Got the VIP ICE Longbowman in the westside mystery box and it's got some great stability and now that it's seasoned it's also got some lovely distance to it. Not exactly beginner friendly, but I'd say a good utility disc for beginners if they are ready for it. 

Fun disc, my friend gave me one when I was looking for a higher speed 0-3 disc to compliment my teebird. It filled that slot perfectly but I had to invest in a force because it didn't handle wind well when thrown for distance. Still a great flat to hyzer or dump hyzer disc, in "normal" conditions. Only a good beginner disc of you/they came into the sport with a pretty good arm speed. 

Honestly, this disc took me a while to get used to. Now, it is my go-to overstable driver when I need to hit 275-325 reliably. I can count on it to fly straight as an arrow before fading hard.

Released on a hyzer angle, it will definitely hold that angle but I cannot get as much distance as I can with some higher speed overstable drivers.

This disc is a wind champion, if it is a windy day, I am almost exclusively throwing the longbowman. It actually flies even better for me in the wind. I love this disc and so do my friends who have thrown mine, they even go and buy their own immediately after throwing it. 

I picked up a 170g VIP Longbowmen in hopes that it would provide a little more stability over my Explorer. 

My first thrown (330ish straight line) resulted in a pretty heavy turn with a mild fade. Further testing confirmed that my Longbowmen was really straight...with a real lack of bite at the end. 

I would argue that a standard Champion Teebird has more stability than the LB that I bought. That said, once I learned how this specific disc was going to fly, I was able to acheive some decent lines. 

Overall, not a disc that I will bag due to its lack of consistency off the tee. 

The VIP Longbowman has become one of my most used and most versatile discs. I use it for laser straight forehand drives, mildly fading FH approach shots, fading BH, and BH and FH rollers requiring a quick landing and travel to the turn side. 

It is very comfortable and very consistent.  Whenever I want to flex it it seems very intuitive to put just the right amount on it. 

I tried it in tournament but didn't like the feel or flight path in the same way I depend on the VIP. 

I doubt I would have liked it when first starting out and I wouldn't recommend it for beginners until they have consistent form and can throw at least 250'. 

I mostly use the Longbowman for straight forehand short drives and approach shots. I use the Saint for similar shots backhand. 

This is my go-to forehand driver. As far as forehand discs go, it's mostly feel for me. I have long skinny fingers, so the thinner/smooth rim on this disc really caters to me. 

I've had both the tournament and VIP versions of this disc (lost my tournament throwing over a lake). Like most Westside tournament discs, they are slightly more understable than the VIP versions. I can still get a little turn out of my VIP version, but it likes to fight out pretty quick. I played a tournament in crazy wind and rain, using this for almost every shot (even putts!) It definitely fights the weather :)

This disc isn't intended to go incredibly far. It's got a strong reliable fade. You know what it's going to do. Go straight, for a good distance, then fade left. Easy. Done.

If you want a reliable hyzer, this is the one.

I know that I'm in the minority but I'm not a fan of this disc. I heard a lot of hype when it came out and figured I would give it a try, but it just didn't fit any uses that I need. My max weight longbowman has almost no glide whatsoever, a ton of stability, and doesn't move once it touches the ground. I can imagine that this would be a great combination for somebody with a lot of power and distance to have something that handles a lot of power, won't glide past the target, and sits where it hits, but for me it pretty much flies 275 feet on a hyzer and dumps into the ground. Probably a great disc for power throwers that want to mash on a fairway driver, but it's not for me.

The Longbowman is a really nice fairway driver. Its built to fly straight and be thrown hard. The Longbowman is one of those discs that will amply reward you the harder you throw it. No high speed turn and very average glide. I think the average glide actually works in this disc's favor. It keeps the Longbowman from getting pushed around by wind.

I found that this was an excellent driver for 350-375' drives where accuracy is essential. The Longbowman is somewhere between a Teebird and Thunderbird for speed and flies on very similar lines. 

Armspeed is necessary here. The Longbowman needs some pretty good speed to stay straight and fly properly. Its a disc made for advanced players who want to throw it hard without worrying about the disc flipping.

I don't recommend the Longbowman for beginners. It isn't a very domey or glidey disc and it takes a lot of arm to make it fly properly. That said, its an outstanding fairway driver for fairly advanced players who know exactly what they're looking for when they pull it out of the bag.

As an intermediate player (and on the beginner-side of intermediate) I can offer insight for newer players.

I got this disc in a fundraiser tournament in VIP plastic. For me especially, this is a VERY overstable disc with very hard fade at the end. I got absolutely no turn out of this disc. In VIP plastic, and with my noodle-arm, it threw about as overstable as a Felon, it started cutting into a left-ward fade almost immediately. It fits a 'meat-hook' spot in my bag, almost as a utility disc.

The disc has a very flat profile and feels somewhat like a Convict in the hand. Very good for a forehand grip if you have the power to handle it. Give it an anhyzer and it'll flex out beautifully. 

Ultimately, if you're a new player, take a serious look at the disc if you need something to hook on you every single time. Just beware that you're not buying a Teebird, Convict, or other basic overstable control -- this thing's a monster.

The longbowman is a great overstable fairway driver from Westside. I love both the tournament and VIP plastics as far as feel and flight, so I'm always confident in what I'm getting from them as far as plastic is concerned. The disc is also comfortable, with a rim that's not too big, and a disc that's not overly domey, but not board flat either. With my arm speed, maxing out around 350ft, this disc is basically a utility driver for me. It's flies a tad less stable then my firebirds, and has a less dumpy fade and less skip. It'll hold a straight flight with a headwind, and will still fade back. For me, this disc is better for forehand. If you're looking for a nice, reliable overstable fairway, and you like the trilogy plastic, this could be the one for you!

I got this disc about a year ago when I was still fresh into the sport. I threw it several times and it never really did what I wanted it to. I threw it in the pile of disc I wasn't using and kind of forgot about it for long time. However I started working on my form and I ended up revisiting the Longbowman in a practice session. I was actually suprised at what this disc could really do! It's my go-to sidearm for low ceiling shots. Works well for backhand shots too and has just the right amount of stability to deal with more technical shots. I ended up buying a couple more of these for practice. Great disc!  

I got this disc as my free disc at my local Play It Again after filling up my punch card with ten disc purchases. I wanted another Predator but they were out of them. I never threw any Westside before so I thought what the heck it’s free. I got the Longbowman cause the numbers looked like it might make a decent forehand disc. Well it didn’t disappoint. As a matter of fact it has become my absolute favorite forehand disc that I own! Even better than my Preds! It’s not as OS as a Predator but somehow it can take just as much torque and fly straight down the pipe until it fades out at the end! Just a beautiful flight! It loves to fly and it loves being thrown hard! I just love Discraft so I didn’t want to love this disc sooooo much but I can’t help it. It is my favorite forehand disc that I own or that I’ve ever thrown for that matter. For some reason my iPad won’t let me do the stars? But I give it 5! All the way! As a matter of fact I’m going to be getting another one real soon. A disc this good you have to have multiples of. BTW mine is vip plastic 175g. I also rated it as beginner friendly in terms of forehand. It os enough to let you get away with rolling your wrist a little bit and is still able to pull out and give you a decent flight. 

This is a disc that I reach for when I need reliability. It refuses to turn over, and will hold a long streight line, with predictable fade at the end. I bag two, one of which is a little more broken in than the other. I have been playing for a few years now, and this was a disc I had to grow into. Now that I can throw with a little more power, this is a fantastic disc that holds up in a headwind or when I need a predictable fade at the end. 

Wow, what a disc. Definitely hasn't gotten a ton of love but it filled a gap in Westsides line up for sure. Between a Stag and an Ahti. I primarily use the longbowman as my forehand approach and tee shot frisbee. The best thing about the longbowman though IMO is how well it flies in all stages of wear. Brand new, its almost like a slightly slower Felon. So you can really muscle on it and not expect it to turn over. I would say mine is pretty much broken in now, and on a hyzer release with my FH, it will get some flex, but always comes back out. Now that it has broken in, I use it for backhands more now, almost like an overstable teebird. I guess this disc is most comparable to an Eagle X. Love it for touchy sidearms where I want to throw a standstill and flex it maybe 150 feet for an approach. Definitely an integral part of my game. I treat the Felon in much the same way as the longbowman, only I use the Felon if the hole gets to about 315, and everything below that, I feel comfortable with the longbowman.

This is my favorite disc, hands down. It is my goto forehand disc for every shot except max distance. I see people on here comparing it to a champion teebird. No. I think it is more of a mix of a champion thunderbird and a beat in firebird. It flies like a firebird without the aggresive hard fade. It will go dead straight wherever you point it for a while and then ends with a smooth, reliable fade. After beating it in some, it flies even better for me. If you call yourself a forehand thrower, you need this in your bag. 

Just got this VIP opaque Longbowman and it has changed my game. I find myself reaching for it frequently out on the course when I need something to finish over stable, but not Felon or Firebird over stable. I bought it specifically for thumbers, and the flat top and rim thickness are perfect, but I was surprised by the amount of glide and distance I was able to achieve. The thing that was really surprising was how easily I could forehand this disc, something I never really felt comfortable with with anything else.  It also has taken the spot of an over stable mid range in my bag as I can power down and get this disc to the basket much easier, I can also count on it to fight back if I put it on a slight anhyzer. It doesn't get much hype, but it could be the workhorse I have been looking for.

Hands down my favorite control/fairway driver. I can put 90+% power on it and it will not turn over whatsoever. Great for straight shots where you need to finish just a little left, or a hyzer shot down the fairway where you just need it to sit. I've found that once it seasons in, it'll start gliding/turning just a little bit more, which I've found helpful for getting a little more distance or for straighter/tunnel wooded shots. Also an amazing FH disc, but once it beats in it starts loosing its dependability on a full power flick.

I bag 2 of these bowmans. They fit as a more stable fluid escape. I like to throw these on 350 (Internet feet) shots where I need a dependable fade or shots where a shorterror skip shot is needed. I love this disc mostly for its feel in the hand as a forehand disc. It rim just feels great on forehands. It flies straight with a slight fade. I get some turn out of my fluid escapes and this just won't turn unless forced. It's a decent headwind disc but I've got an older bowman that won't hold up to a headwind. 

Absolutely Love This Disc!!!
I was looking for a disc that was more overstable than my convict, and since I'm such a huge fan of Westside, I thought I'd give it a whirl. With decent power I find it will hold a nice stable line before it's predictable fade, I say decent power because I don't have the strongest drive(average 330') but I find no matter how hard I rip this disc, the line is always consistent and dependable. I give it a five star rating because so far I haven't found a single flaw, might have to update after it's been beaten in a bit, but so far it's great. 

So let me first say my fairway game largely consists of Saint Pros and Felons. I use the Saint Pro for straight to turn over shots, and the Felon for OS and windy shots. One issue I've had with the Saint Pro is that it can be a little harder to trust sometimes when I want to power it up. The Longbowman really gets rid of that anxiety. Brand new, the disc is fairly Overstable and great for hyzers, and forehand approaches or off the tee. As it breaks in, it flies a lot like my Saint Pro only I can throw it as hard as I want, and dont have to worry about it turning and burning. So the disc really falls in between the Saint Pro and Felon for me. Just remember, when the disc is brand new, it borders on a Felon, but as it breaks in it moves into the Saint Pro realm but better IMO. Now, I can use the Saint Pro for strictly turn over and rollers shots and use the Longbowman for my forehand approcahes and straight backhand shots in the wind.

I'm starting to really like the Longbowman. Straight flier with dependable fade. In my opinion it feels better in the hand than most of the overstable distance drivers I have tried. This disc does exactly what it is supposed to do and it does it well. 

As some others have mentioned, the Longbowman has very similar numbers to the Westside Stag. However, while the Stag's flight numbers are a bit off - like others, I've found it has considerably more high-speed turn than indicated - the Longbowman's numbers feel pretty accurate.

My VIP Longbowman is essentially completely flat on top, with a moderate width rim. I find it to be a very comfortable disc to hold in the hand, particularly for forehand throws.

I've seen some comparisons between the Longbowman and the Teebird. I've thrown both a Champion Teebird, and a Legacy Icon Rival (which also gets a lot of Teebird comparisons), and I find my Longbowman to be considerably more overstable, and perhaps a little less glidey than either of those discs. Its rim shape is actually very similar to my Champion Glow Firebird, with just a little more depth, and I find the flight of the Longbowman to be more like a slightly less overstable Firebird (Thunderbird maybe?) than a Teebird. This is pretty much what I'd expect from a speed 9, fade 3 disc. This coming from someone with a moderate speed arm - I currently drive 300-325ft on flat ground with no wind.

I don't throw my Longbowman a ton, but it definitely has a place in my bag. I use it for drives where I need some distance, but still a good hard fade left at the end, and some downhill or headwind drives as well. It's a disc I can definitely depend on to not turn over on me. I'd say this isn't the most beginner-friendly disc, but for more experienced folks looking for a Trilogy control driver that has some speed but also some real overstability, the Longbowman definitely fills a gap in the Westside lineup, and is a very dependable disc.

Westside's Teebird? Kinda.

I got a VIP and Tournament Longbowman, and will be posting up a video review of it here shortly. But for now I'll give a few of my basic thoughts:

Both the VIP and TP flew pretty similar, so my comments hold true for both, though, to be fair, the TP has more glide and a little less stable all-around. The nose of the Longbowman is suprisingly blunt for the advertised speed of 9. The rim width is very similar to a Firebird, PD or Avenger...but feels a little less comfortable in my hand. The wing is pretty noticeably Westside, for those who hace thrown Westside discs before.

Like the Sampo and Stag before it (neither of which ended up being as advertised) the Longbowman has been hyped by some as "Westside's Teebird" and while I won't say the comparison is entirely apt, neither is it off-base...the Longbowman is, however, more overstable at high speed and low speed than your average Teebird. If you hve had the privelege of throwing the vaunted Steve Brinster Teebirds, the Longbowman will be familiar to you in flight. Straight to fade is what the Longbowman excels at. There is good resistance to turn with a healthy yet forward-penetrating fade.

I also found that the natural torque of my forehand throws allowed me to shape some really nice shots with it. Big, high S-Curves, low skip shots and high forehand hyzers were easy peasy with the Longbowman. All in all, I'm a fan but I prefer my fairway combo of Reptilian Disc Golf Raptor, Innova Teebirds and Legacy Patriot. The Longbowman flew well but not well enough to replace any of those.

Quick review: Very dependable stable to overstable fairway driver! If you're looking for the "Trilogy Teebird" this is the closest you'll find.

Longer review: I recently picked up a couple of Longbowman in VIP and Tournament plastic. Both about 172g. Out of the box, the tournament plastic was definitely a bit less stable, but by no means understable. If matching the "other" company's flight rating, I would give the VIP i have an 8, 4, 0, 2.5 while the tournament an 8, 4, -0.25, 2. 

I've been throwing a Glow Teebird3 and a Proton Crave as a combo for my fairway slot, but I finally found the discs to replace them as I prefer to stick with as fewer molds as possible. I can see my tournament plastic being able to beat into a hyzerflip to straight disc just like my crave. I've already been able to hit a lot of shots with it that's dead straight with almost no fade. The VIP however is more OS just like my glow Teebird3. 

I really like my Teebird3 and Crave combo, but I do love the swedish plastic as most of my max distance drivers are from the Trilogy companies. I highly recommend this disc if you want a flat feeling teebird like disc in swedish plastic. 

VIP 171g. Finally a dependable OS fairway from westside. This is a disc you can rely on to hit a hyzer line and go the exact same flight every time. I'm a big fan of this disc since it came out. It fights wind well and gives a nice consistent line that you can depend on. I personally prefer a culverin to this disc, but this is still a good one.

Very Flat, comfortable in hand. Maybe closer to speed 8 than 9.  I haven't thrown it a ton but it is definetly stable. I'm not sure where its gonna end up compared to other overstable drivers, but it is definitely a good overstable disc. Still need to dail it in to see just how stable it is. Gotta learn your overstable stuff so you can really trust 'em.

The addition of the Longbowman would make me comfortable throwing an all Westside Bag. In 169g, VIP this is the perfect forehand control driver for me. This is a very flat disc with a low profile that is just the way I like for my forehand drives. With a smooth forehand release this disc flys perfectly straight for about 250 feet and then finishes left. When I throw it with full power and a slight anhyzer release I can push it out above 300 feet.

While the Longbowman has very similar flight ratings as the Stag, thesed discs are very different. I use the Stag as a backhand driver. The Longbowman is too overstable for me to throw backhand unless I'm just looking for a big hyzer left. The Stag flips up to easy for my sidarm drive. Unlike most Westside ratings, I actually agree with the 0 turn and 3 Fade rating. However, for this rim thickness, I'd say it's more of a speed 7 or 8.

In terms of similar discs, I put the Longbowman right between the MVP Tesla and Resistor, (two of my primary forehand drivers). For trilogy discs, in terms of flight and feel it is most similar with the Latitude 64 Spark.

While this disc is not very beginner friendly for backhand throws, newer disc golfers might really like the Longbowman for forehand/sidearm throws. It's overstable, but not so overstable as to just start fading as soon as it leaves your hand.

VIP Longbowman 173g - Initial thoughts after one round at roughly 4,500' elevation: very similar to the Culverin. This one is going in the bag in place of the Culverin(thanks Team Westside Discs)! It has a smaller more rounded rim than the Culverin and I think that will appeal to many people. It doesn't seem to flare on skips as much as the Culverin but has a very similar flight otherwise...perhaps a little more overstable. I can't get over how nice this thing feels in the hand. I'm excited to see what happens when this beats in just a touch and also to try it in Tournament plastic. Now that I think of it, this disc is pretty similar to a Boatman but slower and much more comfortable. Great disc and a great overall release lineup for early 2016 from Westside. Kudos.

Threw a 171g Longbowman today for the first time. This disc is pretty great overall--definitely a solid disc that you can trust to not turn over. If I put a lot of torque on it it would pop up a little bit, but it was still pretty beefy. I'd say it was pretty true to its flight numbers. I think this will be a good fit in the Trilogy family. If you tried out the Culverin and weren't a fan, pick up a Longbowman and see if it fits your hand better.

I was throwing a 170g VIP Longbowman at about 4,500 feet elevation. This disc was impressively stable for what I was expecting. After throwing the Culverin, I thought the Longbowman had a similar flight, but a different feel in the hand. It is a strait flyer, will hold any line, but has quite the fade. Even on some flat releases it would start turning/fading very early. 

When first holding the disc, I was surprised at its ratings. I thought it had a very small rim for a 9 speed, and it was very flat. It almost felt like a Spark in my hand. I think this is a great disc, but it isn't a slot I am currently trying to fill, otherwise it would end up in my bag. I currently have a max weight Lucid Convict and Lucid Felon in my bag, if I were to add the Longbowman it would fit right in between them. 

This disc is great because it is a good level of stability for both backhand and forehand shots. It was working great with a fan-grip and power-grip (because of its smaller rim). I would recommend this disc to anyone looking for a stable fairway driver. It may work for some beginners (especially for flicking), but it is generally pretty stable. I was really impressed with all of the new Westside molds (Catapult, Destiny, and Longbowman) and the Longbowman did not let me down. It also has a cool stamp. 

The only thing I can say is this is a mix of an Eagle and a Teebird. The ratings would be slightly off in my opinion. This isn't a speed 9, I'd say it's a speed 7, the glide isn't quite a 4, but it's less than a 5 for sure, and the fade isn't quite a 3 if you get it powered up. Although the ratings are a bit off, this disc flies the most like a Teebird of any other disc I've thrown. Zero turn not a even a hint thereof, but not nasty overstable either. I didn't see that "knifing fade" I've come to categorize as at least a fade of 3, but it did show slightly more fade than a Teebird or Sampo; but I'd likely trust this in a headwind more than either one of those.  Once they start offering Tournament plastic in the mold in the US, I could see this disc alone replacing both a Teebird (VIP plastic) and an Eagle (Tournament plastic) for anyone that hasn't quite found a suitable replacement for them. 

This disc is nice and overstable!  I was looking for something to hit the distance between my Buzzz OS and my Frost Havoc, and I think this is the one!  Then thrown flat it'll take it's hyzer route pretty quickly without any turn.  When thrown with a slight anny, it will twist a little back and forth, extending it's forward momentum, then dump to the left.  For me it's almost like a Fairway Justice- well, maybe not THAT overstable.  I use it a lot for low to the ground skip shots that need to dump left hard.

Pretty fun disc and very useful on the shorter holes that you want to take some fun Hyzer lines on.  It doesn't seem to glide very far, it turns and fades rather suddenly.