For the first week of golf disc reviews it seems only fitting we start on the tee and look at a couple of drivers.
It is equally fitting they are a pair of discs from a Canadian company, since it's always good to wave the flag a bit and let disc golfers know there are Canadian-manufacturers who are putting out some fine options to add to your disc bag.
Daredevil Discs is based in Ottawa, and its discs are 100 per cent Canadian, according to the company website. The produce discs for Ultimate and disc golf play.
Over the coming weeks we'll be looking at a number of Daredevil discs, starting with the Timberwolf and Wolverine drivers.
As is the case with almost every Daredevil disc, the Timberwolf and Wolverine are named after animals familiar in Canada. The discs also highlight life-like artwork of the animals, so the discs certainly stand out on a crowded wall in a sports shop. The art is dramatically different from most discs which tend toward the fantastic, and as a result are aesthetically pleasing.
Of course the nicest looking disc won't mean much if it doesn't perform resulting in it СÀ¶ÊÓƵ buried unused at the bottom of your bag.
Fear not, the Timberwolf and Wolverine are fliers you will like tossing off the tee.
I myself have a tendency to through a disc which fades to the left, so when I first took the Timberwolf to the practice tee I was smiling. This disc is only slightly overstable so is a rather nice straight flier which even managed to hold its line pretty well against my throw's natural fade. It's not necessarily a dead straight line -- there is a little fade still -- put it certainly makes throwing between close trees, as is the case on several holes on the local Patrick Park Course easier.
The Wolverine on the other hand is an overstable disc which means it will fade, unless you compensate for it with your release. That means, at least for me, it's a situational disc, since compensating for the fade is still a challenge on the throw. When a shot calls for a straight take off and then a final tuck left to the basket, or just for a better lie, the Wolverine has the goods.
The Timberwolf is made from what Daredevil simply "grippy flexible plastic". In simpler terms the "grippy" aspect means it feels good in-hand, without fear of slippage, which increases the likelihood of inertia transfer from arm/hand to the disc as it is thrown. The Wolverine shares the grippy nature with its sibling disc.
The flexible aspect, you can nearly bend in half if you want, gives the Timberwolf durability. Bang it off a tree, and you know you will, and the edge doesn't show a mark.
Both discs weight in at 170-172 grams, a fairly standard driver weight.
Both the Timberwolf and Wolverine are great looking, and useful discs which will earn on-course use. The Timberwolf will please novice players most, although as experience grows so to will appreciation for the Wolverine.
Check the Wolverine and Timberwolf out in more detail at www.daredevildiscs.com
NEXT WEEK: A look at a disc offering from Ching.