Q: In looking through my seasoned golf bag, I notice all my plastic is from 1994 or earlier. Should I be concerned? Has the technology improved THAT much?

A: Thanks for the great question, and the response is going to depend on what you want to get out of disc golf. If you are playing casual rounds to get exercise and be outside with friends, then no, you should not be too concerned, and your discs will treat you fine.

However, if you are trying to play more consistent disc golf, or you are trying to throw farther, or you are trying to let the disc do the work, then yes, some new plastic may be in order.

Consistent disc golf: Innova's Champion, Discraft's Elite Z and Gateway's Evolution plastic all have great "memory" - which means they hold their shape well. They are also more resistant to dents and scuffs. The more beat up a disc, the more understable it becomes. The thrower then has to adjust. The newer plastics will allow for a more consistent game because they won't change shape (warp, dent, scuff) as much as your 10 year old plastic. You can probably find your old models in the newer plastic so the change won't be that dramatic.

Farther drives: Another big advance in disc technology is the advent of wicked fast drivers (drivers in the 6 range on the Marshall Street flight guide). Every disc in the 6 category was introduced in the last 4 years. If you want to throw farther, these wicked fast discs and their amazing glide will improve your game.

Let the disc do the work: The third advantage that can be gained from updating your discs is the ability to throw a consistent type of shot and let the disc do the work for you. In the last 10 years, a complete range of discs have been introduced from the slow, overstable Bulldog to the wicked fast, understable Sidewinder. With proper disc selection, you can use the same arm motion and get radically different flight paths. Using the same arm motion should let you improve the consistency of your game.

One last thing worth mentioning is that the creativity of disc manufacturers is increasing. Aerobie's Epic, Ching's Juju, and maybe the Quarter K, are all new ways of looking at an old question. More advances are sure to be on the horizon.

I hope this helps. There is a place in most bags for a great mixture of the new and the old. My XD and Element X sit side by side in my bag (and even though I may throw the Element X more often, the XD knows that I love it more.-)

Sincerely,

Torque Novitski, Marshall Street

Our mission is simple: Grow the sport, grow the sport, keep growing the sport.