A New Type of Review: Discraft, Bring the X2 Back From the OOP Graveyard.

This week I decided to do a review on something different, something OOP (Out of Production). I happened to come across a Discraft Elite Pro X2 at a thrift shop.

It was so cheap that I simply just had to buy it and now, I'm glad that I did. Right now this disc is in my bag but it hasn't been for quite some time. It has always been in the back of my mind as something that I should throw but I wasn't sure what to take out of my bag. That idea was made simple for me when I lost my Claymore. But enough about my bag. On to the disc.

Plastic Type: I could be mistaken, but I don't believe this plastic is on the market anymore. And that's a shame. It feels and beats in similar to Innova DX or Discraft Pro D plastic. Now some people might ask: "What are you talking about? It's like Pro D so it still is on the market." There are two reasons why I like Elite Pro better than Pro D. I do like the feel of the plastic a bit better and when I shine a uv flashlight on the Elite Pro, it glows.

Feel: The X2 has a nice feel in the hand. The rim depth is about the same as the Kastaplast Kaxe Z or the Innova Leopard, but instead of a smooth edge the X2 has a bead and a lip on the outer edge. I really like discs that have this rim size because I think that they feel comfortable in the hand.

Disc Performance: I need to preface this by saying that when I got this disc it was not brand new and did have some use to it. My results are those of a beat in X2; not a new one. From what I have heard, Discraft gave this disc a stability rating of 2, which is in between stable and overstable. When I released this disc softly, it did what the rating would suggest. I had a straight shot with no turn and a comfortable finish to the left. I threw it softly to get more of an idea of what the disc would be like if it were new, and I tentatively agree with Discraft's rating for the X2 (There is no way for me to say for certain that the rating is correct with the condition that my disc is in). That all being said, I am glad that my disc is beat in. When I release the X2 flat and with some power, it flies straight for a short distance and then has a nice smooth turn to the right with just enough fade to land either straight in front of me, or about 15-20' to the right of me. I put this disc in my bag in order to learn about it for this review and found out that it fills a gap that I didn't even know I had. I cannot give an overall review about this disc because of my limited scope with the one that I have, but Discraft should consider bringing this disc out of the OOP graveyard because it does have much to offer.

Keep Throwing! FD_DiscsJV

Sweet sweet Swedish plastic, and no, it's not Latitude 64

First of all I want to apologize for not posting anything lately. There have been many obstacles that have kept Flying Dutchman Discs members from writing including travel to South America and Washington D.C., wedding festivities, and baby announcements. The product reviews are now back so don't forget to subscribe!

I was buying a few things on Amazon one day when I realized that I could pay $10 for shipping, or I could spend $15 on another item and get free shipping. Amazon had some discs for sale so I thought that I would try something new, random, and maybe a bit unheard of. I saw that they had Kastaplast discs for sale and that Kastaplast was from Sweden. Latitude 64 is also from Sweden so I thought that maybe the Swedish have something going on when it comes to disc design. I ordered a Kastaplast Kaxe Z in the K1 Line and I have never regretted that decision.

The K1 Line may possibly be my favorite plastic... I generally like throwing clear plastics like Lucid/VIP/Opto, Z, or Champion a lot more than say your Fuzion/Gold/TP or star plastics. The K1 Line I would say is nothing like any of the plastics that I have mentioned above. It probably is the most similar to an Innova Star gstar mix... if that is possible. To me it feels a bit tackier (sticky) than star plastic, yet at the same time it has a slick smooth feeling. This is incredibly hard to explain over writing. Basically, the plastic just feels incredible in the hand and I highly recommend that people check it out. I also find the durability of the plastic to be really good. My Kaxe Z has found its way into trees and rough dirt patches, never concrete, and is still in really good condition with no major marks or scuffs.

Now onto the disc itself. The Kaxe Z feels really good to hold. The rim size (width) reminds me of a Innova Leopard.

The rim is much higher on the Kaxe Z than the Leopard and it drops much deeper creating more disc and offering a tighter grip than the Leopard offers.

I was going to continue in the same paragraph as far as the flight is concerned but it's nothing like a Leopard so I'm going to break the train of thought here.

I find the Kaxe Z to have two different extremes in flight pattern depending on if there is wind or not. It's overstable, when there is no wind. I can throw as hard as I want (RHBH) and it will travel dead straight, never turn over, and it will always have a nice strong fade at the end. The Kaxe Z also holds a very nice hyzer line with a nice fade at the end. It is a different story when I forehand or even backhand when there is a decently strong headwind. I find that it doesn't hold up into the wind very well and will turn over easily.

Overall, I love this disc. As I posted a little while ago on Instagram, it will probably never leave my bag. It is the perfect disc for the midrange fairway tweener slot in my bag. I use it for shots that I could hit with a mid at full strength and for shots that I am afraid that a fairway will go too far (I prefer my shots to land shorter than longer because of the possibility of a long skip). My arm isn't the biggest so I use this disc at around 280'-310' shots although I could squeeze a bit more distance out if I tried. To give you an idea of how hard I throw, I consistently get a beat in Innova Pro Destroyer around 350'-370'. Anyways, this disc is absolutely fantastic. It has become a comfort disc for me. What I mean is that when I'm feeling down about how I'm playing, or when I'm playing a new course and I'm a bit timid on my shots, I tend to rely on this disc a lot. It has a very dependable flight pattern and I'm never surprised by how it flies. I may be uncomfortable on a new course but once this disc comes out of my bag I almost instantly get peace of mind.

Comments are always welcome, let us know what you think!
Keep throwing! FD_DiscsJV

In the Bag: Jeremy Vanderpool

So I realized that I have been blogging quite a bit lately and no one really knows what I have in my bag. Starting off I have a Dynamic Discs Ranger EMac signature edition bag.

In my bag I have:

High Speed Drivers-
        WS VIP Air King 155g
        DD Lucid Freedom 169g
        DD Fuzion Enforcer 173g
        DD Lucid Trespass
        Innova Champion Destroyer 176g
        Innova Pro Destroyer 175g
        L64 Opto Blitz
        WS VIP Boatman

Fairway Drivers-
        DD Lucid Escape 171g
        DD TC Biofuzion Theif 173g (x2)
        L64 Opto River 165g
        L64 Opto River 164g

Midranges-
        K K1Line Kaxe Z 174g
        L64 Opto Fuse 171g
        DD Lucid First Run Verdict with Truth tool 174g
        DD Lucid Truth 179g
        DD Fuzion Truth 178g
        DD Lucid Suspect signed by Eric McCabe (PDGA #11674) 172g
        L64 TC Recycled Claymore 175g

Putters-
        WS TC BT Medium Shield 175g (x5)
        GW Organic Wizard signed by James Litchfield (PDGA #38248) 175g (Given for Birthday)
Mini-
        DD Lucid Judge

Right now the Champion Destroyer is in the trial phase and has the possibility of leaving the bag. In the waiting are a Discraft Z Crank and an Innova Champion Vulcan, both of which have previously been in the bag. If I can afford them, or if someone wants to donate:), I am looking for Dynamic Discs Lucid Felon and Justice as an overstable midrange and fairway are missing from my bag. The Felon would almost automatically replace the Champion Destroyer and the Justice would probably replace either the Verdict or the Claymore. This is a chart of my current bag "flight possibilities". I believe that I have a better range than what is shown but maybe I am wrong. Write a comment of what you think that I am missing.

Note* DD-Dynamic Discs, L64-Latitude 64, WS-Westside, GW-Gateway, K-Kastaplast, TC-Trilogy Challenge.

Until Next Time, Keep Throwing!! FD_DiscJV

Innova Archangel: Good or Bad? You decide.

For the first time in the history of Flying Dutchman Disc reviews, I am going to do a review on a disc that I am not too fond of, the Innova Archangel. First off, let me say that this is not a bad disc. This disc was very instrumental for me in learning my backhand and in winning my first tournament and I owe a lot of gratitude to it. This disc gave me the excitement to keep playing and grow in my skill and love for the backhand. It saved me from my disappointment of not being able to throw very far at all (RHBH) and just sticking to throwing forehand. This is a great beginner disc. In fact, I just gave one to my brother and another to a friend that just played with me for the first time. The main reason why I do not like this disc right now, is that it is not a consistent flyer.

Innova gives the Archangel a rating of 8 6 -4 1 and I am honestly not sure what to say about that. Maybe it’s the certain disc that I used or I am just not consistent at all in my throwing, but I never reached anything close to those ratings. From what I have heard and from what these ratings suggest, this should be a good turnover disc that can be used for rollers. It is a good understable disc, but I have never been close to getting it to roll. Most of the time this disc would go dead straight for me. However, often times when I wanted the disc to go straight, it would start to turnover and not land anywhere near the intended target. Because of this I had a newfound joy for this disc in using it for turnover shots. The thing is, that when I wanted it for a turnover shot, it would go dead straight. I would then use it for a straight disc again and it would turnover on me. For some reason I can never get a good read on this disc. It is the only disc for me that I can’t figure out. Maybe its my fault and I just suck, maybe the disc is inconsistent. I’m not sure. One thing's for certain, I do not like this disc. Now this is not to say that it may not make its way back into my bag although it probably won’t, permitting that my Latitude 64 Rivers and my Dynamic Discs Escape stay in my bag. On top of that, I would probably be more likely to put my Innova Monarch back in over the Archangel. I have a more consistent throw with the Monarch. You could say that the Archangel and I have some trust issues.

As for the feel of this disc, it is amazing to hold. The rim is not too thick like the higher speed drivers, or too thin like some midranges and putters, although, I may be biased because I really like the feel of fairway drivers. The top of this disc also has a nice in between feel. I don’t really like anything that has too much of a pop top. I have a Innova Wraith that is grossly over popped and I will never throw it because of the feel. I believe that flat tops are much better than pop tops, but the flat top still feels a bit strange to me. I enjoy throwing a Discraft Flick but it has a little bit of an awkward feel. The Archangel is a perfect inbetween of the Wraith and Flick. It allows for my thumb to have some downward pressure that is difficult for my Flick and impossible with my Wraith.

Overall this is a good beginner disc but not much after that. If I’m perfectly honest it’s probably my consistency that is lacking, but I find that there is not much consistency in this disc’s flight pattern and that is why I believe that it is not good for people that are no longer in their beginning stage. Another downside is the plastic. I believe in a premium plastic bag for a few reasons. I mean, first of all, premium plastics look cooler, but this is a horrible reason. Second, I want my discs to hold their patterns and not break in easily. I want them to last. The Archangel only comes in DX plastic which is Innova's worst line. Some may like the DX, but for me, this is a huge downsize to the disc. I would like to see this disc come out in Champion plastic. The added overstability of the plastic may be what this disc needs to hold a constant straight line. This disc does get an A+ for the feel, but unfortunately for the Archangel, feel alone does not merit a discs position in my bag.

Keep Throwing!
FD_DiscsJV

Dynamic Discs Truth: The Disc That Always Works, Even When I Don't Understand Why.

The Dynamic Discs Truth is, well truthfully, the best disc that I have ever thrown and I still don't understand it. It is a complex mystery that is still ongoing to me as I am coming up to having this disc in my bag for a year. Dynamic Discs gives the Truth a rating of 5 5 0 2 which is hard to compete with. My Lucid Truth is a staple in my bag that will probably never come out. I was new to disc golf when I found this disc in the pond at my local course. Luckily for me, the disc didn't have a number on it and I had no idea, at the time, that there was a local club that I could show the disc to and see who it belonged to. Anyways, the past is the past and I am glad that I found this disc. I may never have tried the Trilogy companies if I hadn't and if you know me, you know that my bag is 95% Trilogy now. This Lucid Truth is my I have no idea what to do disc. Not only does it handle well in the wind, it handles really similar no matter what the weather is like. It's like the disc has some kind of esp with me and knows what I want it to do. If I want it to hold an anhyzer line, it holds the line. If I want it to hold a hyzer, it does. If I want to have it go straight 300+ feet, it does. If I want it to turn over a bit, it will. If I want to throw an anhyzer and have it flex back, I can expect it. This list of things that this disc can do is endless. Maybe I'm not as consistent with my throws as I think I am, but this disc seems to do different things when thrown on the same line, but only when I want it to. I can't say enough about the amazing things this disc can do! Although that should be expected, I mean it did win the Noodle Arm Disc Golf best disc golf disc bracket beating out the trusty Innova TeeBird.

If that last section confused you at all, let me sum this disc up in one sentence. This is my do everything disc because I trust it more than anything in my bag. That being said I have two of these discs in my bag. I have my beat in Lucid and a new Fuzion one. The Fuzion one does do most things that I want it to but it is not at all at the same level as my Lucid Truth. I find the Fuzion Truth to be more understable but fade sharper than the Lucid Truth. I am more likely to have the Fuzion turnover where the Lucid is usually a straighter shot.

On to the feel of the disc, this disc feels amazing in the hand. It has a nice and thin profile that isn't too thin to grip the disc real well. The bead on it is tiny and doesn't have a huge impact on the feel like the Westside Bard or the Innova Roc 3. As for differences between the Truths in my bag, the Fuzion Truth has a bit of a sharper edge on the bottom rim of the disc, although that could be just from the mold that the particular disc came from. That is the only difference that I notice besides the feel of the different plastics.

Keep throwing!

FD_DiscsJV

Latitude 64 Spike

I was very luck to win a recycled plastic spike by latitude 64 from a company called discflickers. The weight is at 173 grams and the rating on the disc is 4, 2, -1, 1. On the face of the disc, in morse code, it tells you that it's a stable putt and approach disc. I am not sure if all spike discs secret messages on the front but it was fun decoding it. The disc is made of recycled plastic and I've noticed it to be smooth and comparable to dynamic disc's bio fusion line.

   Now onto the review. First I found for me this putter is not really great for short putts or anything within the 35ish foot mark. It's edge is a bit too thin for me and it is just too slick. For my short putts I need a disc that's a little tacky just because of the comfort and trust I have in how it feels. The putter I mainly use is a westside shield and I love it, but that review will come later. So now that you know this putter, in my hands, is not a putter lets talk about the good stuff. This disc is the straightest holding disc I have ever thrown. I have been able to throw it through a very narrow fairway and it stuck right to the middle with the slightest, if any, fade left at the end. I also really like how this disc has two ridged spots on the top for grip. It allows for better hold because I've noticed the recycled plastic can get a bit slick. Over all this disc very quickly became my straight shot disc weather it's an approach shot or a drive. I know for a fact that I have no other disc in my bag or at my house that matches this discs consistently straight flight and it will hold its spot until it's beat or broke. If you are looking for a straight flight you definitely need to give the spike a try. If you have any questions about it let me know. I will test it out and get back to you.

Keep Throwing!
FD_DiscsDH

Bellow are the photos of the tight fairway I was talking about and where my disc ended after hitting chains.

Dynamic Discs Suspect

First off, a little bit about me. My name is Jeremy Vanderpool and I live decently close to Boise, Idaho. I’ve been throwing frisbees my entire life. About 11 years ago I transitioned from the traditional frisbee into an Ultimate Disc. I played Ultimate, and was extremely successful, until March of 2014 when I then transitioned into Disc Golf. Since then I have played whenever I had the chance. My knowledge of the sport has grown quickly as I have surrounded myself with seasoned veterans. With the help of a local pro James Litchfield, who is sponsored by Deity Discs and is known as the best player in Idaho, I co-created a Disc Golf Club at the University that I go to. My bag holds mostly Trilogy companies as they are a very popular choice amongst many people here. In the future I will do an in the bag but for now, enough about me. Lets talk about the Dynamic Discs Suspect.

I just recently picked up a Lucid Dynamic Discs Suspect. My bag had a need for a short distant overstable midrange and I thought that the Suspect would fill that void (The Idaho wind can be pretty strong sometimes). The Suspect is kind of an in between midrange and putter with a very flat top that feels really good in the hand. Although I must admit that I am not the biggest fan of a disc with a dome, to each their own. Dynamic Discs have given the Suspect a rating of 4 3 0 3. There are times when I find this rating to be completely true. When there is no wind I can throw the Suspect as hard as I want and it will keep a straight line. For the shots that require a huge fade, I can put the Suspect on a hyzer and it will hold my line almost until the end when the strong fade kicks in. At one point, I put the Suspect on a slight anhyzer. It held the line for about 100 feet before it finally flexed. It is important to note, “at one point”. This was a one time shot that I have failed to replicate since. 90 percent of the time I throw the Suspect on an anhyzer line it doesn’t fight back but keeps the line that it is put on. When throwing into a headwind, I have found the Suspect to turn but fight just enough to land decently straight. When I have a left to right wind, I expect to get some turn. When my disc was brand new, it fought and landed pretty straight. Now after some field testing, it appears to get caught up in the wind and I hope that it lands straight. I wanted to see if I put it on a steep hyzer in a strong left to right wind what it would do. It had the strangest flight pattern that I have ever seen. It fought the wind for about 30 feet and then bounced to the right. Then it fought back to the left only to bounce to the right again. This happened for about 150 feet until it finally landed about 15 feet to the left of where I threw it. The only real visual aid that I can think of is that in the past I would hyzer bounce my ultimate disc off a long wall. Here is a general idea of it.

All that being said, I barely even use my Suspect for these situations. I feel safer reaching in the bag for my truth or really beat in verdict. This isn't to say that I don't use my Suspect regularly. I throw it on shots that I have been trying to take with my putter without much success. I like to use this disc in the 50-200 foot range. The fade on it isn't strong enough to flex back in many situations but it is strong enough to essentially die and fall down. I use this disc for shots that need to land extremely straight. We have a hole at the local course that I play a lot. Hole 8 is about 150 feet over a pond. I like to lightly toss my Suspect over the pond and expect a slight finish to the left (it lands maybe 1-3 feet left of my throwing point). Like I was saying, it lands incredibly straight. This disc is definitely going to stay in the bag for a long time as it will be incredibly hard to find a replacement.

On a completely different note, I bought the disc from Dynamic Discs. Their service was incredible. In the comments section I asked if 2010 world champion Eric McCabe could sign it. Not only did they get it to me really fast during a busy period, it came signed! The customer service that they have there is one of the best that I have ever seen.

Keep throwing!

FD_DiscsJV