Contents
  1. Overview
  2. Flight characteristics
  3. Recommended uses
  4. Plastics & variants
  5. History
  6. Notable throwers
  7. Similar discs

The Discraft Machete is a 11-speed very overstable distance driver. With published flight numbers of 11 / 4 / 0 / 4, it is most often described as suited for headwind drives that must hold a hyzer line, forehand utility shots under heavy torque.

Overview

The Discraft Machete is a very overstable distance driver rated 11 / 4 / 0 / 4 with a Discraft stability value of 2.2.[1] Discraft describes it as a low-profile mold 'built to slice through headwinds with unparalleled predictability,' usable 'with brute force to easily manage upwind shots, or more like a scalpel for on-demand placement precision on a hyzer or flex shot,' and credits its medium rim with giving more control and hand-feel.[1] The PDGA measured it at a 1.6 cm height and a 2.1 cm rim — unusually shallow for a speed-11 driver.[2] Discraft rates it for advanced players and lists it as in production.[1]

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Discraft (mfg) 11 4 0 4 Published spec
Discpedia community Loading ratings…

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.

The Machete is a utility driver rather than a distance disc. It is at its best on headwind drives, dependable hyzer lines, spike-hyzer approaches, and forehand shots where a lesser disc would flip over.[1] Team Discraft's Ryan Kenney describes it as 'a very overstable utility disc' he uses 'predominantly for sidearm shots,' noting it 'handles all the torque I can put on it,' and recommends it 'in any type of windy situation.'[1] Teammate Andrew Kaluk uses it 'forehand or backhand ... for shorter spike hyzer shots where I need to land close to the basket.'[1] Discraft's own stock plastics for the mold are Z Line and Big Z.[3][4]

Best for:

  • Headwind drives that must hold a hyzer line
  • Forehand utility shots under heavy torque
  • Spike-hyzer approaches that land and stop
  • Long skip shots off the low-profile rim
  • Flex shots that need a hard, dependable finish

Plastics & variants

The Machete is available in the following plastic blends from Discraft:[1]

Z Line, Big Z

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

The Machete was PDGA-approved on March 15, 2017 under certification number 17-30.[2] It arrived as Discraft's most overstable high-speed driver, slotting above the Force in the brand's distance lineup and giving forehand-dominant players a Discraft answer to molds like the Innova Firebird and XCaliber. Discraft's own flight chart places it in the same speed-11 neighbourhood as the Force and Anax but with substantially more fade.[1] The disc remains in Discraft's catalogue in Z Line and Big Z,[3][4] and ESP versions have appeared as special-edition and limited runs rather than as part of the stock line.[5] Discraft's own product page carries no video review and only team testimonials, so its documented history is thinner than that of the brand's flagship molds.

Notable throwers

Ryan Kenney, Andrew Kaluk

Similar discs

References & further reading

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.

  1. Machete — Discraft (official disc page: flight numbers, stability 2.2, production status, team quotes)
  2. Machete — PDGA Equipment Certification (approved 2017-03-15, cert 17-30, dimensions)
  3. Z Machete Distance Driver — Discraft (official Z Line product page)
  4. Big Z Machete Distance Driver — Discraft (official Big Z product page)
  5. Discraft ESP Machete — Infinite Discs product page (special-edition ESP runs)

This is a community page. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Suggest a correction — every edit is reviewed before it goes live.