It has been a while since we looked at the best-selling distance drivers. These best-seller reports are handy for measuring the overall popularity of discs, and usually disc popularity is tied to discs that are known for consistent, dependable performance. Of course, there can be trends that come and go which effect the sales figures, like professional signature discs and special editions. But if we include all the sales data from August 1st, 2017 – August 30th, 2018 then we should have a good idea of the discs that have steadily held a high rank.
These sales figures are from Infinite Discs, one of the largest online disc golf stores, shipping to all of the states in the USA, with some customers outside of the country. However, these statistics shouldn’t be used to measure disc popularity outside of the US market. Also, please note that Infinite Discs uses a “distance driver” designation for discs that are speed 10 or higher. That leaves some popular speed 9 discs, like the TeeBird or Firebird, etc. which fall into the Infinite Discs category of “control driver” or “fairway driver.” That is a fuzzy border for a lot of players, but for the sake of categorization and ranking, these distance drivers will all be speed 10 or higher.
#1 – DESTROYER
It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Destroyer by Innova holds the top spot. It is a longtime favorite distance driver of many professional players and never escapes the disc golf public eye. You would think that a distance driver that is easier to throw would be more popular than one like the Destroyer, which really requires some experience to throw with success. But everybody likes to have “the best” in their bag, whether they have the muster to throw it or not. Plus, there is a massive collector market for Destroyers because of its popularity. Though many casual players may not be able to handle the Destroyer, it is a disc with a huge reputation that does not look to diminish any time soon.
By far, the most popular plastic type for the Destroyer is Star plastic, followed by Swirly Star (for professional support), with GStar plastic in third and Blizzard in forth. Those latter two plastics tend to be lighter and easier to throw, which may be where those intermediate players are turning to get a Destroyer that they can throw more successfully.
- Speed: 12.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: -1.0
- Fade: 3.0
#2 – WRAITH
The Wraith has always been a steady seller and tends to hang out regularly in the top ten. But this last year it has taken the 2nd spot, moving ahead of some newer discs that have pushed it lower on the sales charts from time to time. The Wraith is a step slower in speed than the Destroyer, and as such, it is closer to the kind of distance driver that more players can actually throw with success. The Wraith has a little bit of understability upon release, but finishes with a reliable fade.
The most popular selling plastic type for the Wraith is also Star, selected more than three times more often than the second most popular plastic type, which is Champion. The third most popular plastic is Blizzard for those who like lightweight discs, and then forth is inexpensive DX plastic.
- Speed: 11.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: -1.0
- Fade: 3.0
#3 – SHRYKE
The Shryke is one of Innova’s newer distance drivers, and it filled a niche very well for the general market. While being a wider, speed 13 rim, the disc is understable enough that a lot of players fro intermediate to advanced are able to throw the Shryke for serious distance. It might be a little bit too understable for power throwers, but for the rest of us, it is a driver that can provide a good distance result. It also has a very nice glide rating of 6, which seems to hold it up in the air for a satisfyingly long journey.
The most popular plastic for the Shryke is once again Star. You’ll see a pattern with Innova distance drivers that Star is usually the preferred feel. The second most popular plastic type is GStar, which is “Gummy Star,” a flexible, more forgiving blend that also tends to fly more understable than Star (better for slower arm speed). The third most popular plastic type for the Shryke is Champion, which tends to have more end fade than the other blends.
- Speed: 13.0
- Glide: 6.0
- Turn: -2.0
- Fade: 2.0
#4 – BOSS
Have you noticed that this chart is starting to look like an Innova top 10? There are other brands coming, but when it comes to drivers, Innova seems to be locking down some serious momentum. The Boss is currently enjoying the fame of being the disc that has been thrown the farthest. The distance record was set by a Boss. Keep in mind that those throwers were extremely powerful, and they also threw in a very windy, high desert condition that carries the disc a lot further than it would travel under any normal circumstance. Regardless, the Boss is a go-to driver for players who want to throw a disc as hard as they can. It is a higher speed disc, like the Shryke, but not quite as forgiving on the slower arms.
The top selling plastic type, by a very thin margin, is Blizzard plastic for the Boss, which makes sense. Blizzard is light weight, and with such a fast disc with this kind of fade, the general public really needs to get a light one to make it fly as far as they want. The second most popular plastic type is Star, followed by Champion.
- Speed: 13.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: 0.0
- Fade: 3.0
#5 – BEAST
The number five spot, losing to the Boss by only 40 discs in the last 12 months, is the Innova Beast. This is another distance driver that fits very nicely into the bag of most intermediate players. At a manageable speed 10 it isn’t too fast for most players to handle. Plus it has a straight flight pattern that doesn’t exaggerate one direction or another, so it is a great driver to use when learning to release flat and with consistent control. While the Beast may not hold the world record like the Boss, it will more likely be a useful disc for the average player.
The top selling plastic type for the Beast is Champion, the translucent, durable plastic from Innova. The second best selling plastic type is Star, followed by Blizzard plastic in third place.
- Speed: 10.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: -2.0
- Fade: 2.0
#6 – TERN
For those players who wish they could throw a Destroyer, but can’t make it fly straight enough, there is the Innova Tern. This straight-flying distance driver is a speed 12 but isn’t too overstable for most players, which helps to make it one of the top sellers. Once again, it is a distance driver alternative to some of the distance drivers for fast arms, like the Destroyer and Boss. The Tern is the last of the top 10 spots held by Innova.
The top selling plastic blend for the Tern is Star. The second most popular is Champion plastic, and the third most popular is GStar.
- Speed: 12.0
- Glide: 6.0
- Turn: -2.0
- Fade: 2.0
#7 – TRESPASS
Dynamic Discs enters the top 10 best-seller chart with the Trespass, which many players would say is the Dynamic Discs equivalent of the Innova Destroyer. It has similar flight numbers as the Destroyer. It is popular for backhand and forehand and some players claim that it is slightly more predictable and easier to get distance than the Destroyer. That is why it is the top-selling distance driver from Dynamic Discs, and will likely continue to gain ground, or at least hold a spot in the top-selling discs.
The best-selling plastic blend for the Trespass is Dynamic’s translucent, durable Lucid plastic. The second best-selling plastic for the Trespass is BioFuzion, which is one of Dynamic Disc’s best-kept secrets. BioFuzion is a recycled blend of Lucid and Fuzion and not only comes with occasional swirls, but has a great grip and durable-yet-flexible feel.
- Speed: 12.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: -1.0
- Fade: 3.0
#8 – PHARAOH
If any disc on this top-10 list has an unfair advantage, it is the Pharaoh. The sales are from Infinite Discs, and that was the only place to get the first run of Pharaoh’s, so this statistic probably does not line-up with the rest of the market. With that said, Infinite Discs sold a lot of Pharaoh’s really fast, since it was released in 2018 as the first distance driver in the new line of discs manufactured by Innova for Infinite Discs. The Pharaoh is a speed 13 distance driver that flies slightly more overstable than the Shryke, but with a very similar feel. It is a fun disc to throw hard for great distance, but will likely be a bit too much to handle for beginners.
The top selling plastic blend for the Pharoah was Swirly S-Blend (S-Blend is the equivalent of Innova Star plastic).
- Speed: 13.0
- Glide: 6.0
- Turn: -1.0
- Fade: 2.0
#9 – SHERIFF
The Sheriff launched with a lot of hype and a lot of momentum from Dynamic Discs back in early 2017 and was a great distance driver for bombing large distances across the fairway. Though it sports a speed 13 rim, it isn’t too hard to throw, with a moderate end fade. It would be comparable to a Shryke or Pharaoh with a little more slice action through the air. It is a very fun driver to throw for intermediate to advanced players and should remain one of Dynamic Disc’s top-selling drivers for years to come.
The most popular selling plastic type for the Sheriff is Lucid, with the second most popular being Fuzion plastic.
- Speed: 13.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: -1.0
- Fade: 2.0
#10 – LACE
Vibram announced the end of their run as a disc manufacturer in 2018. That means that these unique, rubber discs will no longer be manufactured and have fallen into the realm of the collectible and hard-to-find. With the announcement, their best-selling distance driver, the Lace, quickly sold out at Infinite Discs. That jumped the disc into the top 10, but it has nowhere to go but down from here, since there are simply no more available to sell.
- Speed: 14.0
- Glide: 6.0
- Turn: -1.0
- Fade: 1.0
That finished up the top 10 best-selling distance drivers (over 10-speed) as reported by Infinite Discs. The discs that fall in line after the top 10, thus deserving of honorable mention, would be the PD2 Chaos by Discmania, the Mamba by Innova, the PD Freak by Discmania, and then the Katana by Innova.
Again, here are the disclaimers with this top-10 list: Pharaoh hits in the top 10 at Infinite Disc but wouldn’t even register as a blip with any other online seller. The Lace sold well as a frenzied mob of Vibram throwers reacted to the announcement that Vibram would no longer make discs. This is a top 10 based on sales only through InfiniteDiscs.com from August 2017 to August 2018.
