The Westside Bard is a 5-speed overstable midrange. With published flight numbers of 5 / 4 / 0 / 3, it is most often described as suited for overstable midrange approaches that finish left (rhbh), forehand midrange shots that hold their angle.
Overview
The Westside Bard is a beaded, overstable midrange rated 5/4/0/3 by Westside.[1][2] It is a flat-topped, low-profile mold with a 1.5 cm rim and a 21.7 cm diameter, built to hold an angle and finish left for a right-hand backhand thrower.[3] Westside's launch copy claimed it might be the most overstable midrange in the Trilogy family within speed classes 5–6.[4] Reviewers are more measured: Noodle Arm Disc Golf argued the real flight is closer to -0.5 turn and 2 fade than the published 0/3.[4]
Flight characteristics
Flight numbers describe the published behavior of the disc when thrown at its design speed. Real-world flight varies with plastic, weight, age, and thrower power. The community-averaged numbers above reflect crowd-sourced observations from real throws — typically slightly more understable than the manufacturer's published values, which is the most consistent pattern across nearly every commercial mold.
Recommended uses
The Bard is a dependable-finish midrange rather than a straight one. Use it for approaches that need to fade left and sit, forehands that must not turn over, spike hyzers into guarded pins, and wind where a neutral midrange gets flipped.[1][4] Two independent reviewers agree the Bard is unusually nose-angle sensitive, and that it is less of a meathook at low power than 0/3 implies — it will hold a line before finishing.[4][5]
Best for:
- Overstable midrange approaches that finish left (RHBH)
- Forehand midrange shots that hold their angle
- Spike hyzers into tight pin positions
- Windy-day midrange work where a Buzzz would flip
Community notes — how players actually use this disc
Plastics & variants
The Bard is available in the following plastic blends from Westside:[1]
VIP, Tournament, Tournament Burst, Origio, Origio Burst, VIP Ice Glimmer
Plastic blend significantly affects flight character. Premium plastics like Champion, Z, or C-Line generally fly more overstable when fresh and hold their stability over time. Base plastics like DX, Pro, or Active beat in faster and become more understable workhorses with use.
History
Westside Discs is a Finnish brand and the Bard is named for the poet-singer of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic; the PDGA registers the mold under its Finnish working name as "Bard (Laulaja1)", laulaja meaning singer.[2] It was PDGA approved on 6 February 2015 under certification 15-11, at a 180.1 g maximum weight — unusually heavy for a midrange.[2] Westside's own page credits the stamp artwork to Arto Hoffrén, drawn in 2013, two years before approval.[1] The Bard was Westside's first overstable midrange and the first independent reviews appeared in April and May 2015.[4][5] Both of those reviews used the Dynamic Discs Verdict as the natural comparison point. No mold designer is credited in any source, and no touring pro is documented as bagging it. It remains in production in VIP and Tournament plastics.[1][3]
Notable throwers
Currently no information
Similar discs
- Dynamic Discs Verdict · 5/4/0/3.5
- Innova Roc3 · 5/4/0/3
- Discraft Buzzz OS · 5/4/0/3
- Discraft Zone · 4/3/0/3
References & further reading
- How to read disc golf flight numbers — Discpedia primer
- PDGA Approved Disc List — search for "Bard" to find the Westside Bard entry (PDGA-approved 2015)
- Westside official site — manufacturer product page
Sources
Content on this page has been cross-checked against the following sources. Numbered citations in the prose above link to the matching entry here.
- Bard — Westside Discs (official mold page: 5/4/0/3, plastic runs, Kalevala naming and Arto Hoffrén 2013 stamp artwork)
- Bard (Laulaja1) from Westside Golf Discs — PDGA Equipment Certification (approved 6 February 2015, cert 15-11, 180.1 g max, 21.7 cm diameter, 1.5 cm rim)
- VIP Bard — Westside Discs (official SKU page with full PDGA specifications and weight bands)
- Westside Discs Bard: Namesake versatility — Noodle Arm Disc Golf, Steve Hill, 30 April 2015 (disputes the published 0 turn / 3 fade; Trilogy overstability claim; Verdict comparison)
- Ode to a Golf Disc — The Westside Discs Bard — Mind Body Disc, 14 May 2015 (nose-angle sensitivity, headwind behaviour, Verdict and Champion Roc comparisons)
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