Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small business. Show all posts

Sunday, May 1, 2016

Daredevil Yeti, can I get another one Yet?!

If you have been reading our previous posts, you will know that I love the Daredevil Timberwolf. I currently have 10 different types of plastic in my bag (13 if you differentiate between VIP, Lucid, Opto, etc.). Out of all the plastics I have, the Flex Performance plastic that Daredevil makes the Timberwolf out of is by far my favorite. It is flexible enough to become stiff in the winter, but stiff enough that it still feels firm in the summer. The Flex Performance plastic is very grippy, which if you get sweaty hands like me, you'll appreciate it. I find that when I am struggling for grip, the Timberwolf is my go to disc. If you would like to read more about the Flex Performance plastic, go to the Timberwolf Review.

Because I love the Timberwolf so much, I decided to buy a Daredevil Yeti. The Yeti is Daredevil Disc's wide rim disc in the Flex Performance plastic.
The plastic for the Yeti seems to be a little less stiff than the plastic for the Timberwolf. It also seems to have a little bit more grip. Regardless of the minor differences, this plastic is still my favorite. The plastic is flexible enough to bend, yet it does not feel floppy in your hand.
The best part that I have yet to talk about is the durability of this plastic. Now that I have had some time to throw my Flex Performance discs, I have had an opportunity to see how they beat in. After hitting countless trees, dry rocky dirt patches, and even concrete a couple of times, I am glad to say that there are only minor scuffs to my Timberwolf and Yeti. This plastic offers durability and grip, which is difficult to come by. Flex Performance is my go to plastic when I need a grip and no skip. The Yeti does not get much skip when it lands because of the plastics ability to absorb the shock on impact.

It is important to note that like the Timberwolf and the Wolverine, the Yeti is the same mold as the Sasquatch and Bigfoot but a different plastic. According to the Daredevil website, they explain the Sasquatch as:
This super fast, overstable driver is engineered for all those big arm pros out there. Its predictable flight pattern and super slick durable plastic will allow your throws to reach maximum distance.
Now onto the Yeti, which is the same mold as the Sasquatch, but in a different plastic. This is what Daredevil says about the Yeti.
Just likes its relative the Sasquatch, this disc is also very fast and with some added flex. This disc has a very wide rim and extremely low profile for maximizing every drive.
Daredevil has given the Yeti a rating of 12, 6, -3, 1 but I think that a speed of 12 is slow for the Yeti. To me this disc would look more like 14, 6, -2, 1. This disc has a wide rim, so wide, that it is pushing the boundaries set forth by the PDGA. The rim size for the Yeti is 2.5 cm while the limit set forth in the PDGA Tech Standards document is 2.6 cm.

pdga_approved_discs_042116a.pdf-

MANUFACTURER / DISTRIBUTORDISC MODELMax. Weight (g)Diameter (cm)Height (cm)Rim Depth (cm)Inside Rim Diameter (cm)Rim Thickness (cm)Rim Depth/ Diam. Ratio (%)Rim Config.
Daredevil DiscsYeti175.121.11.61.116.12.55.226.00

Flexibility (kg) Class S V *Max Wt (g) VintLast Year ProdCert. # Date Approved
8.05 12-3006/05/12


PDGATechStandards_5-14-14.pdf-
(9) have a rim width no greater than 2.6 cm (Does not affect discs approved prior to 1/1/08)
The first time I gripped the Yeti, I wasn't impressed. The rim felt much too wide for my hands. After I spent some time working with the disc, I realized that I wasn't impressed because I was uncomfortable. Most of the discs in my bag were a speed 9 or less. Of all 20 discs in my bag, only three of them were over speed 9. Two of the three discs, were strictly for forehand shots. This disc has helped me become comfortable gripping wide rim discs and is the reason that I now have six discs faster than speed 9 in my bag.

For me, the Yeti is a stable to overstable disc. It is, in my opinion, not as overstable as described above for the Sasquatch. My arm speed is on the slower side and when I throw this disc I can get a nice hyzer or a straight shot with some fade at the end. When I throw normal, I can get the Yeti to go about 300-320 ft. If I do a longer run up and really lean into my throw with a hyzer, my shot will flip up and fly straight for about 330-345 ft. If I release the disc flat, I will get a nice little turnover shot that will fade back and land straight ahead of me. I throw about 370 ft when I release the disc flat. This is disc is understable enough that I can get a little anhyzer but stable enough that I can throw as hard as I want but still have it finish left. 90% of my shots with this disc are released flat and for distance as this is my farthest flying disc. The flight path that I can get with this disc is exactly what Daredevil shows on their website.
We tested throwing the Yeti into a slight headwind. This is a disc that I can trust in a slight headwind if I want a nice anhyzer that will flex and finish to the left. We also tested throwing the Yeti into a 30mph headwind. The disc flipped quickly and became the best roller that I have ever thrown. The only problem is that the plastic is so soft that it sticks to the ground and doesn't roll as far as the Sasquatch might.

If you have a fast arm, this disc will be a great turnover disc for when you need your shot to finish to the right. Michael and I like to throw a couple of rounds with his brother Anthony at least once a week. Anthony is known for putting a lot of spin on his disc when he throws and can easily roll a Westside King and flip his Innova Boss. One day I let him throw my Yeti. To no ones surprise, the disc turned right and there was no inclination that it was going to fade back to the left. The Yeti, however, did surprise us in the fact that it did not turn into a roller. The disc held a nice steady turn to the right and landed flat. We were given the impression that it would be a great disc for a hole with a dog leg to the right, being that you either have a strong throw or are able to put a great amount of spin on the disc.

If you are looking for a controllable understable distance driver that will not skip much on impact, do yourself a favor and try throwing a Daredevil Discs Yeti. After spending some time with this disc, it has become a staple in my bag. Daredevil is putting out some fantastic molds in fantastic plastics that are worth checking out. 

And As Always, Keep Throwing!
FD_Discs_JV

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Check Out Little Companies, Grow the Sport, and Please Excuse My Little Rant.

Today I was able to purchase three discs from brands that I'm guessing many of you have never heard of before. I got a Disc Golf Aotearoa Raptor, Daredevil Timberwolf, and Daredevil Wolverine.
I originally had gone to buy just the Timberwolf for an understable fairway/distance driver, but I really shouldn't be trusted when buying discs. I got the Wolverine because it is supposed to be the perfect compliment to the Timberwolf. Then I bought the Raptor just because its from New Zealand and I wanted to try something new. I'd like to speak about new for a moment.

Everyone always wants the latest and the greatest from the biggest. There are many players out there that will only throw Innova, Discraft, Prodigy, or Trilogy companies and they bash people that throw the other brands because they are sub-par. Where did all this come from? I know I started to get sucked into the Trilogy only bag. It took me some time but I did realize that every brand has something to offer. Slowly I have started to get away from all Trilogy and am in the process of making a good attempt at a truly mixed bag. In a previous blog, I displayed what I have in my bag. I had 18 Trilogy (not including all the backup putters), 2 Innova, 1 Kastaplast, and 1 Gateway. Currently I have dropped down to 13 Trilogy, 2 Innova (different than the last post), 2 Discraft, 2 Daredevil Discs, 1 Kastaplast, and 1 Gateway. I also have 3 discs in the mail and 3 others that will vie for a spot in my bag in the next coming weeks. 2 Dynamic Discs, 2 Discraft, 1 Millennium, and 1 Disc Golf Aotearoa. The question that comes to mind after sorting out my bag is, Why do people put so much importance on only one company? Which leads to why do people bash on companies other than the one that they like? The only answer that I believe that should come up is if you are a top level pro and are sponsored by one of these companies. That company sponsored you so you should only throw that. Since most of us are not top level pros and are not sponsored by any companies, why do we then force ourselves in that direction? And why do people bash other companies? Look at the most professional players out there. They don't bash each others companies or each other for throwing something else. Simon Lizzote put up an Instagram video of him throwing putters from 4 different companies and made the profound statement of "Yep, they all work". Here's a link if you haven't seen it. We as disc golfers shouldn't be attacking each other. Instead, we ought to pull together. We ought to not turn people away from the sport with negativity, but draw people into it by the positive fun and friendships that can be made through this sport. Also, if you don't like a company, it doesn't mean that you can bash them for being sub-par. What doesn't work for you may work for many others. I may not like any Innova midranges but that doesn't mean that they don't make good product. I can't look at Paul McBeth and what he's done and then say that Innova makes inferior product because I don't like the midranges. I can't say that Discraft is bad because I haven't found a putter from them that I like. McCabe (back in the day), Doss, and MJ, have proved otherwise. I'll take it even a step further. I haven't seen anyone here throw Legacy so they must be a bad company, right? Let's go watch some highlight reals from Steve Rico and see if that claim holds up. Spoiler alert, it won't. This post has gone into a completely different direction than it was going when I started. I apologize for my rant. Now onto what I was supposed to say.

It is not necessarily the plastic and the molds that make one company great over another. While it may help greatly, it's the perception of how people see companies, and how long a company has been around that matters. So what is it that makes Innova better than Kastaplast, Discraft better than Daredevil, or Trilogy better than ABC Discs? Fullness of disc lines could be an answer, but if I love my Kastaplast Kaxe Z for a midrange/fairway tweener, what makes it worse than something a larger company has to offer? Nothing, its just the perception of the small company probably not having the resources to make a superior product. What I'm getting at is go out there, take a risk on an unknown company. Help the little guys survive because the more disc manufacturers that we have making it, the more our sport can continue to grow. I took a risk with Kastaplast and Daredevil and so far I am loving that I did. I also took a risk with Disc Golf Aotearoa and that hasn't panned out as well as I would have liked, but that is the thrill with the unknown. You have no idea what possibilities may lie ahead of you when you try something different, something new, or something that is not so mainstream. It may work out well in your favor and you'd be happy that you took the leap, but even if it doesn't work out, you took a leap of faith in favor of helping disc golf grow. I also would like to add that while the Disc Golf Aotearoa leap didn't work out for me, a friend of mine is giving it a shot and so far it seems to be working out for him. Your actions of buying into something new may lead your friends into something that they believe is the most fantastic discovery for them since they got into Disc Golf. Lets get rid of brand hatred which is only tearing down the game that we all love, and grow the sport together regardless of what we all throw.

I'm finding that a mixed bag is very freeing. Now I can take any disc I like and I don't have to try to find something within a certain company that might be what I need. All of the companies shown below, and some, have been in my bag at one point, but here is a representation for every company that I still own.


Like a book: Daredevil Discs, Kastaplast, Gateway, Whamo*, Discraft, Westside Discs, Innova Champion Discs, Millennium Golf Discs*, Dynamic Discs, Disc Golf Aotearoa*, Latitude 64.

*Not Currently in the bag. No offense to Whamo, but I don't like the plastic so it won't be in the bag.



Mixed bagging is not about who is the best, but what more I can achieve with different options while helping everyone involved in the sport.

Last but not least, everyone should seriously check out Daredevil Discs. If the rest of their product is as good as my two discs have been, they're worth checking out.

Remember, regardless of what you throw, keep throwing, and grow the sport! Please comment and share this! We at Flying Dutchman Discs want to know what you think and what small brands, if any, you have in your bag.
FD_DiscsJV