What discs do you carry in your bag? What disc do you choose for a particular drive? Why do you choose that disc? Everybody is different, and we all throw differently. So, in truth, there is no definite answer to the perpetual question "which disc is best".... but I am going to pass along to you some rule-of-thumb advice that was given to me years ago by legendary world class player Randy Amann, along with some of my own observations.

There are two main points of consideration in disc selection, according to the theory I follow: Speed and Confidence. You need to consider these two factors carefully when choosing a disc out of your bag to be thrown on any shot.

Speed. Generally, the faster a disc flies the farther it will go, but the downside to speed is decreased forgiveness. A fast disc is less forgiving than a slow disc. A good rule of thumb is to throw the slowest disc you can to still reach your desired throw. If you can reach a hole with a Magnet, don't throw a Cyclone for the drive. Why? Because your overall odds are better with the slower disc. You will have better drives more often with the slower disc. If you are three percent off on the angle of release or point of release with a Cyclone, that may translate into 50 or 60 feet of distance away from the basket at the end of the drive. However, three percent error with a Magnet may only translate into 25 or 30 feet of distance away from the basket at the end of its drive. So, use the slowest disc you can, they are more forgiving and will stay closer to the line you are trying to throw them on (staying close to the intended line is really handy when playing heavily wooded holes, too). Now, obviously, not everybody can throw Aviars and Rocs over 300 feet, so we do need to throw our Cheetahs and Polari and XLs, but they shouldn't be our driver for every hole, especially holes we can reach with slower discs. (Faster, stable discs will work better into head winds, so take speed into consideration with atmospheric conditions, also.)

Confidence. When you pull a disc out of your bag and hold it in your hand, it should inspire confidence in you. Do you know EXACTLY what that particular disc is going to do when you throw it? You should. If not, consider throwing another disc. If you carry 20 discs or more in your bag, you probably don't throw each of them often enough to be exactly certain what each of them fly like. Consider paring your selection down. Why carry four discs that all fly basically the same? Don't carry a Roc and a Shark, they fly basically the same, just choose one and learn it well. Don't carry a Cyclone and a Gazelle... choose one and learn it well. You have an X-Clone, Whippet, Banshee, EXP1 and Viper? Why? Stick with one. You can use any one of those discs for the same basic shot. If you learn just one of them well, you will feel better about it and more confident with it when it is time to pull it out. A disc should also feel good in your hand. You should choose plastic materials and disc shapes that feel good in your hand, you should feel like you can control this disc easily.

Predictability and consistency is another important aspect in confidence. Choose discs that fly the same way every time you throw them. There are many discs on the market that can achieve fabulous results, but can be very touchy to throw correctly. Stay away from these discs. Also, throw discs for shots that they are designed for. This may seem overly simple, but I see many players trying to throw hyzer drives with a Stingray and turn over drives with a Viper.

Conflict. Inevitably you will encounter a conflict. Your brain will tell you that the hole you are about to throw should be thrown with a particular disc (because the speed and flight characteristic of the disc is right). But, your heart tells you that you are more confident throwing another disc for the shot. What do you do? If you are in a tournament, go with your heart, because if you don't feel confident about the shot you are going to throw, you are dead in the water and probably destined for failure. So, throw what you are confident will work. But, if you are just playing a practice round, then you should throw the disc that odds say will work more often. You should practice with this disc and learn to trust that disc, so then you WILL be confident to throw it in a tournament situation.