“The bigger the better.”
Unless you cycle Condors, the saying doesn’t work in disc golf …
With far too many disc golfers, what would resonate is the following:
“The older the better.”
You see this more from hardcore Innova and Discraft fans, given both manufacturers are some of the sport’s oldest. And though DGA has been around long enough to both invent the modern-day basket and own the DiscGolf.com domain, shoddy branding has them not really a part of this …
The (erroneous) belief is two-fold:
- Part No. 1 – Old plastic is better.
- Part No. 2 – The new stuff is trash.
The claims are as wild as the premise: Older molds and plastics feel better, fly truer and last longer. My dad raves about $0.20 hamburgers at McDonald’s tasting better in the ‘70s …
Same energy.
Now there could be some half-truths built into the “older-is-better” mindset many disc golfers possess. For example, I bag both a stock Champion Eagle-L and a first-run CE Eagle-L. The older Eagle is board-flat. Due to the CE polymers breaking down, it’ll “fingerprint,” too.
* Note: BTW, I didn’t pay for the CE Eagle-L. To learn how I acquired it, click here.
For some, this might result in the belief that it feels and flies better …
Perception is reality.
What it DOESN’T do, however, is negate the value of what the game’s most proven disc manufacturers are doing today. DGA, Innova, Discraft and Discmania: It’s not like these companies all stopped producing quality golf discs at the turn of the 21st century …
If you can’t get the assumed magic of a first-run CE Eagle-L off your mind, remember: There are DOZENS of reputable disc companies out there. And many of them offer hundreds of molds in at least a half-dozen plastics. If you can’t find a solid replacement, you might be the problem.
Of course, you can always pay $100-plus to a disc-hoarder on eBay for the old stuff …
But throwing with a fear of losing a frisbee is no way to play disc golf.
Disc technology has done nothing but improve over time …
Don’t let your wallet forget it.
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Editor’s Suggestions:
- Disc golf: Why you should play more catch
- Gregg Barsby: 3 reasons to become a ‘Barsbarian’
- Disc golf: Why you should create a putting routine (and stick with it)
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Some of it is glamorization, an article worthy amount? Nah. My 11x teebirds feel better, hold a turn longer and in the case of my transitional champion teebird, look better. Sure I could spend $100 & buy the top 5 or 6 fairways on the market and try to find one that fits, or I could just pony up $40 and buy them off my local OG.
Fair enough!
But is it the age or the use?
(BTW, if your’e buying new “old discs,” discredit this – haha)