Disc Golf Roadies - Iowa Disc Golf
Drivers | Mid-Range | Putters | Disc Catchers | Golf Bags
On this page you will find a listing and detailed overview of each piece of disc golf equipment that I own or have been using. I hope that my experiences will help you decide on what types of discs or other equipment you want to buy as you get started in the world of disc golf.
Below each review I have a small gallery showing the condition of my actual equipment. I hope this will show what the wear and tear looks like after getting some use.
Drivers
Innova Champion Groove
The Innova Champion Groove is one of the first two discs I received from my wife. I'm honestly surprised I continued playing after using this disc for my main disc for a while. This is a hard disc to throw and for a beginner like myself it was just discouraging to throw and never have it land where you wanted!
Luckily I received a putter when I got this disc because I nearly switched over to it immediately because I simply could throw it further and be much more accurate. I found I didn't enjoy throwing this disc when I first started playing because it turned almost immediately and was very unpredictable for me. After a few months of playing quite a lot of golf I still find myself avoiding this disc like the plague.
I wouldn't recommed this disc in particular to any beginner simply because it's hard to throw and you probably won't have much fun playing with it at first. I did find though that the plastic is extremely durable and does not chip or get knicks in it when it hits hard objects like trees or lands in roads or gravel.
I still bring this disc with me at all times though but my kids use it more than I do. The only times I find myself getting this disc out of my bag besides moving it out of my way while I reach for another disc is to use it for certain shots that require a lot of turn. It is more predictable on shorter throws and can even be a good putter for me when I have obstacles in my way near the chains. It will turn hard and under 30 feet it will almost always do what you want. Not exactly a driver still for me, but it does have its place.
Ratings: 13 | 6 | -2 | 2
Innova Blizzard Champion Wraith
Now this disc is actually one I bought for my wife. I purchased this for her as one of her first two discs and made my decision on it with about two minutes of thought. I had no idea what the numbers on it meant but I liked the way it felt in my hands. It has somewhat flexible plastic and is fairly light. Since it's a driver it is built to cut through the air and it does a great job at that.
When we throw this disc it flies in a remarkable S pattern without the need to give it 100% power on each throw. Overall this is a great disc that I think most beginners to disc golf could use and enjoy. The pattern is predictable and it's actually kinda fun to watch it fly when it turns and comes back to land in a pretty straight flight path.
My son uses this disc probably more than anyone and he can throw it about as good as anyone. There is only one other disc he can throw further which is the Latitude 64 River disc. That is a mid-range disc and is also my favorite disc.
Whenever we go out to play as a family this disc is used. Anyone can use it effectively and that includes my 8 year old son, my wife and myself.
Ratings: 11 | 5 | -1 | 3
Latitude 64 River Frost Line First Run
The River is a fairway driver disc that has quickly become my go-to disc for nearly any situation. This disc flies straight, far, is predictable and is very comfortable to hold and throw.
It's a flexible plastic disc that is very durable. I use this disc for all driving situations now and will even putt with it at times. My son and I will actually call it and whoever says it first will get to use it for a while at least. I like this disc so much I am planning to purchase a second one for my son soon. Out of all the discs I've purchased this is the only one I thought I should buy a second one of.
The only negative to this disc is it will get taken by the wind if it's a windy day. Under normal conditions this disc will fly straight and land where you aim though.
I can't recommend this disc enough to a beginner or maybe even someone who isn't a beginner. The longer I use it the more I like it so I am sure I will continue to use this disc for a long time.
Ratings: 7 | 7 | -1 | 1
Mid-Range
Innova Stingray
Innova Stingray is a really fun disc to throw...for my wife. This is her disc but I have used it myself a bit as well. The stingray has become her go-to disc as she will throw this sometimes not only as a driver but also as a putter. The ratings on the disc are misleading for me because it flies much straighter for us than the -3 turn would indicate. I am not an expert on the ratings still but from my experience this disc should have more turn than it does.
This is not my favorite disc to throw and I will avoid it most of the time. I have found that I tend to avoid mid-range discs in general though. I just now realized as I was writing these reviews that I almost never use mid-range discs and I avoid them most of the time.
Don't let me totally discourage you from this disc though. It really is my wife's favorite disc and she can throw it very well. I cannot. I probably do not throw it correctly. :)
The stingray feels good in my hands and it releases well for a mid-range disc. I will find a lot of times that the grip on a mid-range doesn't feel good or comfortable in my hand and I have trouble releasing them correctly. It seems like they hang on my fingers too long. The plastic on this disc seems to knick a bit and wears somewhat fast.
I wouldn't go out and buy this disc unless you really feel you have a gap in your collection and need something mid-range.
Ratings: 4 | 5 | -3 | 1
Discraft "Factory Second" Elite X Buzzz
I read a lot of reviews looking specifically for great discs for beginners when I came across this disc. Most people gave the Buzzz high marks for being great for new-comers to the sport. This disc is supposed to be easy to throw and supposed to be very stable.
With that said I find this disc to be hard to throw personally and it sinks to the ground whenever I throw it. I find I cannot get this disc to go far and it doesn't fly very straight for me. I can't recommend this disc simply because I haven't found it useful and I am new to the game.
I did purchase this disc as a factory second disc but I don't think that has anything to do with how it throws because the only flaw on my disc is the letters are all messed up. The good thing was it was about half price simply because of the letters being messed up.
The plastic is hard and there is very little flexibility in this disc which I have found to be the cause of dis-liking other discs. Since I don't use this disc much it doesn't have a lot of wear but it does chip a bit when it hits a hard surface.
Ratings: .5
Innova Skeeter
The Skeeter is a smaller mid-range disc than your average one. It has fairly hard plastic but also maintains a bit of flexibility in the middle which I like. I really don't enjoy throwing mid-range discs, but this one can be fun sometimes. It will fly straight and is a very predictable disc most of the time.
Originally this was purchased for my wife and she chose this one herself. Out of the three mid-range discs that we currently own I would recommend this one if you find yourself needing a mid-range.
As far as wear and tear goes for some reason this disc knicks very easily. I don't like that about it, but it hasn't seemed to affect how it throws at all for us.
Ratings: 5 | 5 | -1 | 1
Putters
Innova Wedge
The Wedge is the first putter that my wife bought me. This disc was purchased before we knew anything about discs (not that we are experts still). I have to say up front that I used this disc in the beginning for driving, mid-range and putting. It is a versatile disc and can be thrown a long ways.
It's fun to throw and can be gripped easily. For a putter it has a fairly narrow lip to grip. It doesn't float so much but it does fly straight with the right amount of force. If you can push the disc on your putts it will hit the chains and stick very well.
I still use this putter a lot and I think that's fairly obvious when you look at the pictures below. It wears fast and gets a lot of small knicks on it. None of that seems to slow it down or change how well it works for us though. This disc makes a great first putter and can be great for a beginner to get into the game. Without this disc when I first started playing I might not have continued playing so much.
No doubt this is a must have disc for any beginner I think. It will fly far although not super straight. It's fun to throw and overall it adds to my enjoyment of the sport which is the main thing. If you're not having fun and feel like you can't enjoy the game, get this disc.
If I don't feel like using a driver I will usually go for this disc unless it is a windy day. Wind seems to catch this disc a lot and will divert its path fairly easily.
Ratings: 3.5 | 3 | -3 | 1
Innova DX Aero
The Aero disc is designed to float and go straight. In my experience this is true for the most part. It doesn't take much effort to make this disc fly and it seems to stay in the air for a long time. It's a really fun disc to throw and my wife uses it quite a bit for putting.
I have tried playing this disc for driving and I found that it won't fly nearly as far as a regular driver. I don't say that because I expected it to, but because it flies so well and floats so well for shorter distances that I just hoped it would work well for long drives too.
When it comes to how it handles in the wind it can hold its own. When it's a windy day this is a great option to have in your bag. It has a deeper lip and has a bit of a bow in the middle which my fingers don't really hold onto well. With that said it's a reliable disc for short throws and when it's windy.
The durability of this disc is great as well. We've used it quite a bit and it has very few marks to show for it. It has a decent amount of flex to it which I personally like as I find those types of discs easier to keep up in the air. This is a really great disc to own as a second putter for its ease to throw with very little power behind it and also for its ability to handle wind well.
Ratings: 3 | 6 | 0 | 0
Dynamic Discs Lucid Judge
Dynamic Discs created a very easy to throw disc here. The amount of power required to get this disc to float straight seems to be similar to the Innova Aero disc. It floats almost as well as it too.
Similar to the Aero it is deep and has a decent bow in the middle of the disc. The Judge is actually a bit deeper though which I kinda like. It handles windy days a bit better than the Aero so I find myself using this over the Aero when I have the need for a floaty disc on a windy day.
With how similar this disc is to the Aero I have to compare them here so often. If you are looking to choose between the two I would recommend the Judge over the Aero. It is just a bit easier to throw overall.
It's also slightly more durable than the Aero disc. I have next to no damage at all on this disc so far.
Ratings: 2 | 4 | 0 | .5
Disc Catchers
Innova Disc Catcher
After I had been playing the sport for a while and I was really getting into it my lovely wife bought me the Innova Disc Catcher to practice my putts at home. The unit she bought me was designed to come apart into three easily assembled pieces. When it arrived it was a very nice simple setup process. A total of 5 screws that held the three pieces together.
To actually disassemble the unit to move it you only need to remove three of the five screws and it takes less than 30 seconds to do so. Very easily portable although this is probably one of the least portable "portable" models around. It is very sturdy for this fact though.
I leave my disc catcher outside all of the time so it lives through rain and heat and really has no wear to show for it. I do have to mention that it does have a little wear from what looks like rain marks. Overall I'm extremely satisfied with its toughness.
Now when it comes to actual use it is a very good disc catcher. It's only a single chain design but most of the time the disc is caught easily. When I throw the disc at an angle it has the chance to slip through the chains though.This really isn't common and does not change my love of this disc catcher at all.
When it comes to improving my short game this disc catcher has really helped I feel. I don't keep score everytime I play but I have noticed a significant improvement in my ability to make the chains bang!
Besides simply practice on this catcher there are some games that can be played in groups. One game we've played is horse which is played just like it is with basketball.
If you have any inclination to play and practice alone this disc catcher makes a great tool for you. It's a bit on the pricey side of portable disc catchers, but it does have superior looks and can stand up to wind and weather conditions. It has never fallen over even during stormy weather which shows a lot for it.
I love this and would highly recommend it to anyone.
Golf Bags
Magellan Outdoors Deluxe Disc Golf Backpack
This backpack is a very economical deluxe golf bag. It lacks many of the bells and whistles you will get from expensive models and the quality is not quite the same from what I have gathered through reviews. I personally have never used a $200 backpack before and I expect most beginners don't plan to spend that kind of money on a sport they are just getting into.
I was able to purchase this backpack for $39.99 and now that I look again on their website I see it is actually selling for only $29.99 now. At that price it is a real steal in my opinion.
The biggest feature this bag lacks is it has no interior frame to support the bag while you are not holding it. This allows it to slump and fall over quite easily. I ended up building my own interior support frame for this backpack though and I did so using only PVC pipe that cost a few dollars. I have a blog post describing the entire process which you can find HERE if you decide you want to go for a backpack style golf bag.
I have noticed some of the seams fray a little bit after some use but honestly it's not wearing any faster than a regular school backpack would.
Before this packpack I was using a very small disc golf bag that was Innova branded and I paid $29.99 for it. Between the two I would highly recommend getting the Magellan backpack and building the interior frame for it. It ends up being very comfortable and can hold everything you could need or want to bring with you on a golf outting.
