I spent his past weekend at the course quite a bit. The weather was killer nice for the last week and disc golf must be played in beautiful weather. Left work early both Thursday and Friday and was able to get in a round before dark. I also cleared 3 round between Saturday and Sunday. With that, I was able to get in some quality time with the “Iridium” putt and approach disc from Element Discs.

First let me hook you up with the information from Element Discs.

Our first disc release, the PDGA approved Iridium is a beadless putt & approach disc featuring one of the thinnest flight plates out there. The flight plate has a subtle thumb track for consistent grip/alignment every time. This versatile disc is great for putts and upshots, as well as driving off the tee. The Iridium excels as a spike hyzer bomber that stops dead in its tracks when it hits the ground.

Flight #s: Speed: 2 / Glide: 3 / Turn: 0 / Fade: 2

I wasn’t sure what to expect as I waited for this disc to arrive. But after several rounds with this disc, here’s what I think.

Grip/Feel

The thumb track was the first curiosity. It is not as pronounced as I expected it to be. It’s very subtle, but you can feel it. My first instinct when grabbing a putter is to hold it like I’m about to putt. My thumb instantly reached further into the disc than the thumb track. So when I putted with this disc, my thumb wasn’t in the thumb track. The edge of the rim has a sharpness to it. Being used to a Wizard, I expect that bead so it could be that. The plastic feels great. It has a velvety smooth feel. It is nice plastic. The flight plate is thin. It is noticeably thinner than your average putter. It doesn’t take away from the quality build of this mold though. It may be a nice touch for players who want to put more pressure on their discs while gripping and ripping.

The Iridium is a well manufactured disc. This disc feels as if would last and be durable. This is a great quality for this putt and approach to have as you may be using this off the tee more than in the circle.

Throwing

Element’s statement above says “The Iridium excels as a spike hyzer bomber that stops dead in its tracks when it hits the ground.” It’s true. I started on the tee box throwing drives into the fairway. First thing I noticed was how quick this disc wanted to get to the ground. A (3) Glide rating is very obvious on first throw. It’s also noticeably stable. It stayed straight for a very short while and then faded quickly. It’s definitely a stable disc. I also used this as an approach disc. This is the bread and butter for this mold. The Iridium is stable, which means reliable in my opinion. You know what this disc is going to do. It doesn’t care to skip for you. It will hit and stick. For a stand still approach with a putter, I could stick this in the circle reliably.

Putting

The Iridium isn’t a glider. For that reason, the putting benefits were not there for me. Yea, you can putt with it, but it may be tricky to handle in some situations. With the stability and low glide, I couldn’t use it as an every hole putter. That doesn’t mean this disc isn’t for you. There are many putters on the market that are used mainly for approaches. The Discraft Zone, the Discmania P3. Some putters are made to be more approach and less putt. I think this disc fits that category.

Final Thoughts

Element Disc’ first release is a quality mold. Their plastic feels great and the disc performs as they desired. It feels great in your hand. I’d recommend this disc for players who want a reliable approach disc that will stick the landing every time. The thumb track is a nice feature, it may be used, it may not be.

Want to try one? Check out the Element Discs website and see how to order.