173 X Mantis

I feel like this is an underrated disc.  I really wish this would have been one of the first discs I got as a beginner.  I max at about 300', and it has just the right amount of turn that I can throw straight shots, s-turn shots, and turnover shots.  The X-plastic is grippy and feels great.  It does have a dome, but it doesn't feel awkward to me.  Rather it feels full in my hand. 

I highly recommend this, especially for a beginner looking to not carry too many molds and learn different lines with their discs.

The Mantis is a pretty neutral flying control driver from Discraft. This disc, when thrown up to speed, will get a little bit of turn before it has a small dependable fade back. It is really an easy disc to control and to throw on a variety of lines. This is a great woods disc once it gets worked in just a little bet. This disc could cover most of a person's fairway needs. 

175g - 176g RHBH ~280' Best range for me: ~230' - ~300'

To start, this disc is a good disc if you have decent enough form. If you try and yoke on it, turn and burn, or at least this is so with my arm. However, if I throw it with the right power and angle I can have this disc do amazing things, but it is a bit touchy. I can take this disc and vary the amount of both Turn and Fade making it an ideal slot disc for me and my bag for the courses I play.

The numbers are fairly consistent, but they are a bit off in Speed. Being used to Innova discs, I would rank the Mantis at a 6.5, but the rating system here would not allow me to do so. I cannot throw this disc over that of my Pro Leopard or SP Squall in terms of speed before it will begin to turn right hard and stay that way. Yet, if you toss it out like the slower discs I mentioned, this disc will do wonderful things for you. Just don't try and put the screws to it like you would a Thunderbird or an Escape, for examples.

The Glide is actually quite nice in that it will go for a bit, longer than my Valkyrie, but it will tend to fight to stay flat in a wind, both head and tail. Yet, if the headwind is a bit strong, it will pick up and get taken by nature. it also has yet to have a real good skip for me either, but to be fair I have not truly tried for that type of landing with it either. Still, it has a nice glide and tries to fly against the wind. Not bad in my book.

Regarding Turn and Fade, this disc will vary depending on exactly how you throw it, almost being a point-and-shoot disc once used enough. I have varied the Turn and Fade from a 0 0 to a -2 3, and all point in between and purposefully. Yet, and gain, it is very torque restrictive. If you get into it one or another too much it will burn without any hint and wanting to fight back,

As to its other aspects, they are all high marked as well concerning the disc and the Elite X plastic. The disc is fairly durable handling a few hard tree hits and one good slide down a concrete sidewalk some 30'. Not a truly noticeable mark to be found after three good rounds using it. Fairly grippy too considering the plastic is considered to not be as such. I kept a good grip, sometimes too good, never once having it slip out during any throw. I have a horrid forearm throw, so you will have to read another eview for that angle on this disc. Sorry.

Lastly, a very good disc for those who have a fairly decent form and want to try and learn the disc and play a few rounds with it to do so. The more I threw it the better I was with controlling it, and the longer it started to fly as well. Very pleased overall with this disc and use it often on many fairway drives and even a few longer approaches where I needed to weave in and out of a few trees.

Tried out an X Mantis today and it is staying in the bag.  I have been waiting an eternity for a Pro Eagle or P Line FD to come out.  Rather than wait ten more years I figured I would try one of the newly released X Mantis' for that role.

Overall it flies very similar to my Z Mantis but I can tell it is just a touch less stable.  I prefer X or pro type plastics in the winter so I think if you like pro plastics for fairways you should try one of these out.

Definitely more stable than a D Line FD but a little less stable than a fresh DX Eagle. Would make for a great 1st distance/fairway driver for someone new but is still stable enough for someone throwing farther to get use of.  I was getting mine out to at least 330' on some throws and it wasn't getting squirrely yet (my D Line FD's even fresh start to get hard to control at that distance).