I highly recommend the thunderbird. It is true to the numbers and very reliable in wind conditions. If you are trying to get into  throwing forehands I would say get you a thunderbird it will be stable out of the box and beat in to being the straightest disc in your bag!

This is a fantastic fairway driver. Some of the best shots I've seen have been with thunderbirds, and I even got a $500 dollar ace with one once. Would give a 5/5 review except that I've seen a wide variety of stability from run to run, and plastic to plastic. Bascially, try to buy 2 identacle ones, learn what they do, and they will surely be a stable in your bag

Great disc. I love the Teebird and wanted to get something with a similar flight while adding a bit more distance. This seems to be the perfect disc for that. Reliably stable finish but has a long straight push before that. 

This is possibly the best stable workhorse driver in my bag. If I need a straight driver shot, this is the go-to. If I'm forehanding, this is the go-to. I lost one late last year and immediately had to replace it as it is such a staple in the bag. This is a 9-speed that everyone needs to try.

i would describe the Thunderbird as a mini star destroyer (a straighter one).  Reliable fade, can handle winds, and can really suprise you with how far they can go.  I can even fan grip them to make them more overstable.  One of my favorites. 

My distance drivers are mostly 11- or 12-speeds, but even at a 9-speed, this disc seems a bit overstable for me in most cases -- except into the wind, and then I'd take this instead of my Valkyrie to get better, straighter distance; or when I need to trust that a disc will unerringly follow a known, overstable flight path that suits the layout of a given hole. I like the feel of the disc and the durability of the plastic, though mine seems to have a bit of a rough edge underneath that can get a bit hard on the fingers after a while.

For me the Thunderbird is a great mold, likely one of Innova's best.  It's a very useful disc because it gets great distance and has a reliable strong finish at the end of its flight.  In the star plastic it is a relatively beefy disc but still has a good amount of glide and usually finishes with a big skip at the end.  The disc performs very well in the wind and I like to throw it both backhand and forehand.  The Thunderbird is a nice bridge to the faster 12 and 13 speed distance drivers, I find that I throw the Thundy more often than I'm throwing my max distance drivers.  When thrown flat and hard it has a nice straight flight path and finishes with a strong fade.  As it beats in it gets straighter and longer.  I also like to throw this disc on a flex line with an anhyzer release (either backhand or forehand) and find that it usually has enough fade to fight out of it.

I wouldn't recommend this disc for a beginner because I think it will likely be too beefy for them to get much use out of it, but I do think it's a great disc for intermediate and advanced players.  

For some reason, my Star Thunderbird flies a little more stable than the flight numbers suggest. I actually like this, though, so I'm not bothered. I use this disc for shots that are between 275 and 310 and get a dependable fade in pretty much all wind conditions. I've had some great ace runs with this disc. I hope one finds the chains soon! It's a great disc and will have a long happy life in my bag. 

just bought a used star thunderbird to be my go to forehand that I can crank on AND control, and it's been just that. Handles the torque easily, but still gets good distance. I was using a teebird3 that got too beat in. Then a tesla. And a tl. All of those eventually beat in too much to handle the torque of a forehand. Even my used pro destroyer got too flippy for fh. Thunderbird has fit the bill. 

The thunderbird is my favorite disc to throw. I got my first Ace with a star thunderbird. This was the disc that helped me to improve my driving distance off the tee. Before throwing a thundy I was throwing destroyers and not seeing results. I disc'd down to a sped more appropriate for my arm speed and wow was I surprised! I was throwing my thunderbird further than any other disc I had in my bag. I can throw this disc either forehand or backhand with confidence knowing that it will do the same thing every time.

Super great and reliable disc! If you are newer I recommend lighter weights (165-170 maybe) but it can be such an asset for long straight shots especially if the wind picks up and you still want a long throw. Can get distance driver distance with these bad boys. 

Background: I am a 916 rated player with a max distance of ~450 feet, right-hand backhand.

175g Star Thunderbird

The Thunderbird is one of the most popular control drivers in disc golf, and for good reason. It is an incredibly reliable disc with a predictable flight path every time. I found the Thunderbird to be a bit more overstable than I expected, and even after a season of beating in, it still has a high degree of stability. I use my Thunderbird for shots similar to my Firebird, but when I need slightly longer and straighter flights. I would recommend picking up a Thunderbird if you are looking for a consistent and stable control driver, but be aware that in premium plastics, it will be overstable for a good amount of time.

Thunderbirds are the best all around driver I've thrown, they start out nice and stable and very consistent. In champion or Halo plastic they're pretty overstable mostly, but in star they beat in nicely to fly straight to a little flippy after you've thrown one for a while. Feels great in the hand and I'd recommend carrying 2 a new one and a beat in one. Also a great forehand and backhand disc, good for any type of throwing

This is an incredible disc if you're looking for consistency & distance. I love throwing this on a forehand line. If you release it flat, it will ride straight for a while before turning. If you release it with a slight bit of anhyzer, it will flex before fading back right.

Once you beat in a Star Thunderbird, you'll be wanting to throw it on every hole. 10/10 would recommend.

I have tried to replace this disc several times, but the truth is there is nothing that feels and flies better. I love this disc for straight forehand shots that handle torque and finish nicely. It is a bit more stable than I like on backhands, but it is still used a good bit if I have a headwind. No matter what other disc I try to fill this slot with, it never can beat the feel and flight of the Thunderbird.

I throw sidearm and I love this disc. I can get similar distance to a Destroyer, but the control is so much better. For some reason, I can control the Thunderbird more easily than a Teebird as well. This disc is amazing.

Haven’t found anything quite like this disc. Staring down a long tight fairway - what comes to mind? Thunderbird of course. Give it some good snap and it will fly straight as an arrow, then predictable fade at the finish. For me at 100% power it will reach 400 feet, but I prefer a more usable/accurate 80 - 90% power for 330 – 360 feet.

And don’t shy away from using FH as well. It’s great for flicking. You should pick one up in your favorite Innova plastic (GStar for me).

This disc just makes too much sense not to bag. It will become your go to disc for every hole over 300 feet with the ability to carry 450 dead straight out of the box. The 5 glide on this disc is more like 4 in my opinion. Newer players should look to buy something like a tl or tl3. Less stable but similar flight characteristics and feel. 

I used to throw a 175g Pro Thunderbird but lost it in a pond last summer. It has been replaced by a 175g Star Thunderbird. The plastic difference made for some noticeable differences. 

In the Pro plastic, the thunderbird was easy to throw and really helped me work on my backhand form. I could push it straight 300-325 with a small but reliable fade at the end. It could compensate for some errors in my form but would let me know if I was making mistakes (if I released it on hyzer it would hyzer). It held up to the wind of a fairly open TX course. It was a great disc for controlled shots between max distance and a slow fairway driver/ high speed midrange.

In the Star plastic, it is more overstable but not in an outrageous way. I really like teebirds and this is like a faster teebird. Thrown hard and flat, it will go 300-325 and then fade reliably for another 25-40 feet. It will also ride a hyzer for a long time without going to ground which is useful for those long consistently turning tunnels. Also, because I can get more distance out of it, it can hold some really beautiful flex lines both backhand and forehand. These are touchier shots, but when they work, they are so useful.

Highly recommend the star thunderbird for intermediate players with the power to throw it and skill to put it on various lines. Pro thunderbirds (and DX i've been told) are great beginner discs.

The Thunderbird is a disc that should be in everyone's bag.  I find this disc to be a great link between my distance and control drivers.  Distance wise, the Thunderbird lies between a Destroyer and a Tee Bird.  

175 Star Thunderbird is definitely the staple of my bad. When I first got it, it was fairly overstable and very reliable for forehands. After a year of heavy use and baking in the summer in my car a couple days, it will know hold a straight line for around 300 feet and fade out to around 340 on a good drive. I think this is a very practical disc to practice the power for distance drivers. 

Star Thunderbird 175g:

I got a couple of these awhile back and currently keep one in my bag for long, straight fairway shots or longer shots that need to hold a hyzer. Like other reviewers have mentioned the Thunderbird flies similarly to a Teebird when thrown flat, although ones I have are more overstable and don't flip up on hyzer like my teebirds. Great fairway driver to rip on.

I love this disc. It is a straight flyer with a reliable turn. My favorite shot to throw with it is a forehand blast, as I can trust this disc will fly very far and straight enough where it can fly through for tunnel shots. 

Looking at the flight chart, I thought to myself, "What is there not to like? Who wouldn't want a disc that just goes 400ft straight with minimal fasde?" I grabbed a Thunderbird and realized the flight chart was pretty accurate. Out of the box it was a little more OS than advertised but already it has become a staple in my bag. Playing on a bunch of wooded courses, having a disc that goes far and straight is a must. this one fits the bill, and is useful for many other cases as well. My buddy throws his forehand and loves the way it feels while I mainly backhand it. Seems like this disc or something like it should have a place in everyones bag.

Have in Star and Champion plastic, 172g and 175g respectively, one of my favorite discs in the bag.  Can throw both forehand and backhand with good distance.  Almost as long as the Wraith or Destroyer, but holds line even better.  Love the grip/feel, carry 2 in the bag.  Don't know what I'd do without... buy another....

Boy do I enjoy throwing this disc on a nice flex forehand line for an easy 350' shot. Thrown high enough, this disc will glide for days. Thrown low enough (<10ft' of the ground) and the disc has extremely straight flight. if you love a Teebird, you will love the Thunderbird. If you love the Thunderbird and need a slightly slower fairway driver, get the Teebird. These 2 go hand-in-hand for me with identical forehand flights, just going about 40'-50' further with the Thunderbird. Great disc!

This was more beefy than I expected.  I was wanting a straight flight with a bit of fade, but instead this faded hard pretty quickly.  I've had better luck with the Orion LF, which both feels better in the hand and has a straighter initial flight.  I think I could work with this if I had to, probably gets better after beating in, but I prefer the OLF

Thunderbirds are an overstable control driver that will fight a headwind while maintaining a longer straight flight than a Firebird. The numbers would suggest this is a longer flying Teebird, but the fade at the end dumps much harder than any 0-Turn, 2-fade disc I've every thrown. Star plastic in this mold has a reputation as being particularly beefy though and Pro or DX might fly more true to the numbers. Still, I've found a slot for this in my bag to provide a reliable headwind shot when firebirds are overkill. 

Started with this disc to learn how to forehand. However, it has become one of my favorites for both back and forehand throws. The disc will hold the line you give it and gradually fade at the end. The edge is just enough that you can get a good skip if you keep it low

The Thunderbird is a stable-semi overstable driver that gets more distance than you'd expect from a speed 9. It has outstanding glide (moreso than the Valk) and will handle huge rips without flipping. Essentially, this is a full blown distance driver in the body of a fairway driver.I really can't think of anything negative to say about the Thunderbird. It can be used reliably for fairway or distance driving. It has enough stability that you don't have ot worry about it flying all over the place. I think Innova basically obsoleted the Eagle, Teebird, and Viking by releasing the Thunderbird. The Thunderbird is obviously faster than the Eagle or Teebird, but has the same general flight as them, but faster, longer, and with better glide. Pretty much a must have disc for any skill level. It will handle all manner of drives and handle them well.

My Thunderbird is probably my most used fairway driver in my back because of how great it feels forehand and backhand. I currently carry two in my bag both in star plastic. My first one is a very beefy (~fade 3) run and works great for longer straight shots with a predictable fade or a hyzer. My second is a slightly longer throwing straighter (~ fade 1.5) version with a tiny bit of fade at the end. This disc is basically a speedier version of the Teebird for the people out there who haven't thrown one.

One of my first Control/ Distance drivers. I carry a beat in DX and I have a fresh Star. It's not very overstable but I prefer the less stable plastics as I find them more responsive to my personal touch or style. This disc really helped me find my way. It's a very predictable disc so it allows for all kinds of shots. I'm primarily a RHFH thrower and it was a forgiving disc when I was working on my RHBH. I was a player of less than 6 months when I bought this, and didnt have the most developed arm speed I was able to drive this disc 350-360ft after a month of use. I recommend this disc for new players trying to get serious about the sport and experienced players looking for an overstable driver that isnt TOO overstable. Favorite disc in my bag.

I have a 173g Star Thunderbird and also had a 175g Champ Thunderbird that I found that was pretty beat in that I later gave to a friend. I found the Champ disc first and felt that it flew too similarly to my Escape so I didn't bag it. This Star Thunderbird started out overstable and has not lost it (though it goes in and out of my bag). At first this kind of annoyed me because I wanted a longer Teebird with less turn, but this Star Thunderbird has less glide and noticeably more fade than my Teebirds. Now, wanting something a little less overstable than a Firebird but more overstable than an Escape or Teebird it fits that slot perfectly. It holds a straight line very well and then slowly fades out at the end often with a small to medium skip. I like the feel of the rim and I was lucky to get a very firm run of Star plastic which I prefer to the extra gummy feel of some runs. The numbers for me for this Star Thunderbird are 9/5/0/3 which by the way is a bit domey. The beat-in Champ Thunderbird I had was 9/5/-1/2, so it definitely depends on plastic and how seasoned it is.

I grabbed a Thunderbird after watching a friend throw one hoping that it would be the perfect forehand driver. I was wrong, but it was still a good disc. It was about one tick more stable than I wanted it to be, but it was very good in the wind. It never turned, and I could always trust the fade. It seemed to take a good while to really break in, and I would definitely recommend it to more powerful players. It would be a good first stable 9 speed for players discing up

I have a 171 star thunderbird. I have had this for almost 2 years. When I first got it I got it for flicks and well I couldn't flick then and had bad form with backhand and couldn't throw this. So I just started using it for a utility disc when I needed it to go left or for overhead shots. Which this is really a good disc for. Once I did some research I found they say the star ones that are board flat like mine is more OS than the numbers imply. Well once I got my form fixed and went back to this disc it became a go to for me cause it was so straight. I believe the thumbers I threw helped break it in and it became an amazing disc. If you throw hyzer it will stay on the hyzer line, if you throw with some anny it will still flex out and come back. It is a very reliable disc. If you have good form you can really work this disc and it be good for you. I bagged it till recently when I got a Hyzer Bomb marksman and it replaced the thundy as I can get more distance and it's just a tad more workable for me. But this is still a good disc that could potentially return to my bag someday. Highly recommend one. 

The star thunderbird I bought a few months ago must have been defected, because it is the most overstable disc on the planet. It has an extremely sharp fade no matter how much power is put behind it. It is said that this disc is like a teebird with more speed and glide, but in the star plastic this is more overstable than a firebird. It will prove useful for me during headwinds and when I need to use a disc with extreme fade, but this disc was not what it was advertised to be. 

I have this disc in Pro, Star, and Champion Plastic and I absolutely love it. As a RHBH thrower, I can get pretty great distance out of an anny release and know that it'll fight back for that reliable fade. The Pro plastic beat in quite quickly and has been the straightest flying driver in my bag, while the Star and the Champion still remain fairly stable. This is quickly becoming my favorite driver to throw.

After spending many months learning the Valkyrie I realized I was missing a shot. In stepped the Thunderbird and it added different dimensions to my game. When thrown on a hyzer this disc will hold the line and dive on target. Thrown flat with power, I can get a little turn before that Thunderbird fade kicks in. Fun disc to throw and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to stable up their driver game. Don't be discouraged out of the box, a few rounds and you will unlock its true flight potential.  

i am almost exclusively a RHFH player but this disc is so nice on RHBH that i bought another one so that i will always have a disc i can backhand without worrying about losing one. a nice hyzer and a noodle arm of a backhand will still get 250-300 out in open space.

I love this disc! I've only been playing for about a year and a half.  This disc helped fix my form.  I began by throwing it on an any flex line. Now that my form has improved this disc will hold s nice hyzer or fly straight with a nice fade at the end.  It does a lot of work for me on my local course

I got myself a mini stamped Star Thundy a couple of months ago. I'm SO GLAD that I did. It's pretty overstable out of the box, but once you beat it in a little bit, it becomes a true workhorse driver. I throw about 325-350 for reference. When I throw it, it flies so straight with a gradual fade throughout the flight. I'm getting birdie looks on a hole I struggled to par before. (A lot of that is just due to me getting my form down, but still lol) This disc probably won't instantly gain you more distance, or magically improve your game by 5 strokes, but if you need a workhorse driver for your everyday drives that's super consistent, the Star Thunderbird is a really good choice.