“One of the best discs out of the box I’ve ever thrown in my professional career.”
As Nicolas Cage might say, “That’s high praise!”
Those words of accolade come straight from the mouth of Drew Gibson.
The object of his affection is the Finish Line Era.
Of course, Drew might be just the teensiest bit biased with that take. He’s not only a mega-fan of the fairway driver, but the owner of the company whose name graces the flight plate. Distributed by Infinite Discs, the Era is the first golf frisbee within Drew Gibson’s Finish Line series.
Thanks to a few helpful connections within the greater Green Splatter network, I was able to get my hands on one of these things – a first-run edition, in fact. Naturally, I took it out for a few rounds to see if Gibson is an overhyped self-promoter or a disc-praising prophet …
Here’s what I found:
The feel of the Era
This disc feels good …
Like, REALLY good.
Much like Innova’s Star plastic, it’s shiny and grippy, but not gummy.
As soon as you pick up an Era, you’ll want to frozen-rope a four-fingered, power-gripped bomb down a tight fairway – THAT is the kind of confidence the in-hand feel of this thing breeds.
The disc has a slightly raised flight plate and a generous rim. Still, for those golfers who prefer shallow-rimmed discs for grip, the Era will not feel off-putting. A forehand-dominant player myself, I throw mainly flat-top discs, but didn’t think twice about the Era’s profile or feel.
There’s a lot to like about this disc …
The feel is at the top of the list.
The flight of the Era
Like a faster Eagle or Teebird, the Finish Line Era is marketed as a workhorse control driver for disc golfers of all skill levels. The neutral flight numbers and low-fade potential of the Era allow for plenty of shot-shaping, while not requiring a Gibson-level arm speed to make it happen.
For the more scientific readers out there, the flight digits:
- The Finish Line Era: 10 (Speed) 5 (Glide) -1 (Turn) 1.5 (Fade)
And here are a few other 10-speed control drivers to see how the Era stacks up:
- The Prodigy H4: 10 | 5 | -1.5 | 2
- The Innova Beast: 10 | 5 | -2 | 2
- The Doomsday Discs Dystopia: 10 | 5 | -2 | 2
I’m the opposite of most players in that my forehand has more power than my backhand. With a flick, I could shape this disc on all sorts of lines from a hyzer release. With my backhand, I’d concentrate on throwing flat. Each time I did, I found a straight flight and consistent fade.
See for yourself …
And yes, that’s me on camera:
Above all else, I was most impressed with the Era’s glide. When given power, Emeril Lagasse style, this thing cooks. If you like shaping lines with glidey discs, you’ll flat-out love the Era.
The aesthetic of the Era
Living in Charlotte, I play LOTS of woods golf – smacking trees is all my poor discs know. I’ve played with this disc four times in the woods, and it still looks brand new, in spite of the beating it’s taken. Kind of dumb, but the “gloss” really holds up, if you care about that sort of thing.
Personally, I don’t love the stamp on this disc. It’s too busy and disproportional. Small and subtle is more my jam, but to each their own. Maybe I’m just high-maintenance in this department.
Did the Finish Line Era make my bag?
The quick answer is no …
It didn’t.
I certainly had fun throwing it. I just don’t have much use for it, though. The lines I could shape with my forehand were great, but I trust other discs to execute those shots. And I don’t throw backhands often, but when I do, my “noodle arm” prefers something flippier for distance.
All that to say it’s a firm “meh” from me.
Again, I’m an odd player. If you have average to above-average power on your backhand, you’ll quickly jive with the Finish Line Era. And if you don’t believe me, read through a user review or two over on Infinite Discs. This is clearly a great frisbee that allows for some mad distance …
And control.
The Final Green Splatter Grade: B+
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