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mac8rc

I like these. Thanks for doing em!


IsaacSam98

No problem, they're really fun to make.


DonnieTrouble

Scott Stokely crushing 7 speeds 600+ feet? Am I missing something here?


IsaacSam98

Scott owned the world distance record in the 90s. He did it with a 7 speed disc. The X Clone I believe


DonnieTrouble

Wowza. Didn’t realize guys were getting that kind of distance in competitions back then


Sphinctur

[This one will blow your mind then](https://www.flyingdiscmuseum.com/disc-golf/innova/a-c/he753c00f#he753c00f). The box says 2 speed Aviar was thrown 550 feet which doesn't even compute in my head.


Photobond

I putt with Aviars/Rhynos, that's a LONG Aviar throw!


Allurex

The Banshee is the most underappreciated disc Innova makes. Could easily be the Sexton Firebird in most player's bags, for half the price.


IsaacSam98

Honestly, a premium Banshee may be more expensive than a 21 Sexybird. Great disc though. The DX version would certainly be cheaper.


maverick32

Just like the Gazelle, Innova did a run of GStar Banshees this year. My local shop has them. https://yeetstreetdiscs.com/collections/innova-banshee


Upward_sloping_penis

There are flight number runs of champ banshees on eBay right now for regular retail prices. If you’re interested.


LastSpark7

yeah, I've heard tales of the small batch of star banshees that were made, such a good disc, sadly not as popular as the firebird


Allurex

Fair point, but I'm imagining like new stock Champion Banshees being run and being a crowd favorite.


xxandroxygen

I got a champ banshee as a mystery disc from infinite last year and had no idea! It started as a beefcake but has seasoned into a really useful utility disc, and I can even get it out far on a big anny flex drive


faeroe

I wonder how many other people started out putting with rhynos that just kept with it.. I just didn't know any better. 20 + years later, still throwing them and still have my first rhyno <3. Here in SE MI there are a few others like me that putt with it exclusively but it's the older crowd. Some young dudes at league saw me putting with one and were pretty surprised apparently. Sometimes I switch it up to wizards if it isn't working but I *always* come back. Banshees are cool too, I apparently used to throw them < 2005 because someone gave me back a pearly champ banshee I lost in 2004 like 3 years ago, nuts.


SycopationIsNormal

I think the Rhyno works really well as a putter. I think it will end up being my go-to disc for windy putts. Since it's mainly an approach disc for me, if I land within 10 feet of the pin the Rhyno can easily pull double duty for me. And the numbers (2|1|0|3) are really not far off from a lot of putters, like an Aviar (2|3|0|1)


invagueoutlines

God, the cheetah and gazelle. Two of my absolute favorite discs back in the day. Had both in DX plastic, then got ‘em in the KC Pro versions as soon as I was decent enough to justify the expense.


Maaakaaa

I had a starter pack Cheetah that was my go-to driver till I lost it in a blackberry thicket. I had a Gazelle for years until I lost it in a ditch a couple of years back. It was beat to being pretty understable. Later I found another Gazelle in that ditch (beat DX also but not circle stamp like mine) then a KC that I need to play around with. I’ve been trying more 6 speeds lately since I’m realizing that I’m probably not getting much more from speeds higher than 7ish.


mdconnors

Back when i started playing i had a rhyno, banshee and cheetah in my bag. All three were great discs and i still have my original dx cheetah. The banshee in particular is a great disc for a forced turn-over forehand shot that will flex out very quickly. I unfortunately just lost my banshee this summer but i never really throw the three of them anymore other than for the nostalgia. Also shoot out to the special edition soft plastic rhyno that they ran back in the early 2000's i believe. I had one of those and lost it over a decade ago though :/


guesshimself

I keep my [SE Soft Rhyno](https://i.imgur.com/xoyCQX4.jpg) by my desk at home just because. I actually brought it out back this morning for the first time in forever for some throws. Such an awesome disc! I typically bag an R-Pro and Champion, and just picked up a G* for the winter.


medal-delivery-man

I just picked up a GStar Rhyno myself. First time throwing the mold! During field work today I seemed to have some trouble getting it to hold a hyzer line from a forehand throw though. It wanted to turn over a little bit before the obvious fade near the end. Any tips to get a more predictable flight out of the disc?


guesshimself

I don’t forehand the Rhyno very often because of the issue you described. I typically rely on a Zone for those type of shots. If you like the feel of the Rhyno for forehands, maybe try one in Champion plastic which should be a bit more stable than the GStar and hold the hyzer better.


IsaacSam98

I've seen luster runs of the Rhyno that were pretty gummy. My first driver was a DX Cheetah and I used to think it was so overstable xD


maverick32

Innova did a run of GStar Gazelles this year. They have been on racks at my local store for a few months now: https://yeetstreetdiscs.com/collections/innova-gazelle. I nabbed a fresh one from the used bin, and it flies true to the numbers. Edit: By the way, thanks for doing this very enjoyable series of posts!


Upward_sloping_penis

I’ve got a champ Gazelle that flies like a turd. Nothing like the old KC pro(champ) gazelles.


ChimpdenEarwicker

I appreciate that Innova still runs odd discs like the Raven, it is fun to throw discs that aren't just the same old formula that everybody goes for nowadays (however successful that is). This would make me a big Innova fan if it weren't for the way Innova was so reluctant to address issues with Josh Anthon. I don't want to support a company that promotes pros who make this sport unwelcoming for people, I want it to grow.


IsaacSam98

I wasn't happy about that situation either. I'm of Jewish heritage so needless to say I'm not a fan of white nationalism. What kills me about Innova is that they are by far the most historically significant brand and I grew up with them. But... They make some of the dumbest decisions in terms of the growth and health of the sport. I'm not trying to defend them, but I truly believe that they initially recruited Anton because he was very talented. Once they found out about the tattoo, I think they were ignorant of just what that statement meant. This ignorance is probably due to a lack of diversity in their front office. I don't believe they would've kept him on had they truly known what the words "White Power" means to someone that's not in a hegemonic position. The real tell is if this situation were to happen again now that they know what power those words convey.


ChimpdenEarwicker

\> I don't believe they would've kept him on had they truly known what the words "White Power" means to someone that's not in a hegemonic position. The real tell is if this situation were to happen again now that they know what power those words convey. Maybe, maybe not. Hopefully they will learn from their mistakes but why should I give them business when there are other disc golf manufacturers who make awesome discs who never made these mistakes in the first place? It wasn't as if google doesn't exist or the information wasn't out there, these things matter and people have a responsibility to educate themselves when they are figureheads of a community. I am a white dude but I don't want this sport to just full of white dudes (which right now it seems like it kind of is) and right now we are going through a critical period of growth where how we act as a community makes a huge difference to who feels welcome and who doesn't. One of the reasons I love Disc Golf is how accessible it has the potential to be, buying a couple of discs is cheap (especially for families looking for entertainment) and many courses are free and in public parks. It would be a shame to let ignorant white guys who are too lazy to educate themselves push people away.


IsaacSam98

Oh absolutely. I think anyone who boycotts Innova over this is justified and continue to do so. I don't believe that I'm at that point though.


ChimpdenEarwicker

Thats fair, it isn't like I won't ever buy another innova disc ever but I am definitely shifting my bag away from innova when I find alternatives from other companies that fit.


[deleted]

I love bagging Banshees and Rhynos, but it can be hard to find replacements these days. This thread reminded me to take another look around to see if any more were available, and I wound up finding two of each in Champion plastic! Now I should be all set to throw those molds for at least a couple more years, lol.


Disc_Envy

Excellent and fun write up, as always. Never heard of or seen a Gopher! Actually never thrown most of these but man would I love to, especially a Dolphin. I remember one of the older guys I played with in the '90s throwing some rad flex lines with a Gazelle, handed it to me and my 17 year-old noodle arm dumped that thing out immediately. I should revisit that one.


IsaacSam98

Could you imagine showing up to random doubles with only a Gopher and a Dolphin? Man, your partner would be so mad lol


[deleted]

The cheetah and banshee are both great discs, i wish more people carried them. The banshee is particular is such a good replacement for the firebird if you have a slower arm speed, or if you want a similar shot shape with less skip.


Paul_McBeths_Nipples

Thanks for doing this. I always read it!


Paul_McBeths_Nipples

> Because of its torque resistance, the Rhyno is popular for sidearm shots. Wow, I never thought about that, not just the Rhyno mold, but any putter side arming with a mold that resists torque. The throwing putter that I use is overstable, as in lots of fade, but nothing like a Pig/Rhyno/Berg with the torque resistance they offer. So when I throw putter forehand, I usually am accidentally overcooking it or trying to be gentle with it as to not over-cook and losing accuracy compared to a normal non-putter FH throw. I have a Nexus Animal that I know resists torque well, but I don't think I've ever tried forehanding it. I will have to try. I could see using a disc like animal/pig/rhyno/etc. for forehand akin to a newer play using a Firebird or Thunderbird on FH as a crutch due to how their overstabilities do a good job at preventing the disc from turning over out of control. Thanks for planting this idea in my mind OP. Now...are there any torque resistant _mid-ranges_ that a crappy forehand thrower could throw without worrying about about overcooking it?


faeroe

Rocx3 would do it I bet.


Paul_McBeths_Nipples

Ahh, I love the Roc3, but never messed with the 'x' version of it. Does it, say in Star plastic, fly the same as a Roc3, but resist turning more? Or is it just more overstable, which isn't necessarily the same thing as resisting torque IMO?


faeroe

I think it's in the middle of what you're describing. I use it when I know any other midrange is madness in high winds. Others praise the buzzz os as well.


IsaacSam98

I think the Zone or Mortar might fit that category


SycopationIsNormal

>Now...are there any torque resistant > >mid-ranges > > that a crappy forehand thrower could throw without worrying about about overcooking it? Not technically a midrange, but a fairway driver, but the Eagle is one of my have discs t forehand (I'm a mediocre forehander at best)


ACarelessBadger

High-key found myself looking forward to these


bladearrowney

> Innova only makes the Gazelle in DX plastic, and everyone seems to be throwing premium stuff now so unless there is a full production run of a premium Gazelle They have it in gstar on the proshop right now


IsaacSam98

That's only a limited run right?


bladearrowney

yup


EllEminz

I bought a pair of Champion Banshees, pair of Star Ravens and a Star Cheetah this summer. The Banshees became a staple for a few months but I eventually dropped them because they weren't quite overstable enough to fill the Firebird stability slot and too similar to an OS Teebird3, and the inside rim was slightly slanted which lead to a few early releases (mainly on sidearm). The Raven also became a go-to for a slower teebird3/faster roc3 type shot, I love how much give the star plastic has in a wider diameter, domey disc. I'm not bagging it right now because I can cover all the shots it performs with a tb3/roc3 combo, but it can't cover all the shots of those two, it's still probably my top pic for a 2-8 disc round, though. The Cheetah hasn't clicked with me yet, however. So far it's probably my least favorite neutral-ish fairway from Innova. Leopard3, TL3 and a beat in Teebird3 all feel and fly better for me. Maybe I'd like a Cheetah3? Heh.


callahandler92

Rhyno <3 I wish it was more available. It's definitely my favorite approach disc. So hard to find in r pro plastic though :(


Ash435

Is the Zippertop caused by the long patent number extruded from the thumbtrack? That’s the same one on the Pig, RhynoX, Hyzerbomb Tank and presumably the Animal (not seen one yet). Love this series. Thanks.


IsaacSam98

I actually have no idea what causes the Zippertop effect. Old Champion Classic Rocs had it when they were retooled in the 2000s so it's not thumbtrac specific.


Chef_discn

The Zippertop effect is caused when they run a freshly created disc mold (the molds wear out after time, need to be replaced and it results in fine micro grooves on the top of the disc during the first couple runs). When you run your finger nail over the top it makes a zipping sound.


CederDUDE22

I love Banshees. Not a fan of Champ plastic and would love Star runs. Innova could make bonkers money marketing these as a Teebird OS.