The Discraft Buzzz (three Z’s) is one of the most popular discs in disc golf, and may well be the most popular midrange ever. The Buzzz was created in 2003 based on the Discraft Wasp but with some modifications such as a rim with no bead to create a straighter, more controllable all-around midrange. Most experienced disc golfers won’t need an introduction to the discraft buzzz, but we want to make sure that newer disc golfers have a chance to understand why the Buzzz is a great option to test.
The Buzzz is pretty much the prototypical midrange and most straight midranges are compared to the Buzzz. It is difficult to have an initial reaction when this is one of the most recognized and recommended discs for a new disc golfer to try.
Discraft’s Buzzz is a 5 speed midrange that can handle a good amount of torque but performs well when thrown hard or soft. The Buzzz holds a deadly straight line longer than almost any other disc. It only needs to be thrown at a slightly decreased angle and it flips up beautifully. As a Buzzz break in it will begin to display that elusive late turn. On a standard throw at 80% power, my broken in Buzzz flip to straight quickly and begins to gently turn after 100ft (30.5m), then enters a gentle fade around 250ft (76m). I can easily hit 325ft and more by ripping the Buzzz on a long flip shot and it is still controllable.
The Buzzz is known for holding any line it is put on. It has a good amount of glide which will assist in long but precise hyzer shots. The Buzzz will handle a hard and high hook short and only flip it up when you tell it to. Similarly, the Buzzz will hold a long anhyzer line quite nicely. You can let up on your throw and release on an anhyzer line which will hold for days without diving or fading, or you can snap a hard hyzer flip for a long and low turn. Remember though that the Buzzz comes in about 500 different plastics and some of these will turn more or less than a standard Buzzz.
One reason the Buzzz is great for beginners is that it can hold a straight line when flipped up or when released flat. When released flat at lower power it holds an incredibly straight line for the first part of the flight but fades to the side more than when hyzer is flipped. A very similar flight path can be achieved in multiple ways so a Buzzz has the potential to stay in your bag as your disc golf game matures. Since it holds the line it was put on, the Buzzz is great for newer throwers to analyze their form. The Buzzz does not like to pull out of an anhzyer so it can reveal when beginners unintentionally release on anhyzer lines; it won’t hide a poor release by pulling back to straight.
Considering Buzzz’s high glide and fairly blunt nose, it is not affected by the wind as much as you may expect. It certainly needs adjustment as a headwind will cause it to turn more and crosswinds will push it. However, if you reduce power or simply drop the angle of release, the Buzzz will hold up to a headwind. The largest caution is to avoid exposing the flight plate to a cross wind which has a tendency to make the Buzzz act like an over stable disc and push it far to the side. I have lost a couple of Buzzzes that carried further than intended from cross winds, but the interesting thing is that they were still deadly straight.
The Buzzz is a great disc for short flicks at a high analyzer angle, anywhere from 50 to 125 feet. Flicking the Buzzz around 45° above the flat is a great way to get around wide obstacles when you only have a tight line. It has enough glide to hold the line around your obstacle before gently pulling out to land softly.
One thing to note is that the Buzzz is made in different kinds of plastic and each of these plastics will fly slightly differently. So you will need to test by yourself and see which one will work better for you.