RIP is a small manufacturer out of Oregon that makes some of the most unique golf discs on the market. They currently make two putters and a high speed distance driver. My initial impression of these discs was that they looked like they were about twenty years old. While they were new discs, there was just something about them that made them look like they had been sitting in boxes for decades. The artwork on these discs might attribute to the retro feel. The putter stamps look like they were drawn by Napoleon Dynamite.
RIP putters are made up of two different plastics. The flight plate consists of an ultra hard plastic, while the rim is soft and rubbery. These putters grab the chains well and make a unique popping sound when they hit the basket. Not only is the look and feel of the RIP putters unique, but these are also the tallest golf discs available.
Both the Graboide and Relic are 2.5cm tall. In comparison the
Innova Atlas is 1.7cm tall and the MVP Ion is 1.9cm tall. If you like thick putters, that will fill the palm of your hand, you’re going to want to try the RIP putt and approach discs. When I first started playing disc golf this is exactly what I wish I would have had. I liked putting with really firm discs (my z-flick), and tall discs that fit into the palm of my hand (my Innova Gator). Now that I’m used to a putter, I’m not sure that I’ll switch, but if I do, one of these putters might steal the spot.
These big firm discs are also incredibly slow. I took the Graboide out for some test throws in a field and was amazed at how little distance I got with it. There is almost no glide with this disc, and it is the most overstable putter I have ever thrown. After witnessing the incredible overstability, I thought the Graboide might be good for forehand flick shots. Not for me. The disc is too tall and the rim much to0 grippy to get a solid snapping release. This discs grabby rim stuck to my hand and turned over to the left every time I tried flicking it.
The Relic, while good for actual putting, is too understable for me to use for typical distant approach shots. This disc turned over too much and didn’t have enough end of flight fade to recover. My shots with the Relic always ended up to far right (when thrown right hand back hand). This disc probably could be decent for anhyzer shots, but straight line drive shots to the basket didn’t work for me.
The Ballistic is a wide rimmed high speed driver with a unique plastic blend. This plastic is super grippy, but looks pretty cheap. I would describe it as a cross between Innova Pro and Skyquest premium. Good feel to it, although I question how durable it is. Now, I can’t throw hard enough to appreciate speed 13 drivers, and the Ballistic was no different for me. It did not get good distance for me and seemed to have very little glide. Throwing it reminded me of when I tested out the Lightning MX1. I thought that I should be able to throw it well, but the actual results really struggled.
RIP has been around for about two years now, they make a unique product, but with all the competition in the disc manufacturing world, I doubt that they will ever become a major player. For those that like their putters, I can definitely see some interest in a stable putter somewhere between the Graboide and Relic. As for demand for additional drivers and midrange discs, RIP will need to come up with something really good.
