Speed 7 fairway drivers are the unsung heroes of disc golf, offering a perfect blend of control and distance. In this guide, we dive into the “Speed 7 Showdown” to compare the best of these versatile discs. Ideal for navigating tight fairways or achieving moderate distances, finding the right speed 7 driver can significantly enhance your game. Whether you’re fine-tuning your approach or exploring new options, join us as we explore the top picks that stand out in this highly competitive field.

Understanding Speed 7

Discs rated with a speed of 7 are some of the most controllable and shapeable fairway drivers on the market. Fairway drivers can range in speed from 6 all the way up to 10. That’s a pretty wide range, so what makes speed 7 fairway drivers so popular?

Being relatively low in speed compared to most other drivers, speed 7 discs are extremely workable. They offer the distance to conquer many tasks out on the course, without sacrificing much control, if any. Back in the days before true wide-rim distance drivers, these discs were the go-to for most shots. Nowadays, they’re not the farthest flying discs on the market, but are still an essential disc in most players’ bags.

Top Speed 7 Fairway Drivers: A Comparative Analysis

Below, we list the 5 best selling speed 7 fairway drivers of 2023. This information came from Marshall Street sales reports, and shows us the discs that players trusted most in 2023.

The Contenders

• ESP Athena (7/5/0/2): The Athena is a Paul McBeth designed fairway driver that offers a straight and smooth flight with a consistent left finish.
• S-Line FD (7/6/0/1): The FD is Discmania’s flagship fairway driver, with copious glide and a tendency to push straight and forward.
• Neutron Rhythm (7/5/-2/1): The Rhythm is a newer fairway driver from Axiom Discs. The Rhythm is more understable than the other contenders, but still offers a reliable and predictable flight.
• Opto River (7/7/-1/1): The Opto River has the highest glide of any fairway driver out there.
• Star Teebird (7/5/0/2): The Teebird is the original 7/5/0/2 disc. There are many fairway drivers on the market that attempt to replicate the Teebird, or share its flight numbers.

The Best 7-Speed Fairway Driver

The ESP Athena was the bestselling fairway driver of 2023. It’s hard not to credit the Teebird for the success of other 7/5/0/2 discs. That being said, the Athena is an original invention of Discraft and Paul Mcbeth, despite its many similarities. The S-Line FD came in 2nd place, but if you combine sales for all plastic types of FD vs. all versions of Athena, the FD emerges victorious.

The Neutron Rhythm fell into 3rd, but that could’ve been because of the limited availability seen throughout the year. It wasn’t always in stock, and when it was, it sold quickly.

It’s almost impossible to choose just one as the best! Considering all, our top choice is the FD. The FD was reinvented by Discmania, and produced in a ton of different plastics last year. It is once again a staple fairway driver for disc golfers everywhere.

The Future of Speed 7 Drivers

Disc golf has seen so many upgrades in technology over the years. What’s to come is anyone’s guess, but taking a look at the history of 7 speed drivers, we may be able to demise clues of the future.

Time and time again, 7/5/0/2 fairway drivers dominate as some of the most popular 7 speed discs. The other contenders from above are all high glide, neutral in flight, and have very little fade. From this, we can extrapolate that future breakthroughs in speed 7 discs will provide more of the qualities people are looking for. Straighter, “glidier”, smoother fairway drivers may be in store for us in the future. Who knows, maybe we’ll even have speed 7 discs with a glide of 8, or dare I say 9!

Choosing Your Next Fairway Driver

Choosing a new fairway driver can seem daunting because of the amount of them on the market. Despite there being so many of them, most of them are great! Anything with a fairly neutral flight, high glide, and low fade should be everything you need to start carving out fairways like butter. A good 7 speed disc should be able to hold anhyzers, hyzers, and straight shots. If you’re looking for a sure finish at the end, the Athena or Teebird might be best for you. If you’re looking for easy to throw discs with lots of glide, consider the FD, or the River. At the end of the day, you’ll have to try some things out for yourself and see what works for your unique throwing style and form.

Conclusion

Is speed 7 the best speed? We can’t say. But after going over the bestselling 7 speed discs on the market, we can say with confidence that there are some key features that make speed 7 discs popular. High glide, comfortable rims, minimal fade, and lots of shot diversity seem to be the key features of the most popular 7 speeds. Whether you’re looking to finesse your way down a tight fairway, or trying to go the distance with some control, a 7 speed fairway driver may be exactly what you need.