Lone Star Jackrabbit vs. Uplay Zeal–World Series of Putters Round 2

The second round of the Disc Golf Reviewer World Series of Putters keeps on rolling today! 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 everyone 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 features a pair of putters that pulled of a pair of upsets in the first round–the 12 seed Lone Star Jackrabbit and the 13 seed Uplay Zeal. Last round, the Jackrabbit eliminated the Kastaplast Reko 62 to 33, and the Zeal knocked out the Dynamic Discs EMac Judge 52 to 30.

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.

Lone Star Jackrabbit

I had zero experience with Lone Star before this event, and the Jackrabbit was the first disc of theirs that I ever threw. I was initially surprised by how much the Jackrabbit reminded me of the Gateway Wizard. Not only are they a very similar shape, but the Victor plastic blend Jackrabbit felt like a softer Gateway plastic blend Wizard as well.

In a similar vein, I was also surprised by how much I liked the Victor plastic blend. It is very soft and flexible, which usually isn’t my thing, but I’d have to say that I think it is my favorite soft plastic blend so far. That’s because it still has a really nice thick feel and grip to it that mitigates some of the floppiness feel that I try to avoid with putters. With the Victor Jackrabbit, I still was able to feel confident in my grip and release.

Uplay Zeal

The very first surprise is how crazy stiff the Inspire Firm Zeal is. I like it, but some might find it to be even too stiff.

The next surprise is something that I’m now surprised I didn’t notice before I started throwing the Zeal, and that’s how uniquely shaped the dome is on this disc. The Zeal is a very tall putter, and most of that height is gained in a gradual slant that carries the surface area of most of the flight plate. This shape helps give the Zeal a really nice understable floaty flight on the putting green, but the grip could be a challenge to get used to.

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.

Jackrabbit

Zeal

Flight Numbers: 3/3/0/3

Flight Numbers: 3/4/-2/0

Max Weight: 175.1gr

Diameter: 21.1cm

Height: 2.0cm

Rim Depth: 1.5cm

Rim Thickness: 1.2cm

Inside Rim Diameter: 18.7cm

Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 7.1%

Rim Configuration: 57.25

Flexibility: 10.68kg

Max Weight: 176.0gr

Diameter: 21.2cm

Height: 2.3cm

Rim Depth: 1.5cm

Rim Thickness: 1.1cm

Inside Rim Diameter: 19.1cm

Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 7.1%

Rim Configuration: 65.00

Flexibility: 4.32kg

Similar to yesterday’s match between the Discmania P2 and the Discraft Fierce, we have a tall stable to overstable putter in the Jackrabbit and a tall understable putter in the Zeal. And just like yesterday, that stability difference could be seen on the putting green. The Jackrabbit wanted to start its fade quicker in flight than the Zeal that held its straight gliding flight for a long time.

This match is also a battle between a beaded putter and a beadless putter. The Jackrabbit has a moderately sized bead that contributes to the disc’s height and overstable finish. The beadless rim on the Zeal contributes to the understability of the Zeal.

As mentioned above the Zeal gains all its height from its very unique flight plate that holds a relatively steep slant from the top of the disc down to the rim of the disc. The Zeal is designed to be a very beginner friendly disc, so beginner disc golfers may not find this disc shape difficult to navigate, but disc golfers who are used to a more traditional putter shape could have a hard time adjusting to this aspect of the Zeal.

The Match

For more info on the format and scoring system I used to test these putters against each other, be sure to check out our main World Series of Putters post.

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 Lone Star Jackrabbit. Here is how it all played out:

(12) Jackrabbit Scorecard	(13) Zeal Scorecard
20ft: Y Y N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y (9/10 putts made)=27 points	20ft: Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y N N (7/10)=21 points
30ft: N Y Y Y Y Y N Y N Y (7/10)=28 points	30ft: N N Y Y Y N N N N Y (4/10)=16 points
40ft: N N Y N N N N N Y N (2/10)=10 points	40ft: N N Y Y N N N N N Y (3/10)=15 points
Total: 65 points	Total: 52 points

The Winner

Usually the best score from 40ft is the match winner, but the Jackrabbit put up the best performance form 30ft in the tournament so far to more than make up for the difference from long range. The 12 seed Lone Star Jackrabbit defeats the 13 seed Uplay Zeal 65 to 52.

Notes from the Match

In the first round, the unique shape and feel of the Uplay Zeal’s flight plate didn’t really throw me off or feel like much of an adjustment. In this round, I still put up a decent score with it. In fact, it was the same score that was enough to win in the first round, but I found myself more and more aware of how I needed to navigate the tall stiff slant on the flight plate as I was lining up each putt.

Meanwhile, especially at the 30ft range, I found the slightly overstable flight of the Jackrabbit to be super consistent and reliable. I was able to get into a groove and find it over and over again as the match went on. Meanwhile, with the Zeal, the combination of the understable putter’s straight, almost fadeless flight and the uniquely tall flight plate made it difficult for me to find a lot of confidence on the green today.

Don’t hear what I’m not saying–the understable putter’s straight flight on the putting green isn’t a bad thing at all. But all discs fade, and I’ve found recently that sometimes trying to navigate the right speed to time up that fade with an understable putter can be a bit tricky. Or at least, I’ve found it trickier than the consistent fade that a straight to overstable putter like the Jackrabbit offers.

My Recommendation

The Uplay Zeal is a fun, straight flying putter that is a lower priced option that makes it a solid choice for a new disc golfer. But the Jackrabbit is a really solid putter for disc golfers of all skill levels, and I’m excited to see it move on to the next round.

Come back tomorrow for the next match in the P2 region of our bracket between the 3 seed Latitude 64 Pure and the 11 seed Westside Crown.