Transitioning from traditional frisbees to disc golf can be very frustrating for some players. It is because most disc golf discs do not fly straight.
While most golf discs fade hard at the end of the flight or turn hard creating an “S” curve flight path, some disc golf discs are straighter than others.
In this article, we will discuss the straightest flying disc golf discs of each type: drivers, midrange, and putters. We will discuss the different stabilities and how different golf discs can fly straight based on skill level.
Hopefully, this will provide you with tips about flying your discs straight and let it serve as a buying guide for you to acquire the best straight flying disc golf discs.
Straightest Flying Disc Golf Discs Comparison Table
Disc Mold | Disc Type | Stays Straight for |
1. Divergent Discs Narwhal | Putter | Everyone |
2. X-Com Bennu | Putter | Beginners |
3. Innova Aviar | Putter | Intermediate/Advanced |
4. Divergent Discs Leviathan | Midrange | Beginners |
5. Infinite Discs Anubis | Midrange | Intermediate |
6. Yikun Tomahawk | Midrange | Beginners |
7. Innova Mako3 | Midrange | Advanced |
8. Latitude 64 River | Fairway Driver | Intermediate |
9. Innova Leopard | Fairway Driver | Intermediate |
10. Infinite Discs Sphinx | Fairway Driver | Intermediate/Advanced |
What makes golf discs fly straight?
The shape of the disc is what allows it to stay aloft and fly straight. With their blunt shallow rims, putters are able to stay straight much longer and more easily than any other kind of disc golf disc. Even the most overstable putter will have less end-of-flight fade than any high-speed driver.
While putters are the best at staying straight, some midrange discs also have the ability to fly perfectly straight without deviation. Mid range discs often have wider diameters which allows them to float in the air more while resisting both high-speed turn and fade.
Fairway drivers can fly mostly straight if they are understable enough and thrown correctly. In order to fly straight, fairway drivers must be released with a hyzer-flip throw. If thrown flat, an understable fairway driver will turn off to the right with an rhbh throw. But, when thrown at a hyzer release, instead of turning to the right the high-speed turn flipping motion flips the disc to flat and it is able to glide straight until the end of the flight. If thrown low enough, the disc will have only minimal fade as it slows to a stalling stop.
Due to the law of physics, distance drivers are almost impossible to keep completely straight. A distance driver in disc golf will always fade at the end of the flight, especially for beginners.
Now that you know the basics of disc flight and the ability to stay straight we will discuss our favorite straight flying golf discs.
10 Ultra Straight Flying Golf Discs
Straight Flying Putters
1. Divergent Discs Narwhal
PROS
- High Quality Plastic
- Low Price
- Works well for players of all skill level
CONS
- Prominent dome is annoying for some.
2. X-Com Bennu
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The Bennu is another disc from a lesser-known brand that I absolutely love. It has a great feel and flies oh so straight!
The Bennu is only available in a low-quality base plastic, so this disc will get beat in overtime and may get even straighter for low power throws. From what I’ve found so far, the Bennu is only available at 160grams, which isn’t ultralight but is a little bit lighter than most putt and approach discs. If this disc was a little bit heavier it would likely handle the wind better.
PROS
- Low Cost
- Perfectly straight for beginner
CONS
- Only available in low grade plastic.
- Only available in light weights, not best for wind.
3. Innova Aviar
The Innova Aviar works well for players of all skill levels, including professional disc golfers. It is available in a variety of different plastics for all feels and preferences. The base DX plastic is the straightest flying plastic. The premium blends tend to have more overstability, can handle more torque, and don’t float forward at the end of the flight.
PROS
- Readily available as the #1 Putter
- Good discs for players of all skill level
- Many plastic types available
- Approved by PDGA
CONS
- Not as straight in premium plastics
- Some players don’t like dome for putting
Straight Flying Midrange Discs
4. Divergent Discs Leviathan
The Leviathan is actually very understandable and so power players will find that this disc will turn to the right on a backhand throw rather than stay straight. With moderate power, advanced players can achieve the dead straight flight path with a hyzer flip throw.
The Divergent Discs Ace plastic is an interesting one with a lot of grips. This added grip helps it to get more spin and therefore stay straight more easily. If you’re a newer disc golfer looking for a low cost but quality straight flying midrange, try the Leviathan.
PROS
- Straight for beginners
- Discs are in a Durable Premium Plastic
- Excellent grip allows for more spin.
CONS
- Too understable for Advanced players
5. Infinite Discs Anubis
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The thing I like best about the Anubis is that this disc can be a straight shooter for players of all skill levels based on the plastic-type. In the inexpensive, D-Blend plastic the Anubis is straight for even the newest disc golfers.
Get it in the I or C plastic and professional players can throw the Anubis on a straight line dime. The Infinite Anubis is very similar to the Innova Mako.
The Anubis is a wide diameter midrange which makes it an excellent choice for new disc golfers transitioning from ultimate frisbee. The wider profile helps this disc to stay straight while being resistant to high-speed turn and low-speed fade.
PROS
- Straight for players of all skill level
- Available in Multiple plastic blends
CONS
- Sells out quickly and not currently available on Amazon.
6. Yikun Tomahawk
This disc has pure 0/0 flight ratings for newer players. It won’t turn to the right or fade to the left. Advanced players find that the Tomahawk is actually quite understable, but when thrown with a hyzer release can be a straight flying force.
The Tomahawk is not the cheapest straight flying midrange, but with its double mold technology, it just might be the best looking. I really like the Tomahawk for moderate power straight flying backhand and forehand throws.
PROS
- Pure straight flyer for beginners
- Attractive visuals with good stamps
CONS
- More expensive than discs with comparable flights
- Too understable for advanced disc golfers and power players.
7. Innova Mako3
Intermediate and Advanced players rely on the Mako 3 for wooded courses and tunnel shots when they can’t error by being offline. Get enough speed and spin on a Mako 3 and you will see shots with a flight path that resembles a line.
PROS
- Straight Flight for Advanced Players
- Popular brand available at multiple retailers
CONS
- Not a straight flyer for beginners
Straight Flying Drivers
8. Discmania FD
While this disc was moderately straight right out of the box, it didn’t acquire the “dead straight” flight path for me until after it had been beaten in for many rounds of disc golf.
Because this is a driver, it will likely not be straight for most beginners, but experienced players who have sufficient snap, speed, and consistent angle release will be able to get the FD to thread right down a tight fairway.
PROS
- Straight for experienced disc golfers
- More distance than midrange and putters
CONS
- Requires sufficient power to fly straight
9. Innova Leopard
In higher weights and premium plastics, the Leopard and its brother the Leopard3 are great straight flyers for advanced players. Another nice thing about the Leopard is that it is not only available for sale online, but is also usually available at local sporting goods stores and disc golf shops.
PROS
- Beginner friendly driver that stays straight
- More distance than other straight discs on the list
- Attractive stamps and designs
CONS
- In base plastic the will wear quickly and flight will change
10. Infinite Discs Sphinx
Our final recommended straight flying disc golf disc is the Infinite Discs Sphinx. From our list, this is the disc that is going to provide the most distance, but it is also the disc that is the most difficult to get a straight flight path out of.
As a high-speed fairway driver, the Sphinx has a moderately thick rim which means at the end of the flight as the disc slows down it will have a tendency to fade out. It also has a relatively high degree of high-speed turn which means that it will easily turn with a powerful throw.
While it is difficult to get the dead straight flight path it is possible with just the right throw. When I throw an I-Blend Sphinx at about 75% power at a hyzer angle this disc will flip to flat and fly dead straight. I can get it up to about 350 feet. This is a truly beautiful feat to accomplish and it is wonderful to see a disc fly mostly straight for that far.
PROS
- Great feeling plastic
- More distance than other starter set drivers
- Attractive stamps and designs
CONS
- The driver will wear quickly
Tips to Help You Throw Straight
- Keep your throw level.
A straight flight in disc golf is most easily achieved when you keep your disc low to the ground. When the disc is only a few feet above the ground it has less opportunity to fade far as the speed slows down. - Keep your nose down.
When the front of a disc golf disc is “nose up” it rises in the air and slows more quickly. This causes the disc to stall and fade out. By keeping the nose level, or even a little bit down, the disc will drive forward, keep it low to the ground, and straighter flying. - Release the disc at the right angle.
For true stable discs, in order to achieve the straight flight path you need to release the disc completely level. A level release will allow the disc to stay at the same angle and stay straight. If the disc is understable, then its straight flight path is achieved with a hyzer flip shot where while it is traveling at high speeds it levels out and penetrates forward. Getting the hyzer angle just right can be finicky, especially in differing wind conditions.
Tips for Beginners to Keep Discs Straight
- Look for a “fade rating” of 0 on the flight numbers.
The fade rating is the last number in the disc golf 4 digit flight path. The fourth rating indicates fade, or what the disc does at slow speeds. Because beginners naturally throw slow, it is very important to have a disc with a 0 as the last digit of the flight numbers. - Throw very understable disc golf discs.
While understable discs flip over for high-power players, they generally don’t for beginners. But, the understable tendency of the disc works kind of like an anti-fade that will keep the discs straight for longer periods of time than a disc that is overstable. New disc golfers will have lots more success by throwing discs with high negative understable turn ratings (the third digit in the disc golf flight rating).
Straight Flying Discs for Forehand Throws
While discs that are straight flyers for backhand throws are usually also good for forehand throws, I find that I am able to keep slightly more overstable discs straight more easily with a flick shot. To help me keep discs more straight on sidearm shots, I prefer discs with flat tops. For forehand throws some of my favorite forehand discs include:
- Innova Sonic – Straight flying low power approach shots
- Infinite Discs Tomb – Straight flying moderate power approach shots
- Discraft Buzzz – Straight flying midrange throws
- Axiom Crave – Straight flying drives without deviation
- MVP Tesla – Straight flying drives that can still fade a little bit at the end of the flight.