Every disc golf disc has a purpose. Sometimes you need a very overstable distance driver to maneuver around a large object and other times you need an understable distance driver to “S” through a maze of trees. Whatever the situation on the course, you need to be prepared with the best tools at your disposal.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the golf discs Innova has to offer in the distance driver category and choosing a WINNER for which of these discs you should be carrying. There are a total of 29 Innova discs that fall in the distance driver category which cover the entire stability spectrum, from understable to very overstable. We’ll choose a winner from each level of stability. Here are the Innova distance drivers as they appear on the flight chart above.
- Innova Monster Distance Driver – 10|3|0|5 – Very Overstable
- Innova Starfire Distance Driver – 10|5|-1|2 – Very Overstable
- Innova Max Distance Driver – 11|3|0|5 – Very Overstable
- Innova TeeRex Distance Driver – 11|4|0|4 – Very Overstable
- Innova X-Caliber Distance Driver – 12|5|0|4 – Very Overstable
- Innova Ape Distance Driver – 13|5|0|4 – Very Overstable
- Innova Firestorm Distance Driver – 14|4|0|3 – Very Overstable
- Innova Orc Distance Driver – 10|4|-1|3 – Overstable
- Innova Wraith Distance Driver – 11|5|-1|3 – Overstable
- Innova Destroyer Distance Driver – 12|5|-1|3 – Overstable
- Innova Boss Distance Driver – 13|5|0|3 – Overstable
- Innova Colossus Distance Driver – 14|5|-2|3 – Overstable
- Innova Beast Distance Driver – 10|5|-2|2 – Stable
- Innova SL Distance Driver – 10|5|-1|2 – Stable
- Innova Mystere Distance Driver – 11|6|-2|2 – Stable
- Innova Archon Distance Driver – 11|5|-2|2 – Stable
- Innova Krait Distance Driver – 11|5|-1|2 – Stable
- Innova Corvette Distance Driver – 14|6|-1|2 – Stable
- Innova Shryke Distance Driver – 13|6|-2|2 – Stable
- Innova TeeDevil Distance Driver – 12|5|-1|2 – Stable
- Innova Groove Distance Driver – 13|6|-2|2 – Stable
- Innova Dominator Distance Driver – 13|5|-1|2 – Stable
- Innova Monarch Distance Driver – 10|5|-4|1 – Understable
- Innova Mamba Distance Driver – 11|6|-5|1 – Understable
- Innova Tern Distance Driver – 12|6|-2|2 – Understable
- Innova Daedalus Distance Driver – 13|6|-4|2 – Understable
- Innova Wahoo Distance Driver – 12|6|-2|2 – Understable
- Innova Vulcan Distance Driver – 13|5|-4|2 – Understable
- Innova Katana Distance Driver – 13|5|-3|3 – Understable
Choosing a Distance Driver
There is no one right answer when choosing a golf disc. It can come down to preference. However, there are disc golf discs that are preferred by a higher percentage of players. This will be our general yard stick for determining the ‘best’ discs.
I will also be providing the Innova distance drivers that I personally prefer for each stability level. When my personal choice from the Innova options doesn’t align with the ‘popular’ choice, I’ll list my reasons for why to help you with your decision. Be sure to refer to the Infinite Discs page for Innova discs for the current prices of each of the discs that we’ll go over.
If you’re just starting out in disc golf, distance drivers can be dangerous territory. These discs require an immense amount of velocity to get moving down the fairway. The word ‘distance’ can be tempting and misleading. Most new players will automatically assume they will be able to throw these discs further than the rest. However, if you don’t throw these with enough power and proper technique, the resulting distance will be disappointing.
If you’re already able to throw a golf disc over 300 feet, then there are a few discs we’ll review which would be perfect for you. For those of you throwing over 350 feet, I’ll provide my recommendations for the distance drivers that I believe should make it into your bag.
If your maximum distance is currently under 300, not to worry. I put together another article on fairway drivers that you can read here. There are plenty of fairway driver discs that Innova offers which would be a much better fit for you at this time.
Of course, if you are brand new to disc golf, you may not know your maximum distance. And that’s totally fine. I encourage you to keep reading. For each disc, I will show the predicted flight path for a beginning, intermediate, and advanced player. You can use this when making your decision on which discs to use.
If you are just starting out with disc golf, be sure to check out my complete beginner’s guide to disc golf. This will help out with some foundation information about the sport such as what the four numbers on each disc means.
Assumptions Made For the Flight Charts
No disc ever flies the same for any two throwers. There are a myriad of factors that affect the flight of a disc including plastic quality, age of the disc, arm speed, release angle, grip, wind, atmospheric pressure, etc.
However, there is an ‘expected flight path‘ a disc will generally take given the following circumstances: right hand backhand thrown, new disc, no wind conditions, released flat, and thrown with the adequate power for the manufactured speed rating. These are the assumptions we’ll be operating under.
Innova Distance Drivers – Very Overstable
Throwing a distance driver correctly is hard enough. Throwing a very overstable distance driver correctly is incredibly difficult. These discs are often referred to as ‘meat hooks’. This is because the flight of these discs often resembles the shape of a meat hook due to the high degree of fade at the end of flight.
If you are not throwing at least 350 feet on regular drivers I would recommend that you steer clear of the very overstable drivers. For the most part, you’ll be trying to hit maximum distance off the tee pad and high fade is not going to help with that. However, there are going to be times where you will need a disc that is very overstable.
When you are playing in windy conditions, this will be your go-to disc. Wind has a way of taking over control of your discs during flight, especially discs that have any amount of turn rating built into the mold.
I like reaching for a very overstable distance driver because I know it will always come back to the left. It is predicable and almost impossible to turnover. When you’re playing in the wind, this may be the only disc that makes you feel like you still have some control over the direction of the disc.
The other time I’ll reach for a very overstable distance driver is when I am going for a skip shot. The goal of a skip shot is usually to hop the disc into the basket.
A skip shot is when your disc, after being thrown toward the ground, makes impact with the edge of the disc at an acute angle. You want the disc to make impact with the ground just before it starts to fade. This will result in a large skip.
Overstable distance drivers are typically better for this since it is easier to pull off. Very overstable drivers have a way of fading too quickly and digging into the ground rather skipping off the ground. However, if you can execute a skip shot just right with a very overstable driver, the results are phenomenal.
I don’t suggest carrying that many distance drivers that are very overstable. Outside of windy days and skip shots, I just don’t believe there are enough opportunities to use it.
However, you should have at least one of these with you at all times. I highly suggest the X-Caliber.
WINNER – X-Caliber Distance Driver – 12|5|0|4
Out of the seven very overstable distance drivers I reviewed from Innova, the X-Caliber is by far the most popular on the market. I also personally believe it to be the best option as well.
Sitting at 12 speed and a fade of 4, this is not a beginner friendly disc. However, it is not wildly unattainable either at 12 speed. I find that once discs start getting faster than this, most players begin to see diminishing returns. An intermediate player could still see some results with this disc up to about 300 feet.
Particularly, I like this disc for forehand throws, but it is also great for spike hyzers and forced over analyzer throws. There are discs that are most overstable, but I believe that anything over fade of 4 tends to be a bit too much.
I find that with the X-Caliber, I can create most of the shot shapes I need more often than the other very overstable distance drivers. Applying an anhyzer release angle provides a straighter finish with a bit more distance and a hyzer angle allows access to tightly guarded dogleg greens that are tucked far behind trees.
Just be aware that the large rim can be a bit of a surprise when first getting this disc in your hand.
I find that this disc can get beat up pretty quickly since it is commonly crashing into the ground from long distances. There are no soft landings with this one. Because of this, I prefer getting it in the premium Star plastic from Innova. Be sure to check it out here on Infinite Discs (affiliate link).
Innova Distance Drivers – Overstable
Now we are going to take a step down to the overstable distance drivers. These are going to be discs that are still high in fade, but they will typically have some turn to balance out the overall flight.
I would continue to discourage newer players from picking up any of these overstable distance drivers from the Innova line up. If you’re not already throwing 300 – 350 feet, there isn’t much benefit to moving up from fairway drivers. You’ll see much better results by sticking to discs with lower speed.
The overstable distance drivers are still going to be a good choice for playing in windy conditions and going for skip shots. Although, you’ll want to reach for an overstable driver much more often than the very overstable drivers when throwing off the tee pad. You’ll certainly be able to achieve greater distances with less effort.
When filling my bag with discs, I like to carry a couple of overstable distance drivers. My favorite from Innova is the Wraith.
WINNER – Wraith Distance Driver – 11|5|-1|3
The Destroyer is likely the most popular overstable distance driver that Innova produces. Don’t get me wrong, the Destroyer is a great disc. In fact, it almost has the exact same flight ratings as the Wraith, except for a little extra speed. I particularly like the Wraith over the Destroyer just for this reason.
By taking the speed down from 12 to 11, I believe many more people will be able to throw this disc. Personally, my distances are better with the Wraith than all the other overstable distance drivers from Innova. Having just that little bit of turn, combined with a slight anhyzer angle allows me to send this disc very far down the fairway.
It is certainly a more consistent option over the Destroyer since you won’t have to give it as much power, which provides you with more control to land this on the fairway.
If you’re just starting to graduate from fairway drivers to distance drivers, this would be a great starting option for you to consider. Start out with something light weight, around 160 to 170 grams and you’ll notice great results. It feel comfortable in the hand, especially with a power grip using the Champion plastic.
When thrown on a hyzer angle, this disc will act like a moderately very overstable distance driver. I usually prefer throwing a Wraith on hyzer over throwing a typical very overstable driver since it allows me to throw on a more natural line.
Be careful with the anhyzer angle with this disc. It will turnover easily if given too much angle and power. In the wind, this isn’t my first option, especially with a headwind. The Wraith performs great in tailwinds and flies much further than you’d expect. The Champion plastic is my preferred option for the Wraith as I feel it give it a bit more overstability as the disc wears over time. You can check out the current price here on Infinite Discs.
Innova Distance Drivers – Stable
When I go to back a stable distance driver, I look for something that is going to have a neutral flight. A neutral flight is not the same as a straight flight. A disc that has the ability to have a full and complete “S” shape, but land down the fairway forming a straight line from where you threw it is the sign of a great neutral stable driver.
Ideally, a disc that has equal turn and fade will produce the best flight for most players out there that lands in the fairway.
Of all the distance drivers, Innova has more that would be considered stable over the other categories. There are ten in total. This is an indication to me that the stable distance drivers are used by the most people that play.
Professional players tend to throw overstable drivers, since their arm speed could easily overpower a stable driver. But for a large group of disc golfers, you’re going to find stable distance drivers over all other discs in their bags.
Personally, I carry more stable distance drivers than any other type of disc, because I like the increased control over the flight path.
WINNER – Beast Distance Driver – 10|5|-2|2
The Beast was the first disc that I was able to throw over 350 feet. It produces great lines for intermediate players, and can even be used by beginners with great results. There is something about the -2 turn and 2 fade combination that is special. However, if an you put too much power on this disc, it can easily turnover and wander to the right.
The Beast isn’t what I would consider to be a beginner disc, but a beginner player could still throw this with great effect. This disc will always fight back to neutral. Just when you think it is wandering off to far to the right, it has a way of fade back left late in the flight.
The best way to maximize your distance is to find a disc that can have a ‘full’ flight. The Beast is the perfect candidate for this. If you really want to get this disc to go over 400 feet, you can put it on a hyzer angle out of your hand and throw it full power as if you were throwing a 12 speed driver. It will easily still turn, but consistently fade back. When I have trouble accessing basket down a fairway, I’ll reach for this disc first.
If found that when I purchased the Beast in the Pro plastic, it held it’s flight characteristics for a while. However, it was able to beat in just enough to give some extra understability. This is perfect since it allows you to throw the disc on a hyzer angle with minimal power and still get a 350+ foot throw down the fairway with a full “S” shape flight. I recommend you take a look at it over here on Infinite Discs.
Innova Distance Drivers – Understable
Understable distance drivers have the highest potential for maximum distance, but are also the most fickle of all the distance drivers. If you’re a beginner or intermediate player wanting to move up from fairway drivers, understable distance drivers are the first place to go.
Understable drivers come with high turn ratings. This is what allows the disc to curve hard to the right at the beginning of its flight. But to maximize distance, these types of discs need to also have a relatively high fade rating to keep to disc from wandering too far off the fairway.
You won’t see may pros throwing these discs, but they are incredibly popular with recreational players. Understable discs have a way of complementing a weaker arm and still flying far distances by tapping into that full flight.
When I reach in my bag for an understable distance driver, I’m going for a Katana.
WINNER – Katana Distance Driver – 13|5|-3|3
The 13 speed on the Katana can be a daunting number. It certainly needs a powerful arm to reach its optimal distance of around 450 feet. That being said, a weaker arm would have no problem still throwing this disc generously far distance.
Like the Beast, the Katana has an equal amount of turn and fade, which allows it to come back to a neutral position down the fairway. I find this to be a very desirable trait in a disc, which makes the Katana stand out from the rest for me.
Rarely will you ever want to throw your Katana with an extreme anhyzer angle. The likely result is that the disc will crash out to the right and unintentionally roll down the fairway. Instead, it have favorable results when thrown flat or on a hyzer angle.
Along with high speed comes a very wide rim. It can be difficult for some players to get their fingers fully wrapped around the outer edge and in a comfortable position.
I have found the Innova premium Star plastic to be the best option for the Katana. It carries a bit more overstability, so that when the disc is fully beat in, it won’t flip as easily. This way it will retain the original flight characteristics for as long as possible over all other plastics. You can take a look at it here on Infinite Discs.
