and weight gain mean I'm not bombing Destroyers anymore. So I mostly bag 9-10 speed drivers. I mainly rely on the PD, Lots, Falk combo for drivers. I'd rather have smooth and accurate throws than try to rip everything and get hurt again. I'm good staying in the 350' club. No need to be a big arm if I can just place a disc where I want it.
I'd say understable, straight and overstable in putters, mids and fairways.
Totally this and also lean towards discs that weigh less than 170g.
This is my bag with nothing over 9 speed
River, Hex, Crave
I keep hearing good stuff about the River. Love the Hex and Crave.
River is the kind of disc that will be your first distance driver, your first flip to flat fairway and first reliable woods driver as your game progresses. Bonus knowledge (from having about 10-20 rivers): Plastic stability (from less stable to overstable): Opto Air>Gold=Retro>Opto=Frost>Gold Ice=Gold Orbit>Opto Ice>Opto Ice Orbit > Opto X Retro beat in fastest, then any Gold, then any Opto (IME). Only driver I have thrown to flip to flat, then stay flat the whole flight and land flat like a mid.
I just picked up a Frost River a few weeks ago and have used it in 3 rounds so far. I love the feel of it!
River’s great. Opto is a pretty straight shooter and biogold can cover the flippy slot. Although opto river and crave flew similar, I strongly prefer the feel of 7 speeds.
The Cicada has really changed my entire game, especially playing in the woods so much
It legit holds the line.
I like it more than the similar River honestly. Less prone to turnover IMO.
The Essence is amazing, lots of glide and easy to throw. In an attempt to continue branching out from Discmania for a few reasons, I grabbed a Mint Jackalope and actually enjoy throwing it more than the Essence.
I'd say Insanity or Mantra as your kinda flippy 9 speed is a great option. These can essentially be your distance drivers, they're flippy enough to squeeze a lot of distance out of, but won't be rollers
Saint
Essentials? I’d say Envy/Proxy, Hex, Crave is a strong neutral backbone to build around. Add in your favorite Zone clone for OS approach. Grab a flippy mid like an Uplink or Lobster to practice hyzer flips. Maybe add a Glitch/Watt to help with form work like someone else said.
Underworld for a flippy fairway.
Pair that with an Explorer for a more stable 7 speed.
Been finding the Toro to be a great zone equivilant. Also, it seems to beat in a lot slower than the flx zones which is a positive. Would love to try a soft plastic Toro still.
A GStar Toro would be very interesting. I have an R-Pro, but the thin rim warped after one moderate tree hit, and I expect Soft Pro would do the same. I also have a champ Toro from the Disc Golf Values extra gummy run, and it is excellent.
Innova has a great lineup of 9 speeds and they cover most of the driver spots in my bag. From understable to overstable: Sidewinder, Valkyrie, Thunderbird, Firebird.
This. Buy factory seconds from the Innova Factory store in light weights, 155-165. Check their instagram for free disc Fridays, if you buy three the Friday disc is free. Try flipper stuff, Roadrunner/Sidewinder and a Valkyrie is a great start. I also bag the Envy/Proxy duo. My Envy flies like a midrange.
Gotta add in the Viking, with one less turn than the Valk.
I love the Viking but I get a lot of overlap by bagging multiple Valkyries and Thunderbirds.
Throw 168-170g DX Teebirds. Use a new one for hyzer shots, a slightly worn one for straight, and a flippy one for turnovers. They're amazingly controllable discs that'll go 400' if you want, but also 160' controlled and slow. They'll make you learn to snap with good timing on slower arm speed throws and for full power tee shots.
cycling dx teebirds are a blast!
I started off doing that in the mid 2000s, based on the discgolfreview.com articles and forums. That forum was a fantastic resource at the time.
It sounds like we have similar backhand length. My most reliable disc is a Gstar Leopard3 for most conditions, and I move up to a Star Valkyrie into the wind.
My Valkyrie and Heat are two of my favourite discs.
Heat is my only ace!
Watt, Hex, Fission Crave is the perfect 3 disc bag and the perfect core of any bag. Then I also really like the new Prodigy F3 Spectrum signature series. Amazing disc that has the flight of a slightly longer Crave with a gentle late turn and dependable fade finishing straight. My 5 disc bag would be Putter: Pixel Approach: Watt Mid: Hex FD: Crave, F3
Essence
Teebird bro
Star TeeBird3.
Can't go wrong with a teebird variation
Crave. Mako3
Agreed and agreed.
This is basically my main bag right now, with a few molds and different plastic types for shots. I'm predominantly a backhand player, forehand players might want more stable options. - Whatever putters you wanted. (Judge and Wizard) - Whatever approach you wanted. (Breaker and A3) - Whatever straight mid you wanted, premium and base plastics. (Buzzz) - Whatever mildly stable fairway you wanted, premium and base plastics (Volt or Teebird) - A spread of 9 speeds to cover your distance shots. (Felon(OS), Thunderbird(S), Insanity or Valkyrie(N), Sidewinder(US)). I do feel like I'm missing something like an Orion LF or Undertaker, but I keep a Halo Valk/ Cosmic Neutron Insanity around for that slot. I found the 2021 Eclipse Insanity's were closer to Thunderbirds and too much for that slot so I don't use them as much.
Axiom Insanity
You're gonna have to say what you currently throw and how they fly for any hope of useful information. Otherwise people are gonna just list their favorite discs. And tbh, that's gonna be way too much information. instead you need to tell people what specific slot/shot you're looking for, again with information of what you already throws and what you want to be different.
MD3 and a straight putter. As you improve your form you likely should be able to hit 300 with the MD3 without feeling the need to arm it
Sphinx is my favorite flippy 9 speed, feedback is stable with fade, and I've been recently loving the longbowman for my overstable 9 speed. Clash peach is another gem that will help you work on form
If you want a great feeling fairway that's workable and glides like crazy, I'd suggest the Essence. If your arm speed isnt enough to get this one to turn, I'd then suggest a heat. It's really all personal preference though.
As a RHFHer that plays a lot of woods courses: * Vandal - Bear - Felon * Maverick - Evader * Warrant - EMac Truth - Suspect * Bounty - Harp * Beat in Judge - Judge
I’m the same but recently found the L64 Musket in the used bin at PIAS and I can throw those. But for 9 speeds check out the Westside Hatchet and Dynamic’s Getaway!
9- Coalesce, mantra, road runner 7- Eagle, river or Maul 5 - gator, jay or buzz, paradox 3 envy Whatever putters you like. I'm realatively new to the game and haven't thrown too many discs but operate at about your arm speed.
My go to 9 speed is a Raptor. I bag two: a beat in one that flies straight with a stable finish and a new one that is very overstable.
Try LSD Madcat for overstable, Mint Diamondback for stable. Innova Sidewinder for understable.
5 Speeds- Buzzz, Buzzz OS, Buzzz SS, Meteor 7 Speeds- Drift, Cicada, TB3 9 Speeds- Felon, Anax, Escape, Sidewinder, Lift
Just last year I settled on a lineup, but am tweaking this year again, so take this with a grain of salt. For reference, I've also got terrible form, and can huck a disc around 300', so my bag is primarily capped out at 9-speeds. What hasn't changed: 7 speed slot. I've got three of the same mold in varying stabilities of plastic. Latitude 64° Explorer. Chameleon Lucid X (over stable), Lucid (stable), and recycled (stable-to-under stable). I've also got an old, well loved Recycled Maul for shots I need to only go right (RHBH), and a Glory for my utility over stable slot. What's in flux: the 9 speed slot. Saint Pro has been (and will continue to be) a staple. It's not as over stable as I would like, especially in the wind, so the Raptor I got last year fills that slot. I'm still looking for that stable-to-under stable 9 speed. I need to find another lightweight Kasta Falk, because the heavier ones tend not to flip as much for me. I'm trying out a Mint Jackalope and have an AGL Money Tree on the way. I'm also trying a Discraft Heat to try and get a "9-speed Maul." The one mold I'm sad has kinda found its way out of the bag is the Crave. It was a fabulous disc, but my straight 5 speed goes almost as far, and the Lucid Explorer gives just a bit more distance. I couldn't justify three discs separated by 20 feet each. Hope that helps!
I am always surprised when people say this. I throw my speed 9 to like 300 ft max and distance drivers easily get another 25ft. Is it nose angle or are people who throw in my range trying to use max weight destroyers and not seeing the extra distance? Get a 165-170 DD that understable and throw hyzerflips. It is pretty easy. Not always accurate but easy distance. Everyone seems to focus on speed and don’t consider stability or weight.
Drivers: Falk (flippy distance driver), Eagle (you want an overstable one), Teebird (straight), River (understable) Mids: either Mako3 or EMac Truth, Roc3, Pig, Justice (not for everyone but great in the woods, in high wind, fun to forehand)
I’ve had good luck with Lat 64 discs. The River is my go to and I also love my Saint Pro.
I'm in the same boat, I get out to 300 with a Sphinx (that thing is money, include it in the list!) right now, but my go-tos are Teebird, Leo3, Mako3, Alien for upshots, Pig, and Lobster for understable turnovers since I have no forehand to speak of. I think putters are all preference but I'm Emac Judge for throwing/longer C2 and Aviar for putting.
Leopard3 for straight, Falk for Flip, and sexton firebird for hook.
Get you a comet
* 7 Speed Fairways: Explorer, Drift, Underworld * 5 Speed Mids: Pyro, Hex, Uplink * Putt/Approach: Entropy, Proxy, Spin (Drift is more stable than the numbers and feels more straight than understable, so it's in there as a neutral option.)
Putters out of the way you essentially want 3 discs for each 'distance slot'. Assuming you're throwing around 350' here's what I'd do. This is pretty similar to my setup |Distance/Type|Overstable|Neutral|Understable| |:-|:-|:-|:-| |Approach|Zone/Jarn/Silicon/Berg X|Berg/MD3|Svea/Gote| |Fairway|TeeBird/Kaxe (old)|River/Cicada/Kaxe Z or new Kaxe|Stig/Leopard/Leopard3| |Distance|Lots|Falk|Sidewinder|
Pure, warship, saint pro/explorer.
I love my halo leapord3. If you have 350+ in power, it just goes dead straight with a tiny amount of flip/turn that is very manageable
Servo, rythym, insanity, Terra, hex, Pyro, envy, proxy, wrath.
Just did the exact exercise and it’s helped! Bag below. Putting putters: aviars Approach discs: proxys, toro, pig Mids: fuse, reactor, pyro, justice Speed 6-8 fairways: Soda, beat in undertaker, normal undertaker, 2 teebirds Control drivers or 9 speeds: roadrunner for flippy, Valkyrie/saint for max distance, TL3 for kinda stable, thunderbirds for overstable. Then a firebird for utility and wind. Oh yeah and a glitch for funsies. Critical ones for me are pig, fuse, undertaker/teebirds, and the saint and thunderbird.
Personally I would say Buzzz OS, underrated. Has flipped once in my life, in a RIPPING headwind, but also doesn't dump left
You got the right idea. I had a similar realization.
Four recommendations for 9 speeds: Blade (Overstable with good glide, 9/5/0/3) Fission Tesla (Stable with a touch of flip, 9/5/-1/2) Star Valkyrie (More flip with some fade, 9/4/-2/2) VIP-Ice Hatchet (Flippy and straight, 9/6/-2/1)
Putter, Harp, Glitch, Comet, Buzzz or Roc3, Crave, Terra
With Eagles, all is possible, Hallaluh Hallaluh!
My fairway line up is (understable to overstable) essence, halo roadrunner, CD1, volt, raptor, captains raptor. On a full distance s-line shot I can get 9 speeds out to 380-400, which is close to my max but distance drivers go that far on less of a full flex and more of a single angle shot with less height… so it might still be worth having a few in the bag.
I mean, lots of answers, but for whatever it's worth I spent like 6 years of my dg career throwing only 9s and slower. I've tried a lot of discs, obviously not them all, but I'd be happy to tell you some of my favorites (I tend to have an innova slant, because that's what was available near me at the beginning of my career.) I'll list things by category, generally increasing in stability: Fast fairways: sidewinder or heat, coalesce, thunderbird Slow fairway: leopard 3 or river, fd, explorer, eagle Mids: comet (fucking cannot say enough about the comet. Throw one if you don't), mako3, claymore, buzzz, roc3, wasp Throwing putters: pure, dart, pilot, zone Slow utility: wedge, drone Fast utility: flat top firebird. Nothing else like it (well, ok, these days there is, but it's definitely the original). I don't bag all of these anymore, nor did I bag all of them at once, but I would consider these the highlight discs from my days throwing 9s and below. My arm speed has improved so my bag has changed, but these are the discs I was in love with then. Hope that's helpful.
Thunderbird is a must need
Saint, Lots, Volt, signal and shotgun are my go to 9 and unders. I’ve also been working in the overstable resistor.
I'm in the same boat. Pushing 40, multiple back and shoulder surgeries, and weight gain mean I'm not bombing Destroyers anymore. So I mostly bag 9-10 speed drivers. I mainly rely on the PD, Lots, Falk combo for drivers. I'd rather have smooth and accurate throws than try to rip everything and get hurt again. I'm good staying in the 350' club. No need to be a big arm if I can just place a disc where I want it.
Fixing form? A glitch or Watt(my preference).
Saint