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Here are my recommendations for the best equipment for each situation. Disc flight descriptions apply to right-handed backhands or lefty sidearms.
Drivers
Hard left turn driver
Slight left turn driver
Turn left, flatten, then go straight driver
Straight driver
Turn right driver
Distance
Rollers
Distance Rollers
Turnover Rollers
Cut Rollers
Scoober Rollers
Hook-Thumbs/Tomahawks and Grenades
Sidearm
General
Easiest for Learning
Best for Learning
Approach
Putting
Best Disc Packages
Bags and Shoes
Hard left turn the whole flight driver
X2 Z or X2 - Depending on the day, these are my favorite drivers. They turn fairly hard (the Z model more than the Elite) but not so much that they are hard to control. On a wide open hole that is long enough to require a driver, I always will throw one of these two.
Slight left turn driver
Reaper Z - On slower throws, this disc is VERY overstable (turns hard left) but since it's a driver I'm only using it for slight left turns on longer shots, 300' or more. What I really like about this disc is that I can count on it to always "come back" at the end, meaning I can always trust it to turn left hard at the end of its flight.
Turn left then flatten and go straight driver
Cyclone - This disc is a classic but is still used by almost every Discraft Team member. Sometimes there isn't room to pull the shot wide, but I want to start the shot out at a left turn angle that afterward needs to go straight. This is the disc I will always use. In fact I'm not sure that this won't be a disc I will use years from now. It is just so easy to control and predict.
Straight driver
XL Z - I'm not sure how but I forgot to recommend a straight flying driver on the video. Silly, because the question, "What disc flies straight?" comes up so often, but we shot this part of the video on the eighth consecutive 14-hour day. Anyway, I somehow overlooked this disc when it first came out but once I "discovered it again," I put one in my bag and have had one there ever since. I'm not sure how else to describe it other than "It flies really straight!"
Right turn drives
Stratus - You should be throwing a sidearm for these shots so I don't even want to tell you what to throw here ... but I will for those of you who are injured and can't throw sidearm. The Stratus is one of the few discs that will turn right when new but of course will turn more when it gets beat up. This disc has two great qualities. First, it takes almost no effort to fly a good distance. Second, it turns right with great consistency. In other words, unlike other discs that are worn, it tends to keep a slight turn throughout its whole flight and doesn't fade back left at the end of its flight.
Distance
XS - This is another easy one. I'm not sure what else to say other than "This disc flies farther than any disc ever made! The World Distance Record for backhand, sidearm, and roller are all held with this disc.
Distance rollers
Stratus - The key to a long roller is to have the disc fly as far as possible before hitting the ground. This way more of the disc's path takes place in the air where there is less resistance and obstacles to hit. A beat-up Stratus can be thrown flat, fly for a while, land at a rolling angle, and then take off for the extra distance.
Turnover roller (a roller that goes right at the end of its path)
Stratus - Again, this is the roller disc of choice. A roller disc usually behaves on the ground like it does in the air. To successfully throw a turnover roller, you want to use a turnover disc like the Stratus.
Cut roller (a roller that goes left its whole path)
Reaper Z - Following the theory above, an overstable disc will roll best for this type of shot. I like the consistency of the Z-Reaper.
Scoober roller (short approach, sharp right turn roller)
Stratus - Same reason as the turnover roller.
Hook-Thumbs, Tomahawks, Grenades
XS Z - It's not so important which disc you choose for these shots as long as you learn how it flies. I like the XS Z for two reasons. First because I've thrown it enough to know what it will do at different speeds and angles (a key to all shots). Second, because of the Z plastic, this disc beats up slow and keeps its flight. This is very important for these shots because they strike the ground at such a severe angle that most other plastic beats up fast and the flight characteristics change rapidly.
Sidearms, general
All of the discs listed on this page - There is no one sidearm disc to use. If a certain disc is best for one type of shot and you approach a hole that is a mirror image of that shot, then choose the same disc and throw sidearm. There are two different sidearm learning discs that I've listed below.
Sidearm learning - easiest
Xtreme - This is the easiest disc to learn the sidearm with because you can always count on it to go right. When you are learning the sidearm it can get frustrating, so having a disc that will make up for your errors makes it soon become a shot you want to throw. If every time you try the sidearm the disc turns over and goes out of bounds you will most likely decide that this shot doesn't work for you and abandon it. The MRV works right away.
Sidearm learning - best
MRV - The Xtreme is the easiest to learn with because it makes up for your mistakes but this is not the best way to learn this shot. The best is to take a disc that will always fly exactly how you throw regardless of your intent. The MRV is perfect for this. It will make you learn all the angles and spin and after you master this disc the others will seem easy.
Approach
MRV - For approaches you almost always want a disc that will fly straight that lets you be in total control of the angle of release and landing. I think that the MRV is perfect for this shot. It always flies exactly how it was thrown. This is great if the throw was good but not so great if the throw was off. Either way, I love this disc because I know if I throw it right it will work every time.
Putting
Magnet - This is easy. Every Discraft Team member, including myself, uses this disc to putt. There are three characteristics that you need to look for in a putter. First it must have a consistent flight so you can predict how it will fly, so you can easily judge the correct speed and angle. Second, it needs to be "slow" so when you miss the target it won't fly too far past (three-putting should be the exception, not the norm). Third, it needs to have a design that will allow it to stick in the chains and not cut through (not often at least). The Magnet is awesome at all three of these and is why we all use it.
Best Disc Packages
Best first three discs
Best first four discs
Best first five discs
Bags and Shoes
- 16 Disc Elite Golf Bag - Honestly, what bag works for you is really up to you. I've never heard of someone losing a tournament because they chose the wrong bag (wrong shoes or wrong disc however ... ). I like this bag because it holds everything I need to play (i.e., towels, water, nine or ten discs, and ibuprofen).
- Skate shoes - On tee pads I prefer Etnies or Duffs because I think skate shoes are meant to do two things: grip well and survive hard wear.
- Cleats - On dirt or grass I like cleats because they grip well, especially if it is wet or muddy. However, there is a little risk that if they grip too well it could strain your knee or worse. I'm willing to risk it but I recommend that most players get a good pair of turf shoes that will work almost as well but with much less risk.
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