Glow Golf…

For me, the single best thing about playing disc golf at night is that it’s fun. To be specific, it is 1.7 metric tons of fun. If you’ve never done it, you are seriously missing out.

There’s something different about it. It’s just you and your friends running around in the forest at night with discs that light up. It quickly brings out the child in everyone. All you need is a few discs, a way to see those discs, a course, and darkness.

When I first started playing glow golf, I used to bring my entire bag of discs. Bad move. It’s not a regular round. It’s just about getting out and having fun. You don’t need your full bag to do that. Over the years, I’ve pared down my glow bag to just 3-5 discs. That’s all you need for a great time playing disc golf at night.

I started by using glow plastic versions of discs I already carry. Honestly glow plastic is almost useless for the purpose of playing at night (although I do love how it feels and flies, especially my MoonShine Trespasses). It’s not very bright. It also loses it’s glow very quickly so you spend more time charging up the disc than throwing it. Even when charged, it can still be hard to find at night if you are off the fairway at all.

I quickly moved to taping lights on my discs. I started by using some little LEDs made for night fishing and then moved on to these that you can get at many online stores. These were a huge upgrade. Until it gets really cold or you hit a tree hard.

In the cold, the tape you use to hold them on the disc freezes and stops sticking. If you use tape where that doesn’t happen, you now have tape that leaves a sticky mess on your discs when you want to take it off. I’ve had many a shot that hit a tree where the disc went one way while the light went the other. Another problem you’ll run into is that if you hit a tree hard enough, sometimes those lights break or shut off. It’s very disheartening to watch your disc’s light wink out of existence mid flight leaving you with a very slim chance of actually finding that disc until tomorrow.

Because of these problems, I end up playing less glow golf than I’d like to. Between preparation and on course maintenance, there is a bit of a headache factor involved in a round of nighttime disc golf. Until now….

Enter Nite Ize…

When Nite Ize contacted me to see if I wanted to review their discs, I wasn’t too sure. But I thought they looked pretty cool and I already use a bunch of Nite Ize products. From Carabiners to Better Bands, I have always been very happy with their stuff. So I said sure, why not?

A couple of weeks later, a box of goodies from Nite Ize was at my door. Inside was 6 discs (2 putters, 2 mids, and drivers) along with a bunch of their Spotlit lights for clipping on the basket at night.

I want to start by saying I was very skeptical at first. I pictured these being like the Wham O golf discs or something Toys R Us would make as a house brand product. I was not expecting them to be useable for disc golf. Cool? Sure. Neat to throw in the dark? Yep. Discs that an experienced disc golfer would be happy using? I didn’t think so.

I was wrong.

The Discs…

The first thing you’ll notice about these discs is the plastic. It’s got a good amount of grip to it. It feels good in the hand and I was confident throwing it.

The design of the discs does take a bit of getting used to, but it’s really no big deal. There are these ribs that radiate out from the center location of the LED light. Nite Ize calls it a fiber-optic array. It takes the light from the LED and spreads it across the entire disc (which make it look extra cool). Where each rib hits the rim, you can feel it. A simple adjustment to grip the disc between the ribs is all you need to compensate.

Another thing I noticed about these ribs is that they gave the disc some more overall stiffness than you find with normal golf discs. I didn’t really noticed it until my first hard tree hit. They make a sound like no other disc and you can hear how solid they are when they hit.

Speaking of that, while I always cringe when a disc with a taped on light hits a tree, I grew to be very confident with the Nite Ize product. They hold up extremely well and not once did the light ever break or turn off. On inspection, the discs themselves hold up well too. I hit several trees pretty hard and none are worse for the wear. They didn’t change in flight either.

All of that together means you’d be hard pressed to lose one of these discs at night. The lighting arrangement on them is really great. They are fun to watch fly through the air and you can see them from a mile away. The LED will cycle through a bunch of colors (called disco mode) or you can lock it on your favorite. My first few rounds were played in disco mode, which I liked. After that I found it useful to lock each disc on a different color. That way it was easy to reach in my NutSac and grab the right disc without really looking too hard. I have landed on red for the driver, purple for the mid, and green for the putter (money baby!).

That leaves us with how they fly and overall they work really well. They all have the characteristics of discs that I’d select for a 3 disc round.

The Driver…

The driver has a wide rim. It’s a little wider than I prefer, but it ends up not being a problem. The driver is very controllable. Thrown hard, it has a nice bit of turn. I wouldn’t call it a turn over disc, but it does sit up and ride very nicely. At the end of its flight, it always faded.

Thrown with a good amount of hyzer, I could get it to fly a nice smooth right to left arc (RHBH). Thrown flat it flexed in a nice tight S with great distance. Thrown anny, it would hold the turn for 70% of it’s flight before fighting out at the end. It’s pretty much exactly what you would want in a controllable driver.

The only issue with the driver was in headwinds. I found that I had to back off a little and add some hyzer to keep it from flipping completely. Just a few throws, though, and I was comfortable using it in a moderate wind.  Luckily, night golf is mostly calm in my experience. Even on a windy day, the evenings often calm down considerably.

The Mid…

The mid reminded me of a Roc in its feel in the hand. It has the same profile and moderate dome you find in Champ Rocs. Appearance is where the similarity ends. The mid was the most understable of the 3 discs for me. Full power throws caused it to turn for most of its flight. Like the driver, though, it always came back at the end. It never simply flipped without coming back.

Powered down, I was able to get some really nice straight flights. It has decent glide too. Just like the driver, it worked on a variety of lines. I found myself wishing for just a little more stability, but that’s being picky. Overall, it’s a great all purpose mid.

As for wind, don’t throw the mid into a headwind. It’s the one disc of the three that just won’t work for you in that condition.

The Putter…

And now for the putter, my favorite of the three discs. With a profile similar to a beadless Aviar or a slightly deeper Pure, it feels great in my hand. I really enjoy both throwing and putting with this disc.

Putting with it does take some adjustment because of those aforementioned ribs on the bottom of the disc. After a while, though, they actually started to serve as a guide for where I place my fingers. For the most part, you can aim straight at the basket out to about the edge of the circle. It wasn’t until about 30 feet out that a little fade started to appear at the end of its flight.

Driving and up shots is where this disc shines (pun intended). You can really rip into this thing and it just takes the power without flipping. Step up and give it a good huck and it goes straight with a tiny fade at the end. On any given round I throw the putter a good bit more than the mid. If you were to buy just one of the 3 Nite Ize discs, and you are comfortable driving with putters, I would strongly encourage you to get the putter as your one Nite Ize disc.

Conclusion…

That said, I really love having all 3 discs for a glow round. I never find myself wishing I had spent the time to tape lights on my regular discs. Instead I just grab the Nite Ize set and head out to play. Overall, as an experienced disc golfer, I’m happy to play regular glow rounds with them.

In the end, we disc golfers buy a lot of discs that end up not getting used. We try new plastic a lot and can only carry so much. If you are anything like me you have a stack or 5 of unused discs somewhere in your house. The Nite Ize FlashFlight set won’t be one of those forgotten discs. If you currently play the occasional round of glow golf, or if you want to start, get yourself this set of discs. It won’t end up in one of those unused piles. Not to mention they have the most important flight characteristic of all… They are really, really fun.

Because Nite Ize was generous in sending us product to test, we’ve got a bunch of stuff to give away this time. We are giving away a driver, a mid, and a putter. We are also giving away a handful of the Spotlit keychain lights. All you have to do is be subscribed to the blog to be entered. Winners will be drawn on Wednesday, Feb 10, 2016 and will be notified via email. If you aren’t subscribed, simply enter your email below. Good luck!!!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Nite Ize Flashflight LED Disc Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

There are two types of understable disc in the world. Those that start their life as a stable or overstable disc and then lovingly beat in to buttery smooth turnover goodness. And those that are understable out of the box… Kind of like a few people I know.

If you look inside of most pro bags, you see a lot of that first kind and not many of the second. That’s because a disc that has been beat to understable is a much more reliable and trustworthy piece of plastic. I’ll be writing a post soon to describe why. For now, all the proof that is really needed is the number of pros that carry beat in plastic as their understable option.

I remember watching Barry Schultz play on an old MSDGC dvd I had (if you can find those earlier Marshall Street tournaments, they are absolutely worth a watch!). He had these beat up Rocs that you would swear were made out of equal parts plastic and magic. He threw them on 400 foot anny lines. He beamed them through the woods on laser straight flights. He threw them on what started as a straight path only to have them turn right at the end of their flight. I remember watching that as a new player and being baffled. I’d watch those videos over and over again wondering, “How does he get his discs to fade the wrong way!!!”

But not everyone has one of those perfectly seasoned discs. Some people had one and lost it. Others change up their discs too often to ever end up with a properly broken in disc. There are a lot of reasons that a disc golfer might be looking for that second type of understable disc. The challenge lies in finding a disc that is designed to be understable when new, but that flies like one of those beat in discs.

The problem with most discs that are designed to be understable is there is nothing keeping them from being squirrelly. They go right (RHBH) from the start. How much can vary wildly. They tend to be inconsistent and unreliable. The sought after characteristic of the beat in turnover disc is that it turns in a controlled and smooth manner. It doesn’t flip and burn one time and then barely turn the next. It does the same thing every time you throw it.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is where the Dynamic Discs Warrant comes in.

In short, the Warrant goes right (RHBH).

When thrown flat, it goes right.

When thrown with hyzer, it stands up and then goes right.

When thrown on an anny, it just keeps going right.

The only way to keep it from going right is to power down to about 50-60% or throw it in a pretty significant tail wind.

But going right isn’t what impressed me. It’s how it goes right. And you guessed it, it goes right like those magic beat in Rocs ole Barry still throws to this day.

Before anyone gets their panties all bunched up… No, it’s not a replacement for those beautifully seasoned Rocs. Nothing is. It is, however, a disc that has a very similar turn to one of those beat up discs the pros like to throw.

Once you get the hang of this disc, it will provide you with a reliable turn over shot that you can count on, but you do have to get the hang of it. Like any understable disc (this includes both types I’ve referenced), you have to have some touch. Throwers with virtually no finesse will not be able to make this or any other understable disc work well. Throwing on plane with no wrist roll is a requirement here.

I’m going to go back to my old stand by. If you can’t drive with a putter  (the universal test for whether or not you have decent form), you aren’t ready for a turnover disc. It will simply be a waste of time. But if you can, the Warrant will reward you with some beautiful flights.

For me, I’m anxiously awaiting the day when my Verdicts beat in to this much needed turn over slot. I’ve been playing with the same ones for over 2 years now and they still aren’t there. So until then there is a fight going on in my bag. The Warrant is currently in a vicious battle to kick my current turn over disc (the Latitude 64 Fuse) out of the bag. Will it win? I don’t know yet. What I do know is that if you are looking for a disc that goes right, the Warrant is surely worth a look.

Want to win our review sample of the Warrant you see pictured? All you have to do is be subscribed to the blog. If you’re not, enter your email below and we’ll throw your name in the hat for the give away. Winner will be drawn on Friday, Feb 5, 2016 and notified via email.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Dynamic Discs Warrant Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

Why I bought a Delta Ten Disc Golf Cart…

My two addictions in this world are disc golf and photography. As my love of disc golf has grown, I’ve accumulated many discs, bags, and other equipment. As my love for photography has grown, I’ve done the same thing with cameras, lenses, filters, and other gear. My photo habit has grown far beyond whipping out my iPhone to snap a pic every now and then.

That means that when I hit the course, I not only need a good way to carry my discs, I also need a place to safely carry my camera, lens, tripod, and other various equipment. Sometimes I feel like I’m packing for a small vacation just to go play a round of disc golf.

When I bought the Ridge Roller, it was a little tough for me to swallow the $400 price tag. But, as I wrote about here, getting a cart ended up being more than worth the money. And yet here I was looking at spending another $400… On something I already owned! That was a really tough pill to swallow. Convincing myself it was a good idea took a while and I almost didn’t do it. But after missing a bunch of really great picture opportunities because I didn’t have my camera with me, I decided that a Delta Ten was in my future.

If I hadn’t had the need for extra storage, I most likely would not have been looking at new cart options. I played most of this year with a Ridge Roller (see our review here) and was very happy. Sometimes life works in funny ways. What you do for one reason, you end up liking for a host of others. And that’s what happened when I decided to order a Delta Ten disc golf cart from Delta Disc Golf. From the moment I unboxed it I was in love.

As good as the All Terrain Disc Golf Cart (Ridge Roller) is, the Delta is a step better in almost every respect. I want to be very clear, though. At this time, the ZÜCA version of the Ridge Roller (available here) runs about $100 less than the Delta Ten. If $399 ($429 if you get it wrapped) is a bit too steep, don’t hesitate to look at the ZÜCA cart. This isn’t a good vs. bad comparison. It’s a really good vs. better comparison. In my opinion, however, if money isn’t an issue the Delta is the clear choice.

There are a few things the ZÜCA does better/differently and I’ll highlight those as we go through this review. When deciding which one is right for you, make sure you are keeping your own personal needs in mind as they are most likely different from mine. And with that, let’s get right to a visual tour of the Delta Ten Disc Golf Cart by Delta Disc Golf.

Visual Tour…

The build quality is amazing. This thing is a tank. Everything is held together with rivets or welds. Solid is an understatement. The material portions are heavy duty and the zippers are solid. The handle is secure. All it takes is a minute or two of looking this cart over in person and you are immediately impressed with the quality and engineering.

One thing I love is that this cart is built from the ground up for disc golf. Every feature is well thought out and has your disc golf experience in mind. You can tell that the designers not only play a lot of disc golf, but that they played a lot with this cart as they were developing it. There are so many little touches that come in handy. I truly appreciate the thought that went into building it.

The handle is comfortable and the pole it attaches to is adjustable. You can set the handle at a good height regardless of how tall you are. It also removes easily for transport and/or storage. I wouldn’t mind if the handle was a bit bigger around, but I’m 6’6″ with giant hands so that’s probably just a personal thing.

Pro tip:  When you are going through rough terrain, push the cart instead of pulling it.

One of the first things you’ll notice is the chest style disc storage. It’s super easy to get to your discs when accessing them from the top like this.

With the lid closed, this is a great seat. It’s also one of the few things I miss about the Ridge Roller. The Ridge Roller seat is about twice as high as the Delta. As a tall guy, it’s much more comfortable for me to sit on the Ridge Roller.

That said, this still works great and I have no real complaints. It’s also padded so you don’t need to buy an additional accessory to pad the seat like you do with the ZÜCA cart.

The top is held securely closed with two very well made tabs that have velcro on them.

When you flip the lid open, those same two velcro tabs flip around and hold the lid open. This keeps it from flopping around . On the inside of the lid, there is a putter pouch, mini pocket and another slot that fits a phone, scorecard, etc. I’ve become a huge fan of the UDisc app, so this is usually where my phone sits. It is secure and I have no worries at all about it falling out. I do wish the putter pocket held two putters, but that’s just me being picky.

Disc storage is ample. In the main compartment, you can easily fit 20-24 discs. The cart does come with 2 handy dividers.

Here you can see one of the main reasons I bought this cart. On one side of the divider is 15 discs (more than enough for me). On the other my camera sits safe and secure. The bottom and back of the main compartment are padded, so this is the absolute perfect way to carry my Sony camera. Even with my rather large 24-240mm all purpose lens attached, it fits very nicely. Unless I’m playing a quick round with my NutSac, I always have my camera with me now!

On either side of the main compartment, you’ll see another one of my favorite features, handles. On some spots on many courses, you need to pick up the cart and carry it. Up and down stairs, over creeks, in rough and hilly terrain. With a well placed handle on either side of the main compartment, the Delta is a snap to pick up and carry.

Under the main compartment is a zippered storage area. This is where the rain fly is stored. I can also fit a rain coat or sweatshirt in here. If the main compartment doesn’t have enough disc storage for you, this lower storage area can fit a bunch more discs.

Here is the rain fly attached. When cinched tight (unlike I have it pictured here) it does a nice job of keeping the rain out. It looks cool too. You’ll notice the Delta logos on the fly and the lower compartment door. There are little touches like this throughout the cart that I really love. It’s a reflection of the thought put into its design. No detail has been overlooked. And as for the rain fly, it does keep rain out of the open sides and front. If the lid is closed, your disc will stay mostly dry. Keep some towels in that lower storage and you are set for a wet day. Oh, and the rain fly comes with, it is not an extra purchase like it is with the Ridge Roller.

Behind the main compartment are two more storage areas. The Delta really shines when it comes to storage for things other than discs.

This compartment unzips to reveal safe storage for wallet, keys, phone, bag tags, and a bunch of other stuff. There’s quite a bit of room in here and when zippered, all is well protected. The compartment itself if padded and removes easily.

This compartment is intended for beverages. It is padded and insulated and does an ok job at keeping drinks cold. You can actually fit 6 cans in here! You can also fit 3 20 oz bottles. You all know by now I’m  carrying a Hydro Flask out on the course. My 32oz Hydro Flasks don’t fit in here, so I’ve had to change over to these smaller Hydro Flasks instead. I can fit two of them in here with room left over.

You can remove both compartments from the cart giving you a wider additional storage compartment that can hold discs, clothes, or other gear of your choice.

When I first saw these fenders, I wasn’t so sure they were needed. Turns out they are. They not only keep water and mud from spraying up everywhere, but they also keep any loose clothing from laying on the dirty tires if you are using the cart as a seat.

The wheels are the same wheels you find on the Ridge Roller. They have the same issue. You will get a flat.

***UPDATE:  In June of 2017, I ordered these solid 12″ wheels for my cart. They are a direct replacement for the stock wheels on either your ZUCA or Delta (for the Delta, they are a bit of a tight fit, but still work great). The solid rubber wheels eliminate the need to modify the standard air filled tires. Another huge benefit is that they are not bouncy like air filled tires. This ends up making your cart more stable. For a minimal cost, it’s a huge upgrade to your cart that you’ll be glad you made!!!

Pro tip:  Replace the inner tube with a solid core. You can do this with pool noodles.

Pro tip:  If you choose to keep these inflated with air, deflate them and then refill with fix a flat.

Pro tip:  Do not keep the tires fully inflated. They will bounce off of the smallest bump and cause the cart to tip. Instead remove just a bit of air for a smoother ride.

Pro tip:  Carry a small pump. Get one with a small head. The head has to fit inside the opening in the wheel which is tight.

One thing you’ll notice is that these are not quick release wheels like the Ridge Roller has. That’s because that is not needed. To put the ZÜCA cart into most cars or trunks, the wheels need to be taken off and it needs to be laid down. Not so with the Delta. Just remove the main handle and grab the side handles to lift it in. It is low enough that it fits comfortably in most cars and trunks.

The clearance is a little lower than the Ridge Roller when upright. The bottom case has 4 layers of protection, the ballistic nylon which is the waterproof layer, then a layer of foam which is the same foam as in the cooler so it can be used as one as well, then a protection layer of 1/8th inch plastic shield which you can feel from the inside and then one more layer of 1000 weave denier fabric. This should keep anything stored down here safe and dry.

There are also a couple accessories available. An umbrella holder and single drink holder are both available on the Delta site. They also just released a holder that can accommodate my 32oz Hydro Flask!

Don’t like black? First, what’s wrong with you? Second, check out all the incredibly cool colors and designs you can get this cart in! There is sure to be a color or pattern that works for you. I’ve got my eye on either a glow or carbon fiber wrap if I ever want to change things up. You can buy the cart pre-wrapped or you can buy wraps separately as your mood and preferences change.

Conclusion…

Let me start by restating that I’m thrilled to be playing with any cart. Whether you make one from an old stroller, buy the ZÜCA/Ridge Roller, or go for the Cadillac in the Delta Ten, you really will be happy you have one once you start using it.

With that said, I couldn’t be happier with the Delta cart. Everywhere I take it people stop me and have nothing but positive things to say. It’s improved both my disc golf and photography life. I can’t wait for this season to ramp up as I’ve got lots of traveling to new courses planned. I’m looking forward to taking the Delta on many an adventure this year. Make sure you are following here and on Instagram to see the pictures that come as a result!

If you like disc golf pictures, make sure you subscribe to the blog. Every month we give all our subscribers some nifty high resolution disc golf wallpapers to spruce up their computer desk tops. Just enter your email below.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Delta Ten Disc Golf Cart Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

ZÜCA All Terrain Cart / Ridge Roller Background…

If you read the article I posted last week, you know I’m a huge fan of using a cart when playing disc golf. Outside of quick rounds played with my NutSac, I use a cart almost every time.

Before I bought my first one, I did a lot of research. I really didn’t want to spend the money to be very honest. $400 is a lot of money to spend on something to carry your discs. Especially when you already own a few different bags! Do you know how many discs you can buy with $400?

(Currently priced at just over $300, see below for pricing details)

Because of that, my first thought was to go home made. There are plenty of you out there with converted strollers and ball golf carts. You prove that one doesn’t need to spend a ton of money to get wheels under their plastic. If you do a little poking around on line, you’ll find hundreds of different custom made disc golf carts.

That said, I’m lazy. I’m also not super handy. Another factor is that those strollers and ball golf carts work great on park style courses.  They can be a significant headache when it comes to wooded and rugged courses that have elevation. They can also be large and unwieldy. For those and several other reasons, I began to explore the world of purpose built disc golf carts. Once I owned one, I was immediately glad I hadn’t built my own.

During my initial research this year, I found a clear front runner in the world of disc golf carts. There was a guy on line taking metal framed rolling luggage/cases and customizing them for disc golf. I wasn’t sure about a cart made in a home workshop. My hesitations were put to rest during a tournament I played in this spring in Wisconsin. At that tournament there were no less than 15 of these carts being used by players. I went home that night and ordered one.

The cart I’m talking about is the Ridge Roller. These were originally made for play at the Rollin’ Ridge disc golf course (currently ranked the #3 course in the country by DGCR). It soon gained viral popularity on line. A Facebook page and website soon followed. It’s fun to look at the growth of this brand. What started as a project in a home workshop has turned into a professionally manufactured product.

Just a few months ago, the creator of the Ridge Roller partnered with the maker of the rolling cases (ZÜCA). This resulted in the birth of the production version of the Ridge Roller disc golf cart. It’s available on the Ridge Roller site as well as the ZÜCA site (as the ZÜCA all terrain disc golf cart).

***At the time this post is being published, there is a considerable price difference between the ZÜCA site and the Ridge Roller site. Make sure and check both before buying. Right now, the ZÜCA site is about $100 less than the Ridge Roller site.

This partnership meant a big upgrade to the Ridge Roller. As I write this, I’m looking at the original Ridge Roller I bought. Right next to it is a brand new ZÜCA made cart that they sent me for this review. The differences are notable and they mark a huge improvement on what was already a great cart. For the purposes of this review, I’ll be referring to the current production model.

Build Quality…

We play disc golf on a lot of varied terrain. It can range from flat and mowed park courses to forested courses with treacherous elevation. Nothing else matters if the cart isn’t well made. This is also where the purpose built carts shine over the home made carts. I’ve pushed and pulled my Ridge Roller through some rough courses (Squaw Creek, Lemon Lake Gold and Silver, and Highland Park to name a few). I was immediately happy I didn’t have a stroller or converted ball golf cart.

The ZÜCA / Ridge Roller is very well made. It took on ruts, roots, gravel, and hills just fine. There are a couple of issues with any cart on uneven terrain, but we’ll address that in a bit. As far as the ruggedness of the cart, it holds up nicely.

The frame is solid. Solid enough that the built in seat can support up to 300 pounds. The axel is just as solid. You would have to run this thing over with a car to bend or damage any of the metal construction.

The handle is thick and beefy and attaches securely. When tightened, it won’t move or bend. It also collapses for transport.

There are a couple things that could be better when it comes to durability. The most notable of those is the tires. The wheels themselves are fantastic. If the tires were filled with something solid instead of air, I’d have no complaints. Unfortunately, they are air filled. I’ve had 4 flats this year. While the cart can still get the rest of the way around a course on a flat, it’s not ideal. Each flat was fixed with that fix a flat stuff you spray into the tire.

***UPDATE:  In June of 2017, I ordered these solid 12″ wheels for my cart. They are a direct replacement for the stock wheels on either your ZUCA or Delta (for the Delta, they are a bit of a tight fit, but still work great). The solid rubber wheels eliminate the need to modify the standard air filled tires. Another huge benefit is that they are not bouncy like air filled tires. This ends up making your cart more stable. For a minimal cost, it’s a huge upgrade to your cart that you’ll be glad you made!!!

Pro tip:  Be prepared for flat tires.

This winter, I’m going to modify the tires on my cart. I ran into a couple of guys who were tired of fixing flats so they took pool noodles, cut them down, and made solid inner tubes. Works like a charm and no more worry about flats.

If you decide to stick with air in the tires, I’d say to buy a can of fix a flat (use the bicycle version) and keep it on hand. I’d also say to take just a bit of air out of the tires before using the cart. On fully inflated tires, bumps and roots tend to bounce the cart around too much. This causes the cart to tip and all your discs fall out. Softening up the tires a bit helps to absorb some of those shocks and bumps.

Pro tip:  When you are going through rough terrain, push the cart instead of pulling it. It does get off balance pretty easily. Since the discs go in the open front of the cart, you will end up picking up all your discs off the ground if it tips. By pushing the cart, you virtually eliminate the problem of it tipping over.

Capacity…

As I mentioned in a previous article, carrying capacity is one of the major benefits of using a cart. There is plenty of room for discs and other stuff.

The ZÜCA / Ridge Roller has 2 levels of internal storage that can hold 25-30 discs depending on your ratio of drivers to mids to putters. That’s both a blessing and a curse. Within a month of getting the cart, I was carrying 30 plus discs. More than twice what I was playing with before the cart. For me, that hurt my game. What I ended up doing was using the upper rack for discs and the lower rack for towels, hoody, rain coat, etc. By not putting discs in the bottom section, the ZÜCA / Ridge Roller has a tremendous amount of non disc storage inside.

The storage is great for large soft things like clothes and towels. It does not work well for smaller or harder objects like beverages or camera equipment. When using the cart, the entire front of the cart is open with nothing to hold the items inside. Someone could probably make a simple device to turn the bottom level of disc storage into a safer place to store other things. Like I said before, I’m lazy and not handy. I’d rather there was just more secure storage already built in. As a note, discs are held in place fairly securely. They will fall out if the cart completely tips, but are otherwise safe.

Outside of the main compartment, the Zuca is a little lacking in storage. It has several pockets on the sides. There is no padded compartment for keys, wallet, phone, valuables, etc. I used a small padded zippered case to hold that stuff and put it in the bottom behind the towels.

There is also a kind of pouch (see pics below) that attaches to the pole. It has a couple of velcro close sections that could be used to hold your valuables. For me, this is the biggest opportunity area of the ZÜCA / Ridge Roller cart. Key, wallet, and phone should all have a safe place built in. They don’t. There are a few places to stash those things (an inside side pocket being the most obvious), but none that seem like they are meant for that purpose. There is no padded, lined, or otherwise optimized storage of those items.

One of the best storage features of the Zuca Disc Golf cart is the dual cup holders. Securely bolted to the back are two drink holders that will both hold 32 oz Hydro Flasks. On bumpy terrain, there is a chance of the hydro flask coming out of the holder (because they are heavy). They fit, but are definitely just a tad larger than what the holder is meant for.

Pro tip:  If you are going to carry a single Hydro Flask, keep it on the side opposite of where you walk when pulling the cart. This will prevent you from accidentally kicking the drink with your heel as you walk. This will be more important for those of you with longer legs like me.

Visual Tour:

Visual Tour

Since a picture is worth a bunch of words (and I’ve typed too many words already), let’s take a visual tour of the Ridge Roller to finish off the review.

The handle is thick and angled comfortably. It fits well in the hand.

The handle is adjustable to a number of heights. Regardless of how tall you are, you can get it set perfectly for you.

The handle retracts into the base. This makes it easier to transport.

Pro tip:  When using the cart on rough terrain, push it instead of pulling it. The cart tips pretty easily when pulled over bumps, rocks, and roots. You can virtually eliminate this possibility by pushing it. I hear a lot of golfers say they won’t use a cart on some rougher courses. This little trick can fix most of that problem.

Because of it’s lack of storage pockets, it comes with this pouch. It’s not the best way to carry your keys, wallet, and phone, but it’s far better than the options on the cart itself.

The top of the cart is designed to be a seat. It is rated to hold up to 300 lbs.

Pro tip:  Get the optional seat cover. This provides a bit of padding and makes it a lot more comfortable.

There is also a handle in the top of the seat. This is nice when you have to pick the cart up to carry it over terrain it won’t roll over (stairs, stream crossings, big rocks, etc.).

Pro tip:  The cart can be awkward and unwieldy to carry by this handle. If you pick it up here, place your other hand on the top handle. Use that to lever the cart into a more balanced position that isn’t banging in to you. No matter what you do, the Ridge Roller is awkward to carry and can be tough to lug up and down stairs and steep inclines. It’s nice that it has a handle, but picking it up is a pain. I’d rather see two handles, one on either side, for a safer and more balanced carrying option.

The bag itself is made of durable material.

Pro tip:  While the material is durable, it will not stand up to large thorns and other similar hazards. Try to keep it clear of these things or the material will rip.

One very cool thing is the assortment of colors you can get the cart in. If you, like many other disc golfers, like to stand out as unique, it looks like the Ridge Roller site will have a frame and bag in a color combo you’ll love.

This side has a slim outer pocket. It also has what appears to be a nice sized zippered pocket. Appearances can be deceiving….

It zips open to a big open hole to the side of the disc frame. There is another slim pocket inside which might be an OK place for phone and wallet. It would be smushed up against the hard side of the rack, but it would at least be out of the elements.

The other side has two pockets. A thin one with a zipper. This will hold one, maybe two discs.

And an elastic pocket that will hold about 5 discs if you really cram them in. I was also able to fit a towel, rain coat, or a thin hoody in this pocket.

The front flap tucks away into a mesh pocket during play.

The internal frame seems well made and comes with one divider on the top level.

Internal disc storage of 25-30 discs is possible. I’m not a huge fan of the front facing disc storage. I’d rather see it face upwards so things are more secure. Upward facing storage would also make accessing the discs a bit easier. Overall, the discs go in and out pretty easily while still being secure. If the cart tips, they are all coming out. Make sure the cart doesn’t tip.

Pro tip:  If you need more storage, carry less discs and use the lower disc area to carry towels, clothes, ets. It does not carry small items or camera equipment well. Make sure whatever you put in here is secure or it will fall out of the front of the cart.

The raised front matches the axle height. That allows clearance over most roots, rocks, and other obstructions. It also allows the cart to sit in a good bit of water without getting the contents wet.

The quick release wheels and axel are nice since the cart will not fit in most cars standing up. Removing the wheels is a space saver. I did have issues getting the right amount of tightness on them. Too loose and the ends fell off. Too tight and the wheels don’t spin freely.

Pro tip:  When tightening the wheels, make it snug but not too tight.

Pro tip: If you stand it up (only possible in jeeps, vans, SUVs, etc.) in your vehicle for transport, secure it somehow. Otherwise it will roll around and tip over as you drive.

Pro tip:  Replace the inner tube with a solid core. You can do this with pool noodles.

Pro tip:  If you choose to keep these inflated with air, deflate them and then refill with fix a flat.

Pro tip:  Do not keep the tires fully inflated. They will bounce off of the smallest bump and cause the cart to tip. Instead remove just a bit of air for a smoother ride.

Pro tip:  Carry a small pump. Get one with a small head. The head has to fit inside the opening in the wheel which is tight.

The drink holders are great and WILL hold a 32 oz. Hydro Flask.

Pro tip:  Store a single drink on the opposite side that you walk on to prevent your heel from kicking the drink out of the  holder while walking. If storing two, be careful not to do this.

Conclusion…

I played most of the 2015 season with a ZÜCA all terrain disc golf cart / Ridge Roller. Not once did I ever second guess spending the money. It was definitely a worthwhile purchase and I’m happy I had it.

That said, it is still an early generation product. There are several things I do wish were better (storage for things other than discs being the biggest one). I would bet that over time, this cart will see several revisions that will make it better and better each successive time it is updated. The first of those revisions has happened recently. The upgrades present on the ZÜCA made cart are a big improvement over the cart that not too long ago was sold only on a FaceBook page.

If you talk to owners of the Ridge Roller, they are all happy with their cart. If you are in the market, it is a worthwhile choice.

As our regular readers know, Mind Body Disc is about honesty and transparency in all the reviews we publish. Because of that, I feel compelled to let you all know that I no longer personally use the Ridge Roller cart. I have switched to the Delta Ten (review coming soon). The Delta is about $100 more than the ZÜCA all terrain disc golf cart, but I needed two things the Ridge Roller just didn’t offer.

One was secure storage for my camera. I carry a very expensive camera and lens on many rounds and there just wasn’t anywhere to safely carry it on the ZÜCA / Ridge Roller. In fairness to the Ridge Roller, it was designed as a disc golf cart and it does a tremendously good job of doing that. If you don’t have several thousand dollars in camera gear to carry along with your discs, this should not dissuade you from purchasing the ZÜCA all terrain disc golf cart.

Two was upward facing disc storage. If you’ve followed my blog for any length of time, you know about my back problems. Having to bend down to look inside the front of the cart to see my discs just wasn’t working for me. This is another specific gripe that only a few of you will ever relate to. That and I haven’y had all my discs fall out of the Delta Ten once. It happened several time with the ZÜCA.

I want to be clear that if I didn’t have the above two concerns, I would still be using my ZÜCA all terrain disc golf cart today. I would not have even considered spending another $400 on a different cart. And I will say that the Delta is not perfect either. It’s just the better option for me at this time.

[tweetthis]Check out the ZÜCA all terrain #discgolf cart![/tweetthis]

I would encourage you to give the ZÜCA all terrain cart serious consideration for your disc golf cart dollars. I believe that of all the carts currently available, it represents the best value for your money. It is a great piece of equipment and I enjoyed playing the 2015 disc golf season with it at my side.

Don’t want to miss our next review or article? Want a great weekly disc golf newsletter you can’t find anywhere else? Want free disc golf wall papers for your computer desktop? Want to be entered into most of our random draw contests automatically? You can do all that by simply subscribing to the blog below!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post ZÜCA All Terrain Disc Golf Cart (Ridge Roller) Review | Mind Body Disc appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

Before this year, if I saw you with your discs in some kind of cart, my response would have been, “So how’s it feel to admit you are old and feeble?”. All in good fun, of course, but deep down I thought carts were only for the weak and lazy. I figured if I couldn’t muster the strength to carry around a back pack with 10-20 frisbees in it, I was in big trouble. Besides, there was no way I was going to spend a significant amount of hard earned money on a cart when I already owned 6 different bags.

My how things can change in the space of a year. In 2015 I had a change of heart in regards to disc golf carts. So much so that…

I admitted that I was old and feeble.
I spent my hard earned money on not one, but two of them.

I’m still just kidding with the old and feeble thing. That’s not why you buy a disc golf cart. You buy a disc golf cart because you are old and wise. You could even be young and wise. Really wise is the key word here. We’ve all heard the saying, “smarter, not harder”, right?

A Very Brief History…

Disc golf carts have been around for a while. It started with converted strollers and ball golf carts. Then Gotta Go Gotta Throw, a disc golf store out of Minnesota, developed the “Go Cart”. The Go Cart is basically a chair on wheels inside of which you could put your bag. It wasn’t until recently that companies have started making disc golf specific carts. Ones that do more than just add wheels to your regular bag.

In the end, all it takes is playing a round or two with a cart to see the light. As more and more players try them out, more and more players buy them. It used to be that you would only see the occasional person with a modified stroller or ball golf push cart. Now it seems like at least half the people I see playing in tournaments are using purpose built disc golf carts. You can count me among them.

A good number of those carts are home made, but there is an ever growing number produced specifically for disc golf. Part of this shift is due to the durability and mobility (or lack thereof) of converted strollers and such. Part of it is that there are now at least two very good options built specifically for our sport.

In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be posting reviews on each of those carts. The Ridge Roller from Zuca and the Delta Ten by Delta Disc Golf. Those two are the obvious choices in the market for purpose built disc golf carts.

Click here for an in depth review of the ZÜCA all terrain disc golf cart – aka the Ridge Roller.

If you are in the market for a cart, we hope these reviews prove useful.

If you aren’t in the market, here’s a few reasons you should be…

5 Reasons to Use a Disc Golf Cart…

1.You’ll play better disc golf. Let’s say that you normally throw par. On average, that’s a 54 on the score card. That means that in one round, you have picked up and set down your bag at least 100 times. A standard back pack bag with 20 discs in it (and no water) weighs right around 15 lbs. That means that you’ve moved 1500 lbs during one round! I don’t care how young and not feeble you are, that takes energy. That energy is better spent throwing discs and getting around the course. If you are fresher with more energy during a round, you will play better disc golf.

2.You’ll make more putts.  A lot of folks don’t put their bag down to putt. To conserve energy (or because they are lazy), a lot of folks putt with their bag on their back or shoulder. There isn’t a disc golfer out there who hasn’t seen someone miss an easy putt as a result. This never happens with a cart. With a cart you can miss your putts for other reasons.

3.There’s a chair! A lot of players, especially during tournaments, carry a small camping stool. There are also a lot of people who don’t bother with a stool (me included) because of the hassle of carrying one around. Disc golf carts have a seat built in! It’s part of the cart. Having a place to sit down (especially during those hot summer months) can be a life saver.

4.You can carry what you need and not worry about the weight. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left things at home or in the car (rain coat, hoody, extra towels, utility discs, retrievers, etc.) simply because I didn’t want to lug it around on my back. With a cart, you pack based on what you need for the round, not what you may or may not want to carry. It also makes those judgement calls (like whether you reeeeeally need an umbrella or not) easier. If it doesn’t take any extra effort to bring it with, you are much more likely to be prepared.

5.Beverages. Liquid is heavy. Carrying enough liquid to stay hydrated weighs your bag down. Carrying that liquid in well insulated containers (like my all time favorite Hydro Flask) makes it weigh even more. With a cart, carrying fluids is no problem. Some carts even have room for enough beverages for multiple people. I’ve seen modified strollers that have space for a full size cooler in addition to discs.

There are a lot more reasons than this to use a cart. To be honest, before this year, I would have argued with you on all 5 of those points. I might have even called you lazy.

The Real Reason to Use a Disc Golf Cart…

What made me most resistant, though, was the price. They are not cheap. In the end, none of those 5 things justified spending $400. At least not in my mind. So why did I buy not one, but two carts this year?

If you play in tournaments, you know the exhausted and drained feeling you have after playing two hot summer tournament rounds. You are mentally and physically drained. Most times you are done for the day. It’s all you can do to make the long drive home without falling asleep.

This year, after every tournament I played while using a cart, I played more disc golf. I either stayed at the same course and played another round or I stopped at another course on the way home. I wasn’t tired or exhausted after the tournament. I was ready to go!

I’ll never forget the first tournament where I used a cart. I looked at one of the guys on my card at the end of the second round and said, “I feel like I’ve barely played at all today. I can’t believe I waited so long to buy a cart!” His response was a knowing “Yup.”

He had been using a cart for years.

You can repurpose an old stroller you have stored in the garage. You can pick up a ball golf cart for a few bucks at a garage sale. You can go all out on a Ridge Roller or Delta Ten. There are a lot of options.

Whichever you end up using, I’d be surprised if you didn’t love using a cart. Sure, there will be times when you just want to grab your NutSac and hit the course for a quick round. But that’s not every round. If you play any amount of disc golf at all (especially tournament play), make the effort to get some wheels under that plastic. I’ll even promise not to call you old and feeble if you do!

Like the idea but not sure which cart to buy? Look for our reviews of the ZÜCA all terrain disc golf cart / Ridge Roller and the Delta Ten. Make sure you don’t miss either of those by joining over 1,000 other disc golfers who have subscribed to the Mind Body Disc blog!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Why You Should Start Using a Disc Golf Cart appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

Every once in a while, I come across a product that takes me by surprise. A product that ends up being a lot more than it appears to be on the surface. A product that leaves me wondering how I got along without it. This year, I’ve come across two such products. Today I’ll be reviewing one of them, the Scepter disc golf retriever.

I first saw the Scepter on a YouTube video. It was right around the same time that I was trying out the Disc Gator disc retriever (read our review here). While the Gator is a cool idea, the bulky and somewhat sketchy pole assembly have kept me from carrying it with me. I believe that if you don’t end up using a product, whatever money you spent on it is essentially wasted. The Gator is a good product, but since I don’t carry it I basically wasted the $38 I spent on it.

When I saw the Scepter, my first reaction was that it looked pretty cool. My second reaction was to the price. $69?!?! Being that I just spent $38 on the Gator, I passed. And with that, the Scepter faded to the back of my mind. I would make due with a Golden Retriever and a hockey puck (I keep one in my bag to throw at discs lodged in trees). Then I ran into Paul.

Paul plays in the same division as I do, advanced masters. We advanced masters players like to think that our years of experience have made us smarter golfers. Little techniques like throwing into the shade on hot days are pervasive in our division. We like to take every opportunity to make things easier on ourselves. It was for this reason that Paul carried a Scepter.

The interesting thing was that Paul didn’t carry it as a disc golf retriever. He was using it as a shagger/caddy. In other words, he used it on every throw to pick up his disc. He was even using it to pick up and put down his mini. Some might say this is laziness. I would call this brilliant!

Much More Than a Retriever

I started using a disc golf cart this year (the other of the two products I found this year that I can’t live without). I did it because using a cart prevents me from having to pick up and put down a heavy bag over 100 times per round. The impact on my back and stamina has been huge. The less picking up and putting down I do, the less stress I put on my back and knees. It allows me to save my energy for playing. It allows me to get in more golf. It’s something I believe in so much that I’ll soon be posting reviews on the two best carts in disc golf.

Well, here was Paul. Not only was he not having to deal with a bag, but he also wasn’t bending and stooping to deal with his discs! Here was someone playing an entire round of disc golf and not bending over once! Not even for his mini!

When I got home after that tournament, I immediately ordered one. After seeing Paul play an entire round with no bending down, I had to have one!

I want to take a minute and tell you about the purchase process. The Scepter disc golf retriever is made by Whirld Sports and I ordered it on their website (see below for a coupon code!). Shortly after, I got a great follow up email from the company owner telling me what to expect and thanking me for my order. The Scepter came quickly. When I opened it, it actually had a nice set of instructions! It might sound weird that I got excited by that, but it’s just one of many indicators of the quality level of this product. The owner of Whirld Sports also followed up via email and was immediately available when I had questions.

The Scepter is really solidly made. You can immediately tell it’s well engineered and manufactured. I spent the next 30 minutes walking around my living room picking up discs and various other things. It works great. I couldn’t wait to take it to the course. I couldn’t wait to play disc golf without causing stress to my back by bending over so much. When I got to the course, it didn’t disappoint.

I want you to really think about this for a minute. Imagine playing a round without ever bending over or kneeling down. How much more energy would you have? How much better would you play by eliminating the fatigue caused by constantly kneeling, bending, and standing back up? How much more could you play?

Not Just For Playing

Now think about field work. The course isn’t the only place you can get a lot of use out of the Scepter. If you go out and throw 100 drives, that means you are bending down to pick up discs 200 times. That’s energy better spent practicing. I can tell you that I’ve almost doubled my field work since buying a Scepter disc golf retriever.

In addition to field work, the Scepter is a must for putting practice too. Shagging all of the missed putts that are close to the basket has increased the amount of putting practice I do.

Put all that together for a minute. With the Scepter I practice and play more. I am fresher and have more stamina. It’s a piece of equipment that actually helps me play better disc golf! All this before I ever extended it to its 2 meter length to retrieve a disc from water or deep bushes.

As a retriever it works at least as well as the Disc Gator but you don’t have to stop to put it together like the Gator. I’ve used it to easily get discs out of water, trees, bushes, and from next to a ground hornet’s nest.

3 Things I Wish…

It’s pretty clear that I like the Scepter. I’m totally happy with my purchase. That said, like everything in life, the Scepter disc golf retriever is not perfect. There are a few things I wish were better…

First, it doesn’t work near as well in the cold as it does when it’s warm. It still works, but there’s definitely a trick to it. Second, there isn’t a great way to attach it to my cart. Whirld Sports is working on a solution, but for now it will have to be a home made attachment I come up with on my own. If you carry a bag, you are covered. Whirld makes the Scabbard for attaching the Scepter to you bag. Third, when collapsing or extending the pole, there is a danger of really pinching the heck out of your hand. The Scepter is shipped with a warning of this and once you get the hang of it it isn’t a problem. Even so, I would rather it not be possible in the first place.

All in all, those 3 “I wish’s” are minor. The Scepter is my second favorite disc golf purchase of the year (stay tuned for the review of #1 coming soon). I can’t believe I played with a bad back so long without it. It is truly beneficial to my health and my game.

A Bonus For You

When I knew I was going to be writing a strong recommendation for the Scepter, I reached out to Whirld Sports. I wanted to see if they could provide some sort of incentive or bonus for the readers of Mind Body Disc. Whirld owner, John Heaton, really came through. John was kind enough to offer all of you a 10% discount on the Scepter disc golf caddy. All you have to do is enter the coupon code MBD10 at checkout.

Turns out John is a cut above just like his product. When I found out what else he does, the quality of product and service from Whirld made a little more sense. In addition to being CEO of Whirld, John is also the event chair for the St. Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational. You can feel proud and comfortable in supporting him and his company. He is definitely out there supporting disc golf!

Do you want to make sure you don’t miss out on future reviews or special offers? Enter your email below and subscribe to the best disc golf blog on the inter webs!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post The Scepter Disc Golf Retriever Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

The Quick and Dirty on the Westside Discs Sampo

Some of you wrote to tell us that our disc reviews were a little long. While we aren’t going to change that (we’re a little anal and like to be detail oriented), we are going to add a quick and dirty summary to the top of all of our reviews. This way you can get in, get out, and get on with your life!

The Sampo is a pretty solid all around driver. If you are looking to slim down your bag to only one driver mold, the Sampo could definitely do that for you. It does a lot of things pretty well.

It’s best at going straight. It will hold a hyzer. It will hold an anhyzer with modest flex at the end. It’s a very workable driver. It’s got a very nice combination of minimal high speed turn and low speed fade.

It’s got some pretty solid glide which gives it surprising distance potential for a smaller rimmed speed 10 disc.

If you are a fan of the Escape, but would like something that won’t have as much turn, you’ll like the Sampo.

Oh, and it’s got kind of a dumb stamp.

If you’d like to try one out, you can get them at the Dynamic Discs site here, or on Infinite Discs here.

Now on to the full review…

Good Disc, Bad Stamp

One of the things I think is pretty cool about Westside Discs is that they name all of the discs after characters or things from the Finnish epic poem, the Kalevala. I really dig most of their disc names and stamps. I have a lot fun researching the mythical heritage of each disc’s name and stamp.

Here’s how Wikipedia describes the Sampo:

In Finnish mythology, the Sampo or Sammas was a magical artifact of indeterminate type constructed by Ilmarinen that brought good fortune to its holder. When the Sampo was stolen, it is said that Ilmarinen’s homeland fell upon hard times and he sent an expedition to retrieve it, but in the ensuing battle it was smashed and lost at sea.

OK, the Sampo is a magical artifact, I can get down with that. So why is there a picture of the broken down furnace from Freddy Krueger’s basement on the front of the disc?! Are we completely out of inspiring images for hot stamps? It’s a picture of something most people hide in their basements or equipment closets. I’m pretty sure that when you show people around your house, you don’t take them to your boiler and say, “Hey, check out our really cool piece of HVAC equipment!”.

Honestly, I’m not sure why it bugs me so much, but it’s got to be one of the top ten dumbest things I’ve seen stamped on a disc.

Before anyone writes me hate mail pointing out that the stamp has nothing to do with anything… I get that. It’s my own personal opinion and it probably doesn’t belong in a review that’s designed to help you decide if you want to buy one or not. But a furnace? Really?

Anyway, let’s get to the important stuff and talk about the disc itself and how it flies.

The Sampo turns out to be a pretty solid all around disc. It falls in what many people are calling the “tweener” category. It’s not quite a super long distance driver, yet it’s got more D than your typical fairway plastic.

For me, I was very impressed with its straight line performance. I could crank on it pretty hard and it just went straight. When I got up to about 90%-95% power, it would show a little turn. That turn basically kept it airborne longer, it did not make the disc go right in any meaningful amount.

It also held a hyzer line well. Even when thrown into a modest headwind, it resisted sitting up flat and/or turning over. I would call this a very stable disc. When thrown flat, it just went straight with a kind of settling fade at the end of its flight. At lower speeds, the fade was more pronounced, but never out of hand.

One of the unique characteristics of this disc is that it has the least amount of fade of any disc I’ve thrown with this much high speed stability (resistance to turn). Any other disc I can think of that resists turn like the Sampo has a much more pronounced fade.

As far as how it feels, I’m undecided. It does have a flatter top, which I like. But it has kind of a thicker rounded shoulder that took some getting used to. The rim is a medium size and should be manageable for most.

Now For the Details

Westside Discs Describes the Sampo…

“The fairway driver that you have been looking for and the one that will instantly find a spot in your bag. The Sampo gets great distance with minimal effort due to how smoothly it comes out of the hand and it’s great glide. The flight path is very neutral which makes it great for long, straight, low shots. Pick up the Sampo today and pick up strokes on your competition tomorrow.”

Speed: 10
Glide: 5
Turn: 0
Fade: 2

InBounds Flight Chart

Agree or Disagree?

I’m not sure I totally agree with the chart or with Westside’s numbers. The speed rating of 10 is pretty spot on. The glide is at least a 5. The high speed turn is where I differ the most. If you are getting it out to the almost 400′ the chart above shows, it definitely turns more than indicated. Not a lot, maybe a -.5 on a really strong pull, but some. I’d also put the fade at 1.5. As I stated above, I was most impressed with the combination of very low turn combined with only a little fade.

If you changed the distance thrown to the 300′-350′ range, then Westside’s numbers are spot on. You’ll get no turn at that power level and the fade will be slightly more pronounced.

Physical Description

The Sampo is a flat topped disc with a rounded shoulder. Bigger hands will feel more of the flatness. Smaller hands will feel more of the rounded rim. It’s got the rim width of a fairway driver. It also has a barely noticeable micro bead. Based on what I know about disc design, this is a big part of what gives it its stability. I’m not a fan of beaded discs, but I honestly don’t feel the bead when gripping it for a throw. Here’s some images to help…

How does it fly?

Hyzer

As you would imagine with a disc that doesn’t really turn, it holds a hyzer nicely. On a really good rip, I could get it to flip up to flat, but it mostly just wanted to hold its hyzer line for the whole flight. The limited fade of the Sampo also meant it didn’t dump off at the end. It just kind of held the left hand turn all the way to the ground.

Flat

For me, this is where this disc shines. Throw it flat and it goes straight and glides for days. The fade doesn’t kick in until late in its flight. Throwing this in the woods was fun because of this combination of a straight flight and lots of glide. It didn’t need a ton of height under it to get some very nice straight line distance in low ceiling situations. The lack of high speed turn also meant that I could really jump on it and not worry about it heading right into the trees when thrown in tight corridors.

Anhyzer

While the Sampo will hold an anny, it does not turn any more than whatever line you put on it. It will start to fight back to flat late in its flight. It’s a very workable disc. If you weren’t carrying anything understable, you could definitely get away with using this for moderate right turns.

Headwind

The Sampo can hold its own in light to medium winds. I didn’t get the chance to throw it in high wind, but being that it’s almost winter here in Chicago, I did get to test it in some decent gusts. A headwind did tend to push it right just a tic, but nothing too terrible. The low speed fade all but disappeared when thrown into the wind.

Tailwind

In a tailwind, the Sampo still liked to go straight. It’s fade would kick in a little earlier and it seemed to decrease in glide some, but it was reliable and didn’t turn into something overstable like many discs do in this condition.

Distance

On a pull that was fast enough to get the Sampo to show some turn, it was breaking the 360′ mark with little problem. It’s definitely longer than most fairway drivers but doesn’t quite get out there with the big dog distance discs.

How’s your arm?

You have a cannon and your drives are 450′ plus…

You will see a nice, slight turn on a flat throw. You’ll also be able to get the Sampo to flip up to flat and go straight for a long flight. You’ll like the Sampo because it will not turn over where other discs normally do. If you are used to carrying discs that fade more than you’d like just because that’s what you need to carry to eliminate high speed turn, you should like the Sampo a lot.

You have a gun, but not a cannon, and you can drive 325′ – 400’…

This will be a great straight driver with a minimal fade at the end. You’ll be able to get nice flights out of the Sampo on pretty much any line you throw it on. It won’t punish you for a little off axis torque and is a relatively forgiving disc at your arm speed. You should find it to be very consistent.

You have more of a BB gun than a cannon for an arm and your drives are under 300’…

You will find all the same flight characteristics as described for people throwing 325′-400′. You will just have less distance. Because the Sampo doesn’t want to fade a lot in the first place, you shouldn’t see a huge increase in fade at lower power. The Sampo would be a good disc for you as it will perform well now and will grow with you as your arm speed increases. You won’t suddenly find it flipping on you one day when you start throwing further.

What’s it similar to?

In the distance category, the Sampo is unique. I wouldn’t say that any “distance” disc has the combination of resistance to turn and minimal low speed fade that the Sampo does. If we turn to fairway drivers, there are a few discs that come to mind that will have a very similar flight lines, but none have the distance potential that the Sampo does. Those fairway discs are the Innova TL, Legacy Rival, and the Westside Stag.

Summary

As I mentioned a few times, the thing that sets the Sampo apart is its combination of very low high speed turn and minimal fade. That’s a desirable combo and it comes in handy a lot out on the course. The biggest benefit will be to those of you who don’t carry a lot of discs. If you were to have to play with only one driver, you could make a very, very good case for that driver being the Sampo. It’s long enough to cover distance duties. It’s controllable enough to cover fairway duties. It’s good in the woods and it’s good out in the open. It reliable and forgiving. It’s a very nice all around disc.

So that leaves the question of does it make my bag? The answer to that is “kind of”. Honestly, for my full time, full assortment bag… It’s not going to go in. While the Sampo is very good at a lot of things, I’ve found other discs that are great at their specialties. That works because I typically am not trying to limit myself to one driver.

For my winter time bag, on the other hand, it’s definitely in. First, I limit myself to about 6 discs in the winter. I carry a Fluid Enforcer, an Elasto World, a Frost Claymore, a gummy BioFuzion Verdict, and a Gold Line Pure. That leaves one slot for a control driver. With only one slot open, the Sampo is a shoe in. Second, the Sampo comes in Westside’s Elasto plastic. I started playing with the softer plastics last winter and really enjoyed the added grip and pliability they brought to cold weather play.

The interesting thing will be seeing if after playing with the Sampo all winter, will it find it’s way into my regular season bag? Only time will tell. I’m looking forward to getting to know it better in the next few months and I’ll keep you all posted.

Win this disc!!!

Do you want to win our review sample of the Westside Sampo shown in all the pictures? Make sure to subscribe to the blog and you’ll not only be entered to win the Sampo, but you’ll automatically be entered every time we do a review in the future! Subscribe now and we’ll pick a winner on Thanksgiving Thursday, 2015!!! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for the announcement of the winner.

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LHBH / RHFH Version:

LHBH/RHFH Version of the Review…

The Quick and Dirty on the Westside Discs Sampo

Some of you wrote to tell us that our disc reviews were a little long. While we aren’t going to change that (we’re a little anal and like to be detail oriented), we are going to add a quick and dirty summary to the top of all of our reviews. This way you can get in, get out, and get on with your life!

The Sampo is a pretty solid all around driver. If you are looking to slim down your bag to only one driver mold, the Sampo could definitely do that for you. It does a lot of things pretty well.

It’s best at going straight. It will hold a hyzer. It will hold an anhyzer with modest flex at the end. It’s a very workable driver. It’s got a very nice combination of minimal high speed turn and low speed fade.

It’s got some pretty solid glide which gives it surprising distance potential for a smaller rimmed speed 10 disc.

If you are a fan of the Escape, but would like something that won’t have as much turn, you’ll like the Sampo.

Oh, and it’s got kind of a dumb stamp.

If you’d like to try one out, you can get them at the Dynamic Discs site here, or on Infinite Discs here.

Now on to the full review…

Good Disc, Bad Stamp

One of the things I think is pretty cool about Westside Discs is that they name all of the discs after characters or things from the Finnish epic poem, the Kalevala. I really dig most of their disc names and stamps. I have a lot fun researching the mythical heritage of each disc’s name and stamp.

Here’s how Wikipedia describes the Sampo:

In Finnish mythology, the Sampo or Sammas was a magical artifact of indeterminate type constructed by Ilmarinen that brought good fortune to its holder. When the Sampo was stolen, it is said that Ilmarinen’s homeland fell upon hard times and he sent an expedition to retrieve it, but in the ensuing battle it was smashed and lost at sea.

OK, the Sampo is a magical artifact, I can get down with that. So why is there a picture of the broken down furnace from Freddy Krueger’s basement on the front of the disc?! Are we completely out of inspiring images for hot stamps? It’s a picture of something most people hide in their basements or equipment closets. I’m pretty sure that when you show people around your house, you don’t take them to your boiler and say, “Hey, check out our really cool piece of HVAC equipment!”.

Honestly, I’m not sure why it bugs me so much, but it’s got to be one of the top ten dumbest things I’ve seen stamped on a disc.

Before anyone writes me hate mail pointing out that the stamp has nothing to do with anything… I get that. It’s my own personal opinion and it probably doesn’t belong in a review that’s designed to help you decide if you want to buy one or not. But a furnace? Really?

Anyway, let’s get to the important stuff and talk about the disc itself and how it flies.

The Sampo turns out to be a pretty solid all around disc. It falls in what many people are calling the “tweener” category. It’s not quite a super long distance driver, yet it’s got more D than your typical fairway plastic.

For me, I was very impressed with its straight line performance. I could crank on it pretty hard and it just went straight. When I got up to about 90%-95% power, it would show a little turn. That turn basically kept it airborne longer, it did not make the disc go left in any meaningful amount.

It also held a hyzer line well. Even when thrown into a modest headwind, it resisted sitting up flat and/or turning over. I would call this a very stable disc. When thrown flat, it just went straight with a kind of settling fade at the end of its flight. At lower speeds, the fade was more pronounced, but never out of hand.

One of the unique characteristics of this disc is that it has the least amount of fade of any disc I’ve thrown with this much high speed stability (resistance to turn). Any other disc I can think of that resists turn like the Sampo has a much more pronounced fade.

As far as how it feels, I’m undecided. It does have a flatter top, which I like. But it has kind of a thicker rounded shoulder that took some getting used to. The rim is a medium size and should be manageable for most.

Now For the Details

Westside Discs Describes the Sampo…

“The fairway driver that you have been looking for and the one that will instantly find a spot in your bag. The Sampo gets great distance with minimal effort due to how smoothly it comes out of the hand and it’s great glide. The flight path is very neutral which makes it great for long, straight, low shots. Pick up the Sampo today and pick up strokes on your competition tomorrow.”

Speed: 10
Glide: 5
Turn: 0
Fade: 2

InBounds Flight Chart

Agree or Disagree?

I’m not sure I totally agree with the chart or with Westside’s numbers. The speed rating of 10 is pretty spot on. The glide is at least a 5. The high speed turn is where I differ the most. If you are getting it out to the almost 400′ the chart above shows, it definitely turns more than indicated. Not a lot, maybe a -.5 on a really strong pull, but some. I’d also put the fade at 1.5. As I stated above, I was most impressed with the combination of very low turn combined with only a little fade.

If you changed the distance thrown to the 300′-350′ range, then Westside’s numbers are spot on. You’ll get no turn at that power level and the fade will be slightly more pronounced.

Physical Description

The Sampo is a flat topped disc with a rounded shoulder. Bigger hands will feel more of the flatness. Smaller hands will feel more of the rounded rim. It’s got the rim width of a fairway driver. It also has a barely noticeable micro bead. Based on what I know about disc design, this is a big part of what gives it its stability. I’m not a fan of beaded discs, but I honestly don’t feel the bead when gripping it for a throw. Here’s some images to help…

How does it fly?

Hyzer

As you would imagine with a disc that doesn’t really turn, it holds a hyzer nicely. On a really good rip, I could get it to flip up to flat, but it mostly just wanted to hold its hyzer line for the whole flight. The limited fade of the Sampo also meant it didn’t dump off at the end. It just kind of held the right hand turn all the way to the ground.

Flat

For me, this is where this disc shines. Throw it flat and it goes straight and glides for days. The fade doesn’t kick in until late in its flight. Throwing this in the woods was fun because of this combination of a straight flight and lots of glide. It didn’t need a ton of height under it to get some very nice straight line distance in low ceiling situations. The lack of high speed turn also meant that I could really jump on it and not worry about it heading left into the trees when thrown in tight corridors.

Anhyzer

While the Sampo will hold an anny, it does not turn any more than whatever line you put on it. It will start to fight back to flat late in its flight. It’s a very workable disc. If you weren’t carrying anything understable, you could definitely get away with using this for moderate left turns.

Headwind

The Sampo can hold its own in light to medium winds. I didn’t get the chance to throw it in high wind, but being that it’s almost winter here in Chicago, I did get to test it in some decent gusts. A headwind did tend to push it left just a tic, but nothing too terrible. The low speed fade all but disappeared when thrown into the wind.

Tailwind

In a tailwind, the Sampo still liked to go straight. It’s fade would kick in a little earlier and it seemed to decrease in glide some, but it was reliable and didn’t turn into something overstable like many discs do in this condition.

Distance

On a pull that was fast enough to get the Sampo to show some turn, it was breaking the 360′ mark with little problem. It’s definitely longer than most fairway drivers but doesn’t quite get out there with the big dog distance discs.

How’s your arm?

You have a cannon and your drives are 450′ plus…

You will see a nice, slight turn on a flat throw. You’ll also be able to get the Sampo to flip up to flat and go straight for a long flight. You’ll like the Sampo because it will not turn over where other discs normally do. If you are used to carrying discs that fade more than you’d like just because that’s what you need to carry to eliminate high speed turn, you should like the Sampo a lot.

You have a gun, but not a cannon, and you can drive 325′ – 400’…

This will be a great straight driver with a minimal fade at the end. You’ll be able to get nice flights out of the Sampo on pretty much any line you throw it on. It won’t punish you for a little off axis torque and is a relatively forgiving disc at your arm speed. You should find it to be very consistent.

You have more of a BB gun than a cannon for an arm and your drives are under 300’…

You will find all the same flight characteristics as described for people throwing 325′-400′. You will just have less distance. Because the Sampo doesn’t want to fade a lot in the first place, you shouldn’t see a huge increase in fade at lower power. The Sampo would be a good disc for you as it will perform well now and will grow with you as your arm speed increases. You won’t suddenly find it flipping on you one day when you start throwing further.

What’s it similar to?

In the distance category, the Sampo is unique. I wouldn’t say that any “distance” disc has the combination of resistance to turn and minimal low speed fade that the Sampo does. If we turn to fairway drivers, there are a few discs that come to mind that will have a very similar flight lines, but none have the distance potential that the Sampo does. Those fairway discs are the Innova TL, Legacy Rival, and the Westside Stag.

Summary

As I mentioned a few times, the thing that sets the Sampo apart is its combination of very low high speed turn and minimal fade. That’s a desirable combo and it comes in handy a lot out on the course. The biggest benefit will be to those of you who don’t carry a lot of discs. If you were to have to play with only one driver, you could make a very, very good case for that driver being the Sampo. It’s long enough to cover distance duties. It’s controllable enough to cover fairway duties. It’s good in the woods and it’s good out in the open. It reliable and forgiving. It’s a very nice all around disc.

So that leaves the question of does it make my bag? The answer to that is “kind of”. Honestly, for my full time, full assortment bag… It’s not going to go in. While the Sampo is very good at a lot of things, I’ve found other discs that are great at their specialties. That works because I typically am not trying to limit myself to one driver.

For my winter time bag, on the other hand, it’s definitely in. First, I limit myself to about 6 discs in the winter. I carry a Fluid Enforcer, an Elasto World, a Frost Claymore, a gummy BioFuzion Verdict, and a Gold Line Pure. That leaves one slot for a control driver. With only one slot open, the Sampo is a shoe in. Second, the Sampo comes in Westside’s Elasto plastic. I started playing with the softer plastics last winter and really enjoyed the added grip and pliability they brought to cold weather play.

The interesting thing will be seeing if after playing with the Sampo all winter, will it find it’s way into my regular season bag? Only time will tell. I’m looking forward to getting to know it better in the next few months and I’ll keep you all posted.

Win this disc!!!

Do you want to win our review sample of the Westside Sampo shown in all the pictures? Make sure to subscribe to the blog and you’ll not only be entered to win the Sampo, but you’ll automatically be entered every time we do a review in the future! Subscribe now and we’ll pick a winner on Thanksgiving Thursday, 2015!!! Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for the announcement of the winner.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Westside Discs Sampo Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

Like or Love?

At the most basic level, the discs in my bag can be divided into two categories. The first is discs I love. These are the discs that aren’t going anywhere. In order for them to leave my bag, you’d have to pry them from my cold, dead hands. You’ve heard me talk about them repeatedly. The Latitude 64 Pure, the Dynamic Discs Trespass, and the Dynamic Discs Verdict all fit this description. I wish all of the discs in my bag were in this first category. Alas, they are not.

The second group is made up of discs I like. They work for me, but they have not found a permanent home. These are the discs that, honestly, I kind of “make due” with. Nothing against them, but I’m patiently waiting to find a replacement for them that falls squarely in the first category. That’s me, always looking for love.

My stable and understable midrange slots are both firmly in this second category. For the stable (meaning the disc will hold the line I put on it) slot I’ve given long auditions to the Discraft Buzzz, Innova Shark, Dynamic Discs Truth, and the Latitude 64 Opto Claymore. For the understable slot I’ve given equally long auditions to the Discraft Buzzz SS, Discraft Meteor, Westside Discs Tursas, Latitude 64 Fuse, and the Latitude 64 Gold Line Claymore.

So far I’ve been happiest with the Claymores in the two different plastics. They are flat, beadless, and feel a whole lot like the Verdicts I love so much. I haven’t ruled out love yet. But it’s a slow courtship. The midrange is such a critical disc, I really want to get it just right. You’d think after years of playing I would have filled this slot, right?

Love at first sight?

A little over 2 weeks ago, I got a Fuzion Evidence from Dynamic discs. This was the midrange disc for this year’s Trilogy Challenge. Of the 3 discs used this year, the Evidence was getting the best reviews by far. Forums were abuzz with people raving about this disc. While reports of how it flew varied from player to player, one thing was uniform. Everyone seemed to love it.

When I received the Fuzion version, I was honestly slightly disappointed. And this was before I even threw it. The Fuzion version has a bit of a dome to it. Not a lot, but enough for me to notice. I dream of the day when every disc in my bag is board flat. Flat discs and I get along really well. Domey discs, not so much.

It did fly nicely, but it was pretty similar to my Gold Line Claymore. So, after just one round (and really only a few throws), the Evidence was out of the bag.

But then something wonderful happened. I went to the mailbox two weeks ago and what was there waiting for me? 2 shiny new discs just in from Dynamic for me to review and then give away to you. One of those discs was a Lucid Evidence. From the moment I took it out of the envelope, you guessed it, I was in love.

First, it was flat. Second, it was in my most favorite plastic. If you’ve followed my disc reviews at all, you know that I love all of the Latitude 64 plastic (Latitude manufactures Lat 64, Dynamic, and Westside). It’s the biggest reason why that’s all I throw right now. It’s not brand loyalty, it’s plastic loyalty. Their plastic is just money.

Every once in a while, they release a run of Lucid (known as Opto in Lat 64 and VIP in Westside) that is opaque and grippy. It’s like they blend a little Fuzion in with the Opto. It makes the disc opaque instead of the normal clear you find for most Opto discs. The phrase “it’s like butter” was made for this plastic. If I could get every disc I throw in this blend, I’d be in heaven.

I’m guessing most of you know how I was feeling at this point. I hadn’t even thrown the disc yet and I was already infatuated. We’ve all picked up discs before that just feel perfect to us. This is what happened with this Evidence and I. I just stood there at my mailbox fondling the disc with a goofy grin on my face and possibly a little drool running down the corner of my mouth.

Well, I’ve been here before. Sometimes no matter how great disc feels in the hand, that doesn’t mean you’ll like how it flies. I had the same reaction to the Dynamic Discs Felon and I genuinely don’t like that disc. I tried to like it, I really did. It just wasn’t to be.

So, out to the course we went. I wanted to see if the initial spark between the Evidence and I would turn into anything meaningful.

It’s a longer Pure!

That pretty much says it all. It only took one round for this disc to make my bag. Every time I throw one of my beloved Pures off the tee, I fall in love with that mold just a little bit more. Every time I step up on a tee where my target is just out of reach of the Pure, I wish I had a longer one in the bag. I reluctantly reach for a Truth or Opto Claymore instead.

The quickest and most succinct description I can give of the Dynamic Discs Evidence is that it’s a longer Pure. For me it flies on the same lines with same controllability, just longer range.

For now, enough with my opinions, let’s get into some details.

Now For the Details…

Dynamic Discs Describes the Evidence…

The Evidence is a slightly understable midrange disc that is very controllable. Where the Verdict and the Truth take care of your straight to overstable midrange needs, the Evidence will handle the other side of the spectrum. It will hold the anhyzer angle through a full glide while slowly coming back to a flat flight. The Verdict, Truth, and Evidence feel very similar in the hand with complementary flights to carve around any obstacle you face. When your scores are accusing you of bad shots, you need the Evidence to set the record straight.

Speed – 5
Glide – 5
Turn – -1
Fade – 0

Max Weight: 180g

InBounds Flight Chart

Agree or Disagree?

I’m not sure that I’d rate the turn at -1. While the Evidence will hold an anny, you really have to throw it hard to get it to turn. Even then, it more kind of shifts to the right instead of turning over. I would also rate the fade at .5. If thrown flat, it won’t exactly fade, but it does start to drift left when it slows down. In the end, it’s mostly straight.

Physical Description.

I’ve already touched on the profile. It’s flat in the Lucid plastic and has a slight dome in Fuzion. It has a typical width midrange rim. Very much like the Truth, Claymore, Verdict, Buzz, Shark, or any other beadless midrange.

To help you get an idea, here’s a few pics of the rim from different angles.

How does it fly?

Hyzer

What happens with the Evidence when thrown on a hyzer will depend on how hard you throw it. With an aggressive pull, it will flip up to flat and ride pretty straight. With an all out pull, or if you have a big arm, it will flip up and start to slide right. If thrown cleanly it won’t dump over, but it will go right for you. If thrown at 75%-85% (which is about how hard I typically throw my mids), it will sit up almost flat, go straight for much of its flight, and then fade some at the end.

It won’t hold a hard hyzer line the whole way unless you really throttle back on it. I found that on stand still shots, throwing at 50%-60%, I could get it to hyzer around obstacles fairly easily.

Flat

At about 75% power (hard enough to get it to go 275′ or so), the Evidence pretty much went dead straight. It has a tic of fade at the end, but I think that’s more because it’s new. I have a strong feeling that once it’s been used a bit, that little bit of fade will disappear. Thrown harder than that, a flat throw did see some left to right movement. Thrown with a lot of power and it rode right nicely without getting out of control.

Anhyzer

The Evidence held an anhyzer well. It seemed to want to stay at the angle it was thrown at and ride right its entire flight without changing much. It did seem to start to flex back a tad at the end, but as mentioned before, I think this is more because it’s new. I don’t think it will continue to do this. I really liked how it didn’t turn any more than asked. Some understable discs can be pretty touchy. The Evidence had some forgiveness to it on these throws.

Headwind

This is not a headwind disc. It withstood some breezes, but that’s about it. Even with hyzer, a moderate wind pushed the disc to the right and it wasn’t even thinking about coming back. Thrown flat into a stiff gust and it was all over.

Tailwind

The Evidence is cash money in a tailwind. Like most stable to understable discs, it flew well with the wind at its back. The glide was enough to ride the breeze and give it a good sized distance boost. While it did pick up a little bit more end of flight fade to the left, it wasn’t a huge difference. It can still be relied on to give a fairly straight flight all the way to the ground even when the wind is at your back.

Distance

I was able to get the Evidence to about 310′ reliably. Interestingly, the Fuzion version seemed to glide better and was consistently about 10′-15′ longer on most distance throws. I’m guessing the difference in dome was what came into play here. It was straight with very little turn all the way up to throwing with 275′ of power. It was once I tried pushing it further that it started to show its turn.

How’s your arm?

You have a cannon and your drives are 450′ plus…

This will be a beautiful turn over mid for you. You’ll really have to take something off of your throws to get the straight flights described in this review. If you are looking for a straight mid, I’d suggest discing up to the Truth (or Buzzz or Roc etc). If you want something that moves right, and you already throw the Truth for your straight shot, the Evidence is the ticket.

You don’t have a cannon, but you can drive 325′ – 400’…

The Evidence will fly as reviewed above for you. While you will be able to make it turn, you’ll most often find it flying straight where you aimed it. You’ll be able to easily get a hyzerflip flight out of it too. It will quite possibly be the straightest mid you’ve thrown while still being reliable and not just turning over on you out of nowhere.

You have more of a BB gun than a cannon for an arm and your drives are under 300’…

The Evidence will still go straight for you on a flat throw. It will also be a disc that can teach you how to hyzerflip as your arm gets faster. It will have some fade at the end of the flight when throw with a hyzer or flat. All of that said, it will also still hold an anny line for you as well. You might find it fighting out of it’s right hand turn a little more than I described above, but you should be able to rely on it turning right if you start it out that way.

What’s it similar to?

Like I stated above, for me it’s pretty much a longer Opto Pure. Straight, straight, and more straight.

The next comparison is one that I heard Eric McCabe make. He said it’s the Truth for people who don’t have the arm for a Truth. I totally agree with that. If you have trouble getting a Truth to go straight with minimal fade at the end, the Evidence will give you that flight with little difficulty. I also find it to be less sensitive to launch angle than the Truth.

For me, the Truth stays at pretty much exactly the angle you throw it at. That can give some people problems who like to hyzerflip a mid to go straight. If you don’t have the arm speed, the Truth will not flip up and instead will turn left on you. The Evidence is much easier to get to flip up to flat and ride straight.

Other discs that I find to be very similar to the Evidence are the Axiom Alias, the Innova Mako 3, the MVP Tangent, and the Discmania MD. The closest Discraft disc would be the now OOP Buzz GT.

Summary

If you couldn’t tell, I really like this disc. Honestly, it’s too new for me to determine if it will be a “pry it from my cold dead hands” disc or not. But things are looking pretty good so far. I liked it enough that it was in my bag last weekend for tournament rounds both Saturday and Sunday. I threw it a lot and liked it more each time I did.

Ken Climo and many other pros have been quoted as saying the hardest shot in disc golf is the dead straight controlled one. A big part of that is skill. But at least some of it is having the right disc. Veteran pros have the luxury of having beat to perfection Rocs that they’ve had for years. Very few discs can come close to those flights right out of the box.

For me, the Evidence is one of those discs. When thrown cleanly with no wrist roll it’s a point and shoot mid that goes exactly where you aim it and flies on the path you set it on. It’s got plenty of hyzerflip goodness for the woods and those challenging tight tunnels we all love so much.

If you are looking for a stable mid that likes to go where you throw it, check out the Dynamic Discs Evidence. It might just be the love affair you’ve been looking for.

How to win a Dynamic Discs Evidence

Now that the reviewing part is over with, I’ll be sending my review copy of the Dynamic Discs Evidence off to one of you! All you have to do is subscribe to the blog by entering your email address below. On Wednesday, 10/22/15 we’ll select one lucky subscriber to win.

[wysija_form id=”1″]

Support Mind Body Disc…

If you enjoy the Mind Body Disc blog and the contests and give aways we bring you, we would really appreciate it if you helped us out just a bit…

Most people shop on Amazon. If you are one of them, please consider getting there through this link. There’s also one in our footer and on our side bar. It doesn’t cost you anything but a click, but it’s huge for us. Things like dyed discs, giveaways, and maintaining the blog all cost money. This is an easy way for you to help us continue bringing you what we do!

LHBH / RHFH Version:

LHBH/RHFH Version of the Review…

Like or Love?

At the most basic level, the discs in my bag can be divided into two categories. The first is discs I love. These are the discs that aren’t going anywhere. In order for them to leave my bag, you’d have to pry them from my cold, dead hands. You’ve heard me talk about them repeatedly. The Latitude 64 Pure, the Dynamic Discs Trespass, and the Dynamic Discs Verdict all fit this description. I wish all of the discs in my bag were in this first category. Alas, they are not.

The second group is made up of discs I like. They work for me, but they have not found a permanent home. These are the discs that, honestly, I kind of “make due” with. Nothing against them, but I’m patiently waiting to find a replacement for them that falls squarely in the first category. That’s me, always looking for love.

My stable and understable midrange slots are both firmly in this second category. For the stable (meaning the disc will hold the line I put on it) slot I’ve given long auditions to the Discraft Buzzz, Innova Shark, Dynamic Discs Truth, and the Latitude 64 Opto Claymore. For the understable slot I’ve given equally long auditions to the Discraft Buzzz SS, Discraft Meteor, Westside Discs Tursas, Latitude 64 Fuse, and the Latitude 64 Gold Line Claymore.

So far I’ve been happiest with the Claymores in the two different plastics. They are flat, beadless, and feel a whole lot like the Verdicts I love so much. I haven’t ruled out love yet. But it’s a slow courtship. The midrange is such a critical disc, I really want to get it just right. You’d think after years of playing I would have filled this slot, right?

Love at first sight?

A little over 2 weeks ago, I got a Fuzion Evidence from Dynamic discs. This was the midrange disc for this year’s Trilogy Challenge. Of the 3 discs used this year, the Evidence was getting the best reviews by far. Forums were abuzz with people raving about this disc. While reports of how it flew varied from player to player, one thing was uniform. Everyone seemed to love it.

When I received the Fuzion version, I was honestly slightly disappointed. And this was before I even threw it. The Fuzion version has a bit of a dome to it. Not a lot, but enough for me to notice. I dream of the day when every disc in my bag is board flat. Flat discs and I get along really well. Domey discs, not so much.

It did fly nicely, but it was pretty similar to my Gold Line Claymore. So, after just one round (and really only a few throws), the Evidence was out of the bag.

But then something wonderful happened. I went to the mailbox two weeks ago and what was there waiting for me? 2 shiny new discs just in from Dynamic for me to review and then give away to you. One of those discs was a Lucid Evidence. From the moment I took it out of the envelope, you guessed it, I was in love.

First, it was flat. Second, it was in my most favorite plastic. If you’ve followed my disc reviews at all, you know that I love all of the Latitude 64 plastic (Latitude manufactures Lat 64, Dynamic, and Westside). It’s the biggest reason why that’s all I throw right now. It’s not brand loyalty, it’s plastic loyalty. Their plastic is just money.

Every once in a while, they release a run of Lucid (known as Opto in Lat 64 and VIP in Westside) that is opaque and grippy. It’s like they blend a little Fuzion in with the Opto. It makes the disc opaque instead of the normal clear you find for most Opto discs. The phrase “it’s like butter” was made for this plastic. If I could get every disc I throw in this blend, I’d be in heaven.

I’m guessing most of you know how I was feeling at this point. I hadn’t even thrown the disc yet and I was already infatuated. We’ve all picked up discs before that just feel perfect to us. This is what happened with this Evidence and I. I just stood there at my mailbox fondling the disc with a goofy grin on my face and possibly a little drool running down the corner of my mouth.

Well, I’ve been here before. Sometimes no matter how great disc feels in the hand, that doesn’t mean you’ll like how it flies. I had the same reaction to the Dynamic Discs Felon and I genuinely don’t like that disc. I tried to like it, I really did. It just wasn’t to be.

So, out to the course we went. I wanted to see if the initial spark between the Evidence and I would turn into anything meaningful.

It’s a longer Pure!

That pretty much says it all. It only took one round for this disc to make my bag. Every time I throw one of my beloved Pures off the tee, I fall in love with that mold just a little bit more. Every time I step up on a tee where my target is just out of reach of the Pure, I wish I had a longer one in the bag. I reluctantly reach for a Truth or Opto Claymore instead.

The quickest and most succinct description I can give of the Dynamic Discs Evidence is that it’s a longer Pure. For me it flies on the same lines with same controllability, just longer range.

For now, enough with my opinions, let’s get into some details.

Now For the Details…

Dynamic Discs Describes the Evidence…

The Evidence is a slightly understable midrange disc that is very controllable. Where the Verdict and the Truth take care of your straight to overstable midrange needs, the Evidence will handle the other side of the spectrum. It will hold the anhyzer angle through a full glide while slowly coming back to a flat flight. The Verdict, Truth, and Evidence feel very similar in the hand with complementary flights to carve around any obstacle you face. When your scores are accusing you of bad shots, you need the Evidence to set the record straight.

Speed – 5
Glide – 5
Turn – -1
Fade – 0

Max Weight: 180g

InBounds Flight Chart

Agree or Disagree?

I’m not sure that I’d rate the turn at -1. While the Evidence will hold an anny, you really have to throw it hard to get it to turn. Even then, it more kind of shifts to the left instead of turning over. I would also rate the fade at .5. If thrown flat, it won’t exactly fade, but it does start to drift right when it slows down. In the end, it’s mostly straight.

Physical Description.

I’ve already touched on the profile. It’s flat in the Lucid plastic and has a slight dome in Fuzion. It has a typical width midrange rim. Very much like the Truth, Claymore, Verdict, Buzz, Shark, or any other beadless midrange.

To help you get an idea, here’s a few pics of the rim from different angles.

How does it fly?

Hyzer

What happens with the Evidence when thrown on a hyzer will depend on how hard you throw it. With an aggressive pull, it will flip up to flat and ride pretty straight. With an all out pull, or if you have a big arm, it will flip up and start to slide left. If thrown cleanly it won’t dump over, but it will go left for you. If thrown at 75%-85% (which is about how hard I typically throw my mids), it will sit up almost flat, go straight for much of its flight, and then fade some at the end.

It won’t hold a hard hyzer line the whole way unless you really throttle back on it. I found that on stand still shots, throwing at 50%-60%, I could get it to hyzer around obstacles fairly easily.

Flat

At about 75% power (hard enough to get it to go 275′ or so), the Evidence pretty much went dead straight. It has a tic of fade at the end, but I think that’s more because it’s new. I have a strong feeling that once it’s been used a bit, that little bit of fade will disappear. Thrown harder than that, a flat throw did see some right to left movement. Thrown with a lot of power and it rode left nicely without getting out of control.

Anhyzer

The Evidence held an anhyzer well. It seemed to want to stay at the angle it was thrown at and ride left its entire flight without changing much. It did seem to start to flex back a tad at the end, but as mentioned before, I think this is more because it’s new. I don’t think it will continue to do this. I really liked how it didn’t turn any more than asked. Some understable discs can be pretty touchy. The Evidence had some forgiveness to it on these throws.

Headwind

This is not a headwind disc. It withstood some breezes, but that’s about it. Even with hyzer, a moderate wind pushed the disc to the left and it wasn’t even thinking about coming back. Thrown flat into a stiff gust and it was all over.

Tailwind

The Evidence is cash money in a tailwind. Like most stable to understable discs, it flew well with the wind at its back. The glide was enough to ride the breeze and give it a good sized distance boost. While it did pick up a little bit more end of flight fade to the right, it wasn’t a huge difference. It can still be relied on to give a fairly straight flight all the way to the ground even when the wind is at your back.

Distance

I was able to get the Evidence to about 310′ reliably. Interestingly, the Fuzion version seemed to glide better and was consistently about 10′-15′ longer on most distance throws. I’m guessing the difference in dome was what came into play here. It was straight with very little turn all the way up to throwing with 275′ of power. It was once I tried pushing it further that it started to show its turn.

How’s your arm?

You have a cannon and your drives are 450′ plus…

This will be a beautiful turn over mid for you. You’ll really have to take something off of your throws to get the straight flights described in this review. If you are looking for a straight mid, I’d suggest discing up to the Truth (or Buzzz or Roc etc). If you want something that moves left, and you already throw the Truth for your straight shot, the Evidence is the ticket.

You don’t have a cannon, but you can drive 325′ – 400’…

The Evidence will fly as reviewed above for you. While you will be able to make it turn, you’ll most often find it flying straight where you aimed it. You’ll be able to easily get a hyzerflip flight out of it too. It will quite possibly be the straightest mid you’ve thrown while still being reliable and not just turning over on you out of nowhere.

You have more of a BB gun than a cannon for an arm and your drives are under 300’…

The Evidence will still go straight for you on a flat throw. It will also be a disc that can teach you how to hyzerflip as your arm gets faster. It will have some fade at the end of the flight when throw with a hyzer or flat. All of that said, it will also still hold an anny line for you as well. You might find it fighting out of it’s left hand turn a little more than I described above, but you should be able to rely on it turning left if you start it out that way.

What’s it similar to?

Like I stated above, for me it’s pretty much a longer Opto Pure. Straight, straight, and more straight.

The next comparison is one that I heard Eric McCabe make. He said it’s the Truth for people who don’t have the arm for a Truth. I totally agree with that. If you have trouble getting a Truth to go straight with minimal fade at the end, the Evidence will give you that flight with little difficulty. I also find it to be less sensitive to launch angle than the Truth.

For me, the Truth stays at pretty much exactly the angle you throw it at. That can give some people problems who like to hyzerflip a mid to go straight. If you don’t have the arm speed, the Truth will not flip up and instead will turn right on you. The Evidence is much easier to get to flip up to flat and ride straight.

Other discs that I find to be very similar to the Evidence are the Axiom Alias, the Innova Mako 3, the MVP Tangent, and the Discmania MD. The closest Discraft disc would be the now OOP Buzz GT.

Summary

If you couldn’t tell, I really like this disc. Honestly, it’s too new for me to determine if it will be a “pry it from my cold dead hands” disc or not. But things are looking pretty good so far. I liked it enough that it was in my bag last weekend for tournament rounds both Saturday and Sunday. I threw it a lot and liked it more each time I did.

Ken Climo and many other pros have been quoted as saying the hardest shot in disc golf is the dead straight controlled one. A big part of that is skill. But at least some of it is having the right disc. Veteran pros have the luxury of having beat to perfection Rocs that they’ve had for years. Very few discs can come close to those flights right out of the box.

For me, the Evidence is one of those discs. When thrown cleanly with no wrist roll it’s a point and shoot mid that goes exactly where you aim it and flies on the path you set it on. It’s got plenty of hyzerflip goodness for the woods and those challenging tight tunnels we all love so much.

If you are looking for a stable mid that likes to go where you throw it, check out the Dynamic Discs Evidence. It might just be the love affair you’ve been looking for.

How to win a Dynamic Discs Evidence

Now that the reviewing part is over with, I’ll be sending my review copy of the Dynamic Discs Evidence off to one of you! All you have to do is subscribe to the blog by entering your email address below. On Wednesday, 10/22/15 we’ll select one lucky subscriber to win.

[wysija_form id=”1″]

Support Mind Body Disc…

If you enjoy the Mind Body Disc blog and the contests and give aways we bring you, we would really appreciate it if you helped us out just a bit…

Most people shop on Amazon. If you are one of them, please consider getting there through this link. There’s also one in our footer and on our side bar. It doesn’t cost you anything but a click, but it’s huge for us. Things like dyed discs, giveaways, and maintaining the blog all cost money. This is an easy way for you to help us continue bringing you what we do!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Dynamic Discs Evidence Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

It Started With the Judge

A couple of years back, the Dynamic Discs Judge won the Reader’s Choice Disc of the Year award. When I saw that, I had to try one. Let’s just say that as popular as that disc is with many people I know, it was definitely not my disc of the year.

The reason for that is that I just can’t get down with discs that have beads. I never could throw a Roc for just that reason. It turned out to be the same thing with the Judge. I wish it was different. I’ve seen magic performed with both of those beaded discs. Go watch Barry Schultz throw Rocs on a wooded course, it’s mesmerizing!

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when Dynamic released the Warden. Billed specifically as a beadless version of the Judge. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. In fact, after I got my first, I ordered 9 more so I could have a stack to practice with. I liked it that much!

That was two years ago. As most of you know I’ve since switched over to the Latitude 64 Pure as my putter of choice. Something in the Pure just clicked for me. But that’s NOT a knock on the Warden. Had I not run across the Pure, the Warden would still be in my bag.

I really enjoyed putting, throwing up shots, and driving with the Dynamic Discs Warden. In fact, I still keep a Fuzion and a Lucid version around for certain courses and conditions that call for it. It definitely finds an occasional home in my bag.

Last month I got a very cool Classic Blend Warden as part of the player’s pack for the MXG tournament in Milwaukee, WI. Since I already have all the Wardens I need, I figured it would make a good give away and a good reason to write a review of this disc.

What’s the scoop on the Dynamic Discs Warden?

Here’s what Dynamic Discs has to say about the Classic Blend Warden:

The Warden takes everything players love about the Judge and removes the bead to provide additional comfort in the hand. This putter has a very straight flight path and can fly just about any line you want. If you prefer a beadless putter with a straight flight path then the Warden is the putter for you.

Speed: 2 Glide: 4 Turn: 0 Fade: 0.5

Max Weight: 176g

Here’s the InBounds flight chart for the Warden next to the Judge for comparison.

I agree with Dynamic Disc’s listed flight numbers. What I don’t agree with is the flight chart for the Judge. From what I’ve seen, the Judge is straight with a tic more fade than the Warden. I would also note that if you go with a Warden in the Fuzion or Lucid plastic, you will get a little more fade out of it at the end of its flight.

That’s why I sometimes put those versions (a Fuzion or a Lucid) in my bag. They make great approach discs. If it’s cold out, I grab the Fuzion as it stays softer in colder temps. The Lucid comes out in the summer.

First Impressions

The Warden will remind you of several other headless putters. If you like headless putt and approach discs with just a touch of dome, you’ll like the Warden. It feels good in the hand and the lack of a bead lends to clean releases for both putts and longer throws.

It’s a bit taller than the Pure (at least it feels that way) and as mentioned has just a bit of dome to it. The Pure is flatter with a lower profile and that is why I chose it over the Warden. But not everyone likes flat, low profile discs. If this is you, the Warden will be a good choice.

The Warden is available is a ton of different flavors. There are some cool DyeMax Marvel designs, 6 different plastics, scented versions, and some nice custom stamps. There is a lot to pick from.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Latitude 64 family of brands (Lat, DD, and Westside) make some of the best feeling plastic in the game. You can be sure to find a Warden in a plastic that suits your taste.

Since pics serve to describe a disc far better than words, here’s some images so you can get an idea of the rim.

How does it fly?

My first note is that all the flight descriptions below assume you are throwing cleanly with no wrist roll. No putter will fly well if a lot of torque is applied and the Warden is no exception.

Thrown smoothly, the Warden will reward you with some excellent flights. It’s a pretty stable disc for a putter. Let’s work from the tee on in to the basket…

Off the tee, you can really lay into it. Give it a bit of hyzer and a full power throw and it will pop up flat and glide straight for days. This disc has great distance for a putter.

If you back off a tad, but still throw it at a hyzer angle, it will start to sit up, but not quite get to flat. This will cause it to hold it’s left turn the entire flight. It will fade a bit more at the end during the low speed portion, but it will be a gentle fade, nothing aggressive.

Back off even more and you’ve got a disc that will hyzer around trees and obstacles in the woods with ease.

Thrown flat, you’ll see that once again your power level will determine what happens. Throw it full power flat and you’ll get a nice gentle turn. It won’t dump over sharply like many putters and this surprised me at first.

If you back off some, this is where some magic starts to happen. With just a little practice, you can get flat, straight lines with little to no fade at the end of the flight. The glide on this disc combined with these straight flights makes it a great approach disc when you have obstacles to deal with.

Because it doesn’t have a lot of fade at the end of it’s flight, the Warden holds an anny line extremely well. It just kind of settles down in a leftish direction. It’s touch of low speed stability means it will start to move back to flat at the end of its flight. That’s a desirable characteristic that will help minimize cut rolls.

It will not fight out of an anny like a more overstable putter and is not the choice for S shaped shots. You are better off with a Judge, Wizard, KC Pro Aviar, or Challenger for those shots.

In a headwind, you need to remember that this is a beadless putter. It will handle some breezes, but I would disc up or grab a more overstable putter for headwind duties. Something like the Westside Discs Shield would be appropriate.

This is also why I carry the more premium plastic versions. I’m a little more comfortable throwing the Lucid into some wind than the Classic Blend. I’m actually rather grab my Harp instead to be honest.

A tailwind is a different story. A tailwind will add a bit more fade to the end of the flight. It will also make this disc bomb when thrown high and hard. Putters need some height to get distance. When you throw the Warden on a high line with a tailwind, expect to see it fly further than you’d expect.

As a Putter…

So how about putting? The Warden has some nice glide. It will serve you well both inside and outside the circle. Some people who carry more overstable putters switch to something Warden-like when they get outside the circle. If you only carry the Warden, you won’t need an outside the circle putter. It will serve you well from anywhere.

Inside the circle, don’t expect much fade. Spin putters should aim directly at the center/right side of the chains. Same with pitch putters. You’ll start to see just a tad of left to right movement when you get past the 33 foot mark, but not a ton. You would have to be 50 feet or more away to start having to aim significantly right. Even then I only find I need to aim 1-2 discs right of the basket and putt flat.

The classic plastic and the fuzion plastic both seem grab chains really well. The lucid is not quite as good at grabbing so I’m not sure I’d use that as my putting putter.

How’s your arm?

We all have different arm speeds. Some of you are pros with big ole guns. Others of you have just started and are distinctly gunless right now. Most of us are in between somewhere. So….

What if you have a steroid riddle mutant arm? First, cut those steroids out, they aren’t good for you! Second, just back off a tad. If you can throw cleanly and on plane, you can definitely put quite a bit behind your throws with this disc. It will, of course, turn over easier for you, but it shouldn’t turn and burn with good form.

If you have the arm of a normal human being, the Warden will fly pretty much how I’ve reviewed it above. That’s because I too have the arm of a normal human being.

What about those of you with arms made of a Nerf/Jello hybrid? Surprisingly, you will also find it to fly as reviewed. The Warden does not take a lot to get it to fly as described. You might find it to fade just a bit more than I’ve talked about, but it won’t be a drastic difference.

What’s it remind me of?

This disc most reminded me of the Gateway Warlock. In both feel and flight they are similar. I would also compare this to an Innova beadles Aviar or the MVP Anode.

Summary

If you like beadless putters that you can putt, approach, and drive with, the Warden is a solid choice for you. Because it’s available in multiple plastics, you could definitely carry a few different variations and cover most of your putter needs.

The only slot it wouldn’t fill is the moderate to overstable putter slot. Because of that, most people would want to carry a more overstable counterpart or two. It pairs really well with the Shield. If you threw a Harp in the mix for extra overstable duties, you’d have a putter trilogy to reckon with (see what I did there?!).

If you are happy with your current putter, I don’t encourage you to tinker with this slot. It’s really hard to find a putter you love and once you do you are best served by not fiddling with your selection. Just stick with what you have and leave it at that.

If you have doubts about your current putter, and you like beadless discs, you should definitely check out the Warden. With putters, you definitely have to try a bunch  before you find one you love and the Warden should be one of the molds you try.

How to win

If you don’t want to buy one, then subscribe to this blog. I’m giving away that MXG stamped Classic Blend Dynamic Discs Warden you see in the pics above. It’s brand new and that stamp is pretty cool too! On Wednesday, 10/7/2015, I’ll be randomly selecting one blog subscriber to win! Stay tuned on Instagram and Twitter as that’s where I’ll announce the winner.

[wysija_form id=”1″]

Do you have questions I didn’t answer in this review? If so, let us know in the comments below (you’ll have to scroll down past the lefty version of the review below). I threw the Warden for a while and I think I’ve tried most other putters at one point or another. And if we don’t know the answer, we’ll definitely find out for you!

LHBH / RHFH Version:

LHBH/RHFH version:

It Started With the Judge

A couple of years back, the Dynamic Discs Judge won the Reader’s Choice Disc of the Year award. When I saw that, I had to try one. Let’s just say that as popular as that disc is with many people I know, it was definitely not my disc of the year.

The reason for that is that I just can’t get down with discs that have beads. I never could throw a Roc for just that reason. It turned out to be the same thing with the Judge. I wish it was different. I’ve seen magic performed with both of those beaded discs. Go watch Barry Schultz throw Rocs on a wooded course, it’s mesmerizing!

Needless to say, I was pretty excited when Dynamic released the Warden. Billed specifically as a beadless version of the Judge. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. In fact, after I got my first, I ordered 9 more so I could have a stack to practice with. I liked it that much!

That was two years ago. As most of you know I’ve since switched over to the Latitude 64 Pure as my putter of choice. Something in the Pure just clicked for me. But that’s NOT a knock on the Warden. Had I not run across the Pure, the Warden would still be in my bag.

I really enjoyed putting, throwing up shots, and driving with the Dynamic Discs Warden. In fact, I still keep a Fuzion and a Lucid version around for certain courses and conditions that call for it. It definitely finds an occasional home in my bag.

Last month I got a very cool Classic Blend Warden as part of the player’s pack for the MXG tournament in Milwaukee, WI. Since I already have all the Wardens I need, I figured it would make a good give away and a good reason to write a review of this disc.

What’s the scoop on the Dynamic Discs Warden?

Here’s what Dynamic Discs has to say about the Classic Blend Warden:

The Warden takes everything players love about the Judge and removes the bead to provide additional comfort in the hand. This putter has a very straight flight path and can fly just about any line you want. If you prefer a beadless putter with a straight flight path then the Warden is the putter for you.

Speed: 2 Glide: 4 Turn: 0 Fade: 0.5

Max Weight: 176g

Here’s the InBounds flight chart for the Warden next to the Judge for comparison.

I agree with Dynamic Disc’s listed flight numbers. What I don’t agree with is the flight chart for the Judge. From what I’ve seen, the Judge is straight with a tic more fade than the Warden. I would also note that if you go with a Warden in the Fuzion or Lucid plastic, you will get a little more fade out of it at the end of its flight.

That’s why I sometimes put those versions (a Fuzion or a Lucid) in my bag. They make great approach discs. If it’s cold out, I grab the Fuzion as it stays softer in colder temps. The Lucid comes out in the summer.

First Impressions

The Warden will remind you of several other headless putters. If you like headless putt and approach discs with just a touch of dome, you’ll like the Warden. It feels good in the hand and the lack of a bead lends to clean releases for both putts and longer throws.

It’s a bit taller than the Pure (at least it feels that way) and as mentioned has just a bit of dome to it. The Pure is flatter with a lower profile and that is why I chose it over the Warden. But not everyone likes flat, low profile discs. If this is you, the Warden will be a good choice.

The Warden is available is a ton of different flavors. There are some cool DyeMax Marvel designs, 6 different plastics, scented versions, and some nice custom stamps. There is a lot to pick from.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Latitude 64 family of brands (Lat, DD, and Westside) make some of the best feeling plastic in the game. You can be sure to find a Warden in a plastic that suits your taste.

Since pics serve to describe a disc far better than words, here’s some images so you can get an idea of the rim.

How does it fly?

My first note is that all the flight descriptions below assume you are throwing cleanly with no wrist roll. No putter will fly well if a lot of torque is applied and the Warden is no exception.

Thrown smoothly, the Warden will reward you with some excellent flights. It’s a pretty stable disc for a putter. Let’s work from the tee on in to the basket…

Off the tee, you can really lay into it. Give it a bit of hyzer and a full power throw and it will pop up flat and glide straight for days. This disc has great distance for a putter.

If you back off a tad, but still throw it at a hyzer angle, it will start to sit up, but not quite get to flat. This will cause it to hold it’s right turn the entire flight. It will fade a bit more at the end during the low speed portion, but it will be a gentle fade, nothing aggressive.

Back off even more and you’ve got a disc that will hyzer around trees and obstacles in the woods with ease.

Thrown flat, you’ll see that once again your power level will determine what happens. Throw it full power flat and you’ll get a nice gentle turn. It won’t dump over sharply like many putters and this surprised me at first.

If you back off some, this is where some magic starts to happen. With just a little practice, you can get flat, straight lines with little to no fade at the end of the flight. The glide on this disc combined with these straight flights makes it a great approach disc when you have obstacles to deal with.

Because it doesn’t have a lot of fade at the end of it’s flight, the Warden holds an anny line extremely well. It just kind of settles down in a rightish direction. It’s touch of low speed stability means it will start to move back to flat at the end of its flight. That’s a desirable characteristic that will help minimize cut rolls.

It will not fight out of an anny like a more overstable putter and is not the choice for S shaped shots. You are better off with a Judge, Wizard, KC Pro Aviar, or Challenger for those shots.

In a headwind, you need to remember that this is a beadless putter. It will handle some breezes, but I would disc up or grab a more overstable putter for headwind duties. Something like the Westside Discs Shield would be appropriate.

This is also why I carry the more premium plastic versions. I’m a little more comfortable throwing the Lucid into some wind than the Classic Blend. I’m actually rather grab my Harp instead to be honest.

A tailwind is a different story. A tailwind will add a bit more fade to the end of the flight. It will also make this disc bomb when thrown high and hard. Putters need some height to get distance. When you throw the Warden on a high line with a tailwind, expect to see it fly further than you’d expect.

As a Putter…

So how about putting? The Warden has some nice glide. It will serve you well both inside and outside the circle. Some people who carry more overstable putters switch to something Warden-like when they get outside the circle. If you only carry the Warden, you won’t need an outside the circle putter. It will serve you well from anywhere.

Inside the circle, don’t expect much fade. Spin putters should aim directly at the center/left side of the chains. Same with pitch putters. You’ll start to see just a tad of right to left movement when you get past the 33 foot mark, but not a ton. You would have to be 50 feet or more away to start having to aim significantly left. Even then I only find I need to aim 1-2 discs left of the basket and putt flat.

The classic plastic and the fuzion plastic both seem grab chains really well. The lucid is not quite as good at grabbing so I’m not sure I’d use that as my putting putter.

How’s your arm?

We all have different arm speeds. Some of you are pros with big ole guns. Others of you have just started and are distinctly gunless right now. Most of us are in between somewhere. So….

What if you have a steroid riddle mutant arm? First, cut those steroids out, they aren’t good for you! Second, just back off a tad. If you can throw cleanly and on plane, you can definitely put quite a bit behind your throws with this disc. It will, of course, turn over easier for you, but it shouldn’t turn and burn with good form.

If you have the arm of a normal human being, the Warden will fly pretty much how I’ve reviewed it above. That’s because I too have the arm of a normal human being.

What about those of you with arms made of a Nerf/Jello hybrid? Surprisingly, you will also find it to fly as reviewed. The Warden does not take a lot to get it to fly as described. You might find it to fade just a bit more than I’ve talked about, but it won’t be a drastic difference.

What’s it remind me of?

This disc most reminded me of the Gateway Warlock. In both feel and flight they are similar. I would also compare this to an Innova beadles Aviar or the MVP Anode.

Summary

If you like beadless putters that you can putt, approach, and drive with, the Warden is a solid choice for you. Because it’s available in multiple plastics, you could definitely carry a few different variations and cover most of your putter needs.

The only slot it wouldn’t fill is the moderate to overstable putter slot. Because of that, most people would want to carry a more overstable counterpart or two. It pairs really well with the Shield. If you threw a Harp in the mix for extra overstable duties, you’d have a putter trilogy to reckon with (see what I did there?!).

If you are happy with your current putter, I don’t encourage you to tinker with this slot. It’s really hard to find a putter you love and once you do you are best served by not fiddling with your selection. Just stick with what you have and leave it at that.

If you have doubts about your current putter, and you like beadless discs, you should definitely check out the Warden. With putters, you definitely have to try a bunch  before you find one you love and the Warden should be one of the molds you try.

How to win

If you don’t want to buy one, then subscribe to this blog. I’m giving away that MXG stamped Classic Blend Dynamic Discs Warden you see in the pics above. It’s brand new and that stamp is pretty cool too! On Wednesday, 10/7/2015, I’ll be randomly selecting one blog subscriber to win! Stay tuned on Instagram and Twitter as that’s where I’ll announce the winner.

[wysija_form id=”1″]

Do you have questions I didn’t answer in this review? If so, let us know in the comments below. I threw the Warden for a while and I think I’ve tried most other putters at one point or another. And if we don’t know the answer, we’ll definitely find out for you!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Dynamic Discs Warden Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.

Manufacturer’s Description

Here’s what Dynamic Discs has to say about the Convict:

Before someone becomes a Felon they must be convicted. It is the same in the disc golf world. Dynamic Discs introduces the Convict.

It is a great complement to the Felon with the same feel in the hand but with less stability. The Convict is perfect for those times when you need a straight disc for most of the shot but have to have some stability at the end of the flight. The Convict can also hold the anhyzer you give it before coming back to flat. This disc allows for you to shape your shots to avoid all of the obstacles that are trying to increase your scores.

Throw with conviction. Throw a Convict.

Speed: 9 Glide: 4 Turn: -0.5 Fade: 3

Max Weight: 176g

Inbounds Flight guide

Since DD compares the Convict to the Felon, I thought I’d include the Inbounds flight chart for both of them so you can see a comparison:

Make sure and make the Inbounds Flight Guide part of any disc research you do, it’s the best resource for disc flight information on the web!

After throwing the Convict for a month, I’d say the above chart is accurate for medium strength throwers. If you can throw 300-350, that’s pretty much the flight you can expect.

First Impressions

When I first took the Convict out of the mailer I was immediately struck by how good it felt in my hand. The most notable feature is that it is flat. I’m talking pre Columbus Earth flat. I love flat discs. This was a good start.

The rim is also manageable. You’d expect this from a fairway driver. I prefer not to throw the Nuke style giant rimmed discs. Even at 6’6″ with gigantic hands, I can’t get down with most wide rimmed drivers. The Convict felt great with it’s medium width rim.

As usual, Dynamic delivers what is, in my opinion, some of the best feeling plastic in the game. Both their Lucid and their Fuzion plastics feel great with just the right amount of pliability, grip, and overall feel. This particular disc is in Lucid and has a super sweet Am Worlds fundraiser stamp on it.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s a few thousand words worth of pics to give you an idea of how the Convict sets up.

How does it fly?

The Convict flew as good as it felt. Sometimes it takes a while to get a disc dialed in. Not so with the Convict. I was able to get desirable flights out of it right off the bat.

Thrown flat.

Thrown flat, it tilted into a minor turn to the right and just rode there for a while. The first time I saw this I thought it wasn’t going to fight back, but once it slowed down, it fought back hard and faded left a good amount.

It’s end of flight fade was very similar to the Felon. It was almost like they took a Felon in the back room, tied it to a chair, and mercilessly beat the high speed over stability out of it.

I never really dug the Felon all that much. It was just too overstable for my taste. I’ve got friends who love that disc, have aced multiple times with the mold, and think I’m crazy for not liking it. All that said, the Convict has none of the characteristics of the Felon I don’t like and all of them that I do.

The most notable of those is the reliability. No matter how much I turned the disc over, it always came back… Hard. Because of this, it is a driver you can count on.

Anhyzer flight.

Throwing it with some anhyzer meant it flew right for a good portion of its flight. It never turned all the way over or got squirrelly. It just held its right turn until it slowed enough for its fade to kick in.

When the fade starts, the disc turns left. Some discs just fight back to flat and then land smoothly. I did not find the Convict to do that. Once the fade began, it fought pretty hard to go left and it wasn’t a gentle turn.

Hyzer flight.

When thrown with hyzer, the Convict just held the hyzer line all the way to the ground. It did fade harder at the end than it did early in its flight. That meant that when throw with some height, it tended to dig in when landing and not skip much. Thrown low, it skipped a couple of times with a nice flair after the first contact with the ground.

Wind Performance

The Convict is OK into a moderate headwind, but I wouldn’t rely on it into any more than that. While it still fights out into a fade at the end of its flight, a stiff headwind tended to make the disc turn a little too much for my taste.

I suppose this is where the Felon comes in. For grins, I threw the Felon into the same winds that turned the Convict over and was pleased to see the Felon held up well. If you are looking for a fairway driver pair that feel almost identical in the hand, but have a noticeable stability difference, look no further than the Convict and the Felon.

In a tailwind, the Convict did not stay turned near as long into its flight. A strong tailwind caused the Convict to head left pretty quickly and turned it into a reliably overstable disc. A tailwind also cut a lot of distance off of the flight.

Distance.

The Convict is a fairway driver. It has the distance you’d expect from a fairway driver. It does not have the unexpected distance that you’ll find with some of the more domey or glidey fairway drivers (like the DD Escape, for example).

The flat profile of the Convict means it’s not going to surprise you by gliding past your target unexpectedly. That’s one of the things I like about flat discs. On the whole, they tend to be more reliable.

The Convict will have noticeably less D than your big distance discs. Part of that is its flat profile. Part is that when it kicks into its fade, it’s not going much further. It turns left relatively hard which takes away almost any forward fade.

How will it fly for you?

Is your arm a bionically grafted canon?

The Convict will turn over for you. What you will like about it is that unlike a lot of discs that turn over for you, this one will still come back. A lot of big arms have a hard time finding a turnover disc that is reliable.

If you are looking for something you can put some power on, have it cruise right for you, and then still fade out at the end, the Convict is your choice. For your HeMan style arm, it will just turn back to flat for you at the end of the turn.

Do you have the arm of a normal human being?

The majority of this review is written for you. That’s because I too have a normal human being arm. I could push the Convict out to about 325-350 reliably and its turn and fade were very much like the InBounds flight chart above.

Is your arm made of a mix of Play-Doh and strawberry jam?

For you, the Convict will fly more like the InBounds flight chart for the Felon. If you use a lot of anny to make up for your lower power throw, you will find that the Convict stays turned over for you. Still, expect some big fade left at the end of the flight.

For lower arm speeds, the Convict will probably hold up to most winds. It should be a very reliable and consistent fairway driver in your hands. It’s also a disc that will grow with you and stay in your bag as your arm speed increases.

Similar discs.

The Convict is scarily similar to the Trespass. If you are a Trespass thrower and have been looking for its little brother, the Convict is it. The Convict will turn a tad more and has just a bit more fade, but every time I threw it I was comparing it to my favorite Trespasses in the back of my head.

I would also compare the Convict to the Westside Stag. The Stag fades a tad less, but the rest of the flight and its feel in the hand is very similar to the Convict. The Stag might have a bit more glide too.

For you Innova throwers, the Convict would be closest to an Eagle. The Eagle probably turns just a bit more, but the amount of fade is almost identical. For you Discraft folks, think Tracker. The Convict has more glide than the Tracker and goes further with less effort in my opinion.

In Summary

As you can probably tell, I really liked the Convict. A big part of that is how similar it is to the Trespass. The Trespass has been a staple in my bag for quite a while now. The Convict is just a shorter version.

There are not very many discs that I review that make my bag. The Convict will be the second one (the first is the Dynamic Discs Justice – read my review of that disc here). I’ve never been very happy with my stable fairway driver choices.

I’ve had the overstable slot filled with a Latitude 64 Trident. The understable slot is firmly held by the Latitude 64 Fury and the Latitude 64 Vision. I’ve never really had the perfect disc for that middle stability slot. Now I do!

Win a Dynamic Discs Convict!

Unfortunately for me, but very fortunately for you, I am giving away my review copy you see in the pictures in this review. How do you win? All you have to do is subscribe to this blog by entering your email below. I’ll pick a winner at random from all subscribers on Wednesday September 30 at noon CST.

[wysija_form id=”1″]

LHBH / RHFH Version:

Are you a lefty??? We’ve got you covered!!!

If you clicked the link at the top of this review, it brought you here. Tired of figuring out if “left” really means “right”? Sick of having to convert every disc review and description to your throwing style?

From now on, ALL Mind Body Disc disc reviews will come with a complete copy of the original review modified for LHBH and RHFH players. Just click the link at the top of the review to jump down to the version written just for you!

Manufacturer’s Description

Here’s what Dynamic Discs has to say about the Convict:

Before someone becomes a Felon they must be convicted. It is the same in the disc golf world. Dynamic Discs introduces the Convict.

It is a great complement to the Felon with the same feel in the hand but with less stability. The Convict is perfect for those times when you need a straight disc for most of the shot but have to have some stability at the end of the flight. The Convict can also hold the anhyzer you give it before coming back to flat. This disc allows for you to shape your shots to avoid all of the obstacles that are trying to increase your scores.

Throw with conviction. Throw a Convict.

Speed: 9 Glide: 4 Turn: -0.5 Fade: 3

Max Weight: 176g

Inbounds Flight guide

Since DD compares the Convict to the Felon, I thought I’d include the Inbounds flight chart for both of them so you can see a comparison:

Make sure and make the Inbounds Flight Guide part of any disc research you do, it’s the best resource for disc flight information on the web!

After throwing the Convict for a month, I’d say the above chart is accurate for medium strength throwers. If you can throw 300-350, that’s pretty much the flight you can expect.

First Impressions

When I first took the Convict out of the mailer I was immediately struck by how good it felt in my hand. The most notable feature is that it is flat. I’m talking pre Columbus Earth flat. I love flat discs. This was a good start.

The rim is also manageable. You’d expect this from a fairway driver. I prefer not to throw the Nuke style giant rimmed discs. Even at 6’6″ with gigantic hands, I can’t get down with most wide rimmed drivers. The Convict felt great with it’s medium width rim.

As usual, Dynamic delivers what is, in my opinion, some of the best feeling plastic in the game. Both their Lucid and their Fuzion plastics feel great with just the right amount of pliability, grip, and overall feel. This particular disc is in Lucid and has a super sweet Am Worlds fundraiser stamp on it.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here’s a few thousand words worth of pics to give you an idea of how the Convict sets up.

How does it fly?

The Convict flew as good as it felt. Sometimes it takes a while to get a disc dialed in. Not so with the Convict. I was able to get desirable flights out of it right off the bat.

Thrown flat.

Thrown flat, it tilted into a minor turn to the left and just rode there for a while. The first time I saw this I thought it wasn’t going to fight back, but once it slowed down, it fought back hard and faded right a good amount.

It’s end of flight fade was very similar to the Felon. It was almost like they took a Felon in the back room, tied it to a chair, and mercilessly beat the high speed over stability out of it.

I never really dug the Felon all that much. It was just too overstable for my taste. I’ve got friends who love that disc, have aced multiple times with the mold, and think I’m crazy for not liking it. All that said, the Convict has none of the characteristics of the Felon I don’t like and all of them that I do.

The most notable of those is the reliability. No matter how much I turned the disc over, it always came back… Hard. Because of this, it is a driver you can count on.

Anhyzer flight.

Throwing it with some anhyzer meant it flew left for a good portion of its flight. It never turned all the way over or got squirrelly. It just held its left turn until it slowed enough for its fade to kick in.

When the fade starts, the disc turns right. Some discs just fight back to flat and then land smoothly. I did not find the Convict to do that. Once the fade began, it fought pretty hard to go right and it wasn’t a gentle turn.

Hyzer flight.

When thrown with hyzer, the Convict just held the hyzer line all the way to the ground. It did fade harder at the end than it did early in its flight. That meant that when throw with some height, it tended to dig in when landing and not skip much. Thrown low, it skipped a couple of times with a nice flair after the first contact with the ground.

Wind Performance

The Convict is OK into a moderate headwind, but I wouldn’t rely on it into any more than that. While it still fights out into a fade at the end of its flight, a stiff headwind tended to make the disc turn a little too much for my taste.

I suppose this is where the Felon comes in. For grins, I threw the Felon into the same winds that turned the Convict over and was pleased to see the Felon held up well. If you are looking for a fairway driver pair that feel almost identical in the hand, but have a noticeable stability difference, look no further than the Convict and the Felon.

In a tailwind, the Convict did not stay turned near as long into its flight. A strong tailwind caused the Convict to head left pretty quickly and turned it into a reliably overstable disc. A tailwind also cut a lot of distance off of the flight.

Distance.

The Convict is a fairway driver. It has the distance you’d expect from a fairway driver. It does not have the unexpected distance that you’ll find with some of the more domey or glidey fairway drivers (like the DD Escape, for example).

The flat profile of the Convict means it’s not going to surprise you by gliding past your target unexpectedly. That’s one of the things I like about flat discs. On the whole, they tend to be more reliable.

The Convict will have noticeably less D than your big distance discs. Part of that is its flat profile. Part is that when it kicks into its fade, it’s not going much further. It turns right relatively hard which takes away almost any forward fade.

How will it fly for you?

Is your arm a bionically grafted canon?

The Convict will turn over for you. What you will like about it is that unlike a lot of discs that turn over for you, this one will still come back. A lot of big arms have a hard time finding a turnover disc that is reliable.

If you are looking for something you can put some power on, have it cruise left for you, and then still fade out at the end, the Convict is your choice. For your HeMan style arm, it will just turn back to flat for you at the end of the turn.

Do you have the arm of a normal human being?

The majority of this review is written for you. That’s because I too have a normal human being arm. I could push the Convict out to about 325-350 reliably and its turn and fade were very much like the InBounds flight chart above.

Is your arm made of a mix of Play-Doh and strawberry jam?

For you, the Convict will fly more like the InBounds flight chart for the Felon. If you use a lot of anny to make up for your lower power throw, you will find that the Convict stays turned over for you. Still, expect some big fade right at the end of the flight.

For lower arm speeds, the Convict will probably hold up to most winds. It should be a very reliable and consistent fairway driver in your hands. It’s also a disc that will grow with you and stay in your bag as your arm speed increases.

Similar discs.

The Convict is scarily similar to the Trespass. If you are a Trespass thrower and have been looking for its little brother, the Convict is it. The Convict will turn a tad more and has just a bit more fade, but every time I threw it I was comparing it to my favorite Trespasses in the back of my head.

I would also compare the Convict to the Westside Stag. The Stag fades a tad less, but the rest of the flight and its feel in the hand is very similar to the Convict. The Stag might have a bit more glide too.

For you Innova throwers, the Convict would be closest to an Eagle. The Eagle probably turns just a bit more, but the amount of fade is almost identical. For you Discraft folks, think Tracker. The Convict has more glide than the Tracker and goes further with less effort in my opinion.

In Summary

As you can probably tell, I really liked the Convict. A big part of that is how similar it is to the Trespass. The Trespass has been a staple in my bag for quite a while now. The Convict is just a shorter version.

There are not very many discs that I review that make my bag. The Convict will be the second one (the first is the Dynamic Discs Justice – read my review of that disc here). I’ve never been very happy with my stable fairway driver choices.

I’ve had the overstable slot filled with a Latitude 64 Trident. The understable slot is firmly held by the Latitude 64 Fury and the Latitude 64 Vision. I’ve never really had the perfect disc for that middle stability slot. Now I do!

Win a Dynamic Discs Convict!

Unfortunately for me, but very fortunately for you, I am giving away my review copy you see in the pictures in this review. How do you win? All you have to do is subscribe to this blog by entering your email below. I’ll pick a winner at random from all subscribers on Wednesday September 30 at noon CST.

[wysija_form id=”1″]

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The post Dynamic Discs Convict Review appeared first on Mind Body Disc - Disc Golf Blog.