There are times, when researching an interest you come across something which immediately has your attention. As a new avid disc golfer I will admit to killing a fair amount of time researching the sport and checking out disc manufacturers on the Internet.
Some remind of fast food joints, with a long menu in bright graphics, bringing out something 'new' every few months.
Others are more like fine dining. Quality is the first interest.
When I came across Vibram I had that feeling, you know the one, where you just know they're going to be great to throw. The photos showed a line of low profile discs, and those generally fly well for me.
Luckily Vibram is a company which was supportive of this review effort, so I have had a chance to throw their product.
I could hardly wait for the discs to arrive, and admit when they did I quickly took them to Patrick Park Disc Golf Course in the city.
Now I recommend throwing new discs off the practice tee first. That way you can mix in your favoured discs and see how distances relate to one another, or how discs fade on a comparative basis.
Of course we often don't take our own advice very well, and I went straight to the first tee with Vibram's Ascent driver.
Wow! It flew great. I had a long, straight toss, and a good lie.
I threw the Trak next and was right up beside the basket.
The Summit putter plunked the chains for a nice par.
Now a par is not ultra rare these days for me. The rounds where I don't get four, or five pars now leave me frustrated and bearish, but a par with three, new, untried discs was very satisfying.
But the day only got better from there.
I made it a Vibram round, and every hole I was impressed by the long, straight drives of the Ascent, the flat landings of the Trak and the solid flight path of the Summit at the basket.
I blew the approach on three, not the disc's fault, and the long nine still drives me crazy, although the distance is slowly improving so that a par will come regularly one day I hope.
Still the Vibram trio, on their first time out, helped me throw a 29, two over par, and matching my best score.
All Vibram golf discs are made of the company's rubber-based X-Link compound.
"X-Link resists scuff and has better memory than any golf disc on the market today. Additionally, its rubber based compound provides optimal grip and durability when compared to premium plastic discs.
Choose Vibram Golf Discs for superior grip, durability and performance," states the company website.
The Vibram trio have quickly earned a spot in my everyday play bag of discs. The low profile and grip of the plastic are both winning features.
The discs also come with clean aesthetics. A small feature proclaims them Vibram Discs, but other than that they are simply coloured discs. While graphics have an attraction, you have to appreciate the clean simplicity Vibram utilizes.
The Ascent, Trak and Summit are all discs which come highly recommended.
Check the out these discs in more detail at www.vibramdiscgolf.com
NEXT WEEK: A look at a pair of discs from Canadian manufacturer Snap Discs.
