I finally tried the GStar Destroyer (Here’s what I found …)

By: Taylor Larsen

I don’t like Innova’s GStar plastic …

And because of it, I wrote this hate piece – click here.

If you want to read the article, gravy …

But if not, here’s the basic argument:

  • Point No. 1 – GStar discs are wildly floppy in the hand.
  • Point No. 2 – GStar discs don’t offer a clean, consistent release.
  • Point No. 3 – GStar discs start off more understable, so they don’t beat well.

And if you think I’m stupid, find me a Team Innova peep with it …

That’s what I thought.

DGPT: Kade Filimoehala

Since the publication of the aforementioned article, I’ve received my fair share of backlash. Rest assured, I’ve seen your tweets. And while I don’t read blog comments like I should, Lucas has forwarded me a number of them. By and large, the responses were all somewhat similar …

“You’ve got to try the GStar Destroyer.”

I was wrong once – I didn’t like it.

However, as improbable as it sounds, I was open to the possibility of it happening a second time, if you can believe it. So, I borrowed a buddy’s, bagged it for a bit and threw it like mad …

Here’s what I found:

There’s an immediate uptick in glide – WAY more than you get with a new, stock Star Destroyer. Granted, the GStar Destroyer I borrowed for this experiment wasn’t brand new, but it wasn’t minced meat, either. Glide doesn’t necessarily mean more distance, but it hardly hurts.

Next, the rumors are true …

The GStar Destroyer flies like a seasoned Star Destroyer. Obviously, glide plays a role in that, but it’s the touch of added understability most will enjoy. If your weak-arse arm’s never seen any mid-flight turn out of a Star Destroyer, there’s a dang-good chance the GStar stuff gets you there.

And I’m at 4,300 feet of elevation …

If I can do it, you can do it.

DGPT: Calvin Heimburg

Here’s where the problems persist, though …

I’m sorry, but the thing is STILL too soft – and it’s 29 degrees outside. Now it might have something to do with the frigid temperatures, but I didn’t have much of an issue with mid-throw, backhand wobble – that’s good. But the torque on my forehand hucks? Yeah, I could feel it …

Hate Joel Freeman all you like, but I subscribe to his bag-building doctrine:

To make the cut, ALL discs must work on forehand and backhand lines.

Conclusion: If yours is a below-average arm, give the GStar Destroyer a whirl. For you, it’ll fly farther than its Star-Destroyer counterparts, while still offering the wide-rimmed feel of a 12-speed. Also, you can say you bag a Destroyer – that’s why we’re doing this, right?

Or, you could just buy a Wraith …

Don’t complicate things.

Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.

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Photo of author

Taylor Larsen

Taylor Larsen is a staff writer for Green Splatter. He uses disc golf to self-reflect, pondering questions like, "Where the heck did I throw that?" and "What happens if the disc lands on top of the basket?" He resides in Utah with his dog, Banks, who loves to chase frisbees of all sorts.

6 thoughts on “I finally tried the GStar Destroyer (Here’s what I found …)”

  1. I like the GStar Destroyer for the express fact that it flies beat-in out of the box, but also doesn’t seem to over-beat. I find that a new star destroyer eventually gets amazing, but takes a while, and has a shelf-life (throw life?) before it gets too flippy. I wonder if the flexibility of GStar helps the disc keep it’s shape better? Maybe it’s just me. I also find that trying to keep discs in my bag that can be thrown either forehand or backhand is weirdly limiting. My backhand and forehand have different max distances, and my go-to shape for each is different, and I prefer different feeling discs for each. For example, I love big-bead mids backhand, but forehand I prefer beadless. Of the discs in my bag I’d say the only ones I throw consistently BH and FH are my K1 Soft Berg, Z Zone, Sexton Firebird, and Halo Destroyer. The other 10 discs in my tournament bag are either FH or BH specific (outside of the occasional weird scramble shot).

    Reply

    • Awesome comment, Adam!

      My biggest takeaway from it?

      You know what works for your game; your bag is built around it.

      Just out of curiosity, though …

      Do you ACTIVELY bag a GStar Destroyer?

      Or, do you have a beat-do-death Star Destroyer that satisfies that need?

      Thanks for reading, brotha!

      Reply

      • I bag one! It’s also consistently my farthest flying “straight” disc. I only bag 13 discs, 2 putters, 2 approaches (Z zone and K1 soft berg) two mids (star Vroc, champ RocX3) and 6 fairways (champ/gstar teebird 3, Z captains raptor, old sexybird) for true distance drivers I only have 3; a halo destroyer, my gstar destroyer and a star wraith for distance hyzerflips and turnovers.

        Reply

  2. I have a gstar thunderbird and it is slightly “floppier” than other innova plastics. I also primarily throw forehand and I can’t agree that my forehand release suffers with the Thunderbird versus other discs in my bag. I’ve been throwing it a lot into the winds here this fall in the upper mid-west. Granted, I have only a disc sample size of one, so other gstar discs may be floppier, or release differently.

    I think you have may have convinced yourself mentally this is true and need to break through your mental barrier. I can say this does happen often to me, in this sport.

    Reply

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