Discraft Challenger

[A buzzz and a beer]

This is my first post ever here and it's because the challenger is the best putter ever imo. I use a pro d Challenger for putting only. I have tried many different putters out and while they all do ok I like the pro d challenger the best. It flies completely straight. I have tried some super soft wizards but they seem to die down too fast for 40+ putts. The challenger seems to have a lot more glide than the wizard.

I don't use it for upshots because it flips too much. I have actually been using the ringer which I hate to admit because the grip feels horrible, and the rim is too shallow, but it is perfect for driving and midranges. Planning on getting a esp zone. I will use it for anys though.

[FHthrower]

Just out of curiousity why is there no challenger praise here, i don't use it either but it seems like more people would. Like 99% of discrafts pros say the challenger is their favorite putter ever, and yet every forum i go to i never see any challenger praise. I know we aren't pros (making a generaliztion, relax if you are) but it seems like if this putter is this "good" why don't more people use it?

Also i have yet to see someone on the one of the local courses using a challenger, it's always a wizard, aviar, or magnet

Isn't it a little floaty for a pure putter? I like the Magnet and APX...

[JR]

yes we challenger lovers are a stark minority in the world

i rock X's for driving/approaching......FLX's/soft X's for putting......

need to get a hold of some D's to check them out

TO HELL WITH A WIZARD!!!!

man this was almost exactly 1 year ago. I now throw Wizards. I guess I'm eating my words on this. I did learn to hate the FLX & Soft X Challengers, especially the FLX. I did get a Pro-D Challenger and still love it. I just fell into the Wizard trap. I may go back. I hear it calling me. not a whole hell of a lot of difference between the Wizard and Challenger.

The Challenger varieties I like best are noticeably more stable than the Wizard, but I suppose its possible that I might not have thrown some of the more over-stable runs of Wizards. But anyways, I loved my Glo Wizard for touch putting, and inside the circle. Very flat flight, almost no fade. The Challenger fades back reliably, so for long putts I either aim just right of the chains from a flat release with the hyzer finish moving into the pole, or run straight at it with a very slight anny release.

Driving with the Challenger is great. Lots of birdies and ace runs with that one.

You might love Vibram Ridge which glides somewhat less than Wizards and is way more HSS and a little more LSS. Ridge is a seriously wind resistant disc (less than Rhynos and VPs and new D Ringers) that can take quite a bit of strong arming as well so it's a no brainer disc but it takes a mighty rip to fly fadeless even at low lines. I'd say over 300' with the Ridge is required to not fade much from the line.

[koffee]

I just got a couple the other day. They have the new stamp and are softer then the old stamp ones, I have seen. I have not been using them for driving atm and have been looking for a crystal to test for this duty. I have been using this for touch putts and those outside the circle. So Far they seem to be good discs and remind me of my jk aviar-x putters. To early to say it will make the bag but either way it is a solid disc.

CHEERS - Koffee

[JHern]

So I went to several pro shops recently, and checked out their stacks of Pro D Challengers when available...

The first time was because I forgot to bring my Pro D Challenger for a round at Morley Field in San Diego. They don't carry much Discraft there, so I ended up buying a JK Aviar-X (JKAX) as a substitute (one of the nice gummy plastics). That disc is completely different than any high profile putter I'd ever thrown, and I couldn't putt worth a damn with it. Actually, I think trying to putt with it messed up my mechanics, and I'm still recovering from that now. But the JKAX is a trip because I can throw it from a hyzer and just rip the living crap out of it, and the damn thing will just fly straight (even if it doesn't flip up all the way!) until it runs out of steam and drop dead to the ground. It is really quite cool for some shots, so it has earned a temporary place in my bag. Surprisingly, it doesn't flex as well as I'd like, since the lift on the JKAX seems to be weakly coupled to the hyzer angle.

The second time around at a pro shop there was a ton of Pro D Challengers available, lots of tourney stamps, regular runs, etc.. But...all of them were composed of the most crappy Pro D plastic I've ever seen! Smooth, slippery, and waxy feeling, instead of rubber-like stiff and grippy. I went over to the Wizard rack, and picked up a Soft Wizard (funny that the stiffest is still called "Soft"). My wife picked up a Super Soft Wizard (still a slightly stiff disc), and we both instantly fell in love with the plastic, rigidity, and fantastic grip. So we bought them both and added them to our putter collection.

Third and fourth trip to a pro shop failed to uncover nice Pro D Challengers.

The Wizards are great for shots up to 200', but I have trouble getting them to go as far as that one magical Pro D Challenger I have off the tee. My pro buddy said that all he has to do to get up to 350' with the Pro D Challenger is give it some height so that it will glide downward slowly (it is fun to watch, since it takes its time in flight). The Wizard simply doesn't have the same amount of carry, and won't go as far. But! The Wizard is super flat and straight, with little fade (unless you stall it).

I've been waiting for a time when I could buy a stack of putters and commit to using them in practice and during rounds. My wife is amazing putting with the Wizard, the Gateway plastic is consistently better, the Wizard flies very straight and controllably, and I like to support smaller manufacturers...thus, I'm going to buy a big stack of Wizards and go with them as our main putters.

However, this one particular Pro D Challenger stays in my bag as a driving putter, and because I can flex it out of anny lines for for crucial right-turning lines on approach shots. I'm also keeping the JKAX as a blunt instrument that I can power through tight lines but that I can count on not taking off and gliding away.

Anyways, I'm still looking for a good source of Pro D Challengers. The one I have won't last forever!

[NoMoreTinCup]

I putted with Challengers for most of a year, 169 Soft X for inside the circle, 170 Discraft Bar Stamp Pro-D (CT look-alike?) for longer and uphill putts. They were magic to my putting game for a long time, well, most of a year, before I held and Ion. Despite the switch, I still carry 4 Challengers for driving. 3 Soft-X and a Cryztal. Challengers seem to keep their inherent level of stability for me. The flippiest one I have has a 5 print clover pattern in the top, and still is more stable than a lot of putters. The Cryztal is touchy, but more overstable than others on less than full power throws. Basically, under 300 in negligible wind, and it is a Challenger for me, especially downhill. Throwing a putter well at distance is one of my favorite shots in disc golf, because you have to fly the disc. Useful as a teaching aid too. I seem to remember the Challenger having been discussed as having limited glide due to its small diameter, so you have to throw it hard to get it up in the air and on plane. FWIW, the Focus is also a fine disc, but IMO, it is more LSS and less HSS than a Challenger.
KP

[Thatdirtykid]

FWIW, the Focus is also a fine disc, but IMO, it is more LSS and less HSS than a Challenger.
KP

This is how I felt too, I recently switched from wizards to challengers, and almost to focus's as they felt and flew closer to the wizard. I think the way my game has changed, the challenger fits better than most wizards. If I had a big enough stack of the pink mediums in 170-173 that were run in late 2007 I would not have switched. But when I needed to replace a couple of them, I couldn't.

[turso]

Well, got a FLX challenger. Didn't get a nice n' stable one though, it's less stable than my pro-d:s, but it became my turnover driving putter, works wonders for it. It's somewhere in between of red and pink in colour and 174g. Now that I have one I need to start looking for those stable versions...

[MR. WICK]

Wish they would just make them in regular esp plastic.

[Tossin' in Memphis]

Well, got a FLX challenger. Didn't get a nice n' stable one though, it's less stable than my pro-d:s, but it became my turnover driving putter, works wonders for it. It's somewhere in between of red and pink in colour and 174g. Now that I have one I need to start looking for those stable versions...

I know the reddish color you are talking about...I have a meteor in that color...very odd

[NoMoreTinCup]

Wish they would just make them in regular esp plastic.

Tolland, what do you think a Challenger in ESP would fly like? The recently OOP ESP Bangers were okay, but I found the ESP Foci really flippy, maybe because they were so stiff? I always hear people clamor for higher end plastic putters for driving, but I don't have a very good handle on throwing stiff putters. The Cryztal Z Challenger is a pretty good example. I can throw it for hyzer shots FH or BH up to about 75%, but after that they get really flippy on me. I wish they could/would make a Challenger with the flight of a Soft-X and durability of ESP. This sounds like FLX, but I have found them not to be as stable, and they glide a bit more too. (Not always a bad thing).
Anyways, If you want something close to ESP as far as a Challenger goes, the Midnight Editions are pretty close. They fly nice too, but the black is a bitch to find.
KP

[Thatdirtykid]

Wish they would just make them in regular esp plastic.

Tolland, what do you think a Challenger in ESP would fly like? The recently OOP ESP Bangers were okay, but I found the ESP Foci really flippy, maybe because they were so stiff? I always hear people clamor for higher end plastic putters for driving, but I don't have a very good handle on throwing stiff putters. The Cryztal Z Challenger is a pretty good example. I can throw it for hyzer shots FH or BH up to about 75%, but after that they get really flippy on me. I wish they could/would make a Challenger with the flight of a Soft-X and durability of ESP. This sounds like FLX, but I have found them not to be as stable, and they glide a bit more too. (Not always a bad thing).
Anyways, If you want something close to ESP as far as a Challenger goes, the Midnight Editions are pretty close. They fly nice too, but the black is a bitch to find.
KP

My ESP focus (at 168) was way stable. I have a regular X Challenger (not soft) that is more durable than the softs, and flies better than the FLX/Crystal. I wish I could find a ton of em.

[turso]

Aye, my ESP focus is quite stable as well.

[MR. WICK]

Wish they would just make them in regular esp plastic.

Tolland, what do you think a Challenger in ESP would fly like? The recently OOP ESP Bangers were okay, but I found the ESP Foci really flippy, maybe because they were so stiff? I always hear people clamor for higher end plastic putters for driving, but I don't have a very good handle on throwing stiff putters. The Cryztal Z Challenger is a pretty good example. I can throw it for hyzer shots FH or BH up to about 75%, but after that they get really flippy on me. I wish they could/would make a Challenger with the flight of a Soft-X and durability of ESP. This sounds like FLX, but I have found them not to be as stable, and they glide a bit more too. (Not always a bad thing).
Anyways, If you want something close to ESP as far as a Challenger goes, the Midnight Editions are pretty close. They fly nice too, but the black is a bitch to find.
KP

I just need something that flies like a newish d challenger in esp plastic that isn't floppy trash like the flx. The Cryztal flies nothing like challenger for me, for me they are pretty much exactly how you describe them. I do have a midnight one but I'm way too scared of loosing it in a tourney and having to re-tee.
I was going to start driving with the esp bangers but them bam.....oop. They fly as close to a stable challenger in esp plastic as you can get. I've still got my fingers crossed for an regular esp challenger.

[MR. WICK]

Is the esp focus in regular production? Can't seem to find any other than a few light weight ace race ones from last yr