Paul McBeth, Discraft Change Name Of ‘Kong’ Distance Driver To ‘Zeus’

New name fits with theme of McBeth signature line

Move over King of Apes, the King of the Sky is here.

Discraft has changed the name of the Paul McBeth Signature Prototype Distance Driver from ‘Kong’ to ‘Zeus’ before its official release in mid-July. A prototype run of the disc was originally released in March.

So why the name change now? As Discraft explained, prototypes are just that. Small changes will continue to be made in the process, including plastic variations, rin tweaks, etc. Name changes are no different. The Kong to Zeus is only unique because of its popularity.

“When a new disc rolls through, we pull the [name] list out and see what feels right,” said Discraft COO Mike Wagner. “It’s about finding a name that aligns with the characteristics of the disc as much as the impact we want the disc to have in the industry. Some of the names instantly fit, while others take some time to dial in.

“With the Kong, Paul was drawn to the name on his first factory tour, we all just underestimated the impact the disc would have. As it has continued to grow in popularity with players of all skill levels, it has also outgrown its name.”

McBeth had a similar change of heart. As with the Luna putter and recently announced Anax1 driver, Zeus carries an element of powerful mysticism.

“I was a huge history nerd in high school and all that old Greek mythology was so interesting to me,” McBeth told Ultiworld Disc Golf. “They built huge statues with these powerful names and powers. I feel like the discs we create give us as players a similar feeling when we connect on that perfect shot.

“Zeus was brought up in conversation between Discraft and I and it fit the theme we were treading towards much better.”

The first run of the Zeus will be released July 12 along with the Anax.