The Innova Whale: Putt and drive with the same putter

When it comes to bag-building, I’d consider myself a strong proponent of “mold minimization.” The idea is this: The fewer molds you throw, the more comfortable with them you become. The more comfortable you become, the fewer decisions you have to make out on the disc golf course.

In theory, the end result is a less complicated style of play – and lower scores, of course.

How I became interested in the Innova Whale

For years, without issue, I’ve putt with KC Pro Aviars. To keep up with the idea that fewer molds means better play, I tried throwing ‘em, too. Regular tree hits did a number on them, so I went with Aviar Drivers for a bit – yes, this is an actual disc. It’s the “Big Bead” Aviar mold, but in something other than KC Pro plastic: DX, Star, Champion, Color Glow Champion, etc.

It’s a dynamite disc, but I was still running into two issues:

• Issue No. 1 – Sold as custom fundraising (CFR) discs, they’re hard to find – and pricey.
• Issue No. 2 – The Big Bead Aviar mold’s always felt a bit flimsy in the hand for drives.

I wasn’t about to take out a second mortgage to fund a stack of throwing putters, especially if I wasn’t 100% sold on ‘em – so I tried Colts. Then I tried Studs. Then I tried the Envy. Heck, I took the Pure out for a quick test drive, as well. They were all great discs, but still …

I REALLY missed the consistency of putting and driving with the same mold.

Then, one day, like you do, I started reading through a few disc golf forums about how – while a member of Team Innova – Ricky Wysocki made the switch to putting with the Whale from KC Pro Aviars. If you’ve followed Anthony Barela’s game at all, you know he did the same thing.

So, I picked up a Whale in DX plastic from Infinite Discs, just to flirt with it for a few weeks …

* Note #1: The Innova Factory Store has plenty of KC Pro Whales in stock, as well – click here.

What I learned throwing the Innova Whale for one month

First, in the hand, the Whale feels EXACTLY like a Big Bead Aviar: The difference between the two is negligible. The one variance you might pick up on, however, is that the rim of the Whale feels a bit beefier – it’s thicker along the outside. For C1X putting, I wasn’t bothered by this.

The extra bulk leads me to my second point, actually: As a thrower, off the tee is where the added girth becomes a factor – and in a good way. Because of it, the Whale is much more torque-resistant than the KC Pro Aviar. It works for both forehand and backhand throws.

* Note #2: With a rim depth of 1.5 centimeters, the Whale isn’t a low-profile putter.

* Note #3: Should you want to forehand it, do keep this in mind – it’s a deeper disc.

Don’t let your expectations get the better of you, though – it’s certainly an overstable disc, but it’s not a Harp or Zone. In fact, the Whale was designed using Innova’s VTech disc-molding technique. VTech discs carry more of the disc’s weight along the outer edge of the rim.

The result is a disc that flies straighter for a longer period of time. So yes, the Whale’s a stable disc in that it flies straight – it’ll fade a good bit, too. But just because it’s torque-resistant doesn’t mean it’s a meathook. Thrown with plenty of power, it flies straight and sits …

It does the same thing when thrown at slower speeds, too – that’s unique.

The Innova Whale: The final verdict …

It’s been a month since I started putting, approaching and driving on shorter holes with the DX Whale. I’m not certain it’ll become my permanent putter – I’ve invested so much in the KC Pro Aviar. But if you’re looking for more consistency and fewer molds within your bag, man …

The Whale’s not a bad place to start.

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Editor’s Suggestions:

• Simon Lizotte is back
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• Paul McBeth should dial back the post-loss complaints

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