Post #4: Bag Check
One thing that I wanted to look at before the season gets into full swing was my bag makeup. I feel like I have too many discs of similar (but not identical) flight characteristics and this causes a bit of "analysis paralysis" when trying to determine the best course of action for a shot. Currently my bag consists of:
Midranges (6):
BT Burst Warship (putter) [ - ]
VIP Tursas [ - ]
TP Burst Warship [ + ]
TP Burst Warship [ + + ]
VIP Bard [ + + ]
VIP Anvil [ - ]
Fairway Drivers (7):
Hybrid Stag [ - - ]
Hybrid Stag [ - ]
VIP Stag [ + ]
VIP Chameleon Stag [ + + ]
TP Longbowman [ + + ]
TP Fortress [ - ]
VIP-X Ahti [ - ]
Distance Drivers (7):
BT Hard King [ - - ]
VIP King [ + ]
VIP Sparkle King [ + + ]
TP Sword [ + + ]
VIP-Air Giant [ - ]
TP World [ - - ]
VIP Adder [ + ]
( Note: I have my own disc grading system: [ - - ], [ - ], [ + ], and [ + + ], which indicates amount of wear on the disc, from [ - - ] which means very worn, to [ + + ] which means practically new. )
One of the first orders of pre-tournament business will be to try to remove 1 midrange, 1 fairway driver, and 2 distance drivers from the bag (as well as to return a neutral putter to the lineup for straight approaches). Here is my thought process.
Midranges. The Tursas holds an anhyzer trajectory longer than the BT Warship, which always comes in handy for recovery shots where a forehand isn't viable; so it stays. As does the BT Warship, since it is my main putter. On the other end of the stability scale, the Anvil is the best combination of overstability and 'throwability" that I have found (yes, even better than the DD Justice!), so it stays. The other three midranges (Warship #1, Warship #2, and Bard) vary in degrees of stability, but all have similar distance and flight profiles for me. I'm thinking that Warship #2 [ + + ] will be the one that I take out, as I think I can cover that shot profile with the other two discs.
Fairway Drivers. Again, the extremes in stability (Hybrid Stag [ - - ] and VIP-X Ahti) are essentials, so they will stay -- although I may replace each with an ever MORE extreme version, as I have a less-worn Ahti and a new Underworld that may provide better fade and turn performance (respectively). The Longbowman and the Fortress are necessary forehand discs, with the Longbowman holding a anhyzer release longer than the Fortress -- the combination gives me a lot of flexibility for shaping shots in the woods. Of the remaining 3 Stags (Hybrid [ - ], VIP [ + ], and Chameleon), the Chameleon can mostly be covered by the VIP or a forehanded Longbowman/Fortress -- so I'll probably lose that one.
Distance Drivers. I don't play many open courses, so my normal bag shouldn't contain this many distance discs. As with the other two categories, I'll keep the first and the last disc to cover extremes in flight path. The Air Giant and the TP World fly very similarly, and I've realized that the World was in my bag for sentimental reasons more than practical ones, so I think that one will probably retire to my "Wall of Fame" at home. Of the final three discs (VIP King [ + ], Sparkle King [ + + ], and Sword), the Sword is my straightest disc, with practically no high-speed turn, while the two Kings both turn to varying degrees. It really feels like a toss-up between these two discs, so I'll probably try dropping the flippier one (VIP King [ + ]) first and see how that works.
So my reduced bag will look like this:
Putter:
TBD (Probably some flavor of Maiden, but I will figure that out on the practice field)
Midrange:
BT Burst Warship (putter) [ - ]
VIP Tursas [ - ]
TP Burst Warship [ + ]
VIP Bard [ + + ]
VIP Anvil [ - ]
Fairway Drivers:
Hybrid Stag [ - - ] (or VIP Underworld [ + + })
VIP Stag [ + ]
VIP Chameleon Stag [ + + ]
TP Longbowman [ + + ]
TP Fortress [ - ]
VIP-X Ahti [ - ] (or VIP-X Ahti [ + + ])
Distance Drivers:
BT Hard King [ - - ]
VIP Sparkle King [ + + ]
TP Sword [ + + ]
VIP-Air Giant [ - ]
VIP Adder [ + ]
I'll be playing some practice rounds with this reduced bag to see of the removed discs are actually covered by the rest of the bag. If anything changes, I'll let you all know.