Philo Brathwaite is known for his work with a DX Roc …
I’ve seen him do just about everything with one.
Steep hyzers, frozen-ropes and gentle-drifters: With a DX Roc, he’s done (and continues to do) it all. And while Philo’s never been a guy known for unreal distance, in his younger years, I saw him stretch a DX Roc out farther than I can get a 12-speed with next to no effort at all …
True story.
If you want to do the same, good news – your desires are pure.
But while the DX Roc is certainly capable of carving up fairways with physics-defying lines, it’s not all picnics, rose petals and horse-drawn carriages – there are some downsides, too.
Still, let’s kick things off on a positive note …
The good of the DX Roc
The Roc set the standard for beaded midranges – workhorse midranges, that is. If you’ve picked up the cheap stuff, you’ll know the plastic often starts out a bit smooth and chalky, but quickly gets grippy – this is right where you want a DX Roc. The feel alone inspires confidence.
Feel is fine and all, but the flight is what makes a DX Roc worth bagging. It’s not a Caiman, but fresh out of the box, it’ll reliably work left for you on a right-hand, backhand line. Due to the give of DX plastic, however, it’ll beat-in quickly – give it a week or two or regular use …
Even the weakest of arms can mess around with hyzer-flip lasers.
The more you patiently work it and learn the disc, the more you’ll see why guys like Brathwaite swear by ‘em. Most disc golfers think in terms of the three basic flights: hyzer, straight and turnover. Beat a DX Roc just right, however, and you’ll find the “in-between” flights, too.
Why else would Philo carry five (or six) at a time?
With the right pilot, they’re THAT good.
The bad of the DX Roc
Innova sometimes gets smashed (pun intended) for inconsistency of plastic …
Their DX polymers are no different.
I’ve played with guys who’ve had DX Rocs in their bags for well over a decade. And while I’ve never used one near that long, I have had a DX Roc shatter on me during its first-ever round of use. So when you buy one, there’s a bit of a dice-roll on your end – durability or mega-suck.
* Note: If you like the idea of a DX Roc, but want more durability, go with KC Pro plastic.
My experience …
I’ve bagged a DX Roc.
I’ve bagged it two or three different times, in fact …
I couldn’t make it work.
The DX Roc is useful on all sorts of courses, but it shines brightest in the woods. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t help but play timid with one. Unworthy of lacing Paul McBeth’s sneakers, it’s safe to say my discs get well-acquainted with trees – this includes DX Rocs. Flight-wise, when I’d get one right where I wanted it, I became petrified of whacking a tree …
That’s no way to disc golf.
Since then, I’ve found a good mixture of Champion Roc3s, Champion Gators and DX Gators. Yeah, the DX plastic is still in there, but starting out, the Gator’s beefier – I find comfort in that.
You are NOT me, though …
Nine bucks nabs you a new DX Roc just about anywhere on the World Wide Web – that’s it. Given what the DX Roc is capable of doing for your game, you owe it to yourself to take one for a test-drive. If it works, build a shrine to Mr. Brathwaite. And if it doesn’t, you’ve not lost much.
Go for it.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
- Huk Lab prices are absolute insanity
- Disc golf: What’s a wide-rail reachback?
- Disc golf: The jump-putt approach slashes scores (and it’s easy)
Real quick, if you happen to buy something through a link in this article, there’s a chance we’ll get a small share of the sale. It’s how we keep the lights on. To learn more, click here.
