Last week, Infinite Discs dropped their popular distance driver, the Emperor, in a new plastic, Halo S-Blend. I got the chance to take one out to a couple of my local courses last week and test it out. Here is my review!
The Look
First of all, this has to be one of if not the prettiest discs I have ever seen. There are lots of cool color combos that the Halo S-Blend is made in, but the one I have is black with red on the rim. I think the black blending with the red in the rim caused the red rim to come out with a really cool glossy finish that really pops in the light.
I also think the stamp design for this run of Emperor is beautiful and looks great with the halo rim design.
The Halo S-Blend and Star discs that Innova makes are always esthetically pleasing, but I think these Emperors are as gorgeous as any run of any other disc I’ve seen. The look alone will not disappoint you, but now for how it feels.
The Feel
I love the way this disc feels in my hand. It is a softer feeling S-Blend than others I’ve seen, but it also isn’t too gummy either. I think it provides a nice, reliable grip.
This run also has a little bit of a dome to it that has a slight to average “pop-top,” meaning that the flight plate makes a slight “pop” sound when you press down on it from either side of the disc with your thumbs.
The Flight
The Halo S-Blend Emperor that I tested is a max weight, marked at 173-75 grams, and I tested it alongside some earlier runs of G-Blend and Splatter S-Blend Emperors. For me personally, I found the flight to be pretty consistent with my other Emperors, but maybe with a touch more turn.
When thrown hard with a flat release, the Halo S-Blend Emperor flew straight with very little to no turn for a long time before giving way to a strong and reliable fade. I was maxing out around 400 feet in distance.
I’d be very curious to try out a lighter weight version of this run to see if I could get a little more turn out of it in order to snag a little more distance off the tee. I’m also sure that as the disc gets beat in, that turn will become more pronounced.
I also tested this disc out on the forehand and enjoyed it quite a bit. I have a pretty strong forehand with a lot of snap and spin early in the flight, so I was able to get a bit more turn out of the disc with my forehand shot. That being said, I never turned it over too far, and it always fought back to have a nice strong fade at the end of the flight.
The Verdict
A really beautiful and excellent flying run of the Emperor. If you haven’t tried out an Emperor yet or if you already keep one in your bag, I highly recommend you give one of these Halo S-Blend Emperors a try.
