Every year there are a few hot-selling discs that get some initial, unexpected hype and really take off in terms of sales and popularity. We’re going to take a look at some of those surprise sellers for 2018, so far. The year is not finished yet, and there may be some surprises coming, but these are some that grabbed our attention:
TWIN SWORDS by Yikun
It is highly possible, in fact highly probable, that the initial sales on the Twin Swords was due to the very unique and attractive aesthetic value. The one-of-a-kind, double-overmold look of the rim is truly different when it comes to disc golf discs, setting itself apart from other overmold discs by MVP, Axiom, or Latitude 64. As of the initial release, there have been three different rim colors and the stamps are colored to match, so you can get red, blue, or gold.
But aside from the aesthetic appeal, the Twin Swords is a long distance flyer that works for the common player. It does not take a powerful arm to get great distance and great glide from the Twin Swords. While the flight numbers boast a turn of 0 and a fade of 2, the fade is actually pretty minimal. If you throw with power, the Twin Swords will pop up on a flex hyzer and go much further than you might expect. Slower arms will get more fade, but will still find the disc quite easy to control for surprising distance results. The rim is a bit wider than popular fairway drivers, so that is the only setback for players who like drivers with smaller rim widths. This disc surprised players with its look, and might end up surprising them just as much on the disc golf course.
- Speed: 12.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: 0.0
- Fade: 2.0
DRIFT by Streamline
Streamline put out two debut discs in 2017, the Trace distance driver, and the Pilot putter. Those discs also got a warm welcome into the disc golf market because of the absolutely fervent support from fans of MVP and Axiom, the parent company for Streamline. While MVP drops the overmold approach on the Streamline brand, they show that they can still make hot discs the old-fashioned way. The Drift came out in 2018 as the first fairway driver from the brand, shooting for a more neutral, beginner-friendly disc that can be thrown by players at all levels.
The Drift is a bit more understable, so it resists the fade nicely when thrown by new players, but can also be used for lower-speed, touch shots by experienced players. It is not a disc to be thrown with a lot of speed or power. It is a nice addition to the Streamline family. It will be fun to watch and see what the brand brings out next.
- Speed: 7.0
- Glide: 5.0
- Turn: -2.0
- Fade: 1.0
SPHINX by Infinite Discs
The Pharaoh was the first distance driver to be released by Infinite Discs, and it remains the disc that is most in demand for the Infinite Discs brand. In fact, it sold out only three months after the initial release. While other discs followed, the Sphinx ended up being more of a hit than was expected. Like the above mentioned Drift, the Sphinx was released as an easy-to-throw driver with a speed that borders between fairway and distance drivers. It was the first disc released in I-Blend plastic, which was formulated by Innova for Infinite Discs as a unique plastic that feels like a slightly more flexible version of Star plastic. It was released in a wide range of weights, from the upper 140-gram weights to max weight at 175g. The heavier discs ended up being very reliable as straight-flying drivers even for experienced players, or as rollers for power throwers. While the lightweight discs appealed instantly to new players as well as to younger players. It picked up a lot of momentum as a versatile disc that could run the gamut from young children who need an introductory driver, to seasoned players who wanted a slightly understable driver in their bag.
- Speed: 9.0
- Glide: 6.0
- Turn: -3.0
- Fade: 1.0
DEFLECTOR by MVP
MVP puts out new discs every year, but this is one that MVP fans have been waiting for a long time– they have wanted a very overstable mid-range. The Matrix was hyped as being overstable when it was released, but really didn’t have the pronounced fade that power throwers wanted. This time, MVP was 100% certain that they could deliver, because the Deflector is indeed a beefy, overstable mid-range disc that fades hard. It has a nice, flat-top and nice rim feel and flies very predictably. MVP was so excited about the release of the Deflector that they even went through the trouble of having electronically triggered devices attached to the boxes of their initial Deflector shipments that made loud “moooo!” sounds when the boxes were opened. The boxes also featured “Got Beef?” stickers.
This is not a disc for beginners. It is for players who want their mid-range to drop out of the sky once it slows down, and to do so dramatically. It is great for fighting headwinds, for power throws, or for curving around obstacles. It is a great addition to the bag for seasoned players and has sold very well right out of the gate.
- Speed: 5.0
- Glide: 3.0
- Turn: 0.0
- Fade: 4.0
Three other new releases of note and highly recommended for 2018 are the Innova Caiman, a small diameter, overstable mid-range disc, the Dynamic Discs Captain, which is a really great long-bomber distance driver, and the Westside Maiden, which was the putter included in the Trilogy Challenge discs for 2018 (regular release coming later) and was loved by almost everybody who played in the events around the country.
