Whether you're a beginner just getting a feel for the sport, or a seasoned pro with years of experience, neutral (called stable) fairway drivers offer a massive advantage to not only have in your bag, but to be used often.
Why is this?
Many courses are being designed in this newer age of construction to incorporate longer "set up" shots.
This is because players are becoming more skilled and discs are improving in quality for maximum efficiency and distance. As a result, courses have been lengthened to help separate the skill level between pros and amateurs.
One of my very favorite stable fairway drivers, the Discmania FD, click on the picture to check it out!
Along with length comes increasing difficulty via OB's, dog-legs, mando’s and/or other situations to increase the difficulty and require precise placement shots.
The answer to this increased length?
Fairway Drivers.
Fairway Drivers are an excellent choice for biting off huge chunks of distance while maintaining better control of the disc (also why they're called Control Drivers).
The specialty of a neutral or stable fairway driver is the versatility these discs provide. One single fairway driver can offer pushing hyzer lines, long gliding straight shots, and even panning anhyzer or turn-over shots.
Hyzer lines help with precise placement landings. Due to the design of the rims these discs are less likely to demonstrate massive skips following hitting the ground.
The neutral flight assists with covering more distance than a mid-range could while maintaining greater control than a max distance driver will on a hyzer angle.
Long gliding flat shots are a thing of beauty and where you can really see the glide come into play with these neutral discs. Flat shots just seem to push for days before there's a gentle fade at the end of the shot, crucial for long wooded tunnel shots.
Anhyzer turning shots are also an advantage stable fairway drivers provide as they do an excellent job of holding the line they're thrown on for the majority of their flight.
Lesser arm speeds or touchy anhyzer angled shots find neutral fairway drivers very useful as they are more unlikely to break out of their flight too early and instead softly hold their anhyzer line for most of the flight path before fading back some towards neutral, rather than turning and burning the whole way over.
As a bonus: hyzer flipping these discs is super easy due to their lower speed ratings and ability to flip up to flat with less difficulty providing invaluable need in the woods or through small gaps.
In summary, fairway drivers provide an excellent tool to players to help bridge the gap from mid-ranges to distance drivers and get you that extra distance and control that you may not get with a mid-range.
There are several excellent options on the market to fill the fairway driver slot in your bag, but the following options are some of the favorites that you'll find in the disc golf community!
Simply click on any of the pictures or names to check them out at Infinite Discs!
Discmania FD (7, 6, 0, 1)
Innova Teebird (7, 5, 0, 2)
Discraft Athena (New) (7, 5, 0, 2)
Latitude 64 Explorer (7, 5, 0, 2)
Axiom Crave (6, 5, -1, 1)
Dynamic Discs Maverick (7, 4, -1.5, 2)
Infinite Discs Exodus (7, 5, -0.5, 2)
Or on Amazon HERE! (Base Plastic)
Prodigy F2 (7, 5, -1, 3)
If you don't think you're quite ready for a fairway driver and are looking for a straight flying, stable mid-range instead, be sure to check out THIS ARTICLE next!
Do you have a favorite stable fairway driver? Be sure to let us know what it is and what you use it for!
Until next time, stay Inside the Circle!
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