Near the end of February, Calvin Heimburg will take part in the Las Vegas Challenge to kick off the 2022 Disc Golf Pro Tour season. And when he does, you’re going to see him hucking the royal heck out of what feels like an entire bag of nothing but Innova Star Destroyers.
Taking place at the Wildhorse Disc Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada, the courses the MPO and FPO fields will attack have “bomber” written all over them. Should the wind cooperate, it’s the ideal place to watch a Destroyer do its thing – achieve maximum distance through a full flight.
Are you ready for a reality check, though?
You’re not Calvin Heimburg. And you (likely) can’t get a Destroyer to do what it’s intended.
For right-handed players, that means hitting a backhand hard on a slight hyzer, the disc flipping to flat, drifting ever-so-slightly to the right, only to hook back heavily at the end of its flight.
It’s my personal opinion that if you can comfortably reach 350 feet with a backhand and roughly 300 with a forehand, there’s a realistic spot for the Destroyer in your bag. And if you’re just barely flirting with those distances, it’ll largely be used for your overstable distance duties.
Good news, though: the Star Wraith is very much in vogue.
If Garrett Gurthie thinks the Wraith is stable enough to withstand the firestorm that is his right arm, there’s a good chance it’ll be more than enough disc for you (and me) to stomach, too.
A more tangible example for readers is Nathan Queen. Queen’s made a name for himself as a master of angles, throwing solely backhand. He’s not a power thrower, but the Wraith gave him enough distance to win the 2021 DGPT Championship and the $30,000 purse that came with it.
Speaking of the Wraith during a 2020 “In the Bag” video with GK Pro, said Queen, “You can do so many different things with a Wraith. That’s probably why they’re one of my favorites.”
Unbelievably, and this is big, folks: Queen doesn’t bag a single Destroyer – the first of his kind.
Next, as far as feel is concerned, the Wraith has a slightly smaller rim than the Destroyer, making it less bulky in the hand. Similar to the Destroyer, it can be thrown both forehand and backhand. And Star plastic gives golfers the best of both worlds: durability, but “beatability,” as well.
Opt for a lighter-weight Star Wraith for more turn – anything between 167 and 171 grams.
Back to where we began: let Heimburg fling his Halo Star Destroyers as much as he likes. For that strong S-turn he gets with his Destroyer, go with the Star Wraith – it’ll get you there quicker.
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