Here we are again! It’s back to the second round of the Disc Golf Reviewer World Series of Putters! We are searching for the best putter in the world and hoping to provide the disc golf community with a plethora of information along the way to help them decide what putter is right for them. This is an NCAA basketball style tournament and project where every day I test two putter molds against each other on the putting green in a head-to-head competition before posting here about my experience and the results.
Today’s second round match is in the P2 region where the 1 seed Discmania P2 is matching up against the 8 seed Discraft Fierce. In the previous round, the P2 eliminated the Yikun Meteor Hammer. The Discraft Fierce eliminated the Thought Space Athletics Alter.
In the first round matchups I gave an overview of each disc (you can find links to every first round match at our main World Series of Putters post). For the second round, I’m sharing what surprised me the most about each disc the first time I threw it.
Discmania P2
I think if I’m being honest, the first surprise with the current version of the Discmania P2 was that it even existed. After Discmania’s falling out with Innova who previously manufactured all of Discmania’s Originals molds, I thought molds like the P2 were gone forever. But Discmania decided to start manufacturing a new iteration of their Originals molds, and the P2 was the first.
The new P2 is nearly identical to the original P2 in its shape. There are slight differences you can see from the different manufacturing processes, but Discmania has done a fantastic job of almost seamlessly building off the popularity of the original P2 mold by transitioning to this new iteration.
For today’s test and match we are using the D-Line Flex 2 P2. This plastic blend is moderately soft and has a reliable grip.
Discraft Fierce
The main surprise was how much I really liked putting with the Fierce. It is an understable beadless putter, and I’ve always thought I prefer more stable to overstable putters. But on the putting green, the Fierce is very straight with plenty of glide, and I think it has a very nice moderately tall and beadless shape that feels great in the hand.
For the World Series of Putters we are using the beautiful and high quality Paige Pierce plastic blend Fierce. Compared to Discraft’s Paul McBeth blend Lunas, it is smoother but still grippy and quite a bit stiffer. It is a great plastic blend and another big reason why I’ve already grown to really like this disc.
Specifications and Flight Numbers
Let’s take a look at some of the specs courtesy of the PDGA and break down the major differences between these two putter molds.
P2
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Fierce
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Flight Numbers: 2/3/0/1
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Flight Numbers: 3/4/-2/0 (0.0 Discraft Stability Rating)
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Max Weight: 176.0gr
Diameter: 21.2cm
Height: 2.1cm
Rim Depth: 1.6cm
Rim Thickness: 1.1cm
Inside Rim Diameter: 19.0cm
Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 7.5%
Rim Configuration: 68.75
Flexibility: 6.36kg
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Max Weight: 175.1gr
Diameter: 21.1cm
Height: 1.9cm
Rim Depth: 1.5cm
Rim Thickness: 1.0cm
Inside Rim Diameter: 19.0cm
Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 7.1%
Rim Configuration: 63.50
Flexibility: 10.45kg
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The differences between these two disc molds are pretty straight forward and well-illustrated above. Though a height difference of .2cm may not sound like much, that is a lot for a putter, and the Discmania P2 definitely looks and feels quite a bit taller than the Discraft Fierce.
The Fierce is also significantly more understable than the P2. This stability difference isn’t as drastic on the putting green as it would be for approach and driving shots, but I definitely still found the Fierce held straighter for longer on its putts.
While the Fierce was less overstable, the P2 still flew with a bit more glide than the Fierce because of its its additional height. So rather than diving down to the left with a harder fade like I’ve seen with other overstable putters, the additional glide made the P2’s fade much more gradual both in how far to the left it moved and how quickly it dropped out of the air.
The P2’s reliably soft fade is one of the best parts of putting with this disc and why it has been a top seller for so long. It is a consistent and reliable option for both short range and long range putts.
The Match
I conducted this match on a quiet and windless evening at my local disc golf course on a permanent Innova Discatcher basket that sits right under a streetlight. After warming up, I flipped a coin to see which putter would be thrown first for the first round of putts, and it was the Discraft Fierce. Here is how it all played out:
(1) P2 Scorecard
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(8) Fierce Scorecard
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20ft: N Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (8/10 putts made)=24 points |
20ft: Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y (9/10)=27 points
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30ft: N N Y Y N Y N Y N Y (5/10)=20 points |
30ft: N Y N N Y Y N Y N N (4/10)=16 points
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40ft: N N N Y N Y Y N N Y (4/10)=20 points |
40ft: N N N N N Y N Y Y N (3/10)=15 points
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Total: 64 points |
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The Winner
Both putters were looking to improve after lower scores in the first round. They did just that, but the 8 seed Discraft Fierce still failed to keep up with the 1 seed Discmania P2. The P2 wins and moves on to the round of 16 with a score of 64 to 58.
Notes from the Match
For how much I liked both these discs after the first round, I scored pretty low with them in their first matches. So I was happy to see the scores go up overall during this round. I’m not surprised to see the Discmania P2 come out on top, but like I mentioned above, I really like the Discraft Fierce, and I wouldn’t have been surprised had the Fierce pulled off the upset as well.
In earlier rounds, I was surprised by how well I did with some of the understable putters like the Fierce. I’ve wondered if maybe an understable putter might end up winning it all with how well I was putting with them in the first round. That still could be the case, but this close matchup that favored the more overstable putter was a good reminder of why I’ve previously preferred straight to overstable putters.
Putters that have a reliable fade are just that–reliable, or maybe a better word here is “predictable.” All discs fade, but understable discs resist that fade for longer, but how long exactly can be difficult to know. Obviously the more you use the same disc, the more you can learn to predict it, but discs with a slight overstable finish can pretty consistently be released on a similar angle from a variety of distances and get the same predictable soft fade toward the chains. I’m oversimplifying this a bit, but the main point for me is that a soft gliding overstable finish like the one the P2 has is a very predictable feature that is easy to learn and anticipate on the putting green.
Another disadvantage for understable putters like the Fierce that I really haven’t had to deal with too much in this project–they are more easily impacted by the wind. So if you play in a windy area, putters with a little more overstability might be preferable.
My Recommendation
I liked both of these discs, and honestly would recommend both of them. If you want a straighter more understable putter, the Discraft Fierce is a great option. But if you want something taller with more glide, The Discmania P2 is the choice.
In the round of 16 the P2 will take on the winner of tomorrow’s match in the P2 region between the 12 seed Lone Star Jackrabbit and the 13 seed Uplay Zeal.