Long firebird! This disc is a forward pushing bomber both forehand and backhand. The raptor had replaced both my firebird and PD slots in my bag because of how effortlessly they fly. I can crank on my raptors and they pop up flat, ride for days, and fade forward. This disc is not dumpy, but it absolutely is overstable! If you need a glidey overstable driver look no further. Love this disc!

This disc flies perfectly as advertised, over stable. Out of the box this disc will have next to no flip, oven in headwinds. The real beauty in the raptor is when they are slightly beat up. They can turn into beautiful hyzer flip up discs. Great disc if you can get them up to speed. 

Disc: Discraft Z Line Raptor, 172g

Feel: This disc is pretty flat, which makes it quite comfortable for forehand throws! It’s not my favorite backhand disc when it comes to feel. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but it just doesn’t feel right. I’ve thrown many other discs that are flat, and have a very similar shape, and they feel fine. It’s not enough to stop me from throwing it, but I don’t have quite as much confidence with it as I perhaps would otherwise.

Flight: This disc is overstable, as the numbers suggest. It really never flips up when I don’t want it to, which is great. As someone who lives in Oklahoma, I play in high winds quite often. This disc is one of the best 9-speed drivers for windy conditions. I do slightly prefer the Innova Firebird, but this is also a great option. I don’t have the best forehand, but I can throw the Raptor pretty well. Its overstability wipes out my poor form. I was playing a pretty tough course the other day, and I needed to throw a dead straight RHFH shot 250 feet, and then hope it fades right hard after that on hole 18. I reached for my Raptor immediately, and it delivered. I hit chains, and none of my buddies even got within 80 feet (They’re far better than I am). None of them had Raptors, but two of the three bought a couple yesterday after seeing my shot. I rarely throw this backhand, I’m rather fond of my Innova Firebird for backhand shots. But when I have, I’ve had okay results. Just not what I can get out of my Firebird.

Overall: This is a very good driver for forehand throws, I really like it! If you have a rough forehand, I’d pick one or two of these up, they can really help you achieve better results.

I'm a forehand dominate player and always want a Firebird type disc in my bag at all times. Over the years, I've tried Firebirds, Felons, FD3s, and many others. The Raptor is one of the lesser stable options on the market and is very similar to an FD3 or Sexton Firebird in flight. Overall, all Firebird copy cats feel and fly about the same, Raptor included. The reason I decided to throw a Raptor over its competitors are due to more plastic options, availability, and I wanted to support Paul Ulibarri, who is one of my favorite pro players on tour. 

I used to bag first run Z Raptors and they were great. Very consistent and reliable. Even when the disc is beaten in and seasoned it still had a reliable finish. I've finally lost all of my Raptors and I'm considering moving on from them. They got slippery in the cold and wet. Grip is important to me so we shall see.

It's a stable fairway from Discraft very similar to the Innova firebird but I think just a tad more stability perfect for a stable forehand or need a very hard finish on backhand or forehand.  

This is a great disc for all overstable fairway shots backhand and forehand. This disc's flight is like a moderately used firebird out of the box; overstable finish with good distance. While I prefer most fairways in harder plastics like z line, but I actually prefer the Raptor in ESP as it has a little more glide. This is not a good disc for beginners to use for distance, but it is good for learning how to play the skip.

Excellent disc, but don't listen to folks who compare it to a stock Firebird. If you want a Firebird-like disc from Discraft then check out the Predator. The Raptor can fill most of the needs one would have for a 9 speed OS fairway driver, but it lacks the utility one would expect from something dummy OS. Rather, the Raptor is much more workable compared to discs like the stock Firebird, Felon, Motion, etc and has both a flight as well as disc dimensions that more closely resembles the Kastaplast Stal. The stability is right in-between a stock firebird and thunderbird, so it can be thrown in a variety of situations and won't dump out as quick as other OS 9-speeds. I've also heard that its flight is similar to that of a Sexybird, but I can't confirm having never thrown one. 

Raptor feels great both FH and BH; nice flat top and shallow rim depth. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner player who's brand new, but even without good BH form a beginner with an adequate FH can make use out of this disc. This disc would be a no-brainer to bag for me if I wasn't already throwing a Stal; their flights are incredibly similar and Kasta just has the superior plastic. Overall, solid disc that's OS enough to trust in wind without being so OS that it dive bombs into the ground. 

This review is for the Tour Series Metallic Z Uli Raptor. If you need a beefy disc to throw into a headwind the Raptor is the disc for you. I do not recommend this disc for beginners it is extremely overstable and can get away from you very quickly. 

Forehand - I mainly use this disc for forehand shots. I can put this disc on an extreme anhyzer angle and it will fight out of it every time. It opens up an entirely new shot that I couldn't use with any other discs. Extreme Flex shots are nice but the Raptor excels when thrown on hyzer to get around corners. It will always provide you with a skip at the end to get even closer to the basket. I have had my fair share of problems throwing a forehand into a headwind but the Raptor solves it. If I can avoid throwing a forehand directly into a headwind I will but sometimes it's required and this disc is my workhorse. I can always count on it fighting through and not flipping. The disc is board flat and fits comfortably in the hand. 

Backhand - The Raptor rarely sees a backhand throw from me. My form still has a ways to go and such an overstable disc is not a way to practice it. I can reach 375ft with a Hades on a flex line but the Raptor I can only push to 250ft before the fade begins. That isn't necessarily a problem though. I use it to get around corners and practice spike hyzers with it from time to time and it does the job. I just find that the Anax is easier to control. Once I am able to throw farther and more controlled with overstable discs the Raptor will see more use.

The Raptor is a really nice control driver that is mildly overstable but has decent glide and will show a bit of turn at very high speeds.

The first run I have is basically flat and pearly, looks and feels great. For most players this is probably the perfect forehand disc and backhand wind fighter. 

Personally, I like a disc to start out just a touch more overstable as than this one but I feel like it's great for most people and the hand feel really nice.

I really like this disc for spike hyzers, both FH and BH. I am also able to shape some nice flex FH lines with it even though I don't have a very strong FH.  It seems like this is a slot that everyone needs, whether you get there with a Felon, Firebird or Raptor, the overstable 9 speed slot seems pretty crucial to the game. Even when I'm too close to need this much disc, but there is a ceiling or something in my way, I can throw it on a low hyzer skip line to get through. I don't have the biggest of arms but this is still a solid utility disc for me and I could see it becoming the go-to fairway driver for those that throw hard. 

The Z Raptor is my go to forehand disc and fairway driver for windy days. It is reliably overstable and can be trusted all the time. The raptor is very similar to the Innova Firebrid in flight but has a different feel. 

The raptor is a great disc to fill the overstable fairway shot. It is good for backhands and has a nice reliable fade but where it really exceeds is being thrown forehand. It is shallow which makes it very comfortable. This disc is awesome for long  shots that need a reliable fade. I would highly recommend it with the caution that it may be uncomfortable to come in the hand.

The Raptor is an overstable fairway driver from Discraft that really hits the spot for exactly what it is designed for. This is a great fairway if you are looking for short chip shots to get around something in the way, this is the disc for you. Of course the Z plastic feels great in the hand as always and is super tough. Not only is the Raptor a good 9 speed to flick and get around stuff, it will actually get you more distance than you would ever believe possible for a disc that is designed to be overstable. If you put some angle on the Raptor and throw it with a good amount of torque, it will get quite a bit of glide but still be reliably stable at the end of it's flight. Grab a Raptor and throw it right in your bag. I promise you won't be disappointed. If you want to see my crew and I tossing the Raptor around, check out the video below.
 

These are one of the best discs on the market. I got one in the elite z plastic and I got a swirly TI raptor. They're both beautiful, grippy and over stable. If you're looking for an OS fairway, you can't go wrong bagging these. 

I absolutely love this disc for forehand throws. I can rip on it and it will give me a little bit of a turn and fade to a nice reliable finish. It is one of the discs in my bag I just keep reaching for. I definitely would recommend it to anyone!

I have this disc in big z and it was my favorite disc by far when I first got it. it is an amazing beginner forehand disc that i would throw on a forehand anhyser and it would always come back and I would get easy distance.It is not as much beginner friendly when thrown backhand because of its massive amounts of overstability. Overall great disc!!!

I went back and forth on this disc for months. When I first made the switch to throwing Discraft I told myself I would get one ASAP but never could talk myself into it because I got the Anax first. I thought the Anax was all I would need as far as overstable fairway drivers and bagged two for a long time but my local shop restocked tour series Raptor and this bright red one would just stare at me every time I walked in and it sat and sat and begged for me to buy it and give it a home. So I cracked and got it and wonder why I never bought one earlier. The one I have isn't near as overstable as the flight numbers made it sound. I can actually rip this flat to slight hyzer and get it to flip up and even give a little turn in flight. That being said it will always hyzer out and give a predictable finish that I absolutely love. It will almost always go to where I want it. It is a tough disc to throw and you need the arm power to make it work. I wouldn't recommend picking this one up for at least a few months until you know your technique is sound and you can really handle the power needed. No disc is worth throwing your arm out for so give it time and this disc will become a guaranteed staple in any bag. 

This is Discraft's Firebird, but with a slightly sharper nose. For that reason I prefer the Firebird for forehands, but the flights on these are almost identical. I might give the Firebird an extra bit of OS but not enough to change the rating of either. If you throw discraft, this should be your flick disc. If you have an open bag, I feel like the Firebird has a better feel to it, but that is just my opinion.

I have three of these, Big z, Z line, and Esp

The Big Z is extremely over stable. It never wants to turn

The Z line has a very SLIGHT turn at high speeds

The ESP is definitely the most understable of the plastics for this disc but will always try to fight back

With all that being said this disc is very true to its numbers. Power throwers will find it flips up from hyper and glides for days

New player - this disc just does what it says.  Flies straight and finishes left.  Great disc for a right to left required shot.  Highly recommend making this a part of your new bag.

I love the Z Raptor and rely on it for many forehand shots per round. Being a 9 speed, it is shapeable for my arm speed and tends to reach the appropriate distance accurately. I love the straight flight because I can depend on it to get through tight windows.

174 Z First Run.  Fills the over stable fairway driver slot in my bag nicely.  The First Run Z plastic seems to have a bit of pearl added to it which is very nice.  I agree with Discraft's flight numbers on this disc.  I use the Raptor whenever I'm within 300', need a wide hyzer, a strong fade, or a big skip, and I want zero flex in the flight. This is disc epitomizes 'Control Driver'.  

I have always leaned on my forehand, so this slot in my bag is very important.  I've bagged numerous Firebirds, Fireballs, and Felons.  To me, the Raptor is most similar in flight to a Sexton Firebird.   The nose is not quite as blunt, and the top has a tiny bit more dome. The rim is clean and comfy for buttery smooth flicks.

If you are looking for a glidey Discraft Firebird, go with a Raptor.  If you want something board flat and a complete pig, go with a Machete (which I bag for those really stupid windy days.)

For those new to Discraft, I feel like I need to point out that the Predator is a very different disc, even though it resides close to the Raptor on a stability chart.  The Predator is deeper, domier, flexier, and has a rim shape better suited for backhand than forehand.

174 Z

This was my first raptor, and I was hoping for a flat OS windfighter. It turned out to have more dome than I was expecting, and as such didn't fare as well in a headwind as I wanted. Backhand into a headwind I saw at a -1 turn before the fade, a power forehand can crash and burn if there's any wrist roll. In calm conditions I'd give it 9/5/0/2.5. Regardless, I still LOVE this disc for any other than a strong headwind. Long flick approaches work especially well. The pink z with some luster in it looks wicked too.

Love the raptor fits great in my very large hands, can handle a lot of power and torque, it a has a very dependable hyper skip and fades very hard but overall very oversrable and dependable lower speed wind fighter, great disc.

Boy is this thing overstable. Of course if that's what you're looking for go for it! It feels more like a fade of 4. I wouldn't recommend it for beginners unless it's really light because it'll be hard to get good distance. It is great for spike hyzers though.

The Raptor works like a longer Wasp. It can hit many lines with a click or two of hyzer or anhyzer. It's very maliabke like the Undertaker. If the Undertaker is stable to understable then the Raptor is stable to overstabke. It can reduce molds such as doing the job of a predator and a vulture, but will for sure take some practice to learn every shot with it. If you had a do all fairway driver this would be it, maybe a bit more overstable than a teebird, or a teebird that likes a forehand.

I enjoy this disc for heavy headwinds and any drive that needs to finish left (RHBH) no matter what.  Solid utility disc, reliable overstability.  Maybe not the best beginner disc, but than again I'm the guy who says beginners should throw Buzzzes.

Just a great forehand/utility disc. Not as glidey or fast as the Firebirds that I have thrown/bagged in the past, but I don't mean that as a negative comparison. The Raptor stays in its lane of being a meathook that cannot be overpowered and is difficult to throw too far. When the Raptor is bagged with a more versatile control driver like an Anax or Vulture, it really shines and is easy to understand when to utilize.

This is a good utility type disc to have in the bag.  I can also see this as a good beginning FH disc for someone who has good arm speed.  

This disc does not have a lot of glide, but it also doesn't just immediately dump over either. Thrown on a backhand, if it releases on a hyzer, it stays on a hyzer.  I only really got it to pop up flat into a decent headwind.  So on holes I typically throw a stable fairways driver on, I was getting about 30-40 feet less distance with the raptor unless I flexed it more.  It also finishes about 10-20 left of a stable control driver such as an Undertaker or Vulture.

Throwing this with a FH was where the strength of the disc really shined for me.  This was a very accurate disc and very dependable.  It is way more forgiving than a Flick, Firebird, or Felon for me.  I could do a better job at aiming because I didn't need to put everything into each throw to get the desired results.  It was very easy to put a slight anny release and let it flex out before fading hard at the end.  Again, not a lot of glide, but that's not what this disc is for.  I could see using it in a tight area that you need a strong finish at the end.

The rim felt very comfortable on the release, both BH and FH.  This is a good disc if you don't have that overstable slot filled yet.

Cheating Lefty's review of Discraft's Raptor! 

What an awesome disc! I am currently carrying 2 in my bag. I have one beat in to a nice hyzer flip to fade and the other holds hyzer. They have a surprising amount of glide and can really get out there while still hyzering out at the end. Works great for sidearms as well! If you have a solid 400+ of distance on your drives then this is a disc I highly suggest giving a shot. Kicked Firebirds and Thunderbirds from my bag after about 5 throws and I don't intend on ever switching back. 

I just got one of these the other day and I have to say it easily made my bag. The first run Z line plastic feels incredible and is very flat. I have a predator that I used for forehands but couldn't get the flight I was looking. This disc definitely filled that spot. It has a such a good feel in the hand and I always can get a consistent release with it. I also like this disc for big spike hyzers. It is really over stable and works great for these shots. 

I would highly recommend if you are looking for a forehand fairway driver or just a really consistent overstabke fairway driver.

Surprisingly workable disc. The First run Z-line tend to be exceptionally flat with a very comfortable sized rim. This disc feels like it was designed for forehand as it fits that grip fantastically but also suits the backhand surprisingly well. I've been throwing a first run z-line around 172g.

The Raptor has surprisingly good glide for a disc this overstable which makes it surprisingly useable. I would rate it maybe a bit more than an S-line PD from Discmania but not quite as beefy as say a solidly overstable firebird. The utility on this disc is pretty high as it works well for almost everything but big distance I've had great luck with it on forehands, backhands and overhand shots (this thing feels perfect for thumbers). 

The Raptor handles headwinds quite well while it does have good glide it does get batted down quick in tailwinds. 

Overall the raptors a nice alternative to Discraft's already popular predator and complements something like a vulture quite well when you need something more overstable or to handle more wind. 

This disc is beef, but not crazy beef, it holds a hyzer line very well and I love this disc, it always seems to skip exactly how I want. It's a must buy for intermediate players.

THIS is the OS control driver that I have been looking for. I got a firebird and while I believe that mine is more OS than most, it was insanely beefy. This is perfect and don't have to throw my arm out to get it to go 250ft. If I release it flat it will hold the line and then fade hard at the end getting a skip. Thrown on a hyzer you can get it to go left for a RHBH really quickly so for me it is best of both worlds. It is also a great FH disc as you would expect fro, am OS 9 speed. Love it! 

As a Disrcaft enthusiast, the Raptor was a great addition to the line-up. Discraft has a hefty line up of overstable discs, but were missing a slower speed driver that can be easily controlled from 280'-350'. This definitely fills that gap! Talking with other golfers, this disc flies similar to a moderate Firebird/Felon. Very comfortable in the hand both forehand and backhand. Good for beginners looking for a trick overstable disc, or more seasoned players as the consistent control driver you have been looking for. Try one today!

Friends of the family of Disc Golf. If you dont have this disc right now, I would recommend changing that. Right out of the gate ! fell in love with this disc. I have birdied with it all but one time. For you FH players out there, this is the disc for you. For BH players, this is the disc for you. Discraft hits it on the money...CONFIDENCE. This Disc brings confidence. Reliable flight, reliable fade. Always fights back if thrown on anny. Wind? Forget it. The Raptor doesnt care about wind. In fact it loves it. Strives to its full potential in all wind conditions. If I could 10 star this out of 5 stars i would. 

The Raptor is another overstable fairway from Discraft with a very flat top and a speed-9 rim width. I like this moderate rim width because it provides a comfortable grip for both backhand and forehand. I get a feeling that the Raptor was intended as a Firebird-style disc released for the 2019 professional renaissance at Discraft-- trying to release more discs that certain pros were familiar with when playing with other brands. It is a great disc for its design, but I feel like that slot in the bag was already adequately filled by the awesome, flat-top FLICK. The Machete is also similar in purpose with just a slightly higher speed. Discraft does make good overstable discs, and this is another that does a great job, but is not particularly unique in its design.

I would not recommend the Raptor for beginners. It is probably too overstable (too much fade) for new players. It isn't too high-speed, so it isn't necessarily bad for a newer player that wants a disc with a hard fade.