I highly recommend this to beginners and intermediate players looking for easy distance. This is probably one of the easiest discs to learn how to hyzer flip a disc, and as your arm speed increases, makes a good roller disc. 

In Z-line plastic, I can only get straight to overstable shots. I have put it nose down, with anhyzer and it never wants to move right. I can flip other discs up, but this was disappointing. 

I love this disc. Once it's beat in, I can put my full trust that it will fly the same path over and over again. Gentle turn to the right, slow fade to the left. Great midrange for beginners, as the understability allows for greater range and the consistency helps with learning accuracy.

Z Line Plastic - Super beginner friendly.  I bought a second one for my 66 year old new to disc golf dad and he uses it to tee off straight and loves it.  As for me?  For anything beyond a simple flick my forehand is hot garbage...backhand turnovers all day with this thing (or at least the once or twice a round a 250-300 foot backhand turnover is needed).

This is a great beginner disc. I was throwing Heats and loving them, and my then girlfriend was struggling to throw the Heat as her arm speed was still pretty low. We stepped her down to an Archer, and it was perfect for the three or four months before she refined her throw and got up to a Heat. The Archer during that time covered plenty of distance and worked great.

I would definitely contend with the numbers ratings and give it more of a 6/5/-3/1.

For those looking a flippy fairway/mid range though I definitely don't advocate for this over the Glide. I'd say this is for beginners, for intermediate arm speed mid/fairway range flips, go Meteor or Glide.



 

The Archer is a understable mid-range dream. If you like easy Hyzer flips and love a disc you can count on to hit your tight wooded lines every time...get an Archer. I find Z Line is a little more US than the new tour series ESP ones. I have made such unforgettable amazing shots with this mold almost every round. If you back the power off this a little you can get dead straight shots that don't fade. Full rip your going to get some turn but even though this disc is US it never turns and burns on me unless I release it wrong. This is such a fun disc to throw but if the wind picks up or I need a more OS finish then I might choose something else. This is my favorite mid-range.

I received a 170g Z Archer in a trade last fall and it quickly became a staple in my bag. The disc has a pretty solid dome and a small bead. It is easy to hold and feels great in the Z plastic. I think the flight numbers are a bit off. Mine is very glidey and really fast. I mostly use it for big backhand anhyzer shots - usually between 250-300ft - where I want the disc to turn and never fade. If I put a little height under it, this thing will glide forever. It might still be in the air at this moment. I love that I don't need to put much power/torque on it to get great distance on those anny shots. The Archer also gets used for backhand rollers. In the field, a well thrown roller with this thing will consistently pass 400ft. My only complaint about it is that it is so useful for anhyzer shots, its hard to know when it is appropriate to use this instead of an understable driver or understable midrange. This thing has taken over the duties of 3 or 4 discs I'm used to bagging. It can do too much!

Midrange or Driver? If you are a beginner looking for an understable disc that will fly straight for you you should give the archer a try. The Archer is one of the slowest "drivers" that you can find and with its -4 turn, it gives you plenty of space to be able to fade back at the end depending on your accuracy and form. I picked this disc up after using my sidewinder when I first started playing. It was easier for me to throw a slower (6-9 speed) understable disc rather than a faster (8-10 speed) overstable disc. I tend to throw my shots with more of a hyzer and I started practicing my hyzer flips with my sidewinder. I found that I could not get a fast enough pull through to get the disc far enough to flip up. That's where the Archer comes in. I purchased this disc before my first tournament (non-sanctioned doubles) for one specific hole on my local course that had a 10 ft gap I could never get through. There were trees right in front of the teepad and a narrow path on the outside so I had to find a way to get through the small gap. I had problems throwing straight and when I used a putter it didn't go far enough. I threw the Archer on Hyzer and it flipped up to flat. It glided through the trees and landed 20ft away from the basket with hardly any fade at all. This is exactly what I wanted to use this disc for and it worked perfectly. This disc is VERY situational for me and doesn't even come out of my bag on some rounds, but it is perfect to have when you need to get through a tight opening where a forehand isn't an option. Just like all discs, it does require a bit of practice if you are not used to throwing Hyzer Flips but once you get the hang of it you should be able to make a nice utility disc out of the Archer. The Archer does require A LOT and I mean A LOT of Hyzer for you to flip it up. I've had throws die almost instantly because I put the wrong angle on the discs. That all comes with practice though! Like I said this is a very situational disc and some players may not need to bag this at all, but if you are looking for a slower disc that you can Hyzer Flip look no further the Archer is for you. 

This disc is an amazing understable disc that toes the line between being a midrange and a fairway driver. It's magic! At lower power levels it flies straight with a slight hyzer at the end. With enough power it can reach it's full flight path and maximize its turn before fading back, giving a nice arced S-curve. As a lefty this meant having something that would turn out to the left and then finish right for a mostly straight end result. It has enough glide that it doesn't immediately turn into a roller when thrown on anhyzer, which is useful for long turnover shots. I picked up a pretty domey blue Z-line Archer and this thing glides for days! By far this disc had the most glide out of anything I have ever thrown. It's added extra distance to my throws without needing more power. This allows the disc to reach beyond a typical midrange for someone with lower arm speeds and cover the distance of a fairway driver.  As a beginner, this disc can do so many things and I would strongly recommend it to anyone starting out. It's easy to use and doesn't require a ton of power to get the full flight path out of it. The glide makes a difference! Be cautious of launching it (like other understable discs) into a headwind as it tends to just turn and keep turning. It's amazing with a tailwind though!

Let's talk about flight numbers for a second. Printed on the discs is was numbers of 5, 4, -4, 1. Infinite Discs has this as a 6, 5, -3, 1. My ratings fall inbetween the two. I found it not needing a full 6 power to get the ideal flight out of it, but it also having more glide than advertised. For me it's a 5, 5, -3, 1. I'd recommend finding a domey Archer for best results!

What led me to getting an Archer was my use of the Discraft Stratus. I enjoyed the Stratus, but found it to beat in too quickly because it only comes in lower level plastics (X and D). The Archer has opened up so many more shots than the Stratus ever could, plus it has more glide and durability. If you're just starting out or looking for a reliable understable disc, opt for the Archer over the Stratus.

I'm an intermediate player that throws RHBH and the Z Line Archer is my "Go To" Disc.  I love throwing this disc and outside of putting I use for about 80% of my shots.  I throw it off the tee and from the fairway.  It's predictable and I'm able to throw s-shots, hyzers and anhyzers with it.  I currently bag 3 Archers all in Z Line Plastic but at different stages of wear.  I think this is an excellent disc for both male and female disc golfers at the beginner or intermediate skill level.

The Discraft Archer is the next logical step to take if you are a beginner and a fan of the Discraft Stratus. Both discs have the tendency to go straight when thrown flat at medium power, with a bit of fade at the end. Both can handle S-shots, hyzers and anhyzers with the correct release. Neither are extremely wind resistant, though.

Because the Stratus is only available in X plastic (or Pro-D), they tend to get worn fairly quickly and may start to get less consistent over time. The Archer in Z plastic solves that problem. I've found Z plastic to be extremely durable. After several months of playing 2x a week, there is very little wear on my 165g Z Archer. The flight path has not changed much, except for improvements as my form has improved.

I've found the Z Archer to be slightly more stable than the Stratus - the fade at the end of flight is just a little more in my experience.

Highly recommended for new players.  

Have a big arm RHBH, this disc is my go to for a lot of shorter shots that I'll need to have my disc turn right and stay right. Released with a hyzer or will flip up flat and start turning right and stay going right.  Also works good for rollers. 

If you are a new player or have slow arm speed this would be a good one to try. 

The Archer is a really nice understable disc that works very well for turnovers where you need to see an RHBH throw drift or turn right.  Unless it's thrown with power, the Archer will attempt to make a little bit of a fade back.  The Archer is a little bit faster than most mids such as the Mako3 or Patrol, but that is offset by the Archer's lower glide.  That (lack of) glide can be a very good thing when you want a turnover to not 'get away' from you.

Wow. What an understable disc. I am a beginner with terrible form that puts too much muscle behind my throws. At first this disc would just turn to the right and burn into the ground. Eventually I learned to control my form and dial it back and the disc has been wonderful for large anhyzers or longer throws with a moderate turn. This disc rarely even attempts to fight back with a fade. However as long as you don't put too much zip on it the disc will gently glide to the right as a RHBH thrower on a straight release.

As someone who does not have a Forehand throw developed yet its perfect for holes that you usually would throw a forehand.

I love this disc.  The Archer became my go-to utility midrange the first round that I used it.  I literally came home and ordered two more after that round.  I haven't "clicked" with a new disc like that in a long time.

I have a slow arm and throw a lot of midranges.  In the Z plastic it seems really well rounded, and not nearly as flippy as the -3 turn number would suggest.  At 50%-70% power it will hold whatever line I put it on.  At medium power I can even get good S turns out of it.  Being an understable midrange, if you put a lot of power to it it gets less predictable, which is to be expected.

If you have a slower arm, or want to try a new touch midrange, I highly recommend this disc.

Fantastic beginner disc.  Hit a birdie from 100 feet out with this when I first started playing.  

Discraft really  hit the mark with this disc, creating the perfect trifecta of mid ranges for slower arms. I bag a meteor for shorter distances, a glide for medium distances, and now the archer for longer distances. This disc will do anything very well and with pinpoint accuracy, just like the other two discs. Just as long as their isn't a big wind. I love the archer!