While the Prodigy X1 was approved by the PDGA in 2014 as a beefy, super-overstable distance driver, it eventually sold out and vanished. It became a hard-to-find collectible and the “X” discs were not mentioned again for a while until 2017 when the rest of the “X Series” disc were launched by Prodigy. These discs are described by Prodigy as “low profile, high speed distance drivers…with less rim depth than the D Series.”
On a chart, their flight paths are shown as having more distance potential than the D Series:
While the X1 still has not come back into production at the time of this article, everything else but the X6 has been released and is available as of August 2017. After throwing the X2, X3, X4, and X5, I felt like there were a couple of gems in this series, along with a couple of discs that were a little bit lack-luster.
The X2
I liked the X2 as an overstable driver that can be thrown with as much power as you want. It isn’t the overstable monster that the X1 is (was?), but it has plenty of fade, making it very suitable for strong throwers, or as a utility disc for sharp turns. I’m not the most powerful thrower, so the X2 faded earlier than I would like on most distance drives, but in cases where I need that sharp, curved flight path, it gets the job done and is about as overstable as I can handle. The rim size and grip felt just right.
The X3
The X3 was my least favorite of the X-Series that I’ve thrown so far. It isn’t that the disc was not good, but it simply didn’t stand out as being very different from a lot of distance drivers on the market, and it didn’t fly as far as its more understable counterparts. The X3 is supposed to be the “middle-of-the-road” disc in terms of stability, and it fills that role nicely, but again, so do a lot of other discs on that market. It could be used by amateur to experienced players for consistency, though it is likely too much disc for most novice players.
The X4
The X4 is my favorite of the series. This disc felt like the stand-out in a couple of ways. Aside from feeling great in the hand to throw, it also had the most potential for maximum distance under moderate power. Somebody who does not have a huge throwing arm can pick up the X4 and see excellent results.
The flight path was more of an S-curve for me, pulling to the understable side upon release, but always fighting back for the fade to get even more distance. The disc finished straight ahead, or slightly to the overstable side upon landing. I found myself able to throw great “flex” shots without having to be an expert.
Dialing back the speed of release can still get good results with a relatively straight flight path and manageable fade, which would be nice for longer tunnel shots. All in all, the X4 was flexible and could be used in many ways– my favorite role was as a bomber, going for as much distance as possible. It is understable without turning into a roller, and is very consistent.
The X5
When it comes to the X5, I started to feel like the disc was getting understable enough to become a utility disc for special situations, but not a “go to” for long distances. When I threw it hard enough, and with an anhyzer release, I could get the X5 to turn into a nice roller. But without the anhyzer release, it mostly pulled to the understable side and skid into the fairway without making much of a come-back fade. The consistency wasn’t there for me like with the X4, so if I had to choose one or the other, I’d go for an X4. Even though the X5 is fairly understable, it is probably still too fast for novice players.
I have not thrown the X6 yet, but I imagine (based on my X5 experience) that it might be a bit too understable, just like the X1 is a bit too overstable for my personal tastes.
If I had to choose two of the X Series discs, I’d take the X2 as a beefy, overstable distance driver that will always fade hard, and then I’d take the X4 as a versatile disc that can go straight, or fly great S-curves for great distance results. Those would be my two choices.
Have you thrown any of the X Series discs? What did you think? Your comments and opinions are welcome!
