It's no secret that Innova is one of the most, if not THE most well known disc golf brand in the world.
They have been around since near the beginning of disc golf times and can be found in all kinds of disc golf shops, sporting goods stores, and even outdoor lifestyle stores!
They boast a wide variety of molds which can sometimes make it difficult to figure out which ones are the best and choose the best ones to potentially add to your bag.
In this article, we're going to try and make that decision just a little bit easier!
You may have several Innova discs yourself that you like already, but are still searching for the
Best Innova Fairway/Control Drivers
to add to your bag, and the good news is that we're here to tell you what those discs are so that you don't have to go searching all over the place for them.
In this article, we're going to give you the best options available to you whether you're looking for a stable, understable, or overstable fairway option, as well as a few reasons why the disc is one that you should buy.
In a previous article, we took a look at the
but for now, let's turn our focus to the control drivers!
Without further ado, let's get into it!
Simply click on any of the names or pictures to shop the disc you're interested in at infinitediscs.com
Flight Ratings: 7, 5, 0, 2
The first disc we have to mention is the reliable Teebird!
This slightly overstable control driver is used by veterans and rookies alike because of its straight flight path and soft, dependable fade.
More experienced players use and rely on the disc for its long, straight flight path.
The Teebird’s low speed and smooth fade makes it extremely accurate and easy to throw through narrow tunnels and enables even the newest players to use it for a good flight.
The Teebird is also a good disc to practice shots like a wide hyzer or flex shot with before moving on to something more overstable, like our next disc.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 9, 3, 0, 4
If you’re looking for an overstable fairway driver, you’ve come to the right place. The Firebird is one of Innova’s most popular discs and is maybe THE most collectable disc in the sport. This disc is very overstable and offers a ton of fade.
The Firebird is so popular because of its dependability. Whether dealing with a headwind or having to put the disc on a crazy anhyzer angle, this disc will always come back with a strong fade.
Although players with slower arm speeds have difficulty using the disc because of its beef, it can be a huge benefit to the forehand specialist who finds themselves turning over all their throws.
The Firebird is also an incredible utility disc as it's great for thumbers and tomahawks.
Ultimately, the Firebird fills a crucial spot for any bag.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 9, 5, 0, 2
No Innova disc list is complete without the Thunderbird, the all around useful, overstable fairway driver.
To describe it simply, it is easier to manage than the Firebird and offers more distance than a Teebird.
Overall, the Thunderbird is very similar to a Teebird, with the Thunderbird having only a slightly higher speed rating. This higher speed makes it especially useful for cutting through swirling winds.
No matter the conditions, the Thunderbird will offer a long, straight flight and dependable fade.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 9, 4, -2, 2
Another popular Innova disc is the Valkyrie, the first understandable fairway driver on our list.
Being slightly understable, this disc is a great option for beginners to get some maximum distance throws, especially in a tailwind.
But this disc is not just for beginners. Its flight pattern makes it a great utility disc for any player!
Thrown on a straight line, the disc will veer one way due to it's turn of -2, and then finish the other with it's fade of 2, making it a great natural s-line disc and useful in tricky wooded tunnels.
The Valkyrie is also a great hyzer flip disc, especially as it beats in!
It is easy to fight against the turn on even a slight hyzer angle, and the dependable fade will ensure the disc ends up where you intended it to.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 9, 5, -4, 1
Thrown at a slower speed, this disc can offer a long straight path and should be easy to aim because of its subtle fade.
Another way the roadrunner is useful to newer players is as a turnover disc. The -4 turn means that if thrown with enough speed and on a straight to slight anyzer angle, the disc should naturally “turn over”, because of it's understability, essentially offering an opposite fade from most discs.
However, most veterans will use this as a roller disc. Put on a steep anhyzer angle, the disc will flip to vertical and start to roll when it touches down. The understability of the disc means that it will roll on a straighter line than a disc with a lot of fade.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 8, 4, 0, 2
The Teebird3 is a control driver that evolved from the traditional Teebird. Compared to the original, the Teebird3 has a flatter top, meaning it trades in some of its glide for extra speed.
Though it seems like a small change, the results can be drastic. The extra speed offers more distance and could make the difference between landing in circle 1 or circle 2.
Although it might always seem like a good idea to have extra glide, there are plenty of situations where the disc needs to be kept close to the ground to avoid a branch or other obstacle.
Players who depend on the Teebird for its accuracy and versatility should give the TeeBird3 a shot.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 7, 5, -2, 1
Next on the list is the Leopard3, the much acclaimed understable control driver.
It is slightly faster than its predecessor, making it more like a driver than a midrange.
This disc is great for beginners and should be easy to achieve max distance with. It’s turn / fade ratio gives it a subtle s-line flight when thrown straight, making it a great tunnel shot disc.
The Leopard3 is also hailed as the hyzer-flip disc for beginners. Its speed makes it the perfect disc to practice the hyzer flip with before moving on to something faster like the valkyrie.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 6, 5, -2, 1
The Leopard is one of the most popular control drivers on the market. It is sold in the Innova starter pack and for good reason. The Leopard’s 6 speed puts it right in between being a mid range and a driver, having important qualities of both.
A Leopard will offer more distance than most midranges, but its understability and soft fade makes it easier to aim than most drivers.
This is a fantastic disc for new players to use in all types of situations. It can be used for long, straight drives as well as approach shots, stand still throws, hyzer, anhyzer, and everything in between.
Click on the picture to check it out!
Flight Ratings: 9, 5, -3, 1
The Sidewinder is another popular option for an understable fairway driver and is useful in a variety of situations
Because of its small fade, it works well as a straight flying driver for new players with slower arms.
The Sidewinder is also a popular option for a hyzer flip. If thrown correctly, this combination would offer an extremely accurate and straight flying maximum distance throw for a beginner.
Its turn / fade ratio puts it somewhere in between the Valkyrie and Roadrunner:
It offers an s-line flight and can be hyzer flipped like a Valkyrie, but can also be turned over and used as a roller like the Roadrunner.
If you can’t choose between the two, get a Sidewinder instead!
Click on the picture to check it out!
10. Innova TL
Flight Ratings: 7, 5, 0, 1
Yet another iteration of the Teebird, the TL is a dependable, stable fairway driver.
While the TL and Teebird only differ by 1 number in the stability category, the difference it makes out on the course might surprise you.
Moving the fade rating down from a 2 to a 1 makes the TL stable rather than overstable. This means instead of fading at the end, the disc would rather stay on the line it is put on.
If thrown flat, the TL will have a slight fade as it’s landing, but will be much more subtle than more overstable options.
However, the big difference this change can make is for anhyzer shots. Often when first starting out, players have trouble putting enough speed on an anhyzer to fight against the fade of a disc. If you’re having this problem, the TL might just be the solution.
If you need something faster, you could also check out the 8 speed TL3!
Click on the picture to check it out the TL!
And that concludes our list of the best Innova Control Drivers that we feel are on the market today!
These 10 discs should be able to fill any crucial gaps you might have in your bag. From understable, to stable, to overstable, Innova offers a variety of discs that can help you hit that line, part that gap, and shave off those strokes.
The discs’ ratings naturally play off one another in a way that makes it easy to see when you need to disc up, disc down, go more overstable, understable, etc.
Not only that, but Innova offers a variety of plastics, colors, and designs to ensure you’ll walk away with something you love.
That being said,
Happy Disc Golfing!
Do you think that we missed one or have one that you have in your bag?
Be sure to let us know!
Again, if you're also looking for some of the best Innova mid-ranges, be sure to check out THIS ARTICLE!
You can shop all Innova discs at Infinitediscs.com by clicking on the banner below!
Sam is a contributing writer for Disc Golf Guys who we are glad to have on board! He has been playing disc golf for a little over a year after a decade of competitive Ultimate and is eager to learn as much as possible about the sport.
He Lives in Jackson, Mississippi with his fiancé and their dog, Dexter.
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