The Athena is one of my all-time favorite discs I have ever thrown. I currently own and bag three of them. The first one I bought was a first-run ESP (168 grams)—that disc BOMBS. I can get that disc to push 400 with a flat release (RHBH). It will drift to the right slightly, but it will always have a dependable fade at the end. 

The second is my 6-claw Athena (175 grams). This one flies pretty much exactly like the flight numbers suggest. This will fly dead straight and then finish with a dependable fade every time. This disc has only ever turned over on me in a strong headwind. The fade has definitely decreased as I have beaten it in, but that just means I can throw it farther now. 

The most recent addition to my bag is the UV-Z Athena (175 grams). I am impressed with that plastic so far. The UV-Z plastic is a little softer than other Z-line plastics I've thrown, making it more comfortable, in my opinion. It is also super cool that the disc turns purple in the sun. I actually threw it for the first time on a cloudy day, and it still changed colors. Z plastics tend to be more overstable and retain their stability longer, in my experience. In this instance, this disc isn't any more stable than my 6-claw (in fact, it might be slightly straighter out of the box), but I believe it will take longer to beat in. 

If you are looking for a disc that will fly straight with a dependable fade, this is one of the best I could recommend. Being a fairway driver, it has a lot less left or right movement than a distance driver, so it is perfect for tunnel shots. I will be throwing Athenas for a very long time. 

This is probably my most used disc in my bag. I have so much control with it, particularly on forehands. It flies dead straight for me with a reliable finish and is my go to on tight wooded holes.

Rock solid fairway driver. Stable, but not beefy. Comfortable in the hand. Maybe not quite as glidey as other fairway drivers with 5 glides but still nice and moderate in pretty much all categories. A touch faster than a teebird seemingly, since it has a slightly wider rim

I have a first run 173 gram disc. I have grown very fond of this disc as the flight path is just as you expect. I have found that the Athena can hold a straight line quite well but as I have gotten it beaten in, the fade definitely has become more prominent. In my experience, I have been able to throw this disc fast without having it turn over on me and keep the straight line quite well. This isn't the most predictable disc for hyzer shots and have found that it is best for flat, straight shots.

The Athena is an interesting disc. In the Test Flight mold, these discs are massively overstable. In the Proto mold, these discs are less stable than the Test Flight but the First Runs fly absolutely perfect. They are a long straight disc with a small reliable finish. The lighter weight Athena's are awesome! With a faster arm speed, these light weight disc have less stability and will go a long way in a straight line. 

The Paul McBeth Athena is a great controllable driver for players of most skill levels. For newer players or players with slower arm speeds, the Athena will be a semi-overstable fairway driver that can be used to hold a hyzer line in both calm and windy conditions. For bigger arms, you can put this disc on several different lines and trust that it will not fully turn over. Want to see the Athena in action? Check out my video review below!

Great control driver, with a very reliable fade.   This is one of those molds that just feel right in my hand.  If powered up just a bit, the fade is a bit less, and a little bit of anny will lead to some dead straight flex shots.  

I have a First Run ESP, 176 grams.

Flight of this disc is very close to the flight numbers. I've had a very slight drift right into a strong headwind otherwise 0 turn in little to no wind. I love the feel and look of the disc. The distance is pretty surprising as I was getting it near some of my distance drivers in the field.

5 Star disc!   

Different reviews for runs.

First Run ESP

I expected the First Run ESP to fly similar to the Proto, but the difference in flight was immediately noticeable.  It was so much less stable, I got a gentle flip up in a tailwind and definite turn in a headwind.  It also flew 30+ft farther than the Proto, which makes sense, since there was a bit of flip in it.  It did fade back, but definitely not as much as the Proto.  I'd maybe even change the numbers on my First Run to 7 6 0 1.  I've only thrown one First Run, so I'm interested in seeing if this breaks into a bigger bomber or too flippy.  I personally think it will become a bomber.

This is less stable, and therefore will be good for beginners. I think faster arms will be surprised at how much distance this can get. Might not be as reliable in heavy head or cross winds.

Proto ESP

I found the Proto ESP to be way more stable, consistent with the flight numbers. It flew almost exactly like my Jen Allen Color Glow Teebird, landing within feet of each other. It was straight with a very consistent fade. It was consistently shorter than my First Run as well.

This is a great disc for anyone, and will be a very consistent wind fighter.

Reliable. Predictable. Overstable (ish). This disc hits that 7-speed overstable fairway spot perfectly. It doesn't turn over, but will hold your chosen angle for about 3/4 of its flight before fading consistently to the left (LHFH or RHBH). The slower-speed rim means it fits in all sizes of hands comfortably. All that being said, this disc doesn't really do anything new or unique. Without the PMB hype this would just be any other solid, reliable fairway driver in a durable but somewhat slick plastic.

The missing disc in Discrafts lineup. 

I was very fortunate to find one of these at my local disc shop and decided to pick one up. With the flight ratings, I expected it to fly much like the teebird3. This disc seemed very normal on flat and hyzer, but what surprised me the most is the almost instant predictability on the flight of this disc. The Athena is very comfortable in the hand as well as in flight. I nearly aced a hole with one of my first throws using this disc which makes me affirm the numbers as printed. The only problem I would pose is the glide. No matter how hard I snap my arm, I am not able to push it past 325'. That could just be my skill but the Athena does have the most predictable flight of all my discs. I fully recommend this for players who have trouble with gaps and tight fairways or need a disc that can perform a flex shot.

I think this is better compared to a Teebird3 than a Teebird, which makes sense since that's what Paul threw toward the end of his Innova career. Same rim characteristics, but a flatter feel and less glidey flight than a stock run Teebird. Definitely a click more stable out of the box than a stock run Teebird, which is why it reminds me more of the Teebird3. Looking forward for this to season in to a bit straighter.

This disc is exactly as described. It is an overstable fairway driver that in the right hands is an extremely versatile tool. It will hold anhyzer to rip it on a flex line and always has a reliable fade. It isn't a distance disc its meant to point and shoot and place the disc in the fair way or under the basket. I got lucky and got a couple proto Athenas and they made my bag immediately. I didn't realize the hole between an undertaker and anax in my bag. Hopefully they don't tweak this mold too much for the first run release.

This disc is as advertised. Workable and consistent on the first shots with it. Got three birds with it first round. One backhand and two forehands to at least 300, smooth straight flight with moderate finish. Can take decent power into a headwind and not compromise angle. Feels a bit faster in the hand compared to the stalker with a more traditional rim.

Yup. The Discraft Athena is very similar to the Innova TeeBird. The 170 gram Athena I have might be a little bit flatter than the average Teebird but the rim feel is pretty much the same. 

The Athena is a stable flying low speed fairway driver that's not too overstable that you can't throw it mostly straight. It's not soo overstable that someone like me can't get any distance out of it, but it's straight enough that unless you're Drew Gibson throwing into a headwind this disc is not going to flip up on you. 

The Athena is built for control and consistency, just like the Teebird. I'd say for my arm speed the Athena is a little more overstable than the flight ratings indicate, but it accomplishes that role as an ultra consistent driver. 

So why did I give this disc only an "average rating" three star? My unpopular opinion, I don't like Discraft ESP plastic as much as Innova Star. It looks fantastic, and aesthetically the swirls of Athena are so much prettier than any swirly Star plastic I've ever seen, but I just prefer the softer, slightly grippier feel of Star. I didn't have any grip issues when throwing the Athena during my tester round, but it just feels like I would have grip issue at some point, especially in colder temperatures.