I've had quite a difficult time with the groove.  The first one I ever bought was a wonderful backhand driver.  Beautiful shape, great distance, and the glide made me look better than I deserved.  Eventually I lost it because I'm dumb and bad, and immediately bought a replacement.  It was a completely different experience.  I've since thrown several others, both my own and friends and I think I've come to the conclusion that it's just not a very consistent mold. 

As others have noted you've got to be really consistent with your release or it won't do what you want.  Glide has been very inconsistent for me across different discs, all champion plastic. 

I don't use it anymore, except as my go-to tomahawk/thumber disc.  The wide rim helps a lot there.

Bottom line, wouldn't recommend, you never know what you're going to get.

Got my hands on one of the April Fool's halo ones and decided to give it a spin.  The first throw was a backhand that went over 350 feet!  Needless to say, I was impressed!  As I threw the Groove a few more times I found it to be very sensitive to the angle of release.  When the nose is down it bombs; however, even the slightest nose up angle causes a huge loss of distance and a crazy overstable flight.  Yes I'm glad I got to try out this disc, but it will not be making my bag.  

I don't really have a use for a disc this fast, and I really don't feel that 95% of players out there do either. Additionally, I really don't like the feel of this as a backand disc, so it greatly reduces how much I'd be able to use it.

As a forehand disc, the rim is so chunky it feels like a tank. I can get OK distance with it, but I doubt I'm getting enough spin to see what it can do properly. Without getting it going properly, it's extremely overstable. Overall, it's an enigma.

I love my Groove. I cant throw it very far RHBH and it dumps quickly but I use that for skip shots. The wide rim makes this the best and most predictable disc to skip around corners. The unique rim is different than the traditional disc rim, but it is very comfortable with a FH grip. Very fun to work FH flex shots with this. I keep this in my bag for flexing forehands and predictable skip shots. Can handle lots of wear and tear over the years and keep performing.

This disc was ironically my first disc I ever bought when I was completely new to the sport. First of all I want to start by saying NEVER buy a driver as your first disc because that is like buying a sport car when you have no experience at all even driving your moms car if that makes sense. It is definitely something you need to work up to. Now, with that said, this disc is very awkward and from what I've found, flys very inconsistently and is a very tricky disc to even get a good distance out of without being completely off of your mark. I was surprised when I was curious to read what other players had to say about this disc to see that almost everyone had the same view and experience with this disc. Unfortunately this wasn't a good one from innova. I mean I could see totally what they were trying to do and it was a pretty cool idea to have a groove in the rim for comfort and mainly to trim down excess weight but ultimately it was a flop and this disc should be avoided especially by new players but heck if you already know how to throw and have some experience under your belt then by all means try it out for yourself and maybe you'll be the chosen one in mastering this crazy flying disc! 

I would not suggest this disc to most people but I do know some people who absolutely love them. Each of my three grooves are very overstable and can be hard to throw any distance. They can however be good for some utility shots I just personally like other discs that are more overstable and useful for other shots. Forehand wise I think the groove is fairly uncomfortable in the hand and can catch and cut your hand. If you are a beginner do not even attempt to throw this thing it will dump really quick and you will get no distance. If you are getting a groove they are all made in better plastic so if you do want to give this very interesting disc a try it will last a long time. My champion groove has been thrown into multiple trees and there are not marks on it at all. 

People hate on this disc a lot, but honestly the groove helps it roll over sticks and is good for long bomb forehand rollers. Throwing it backhand tends to have inconsistent results, however.

Not as bad as expected. Not good. Don't mind the feel of the disc but something just feels inconsistent about how it flies. Can't put finger on it. But don't recommend. 

I think this disc is the most polarizing disc out there. My sense is that it's a very useful utility disc, but probably not much more. I throw it rh forehand because my form is terrible and I consistently release with way too much anhyzer on it. The thing will fight through anything and finish overstable. It's fade is also quite weird, it does not smoothly fade out.  

This was my first distance driver and it is still my favorite! I can always count on this disc

I honestly don't know what people don't like about this disc! I found one and started using it and it stayed in my bag for a very long time! The only reason it left my bag was because I got a bunch of new plastic that I wanted to test and needed some more room. This is a nice glidey driver that has a reliable left hand fade finish. So many people talk about how they don't like the groove on the rim, but with a power grip, you can't even tell it's there anyway, so what's the problem? Doesn't bother me in the slightest. 

However, there is one caveat. I don't actually use this as a distance driver like it's meant to be. I use this as a control driver and it's great for that purpose. It flies straight and finishes left. It's predictable for the most part. There are a few holes locally that I play where when I use this disc, I park it the majority of the time. If that doesn't keep a disc in your bag, I don't know what will. 

Now, go get your groove on!

I bought this disc brand new, 170g, a couple years ago because my friend liked it so much and I didn't think it was half bad throwing it a couple of times. Once I started to use it more, the more I started to dislike it, so I put it away in the closet. A couple years later I thought I may have a different view on it as I had gotten better at disc golf... I was wrong, still didn't like it. The first thing is the rim feels odd, not just the groove in it, but the width as well. It just doesn't feel good in the hand. Also it feels very beefy compared to the flight numbers, even before throwing it. Just my two cents, but it looks like others have the same view which is nice.

I picked neutral due to having no idea what this disc is actually supposed to do. I've had some extremely overstable, and some fly like rollers.

The feel of the disc is just awful. I hate the groove on the bottom that it's infamously known for. It's extremely wide rimmed, uncomfortable, and generally just unappealing to hold.

I just don't really know a good reason to suggest this disc, to be frank. There are so many better options. 

I found one of these someone left it in a basket, maybe on purpose? It flew way more overstable then I thought. Which is something I heard is a thing with these, inconsistency. Honestly would look at a Katana or Shryke. Both of which I have thrown extensively and are more consistent from disc to disc. 

This is a great disc, but the shryke does everything this does and better. It does feel a little weird for forhand. It was one of the first distance drivers I learned how to throw far with. Maybe the groove is the reason I never developed a strong forhand.......

I had a 170g champion groove.

I hated the disc. The groove has a weird flight path, as far as I can tell it's only good for flex shots and nothing else. Out of the hand the disc is super understable, but then it has hook at the end.  Over all, like many others, I find the disc to be rather odd and kind of gimmicky. I had a friend who likes the groove, but he also likes the Shryke which has the same flight numbers but none of the oddities.

This disc has it all. Don't let others opinions sway you on this. At least give it a try. I have thrown all models but the pro gentlemans club version. I would say the echo star and the champion box number runs are your best bet. These discs fly amazingly strait when given full power by my noodle arm. It goes so straight until a spicy hookup. It  really gets some nice skips too depending on the conditions. Also it is easy to use as a forhand roller disc, especially at short distances . 

Disc: 170g Champion Groove (green)

Feels weird in the hand. Strange big groove on the rim makes this an awkward disc to throw. I know a guy that does like them, but for me, they are just a gimmick. It doesn't fly or do anything special to warrant the awkward grip, so I wouldn't recommend getting one.

Summary: Tried one out, didn't like it. Didn't make the bag. But hey, if you're into the groove in the rim, then this is the disc for you.

I love this disc. I can throw it flip to flat and it has a nice finishing fade on it. It gave me my first ever ace! Not sure why it gets so much hate, it is my go to if I need a hyzer shot to go about 300ft. 

I've only thrown this disc in Champion plastic.

I'm sure most of the reviews already cover the sharp edge of the rim, and the concave shape of it.

Conclusion:

This disc is uncomfortable, and as far as I've read and seen, it might either be a flippy -2 or a good +1 in turn. The one i threw was beefy as the beefiest of PD2s. Unreliable and uncomfortable disc. This is the only 1 star disc I've encountered.

It gets its name from the groove in the rim.  I don't have enough power to get this to turn with a backhand throw, but it can handle my sidearm better than most other discs.

The Groove gets a lot of hate on discussion boards and reviews, so I was interested to give it a try. The one that I tried actually had a very nice flight. It reminded me of a worn in Destroyer. It has some turn and a small fade back, making it a pretty easy disc to control if you have the power. I have only tried the one, and I know many speak of the inconsistency from disc to disc, so maybe I got lucky with this one. I really didn't see the purpose of the groove in the disc, it was a little awkward, and doesn't seem to make the disc do anything special. It is not a disc I would throw normally, but my experience with it does not generate hate within me like it does for others. 

I am a pretty experienced golfer (30 years, on and off) with slightly above-average driving speed. I picked this disc up used, but looks to be in great shape. I took it to a field where I throw down the line of a soccer field. Thrown RHBH, overstable discs with high fade might skip into or even hit a chain link fence about 30' to the left. On its maiden voyage, I threw this disc OVER the fence, which is probably 15' high!!! 

This thing is NOTHING like the flight numbers would suggest. I find this disc very hard to control, and would say the closest point of comparison I can find is a Firebird. For forehands, I cannot control this disc at all and it just goes to the right almost as soon as I've released it. The rim is really wide, the groove just feels weird, and there an unusually sharp edge where the rim turns up toward the flight plate that scrapes my hand when I throw FH.

This disc is going in my box of spare/random junk. 

I bought a 175g Champion Groove soon after getting into the sport of disc golf. I saw that it was a speed 13 and it had the word 'champion' in it so I thought it had to be a good disc. I couldn't get it up to speed, but I enjoyed flicking it and watching it fly on a huge hyzer. I ended up getting my first ace with this disc. I took it out of my bag a while ago and found other discs that were easier to get up to speed and flew more consistent. 

I'm very surprised at the negative reviews on this disc. Maybe I was just lucky enough to find a good one. I have found this disc to be incredibly stable when I need it to be. I frequently use it for tomahawk/tunnel shots since my local course is full of narrow gaps. It is probably the most consistent driver in my bag. The only time it is inconsistent is when I throw my backhand, but part of that is my own fault. If you need a stable distance driver, this is my recommendation.

The Groove is a very inconsistent driver. It is high speed and it seems the flight pattern is determined by the specific disc you have. Everyone's seems to fly differently, and its really hard to tell what the wind will do to it. Over-all not a great disc for anyone new to the sport.

This disc is too fast for newer players to get anything akin to the flight path the numbers say. I started with it before I knew what I was doing and just got short fading shots. When I throw it now it makes for very shallow S-shots but the power needed just isn't worth it. The glide would be great on a Fairway or Mid Range but, personally, I find many 6 glide distance drivers rob themselves of their potential. 

It's really pretty surprising that Innova still makes the groove. The disc is basically a meme and a good example of how not to make a frisbee. It feels terrible in the hand, it's flight is wonky and unpredictable, and there are dozens of drivers with similar ratings, all of which I would recommend before the groove. The only reason I would actually spend money on one is as a prank or gag gift. If you're seriously looking for a driver, look at anything else. If you want something with similar flight numbers, try the Archon or the Valkyrie.

This disc is great in certain situations.  This disc turns hard at the end.  Great for skips shots!!

Every one of these discs is different and will fly different. Luckily mine is perfect. It has a straight flight and considerable fade at the end.

I suck at disc golf and so does this disc.  This disc is such trash just like me.  However it did last me longer than most discs I got through 18 until i lost it on the 3rd hole of my next round.  I dont recomend this disc but i suck so maybe its good idk.

 if you find a version of this discs you like do not lose it because you will not find another one that was exactly the same I have thrown three to four grooves and they've all flown differently they're also uncomfortable in a my hand.

I personally didn't like this disc from the start. It was way more overstable for me than the numbers suggest. It's more overstable then my destroyers and my D1s and my boss.

Worthless meathook. When thrown it wants to do a 180 in the air and travel away from the intended target. I thought I'd use it for major dogleg shots but I'd rather just bag a reliable Firebird.

It did come in handy when a friend expressed his love of the disc to which I quickly dumped my meager supply as a birthday present. Any other time I wouldn't wish this disc on my worst enemy.

this is just a horrible disc. it's uncomfortable in the hand isn't consistent and the flight ratings are way off and differ too often from disc to disc 

The Groove is a disc that gets a lot of hate from players, and probably rightly so. I have seen one person out of the thousands I have met who liked the Groove and threw it well enough. 

The problem with the Groove is that it was a gimmick disc. They had an idea to go with and tried it, but the disc they came up with is horrendous. The rim feels awful, and the groove in the rim that the disc is named for feels wrong and uncomfortable. It isn't easy to grip and the inside edge of the rim tends to be much sharper than other discs.

Aside from the awful design, the disc is not consistent for two reasons. One is simply because the runs are not consistent and so two Grooves rarely throw even similr. But the other reason is that the odd shape of the rim mixed with how wide it in results in some very inconsistent throws. I do not recommend this disc for anyone 

Honestly, I started throwing this disc because it looked different than any other disc i'd ever seen. Because I struggled initially learning to forehand (due to a massive amount of anheiser) I actually grew to like this disc. I still throw it and get a VERY predictable finish from it whenever I release it on a 45 degree anheiser. It will ride the line I initially put it on and then fade out, giving a nice S-line and finish stable.

I would only recommend this disc for a player who can control the angle of release on their forehands well. If you can, it's a great disc. It is also very predictable into a headwind, and with a tailwind. Probably the most over-stable disc in my bag and despite the misguiding flight numbers, I like it. 

This disc makes a great SOUP BOWL in domey-er molds. Never spill a drip of broth with the built in drip stopping moat(groove)!!! THIS DISC IS GARBAGE. Complete meat-hooking brick in the air. I can make other speed 13 discs dance just fine, but this is IMO an unthrowable disc.

I currently own the Champion Groove with a weight of 167 grams. I have a love hate relationship with this disc. I have some success with it, but more times than not, it frustrates the crap out of me. Here is why.

First, the different groove on the rim. I believe that Innova designed this disc with the odd groove on the rim to provide the disc with the additional Glide. A glide rating of 6 is as good as it comes. It feels awkward and until it is worn in, it is pretty sharp which will scrape across your skin and cause the grip and release to be thrown off.

Second, there is no way this disc should have a turn rating of -2. I was acutally given this disc by someone who hated it because it fades right out or the release. I though he was nuts and took it to try it out. After throwing it for about 45 mins on a couple of occassions, I found that he was right. It flew great a couple of times, but for the most part, it never stuck to it advertised flight pattern.

Don't buy this disc IMHO. There are much better discs like the Katana and Vulcan.

The Groove gets so much hate, and only some of it is deserved. I will say that I have two of them, more because they're all but given away on eBay and because I like to throw them in places where I don't want to risk blasting a rock with my Destroyer, Katana, or Surge. I have a 171 gram and 162 gram Groove, both champ plastic.

Let me explain what I feel causes a lot of the hate. The Groove is sold everywhere, and rookies buy them thinking that speed 13 means the disc magically flies out of a noob's hand and automatically makes you a 400+ foot driver. Wrong, totally the opposite of what happens. Weaker arms would be better off throwing a manhole. This disc will go nowhere and fade out before your follow through ends. It's also shockingly bad a design for back handing, a very sharp edge and ridge actually discourages the grip and power you need to make this thing work. Not a lot of love, I know. But I will say it's a great forehand disc, and when cranked it will really go far/fast and finish predictably stable. Both mine fly very similar so I can't comment on the mold inconsistency. But compared to Innova's other high speed drivers this disc really isn't anything to write home about.

The Groove was a cool idea. Problem was, it didn't pan out well at all for Innova. I won't call it a totally useless disc, but it's plagued by consistency problems. Some are super stable and others flip with half powered throws. It also noticeably lacks glide, which cuts down on distance potential. Nightmare in the wind as well. It's speed 10 counterpart, the Monarch, suffers from the same problems. It's a lousy rim design.

The Groove's only saving grace is its speed, which allows the disc to gain acceptable distance even despite lack of glide. Frankly I'm a bit surprised the Groove is still in production, as Innova makes numerous other discs of the same speed that are all better options (except the Dominator). I'd still rather throw a Groove than a Dominator.

throw it as far as you can and never look for it

The groove is just an extremely inconsistent disc. The deviation of a disc's flight characteristics and the intended flight characteristics of the groove is almost always high. One time have I ever thrown a Groove and been like "Oh wow, that is EXACTLY A 13, 6, -2, 2."

Let's start with speed. This one is on the money! Every Groove you will ever throw will be extremely fast out of the hand and require a decent amount of skill and power to get a decent flight out of the disc.

Glide. This one is a problem because I have never thrown a Groove with a glide of 6. In fact I would put this disc down as having less than average glide, considering the average glide of a disc is 4.5-5. 

Turn. This one is extremely inconsistent. The first time I ever tried the Groove, the flight ratings were probably 13-3-0-4; it flew like an ape that gets EXTRA skip (as if you thought the Ape couldn't get any more skip...). One Groove I tried last year was actually really understable, and I could barely get it to stay in the air because it wanted to burn out on an anhyzer to the right, for a RHBH throw. Other grooves I have thrown seem to have been like crappier versions of the Boss. Overall I would say the Groove has little to no turn out of the box.

Fade. This one I would say is a little closer to accurate, with Innova's flight ratings giving it a 2. I think this disc averages out to be a little beefier than that, so I gave it a personal rating of 3. Since there are Grooves out there that are unthrowably overstable, I think it seems right to give it a little more for the fade.

Overall I think this is just a horrible molded, terribly flying Destroyer or Boss. If you want a mystery disc in terms of flight characteristics, try the Groove. It is a surprise every time what it will do, other than be super fast.



Fade. This one is a little more consistent tha

I love my Groove. I went months when I first started with only a champion Groove, Champion Eagle, and a putter. Needless to say I still only the Groove and the Eagle years later. I only throw it forehand and find that it flys best for me when I release palm up and point my index finger at my desired flight path. I dont get the distance most people get but I get it out 300 ft and on the line I want it. The groove in the rim actually works with my throwing/holding technique.

Rough memories with this disc! Maybe I could throw it better now that I am more seasoned and have more arm speed. But yikes. This thing for me was just like a champ boss...zips way to the left as a RHBH thrower. Just a big fader and it really shouldn't be if you look at the flight numbers! And the 6 glide? Non existent for me. At the time all I used it for was big hyzer shots and attempted RHFH tosses. Lost the disc and didn't even care. MAYBE someday I will try another out as I am a better player now, but many people hate this disc. One of those love it or hate it discs!

One of the most inconsistent molds in all of disc golf in my opinion.  I've bagged a yellow 175g Groove for 3 years now and the only disc in my bag that is more overstable is my max weight Monster.  Thrown a few different Grooves over the years and every one flies wildly different.  Aside from the meathook I own, I've thrown a few that turn and burn, and only one that actually flies close to the numbers.  I would not recommend this disc for beginners due to its inconsistent nature.  I can't speak for Grooves produced within the last year or so, but that has been my experience in the past.

This disc does not fly anything like the numbers. It flies more like a 9,4,0,5.  Total Meat Hook when thrown backhand straight, maybe 200'.  An Anhyser thrown backhand will produce a 300' S-curve, but it feels like you are fighting the disc. Go for a beast instead.

This disc gets some bad rap, but it isn't all bad. First, the good: It holds a nice s curve on forehand shots and skips a mile when it lands flat. I use it on particular shots that I need it to snake right(LHFH) then finish back straight in front of me around 250-280 feet. It is a good downhill disc for FH. Next, the bad: The rim on this disc makes it virtually impossable to backhand and even if you manage to somehow throw it flat and on your line the 'groove' on the rim is so jagged it basically feels like the skin is being ripped off of your hand as it releases. Overall, while not wholly bad, I would not get the Groove again if I lost it and I would buy another disc in its place if I went back in time.

I throw overhand drives, and this one just comes off the hand so nice. It can handle a strong arm throw and not many disc are so consistant.

If you have heard anything about this disc you should know there is a lot of hate for it. I for what ever reson was chosen by the Gods of DiscGolf and managed to either get a good Groove or just the ability to throw it right. It doe just what it says in the flight path, maybe a bit straighter. Throw it hard and it does just that, Throw is softer and it has a big meat hook at the end. And I will have you know I am no strong armed thrower. I will leave it up to you to test the waters with this guy, maybe you will get lucky as did I.

Man, the Groove. Maybe it's because I'm not a body builder, but this disc just doesn't go very far. It may go 100 feet at best, but it's so dang overstable, it takes chunks out of the grass 70 feet away sometimes.I can use it for short doglegs, and certain approaches, but not for distance driving. The Groove could be used as a dogbowl as well, because of the giant dome and groove on the rim. I am not too impressed with the groove.

finally broke 300 with this disc

If you throw a sharp forehand, you will like this disc. Most beginners will not get this disc, and there are much better options in a high speed disc for backhand throwing. However, I have seen a couple forehand throwers launch this disc for crazy distance.

I love my champion groove. It was a gift from s friend and my go to disc for many shots. It's my primary driver and I use it for long second shots and low overheads. Should explain that I only shoot overhand shots unless the shot is under 150ft. I have thrown many other drivers that review well like the boss, jag, mamba, etc. And none of them can hold up to my tomahawk speed. This one does just fine. I have heard they are not all this good of a mold so I hope I never lose this beast.

Threw this beast at least 420 feet (measured through pacing) with forehand on slight downhill.

I have to give another review for this disc. Most recently I am using this disc only for Forehand flick shot (or sidearm) and I absolutely love it. I am getting the most distance from it, probably more than my Star Katana (172 gm) with forehand shots. I am bombing at least 300 ft with forehand throw. My farthest D was 370 ft with this disc with forehand but with backhand it is somewhere 250 ft. It is an extremely reliable disc for any kind of wind situation with forehand but with backhand throw I would not recommend it for intermediate power throwers.

The groove is actually a pretty great disc (champion) once you break it in; I was pretty frustrated with it at first based on how much it faded back left (RHBH), but I've come to rely on it for long shots that have an obstacle near the basket that I need to wrap around at the end of the disc's flight. Now that it is broken in, I religiously use it for headwind shots as well. Some of my smoothest, flatest throws have come from this disc. I would recommend higher weights for intermediate to advanced players only, but also a good disc for beginners in lighter weights.

I actually like this disc. I have it in champion plastic, and I get a pretty hard fade at the end of the shot. I tip it to a decent anny and it gives me a nice S curve. I don't throw it as far as I probably should, but it seems to work for me.

...or you just throw it in intentionally... :)

Do not purchase this disc. It is a gimmick to generate a high-speed disc in lower weights. The mold is inconsistent. The rim is very awkward to hold due to the groove. The flight is poor. I do not know why this disc is still produced. If you are searching for a lighter-weight 13 speed disc, seek a Blizzard alternative. As far as "gliding further than any other disc on the market," that is just a lie. If you want glide, see Latitude 64 discs.

For myself, I have found this mold to be unreliable in its flight mechanics. I have two of these that were given to me by someone who simply did not want them anymore. Both are exact same weight, but completely different flight characteristics. One will reliably fly a very tight s-bend line that will go down the center of the fairway. The other however, was born to be a "BIG" hyzer disc. I have witnessed one ace with this disc (approx 270' hole), so.. someone out there has one they can throw accurately..