The 17 Best Disc Golf Mid-range Discs for Beginners

I started playing disc golf a few years back…and I was BAD. I don’t mean bad as in good. I just mean bad. You know, like not very good at all.

I was bad because I just got some discs, didn’t ask anybody about them, then went out to the course. Yep, rookie mistake. If you’ve done it, that’s okay.

I played poorly for a couple of months using advanced discs. That just wasn’t working out for me. Finally, someone told me to, “disc down,” or go down in disc from drivers to mid-range discs or even putters. I started with putter-only rounds and worked my way up a little bit to mid-range-only rounds.

Finally, I began seeing improvement.

So if you’re a beginner, you need to disc down as well. I’ve put together this post of the 17 best disc golf mid-range discs for beginners like you. These are discs that I’ve used and tried and improved with. Now hopefully you can, too. So what are the 17 best mid-range discs?

The 17 best disc golf mid-range discs for beginners

1. Discraft Buzzz

2. Latitude 64 Pearl

3. Innova Stingray

4. Discraft Meteor

5. Discraft Comet

6. Innova Panther

7. Innova Wombat

8. Discraft Archer

9. Dynamic Discs Truth

10. MVP Axis

11. Prodigy M4

12. Latitude 64 Claymore

13. MVP Tangent

14. Discmania MD

15. Innova Mako

16. Infinite Discs Chariot

17. Innova Atlas

Why mid-range discs are important for beginners

Mid-range discs are extremely important for beginners. They may not be flashy and they may not be the most exciting discs to start throwing, but you need to throw mid-ranges if you’re new to disc golf. Here’s why:

Easy to throw discs

Mid-range discs are just plain easy to throw. That’s simple and easy to understand. Mid-range discs have flight ratings that make them easy to throw for beginners. We’ll talk about flight ratings in a later section, but you need to know that mid-ranges are easy and will help you improve.

Mid-range discs can be used for all shots

Like I stated in the last section, mid-ranges are important because beginners can use them to play with. I talked about them being easy, so beginners should use mid-range discs when first starting to play full rounds with, just like with putters. That’s called “discing down.”

I know I wanted to try and throw drivers because I just wanted to throw as far as possible. But I was bad…and it was because I was throwing discs that are hard to throw for beginner players.

Once I switched over to playing mid-range-only and putter-only rounds, my skill in disc golf improved dramatically. But why?

Can help you focus on your technique while learning distance and other skills

As you’re learning the game, using easy to throw discs will help you learn a bunch of different skills. Those skills are as follows:

Technique: discing down will allow your flaws to come out. If you’ve got bad form and technique, and then you use mid-range discs, all of it will be exposed. Using these discs will help you focus on learning better technique and not just throwing the disc as far as you possibly can.

Throwing power: discing down can help you learn how to throw the disc harder without sacrificing technique. With a mid-range, you’re training your body to throw the disc hard to get distance with your discs instead of relying on your fast speed discs for distance.

Distance: because you’ll be learning how to develop your throwing power, your distance will develop just as well.

Strategy: lastly, playing with mid-range discs can help you develop your overall strategy. Now that you’re not throwing with high-speed or max distance discs, you’ll need to learn new shots or how to approach your shorter throws to figure out how to get to the basket. This will quickly help you learn and improve on the disc golf course.

So you can see that, If you use mid-ranges for your rounds, you’re game will improve tremendously. But let’s talk about a couple other quick things before we get to the list.

What about putters?

So just because this is a post about why mid-range discs are good for beginners, that doesn’t mean that I don’t recommend putters for this as well. The putter is also a really good option to try out for major beginner improvement. But we’re going to stick to mid-range discs for this post. We do have a couple of great posts, though, for you to check out if you’re looking for beginner putters (or if you’re moving up from mid-range discs to fairway drivers).

The first post is, “The 37 Best Disc Golf Discs for Beginners (You Need These).”

The second post is, “17 Best Disc Golf Putters for Beginners.”

And once you move up to intermediate play, you can add drivers into your game. But do that slowly as well. Once you think you’re good enough, check out “17 Best Disc Golf Control Drivers for Beginners.” (**coming soon)

How to choose the best mid-range: flight ratings

In disc golf, we choose discs based on flight ratings, or a series of four numbers on a disc golf disc.

The four numbers on a disc golf disc are a flight ratings system that represent the true characteristics of a disc golf disc as it flies through the air, including the speed, glide, turn, and fade of the disc. From left to right, these numbers include:

Speed: how fast the disc must be thrown. The first number. Ranges from 1 to 14 with 14 meaning the disc has to be thrown very fast.

Glide: how the long the disc can stay in the air. The second number. If the disc is thrown at the correct speed, it will glide appropriately. Ranges from 1 to 7 with 7 being the most glide.

Turn: how much the disc turns to the right when first thrown (rhbh thrower). The third number. Ranges from -5 to 1 with -5 being the most turn.

Fade: how much the disc turns to the left at the end of it’s flight (rhbh thrower). The fourth number. Ranges from 0 to 5 with 5 being the most fade.

All of these numbers mean that a disc will fly a certain way if thrown correctly.

So when choosing discs as a new player, you really want to pay attention to the flight ratings and learn how they affect each disc.

When choosing a mid-range, if you prefer to find your own (instead of the recommendations below), here are some guidelines that you’ll want to follow:

1. Speed: keep the speed low. I recommend keeping the speed below 5-6 as a new player. That’s why mid-range discs are so great for new players. You don’t even really need to worry about speed when picking a disc because almost all mid-ranges are 6 or below. Every disc on the recommendation list below is a 6 speed or below.

2. Glide: you want as much glide as possible. It will help your disc stay in the air longer. Mid-range discs with a rating of 3 or more is fine. Every mid-range on this list is at least a 4 glide or higher.

3. Turn: you want at least a little bit of high-speed turn on your disc when you’re a new player. For right hand back hand throwers (rhbh which is most throwers), the more high-speed turn, the more the disc will turn to the right when first thrown.

The more turn, usually the easier it is to throw at first for brand new players. Remember, turn is -5 to 1, so you want around a 0 to -4 amount of turn (0 is fairly straight and will turn more as you get to -4). Every disc on the list below ranges from 0 to -4.

4. Fade: as a new player, you want as little low-speed fade as possible. For rhbh throwers, low-speed fade means the disc will turn to the left at the end of flight. Remember, fade is 0 to 5, with 5 being the most fade. We recommend you stay around 0 to 3 fade, but try to keep it as minimal as possible. All of the discs on this list range from 0 to 1, as I believe this will help beginners have the best chance of success with their mid-range discs.

The discs near the beginning of this list are easier to throw. These discs are for true beginners. As you progress through it, you’ll notice that the discs get a little bit tougher to throw. But all of the discs on the list are for beginner skill levels. As you progress, you’ll be able to take on the discs near the end of this list. Now we’ll go through the recommendations list and I’ll show you the 17 best disc golf mid-range discs for beginners. Check it out and grab you a couple!

Oh yeah, one more thing…

There’s one beginner disc that I want everyone to get a hold of while they still can. It’s soon to be retired (or may have been already depending on when you read this). But if you get the opportunity, grab this disc:

Dynamic Discs Evidence (5, 5, -1, 0)

The Evidence is a really straight-flying mid-range that is super underrated. Unfortunately, Dynamic is retiring this disc. If you haven’t gotten a chance to throw this disc, definitely get one asap here on InfiniteDiscs.com. Otherwise, you may have to get one on an auction site like eBay or from the #discgolfcommunity.

So finally, let’s get to that list! ⬇️

The 17 best mid-range discs for beginners

1. Discraft Buzzz (5, 4, -1, 1)

I put the Buzzz here at #1 because I believe it’s one of the best mid-range discs ever made. That’s not just bias either. The Buzzz isn’t my favorite mid-range, but it’s #1 because of how sound it is as a disc for any and all players. It’s one of the most popular discs in the world and one of the best discs for beginners because of how straight-flying and reliable it is. Even though flight ratings might suggest that this disc would be tougher to throw than others on this list, it’s an easy disc to throw. And it’s my #1 recommendation for new players. Get yourself a Buzzz here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

2. Latitude 64 Pearl (4, 6, -4, 0)

The Pearl is on this list at #2 because it is hands down one of the easiest mid-range discs to throw. It has a ton of high-speed turn and almost no low-speed fade, making this disc very understable. As a new player, that’s what you want: understable. And the Pearl will give it to you. Besides that, it is literally a part of Latitude 64’s “easy to use” disc golf disc line, which they’ve made for beginner disc golfers. You can get a Pearl here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

3. Innova Stingray (4, 5, -3, 1)

With flight ratings of 4, 5, -3, 1, the Innova Stingray is one of the easiest mid-range discs to throw for new players. It has a lot of high-speed turn, allowing the newbie disc golfer to easily learn technique while still being able to throw the disc straight. This underrated mid-range will glide forever if you throw it up to speed, which could be a big benefit for beginners. Get a Stingray here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

4. Discraft Meteor (4, 5, -3, 1)

InfiniteDiscs.com states that, “the Meteor will turn and glide giving beginners more control and distance.” It’s also very understable, making it very easy to throw for new players. There’s not a lot more that needs to be said about the Meteor besides: if you’re a beginner disc golfer, this is one of your best choices as a starter disc golf disc. Grab one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

5. Discraft Comet (4, 5, -2, 1)

The Comet is a really easy mid-range for new players. The understability helps beginners stay a little bit more consistent with every throw. And once you develop your game, the Comet will help you with many different shots. Grab one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

6. Innova Panther (5, 4, -2, 1)

The Panther is one of those discs that is just really awesome for new players. First off, it’s a part of Innova’s Champion starter set (which is a really great deal for a set – you can get one here). It has an Aviar putter, our #1 putter on my 17 best disc golf putters list, and it comes with Valkyrie control driver (which is a good step up once you get better with your mid-range discs).

Anyways, the Panther can be a great disc for your arsenal. It’s a disc that is easy to throw and normally always flies the way you want it to. If you want to buy just this disc by itself, you can get one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

7. Innova Wombat (5, 6, -1, 1)

Okay, so I’m a big Wombat fan. I’m a little bit biased on this disc because it was the first mid-range I ever received and threw and it helped me out tremendously in the beginning. BUT…the Wombat still is a really great disc and can be fantastic for brand new players. And I got better because of the Wombat. You can get one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

8. Discraft Archer (6, 5, -3, 1)

The Archer is a very understable mid-range disc released during the 2016 Discraft Ace Race. Its name is very appropriate as this disc will basically go wherever you aim it. You throw, it goes. And it hits the target right where you want it to go. If you’re new, this disc will make you into an…archer? It does require a little bit more speed to throw, but it’s very understable with a lot of high-speed turn and that’s why it’s good for new players. Grab yours here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

9. Dynamic Discs Truth (5, 5, -1, 1)

The Truth is a very popular straight-shooting midrange that is dependable and fun to throw. It’s reliability makes it a great disc for new players, so check this one out if you’re a beginner. You can get a Truth here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

10. MVP Axis (5, 5, -1, 1)

The Axis is, as InfiniteDiscs.com puts it, “a reliable ultra straight flying midrange disc with forward penetrating end of flight fade, the MVP Axis has a smooth sail and fair speed.” As a beginner disc, the Axis is fantastic because it usually glides very well after thrown and doesn’t have a lot of fade on the end of flight. You can get an Axis here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

11. Prodigy M4 (5, 5, -1, 1)

The M4 is a solid choice for beginners as a slightly understable, very controllable mid-range disc. The glide that this disc offers is also top notch, as it will float for days after release. The M4 is definitely worth a look. Grab one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

12. Latitude 64 Claymore (5, 5, -1, 1)

The Claymore is a nice mid-range that was part of the 2014 Trilogy Challenge. The rounded rim gives it a good feel and its flight usually stays on whatever line you throw it on. Overall, the Claymore is a very good disc for beginners and can be a versatile utility disc for more advanced players. Get one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

13. MVP Tangent (5, 5, -0.5, 0.5)

The MVP Tangent is a really great all-around disc golf disc. I like this disc a lot for beginners because it feels and throws like a disc that can make almost any shot. This disc was on my list of “best discs to play a solo disc round.” Definitely grab a Tangent. You can get one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

14. Discmania MD (4, 5, 0, 0)

Slightly domey but perfectly straight in flight, the MD was designed by Discmania to be a shot-shaping and easily controlled mid-range disc. Well, Discmania got just that and more with the MD. This is a really nice mid-range and it can seriously help you improve your game. Get one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

15. Innova Mako (4, 5, 0, 0)

The Mako3 was the original owner of this spot on the list, #15, before I realized something: the original Mako was the better beginner disc. Now you’re really not going to have any trouble out of the disc if you decide to pick the Mako3. But the Mako’s flight rating make it just a tiny bit easier to throw. It only requires a 4 speed instead of 5 speed. And the glide is better – 5 instead of 4. So the Mako is worth a try. Grab one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

16. Infinite Discs Chariot (5, 5, 0, 1)

The Chariot, according to InfiniteDiscs.com, “is a straight-flying mid-range disc with excellent glide and a knack for following the thrower’s angle of release. It can be guided on smooth hyzer lines, on anhyzer turns, or can be used for straight, precision approaches on the fairway.” It’s a fantastic choice for newer players who have a few rounds under their belt. If you want to give the Chariot a try, grab one here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

17. Innova Atlas (5, 5, 0, 1)

The Atlas is last but definitely not least on this list. It’s probably my favorite mid-range behind the Wombat. Why? Well. Because this disc just goes. And let’s talk about straight. The Atlas, to me, is one of the straightest mid-range discs that Innova produces. It’s an awesome disc that beginners can benefit from tremendously.

I probably could’ve bumped the Atlas up a few spots, but I left it here because there are other discs that are more beginner friendly. It’s still a great choice, though. You can get an Atlas here on InfiniteDiscs.com.

Overall

You absolutely need some good mid-range discs in your arsenal. Mid-range discs provide more distance, better accuracy, and overall better scores once you start incorporating them into your game. As a beginner, you have to kick the drivers out of your bag for awhile and take advantage of using just putters and then just mid-range discs. It’s a must if you really want to improve out on the course. So hopefully you’ve been able to find what you’re looking for here. We appreciate you giving this post a read 😎👍

Don’t Forget!

Before you go, grab a copy of our beginner ebook, “The Disc Golf Player’s Manual.” It’s packed with some of the best tips, tricks, and information available for new disc golfers. If you really want to improve your game, this book will help you.