Before Paul McBeth came along, about half of Discraft’s sales came from two discs—the Buzzz and the Zone.
The Discraft Zone has been like the “Teebird” of overstable approach discs. It’s the disc that every other brand has tried to clone because of its consistency for approach shots. For years, many pro Innova players like Nate Sexton and Jeremy Koling longed for a Zone-like disc to be added to their line. The Zone shows up as the best-selling approach disc on Infinite Discs.
Because of the massive popularity of the Zone, it’s no surprise that Discraft uses its name variation for new releases, appealing to fans of the original. Their newest 2025 release is the Zone SS.
Discraft Zone SS Feel
On initial feel, the Zone SS does not feel much like a Zone. It’s not nearly as deep. The Zone SS has a nice flat flight plate with just a little rounding near the edge of the rim. To me, it appears a little more rounded than the regular Zone, but it might actually use the same top mold piece. The major difference is the bottom half of the mold, where the SS is substantially more shallow. According to PDGA measurements, the Zone SS has the same rim width as the Zone, but in hand, it feels thinner—likely because there is less rim underneath the parting line, leaving less to hold onto for grip.
Zone SS Flight
The flight ratings Discraft gives it are 4/4/-1/2, which I’d say are very accurate. The SS has far less fade than the original Zone, which is the intent—providing a straighter flight and straighter finish. It still has some end-of-flight fade for me making it a less far flying Buzzz. Calling this disc the “Buzzz approach disc” would have been just as apporporiate as the Zone SS.
The Zone SS excels as both a backhand and forehand approach disc. For me, it’s the perfect forehand disc for dead-straight shots under about 230 feet. If I try to add more power beyond that, it tends to turn over on release and doesn’t have enough stability for my stronger forehand throws.
For backhand throws, the Zone SS is by no means a straight-flying disc for me, and it does not hold an anhyzer line with my power. Unless thrown really low to the ground, it will fade out. It is a stable, mostly straight flyer with consistent fade. Thrown at a little anhyzer angle and I can acheive a mostly straight flight with the Zone.
The Zone SS is also definitely not a wind fighter and this disc turned over quite easily when I was throwing into a moderate 10 MPH headwind.
I compared my Zone SS with the Clash Discs Mint, which is my go-to approach disc. The Mint is supposed to have Zone-like flight but is far less overstable, which I love.
While the flight between the Mint and the Zone SS is fairly similar, the feel is quite different. The Mint has a much deeper profile (more like a Zone). I’d also say the Mint has a little more end-of-flight fade than the Zone SS.
Final Verdict
Personally, I prefer my Clash Mint. I like the feel of Clash plastic better, and the shape is what I’m used to. Still, the Zone SS is a solid disc that Discraft fans are going to love. It’s great for approach shots where you want a straighter flight and don’t need extra overstability. I imagine for pro players and those with more power, this disc provides dead-straight line drives.
