Innova Boss vs Destroyer: What's the Difference?

The Innova Boss is a 13/5/-1/3 distance driver that is one speed faster than the Innova Destroyer, a 12/5/-1/3, and apart from that single number their flight ratings are identical.

What is the difference between the Boss and the Destroyer?

The difference is speed, and speed is the only flight number that separates them. The Boss is rated 13 / 5 / -1 / 3 and the Destroyer is rated 12 / 5 / -1 / 3, so both have the same glide, the same slight turn and the same strong fade. The Boss asks for more arm speed to reach the flight those numbers describe.

Innova made the Boss its first 13-speed driver, and one reviewer, IsaacSam, describes it as designed to be a faster Destroyer. The same reviewer notes that it is known to run slightly less stable than the Destroyer. Both discs are labelled Overstable in Discpedia's database.

How do the Boss and Destroyer compare side by side?

The two molds have the same diameter and the same rim width. The Boss is lower, at 1.6 cm against 1.9 cm, and its rim is slightly shallower. The Boss is also made in lighter weights than the Destroyer, which matters because the record-setting throws described below came from light discs.

Which one should you throw?

Throw the Destroyer unless you already have the arm speed for a 13-speed rim. Both are listed as advanced discs, and the Destroyer has a one-speed-lower rim that is easier to get up to its intended flight. The Boss suits players who already throw the Destroyer comfortably and want a faster disc for full-power drives.

Innova names power players and sidearm throwers as the best fit for the Boss. It also says the disc handles moderate headwinds, and the Destroyer's best-for list in the database includes headwind distance shots as well. For a first distance driver, neither is the usual recommendation, and an intermediate player will often find more distance from a lower-speed disc such as the Wraith (11 / 5 / -1 / 3).

Why is the Boss tied to the distance record?

David Wiggins Jr. threw the distance world record of 1108.92 feet (338 meters) with a 154 g R-Pro Boss in March 2016, and Innova still lists that as the record. Before that, Simon Lizotte threw a 157 g Blizzard Boss 863.5 feet on October 25, 2014.

Both record throws used light discs, so they say more about the mold at the top end of the weight range than about what a typical 175 g Boss does for a typical player. They show why the Boss is made in lighter weights than the Destroyer, and they are the reason so many players associate the mold with maximum distance.

Does plastic change how each disc flies?

Plastic changes the flight, and Innova has said so for the Boss specifically. According to Innova, Champion plastic flies more stable than the published numbers suggested, so it updated the flight numbers for that blend. For the Destroyer, one history of the mold says Star plastic copies are dome-shaped when new and resist turn, then beat in to a reliable straight-to-fading line.

The practical point is that a new disc and a worn one of the same mold fly differently. If you are choosing between the two, buying the same plastic in both is the cleanest way to compare them.

What is each disc used for?

Discpedia's database lists overlapping uses for the two discs, with the Boss pitched at the top of the speed range. The Boss entry lists maximum-distance power drives, maximum-distance hyzer drives, power forehands and headwind shots for big-arm throwers. The Destroyer entry lists power backhand drives at 350 feet and beyond, power forehands, hyzer-flip lines for big arms and headwind distance shots.

The lists match closely, so the choice is less about what each disc can do and more about how much arm speed you can give it. A thrower who cannot yet get a Destroyer to hold its line will not get more from a Boss, because the extra speed rating only helps once the rim is already moving fast enough.

How did the two discs get here?

The Destroyer came first and the Boss followed a year later. The PDGA approved the Destroyer on June 26, 2007, and it was the first widely available 12-speed driver. The PDGA approved the Boss on August 26, 2008, and it was Innova's first 13-speed distance driver.

Both discs have been thrown by tour players. Calvin Heimburg appears in the database for both, with a Halo Champion Boss and as a Destroyer thrower, and Garrett Gurthie is listed as a Destroyer thrower. Both molds are also listed in Halo Star plastic.

What else is in the same group?

The Discraft Nuke has the same 13 / 5 / -1 / 3 flight numbers as the Boss, and the Discraft Zeus has the same 12 / 5 / -1 / 3 numbers as the Destroyer. The Discraft Force is a 12 / 5 / 0 / 3, so it has no turn at all. Discpedia lists all five as distance drivers with a 21.1 cm diameter and a 2.5 cm rim.

Related concepts

• The complete flight numbers guide
• What is speed in disc golf?
• Understable vs overstable explained
• Innova Wraith vs Destroyer
• Discraft Force vs Innova Destroyer
• Innova Destroyer vs Discraft Zeus
• Latitude 64 Ballista Pro vs Innova Destroyer

Compare these two discs with overlaid flight paths in the comparison tool.