The Latitude 64 Ballista Pro and the Innova Destroyer are both overstable distance drivers built for power throwers, but they aren't the same class of disc. The Ballista Pro is a 14/4/0/3 — one of the fastest rims in production — while the Destroyer is a 12/5/-1/3 and one of the most-thrown drivers in tournament golf. The headline difference is two full speeds, but the way each disc flies, ages, and rewards your arm tells the rest of the story.
If you only remember one thing: the Ballista Pro is the faster, more demanding, more single-minded overstable bomber, and the Destroyer is the more versatile driver that beats in into a whole family of flights. Here's where each one actually wins.
The quick answer
- Pick the Ballista Pro if: you have serious arm speed, throw a lot of forehands, or play open courses in heavy wind. The 14 speed and very overstable build make it a driver that holds its line under pressure and simply will not flip for most throwers.
- Pick the Destroyer if: you want one driver that does many jobs — backhand bombs, hyzer-flip distance, controlled flex lines — and you like that Star plastic beats in to a workable, repeatable line over time.
- It comes down to speed and versatility: the Ballista Pro asks for more power and gives you wind resistance; the Destroyer asks for less and gives you shot variety and a famous break-in curve.
Flight numbers compared
The published numbers frame the whole comparison, and the gaps here are real rather than cosmetic.
| Latitude 64 Ballista Pro | Innova Destroyer | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 14 | 12 |
| Glide | 4 | 5 |
| Turn | 0 | -1 |
| Fade | 3 | 3 |
| Stability | Very overstable | Overstable |
| Rim width | 2.5 cm | 2.5 cm |
| Class | Distance driver | Distance driver |
| Manufacturer | Latitude 64 | Innova |
The rim width is identical at 2.5 cm — both are full-width distance drivers — but the speed, glide, and turn all differ. The Ballista Pro is two speeds faster, has one less point of glide, and resists turn entirely with a 0. The Destroyer's -1 turn and extra glide are what make it the more forgiving, more shapeable disc. If you want a refresher on what each number means, our flight numbers guide breaks all four down.
What two speeds actually changes
Speed describes how much arm a disc needs to fly the way its numbers promise. A 14-speed rim like the Ballista Pro's is among the fastest commercially produced, and it requires real power to get up to the velocity where the disc behaves. Throw it without enough snap and it never reaches its glide phase — it just fades out early and lands short, flying far more overstable than the 0 turn suggests on paper.
The Destroyer's 12 speed is still demanding — it was the first widely available 12-speed driver and remains an advanced disc — but it's noticeably more attainable. More arms can get a Destroyer up to speed, which is part of why it's one of the most-bagged drivers in the sport. If you're not sure you can power a 14-speed yet, the Destroyer will almost always give you more usable distance than a Ballista Pro you can't fully load.
Wind and forehand: edge to the Ballista Pro
This is the Ballista Pro's home territory. Latitude 64 lists power forehands and strong-headwind distance drives among its core uses, and the disc's very overstable build delivers there. On a power forehand, a driver takes on a lot of off-axis torque and wants to flip toward flat or past it; the Ballista Pro's 0 turn and high speed resist that flip better than the Destroyer, which carries a touch of high-speed turn.
Wind tells the same story. Into a headwind every disc effectively plays more understable, because the oncoming air adds lift and turn. The Ballista Pro's extra overstability and speed buy margin — it holds its intended line in gusty conditions where a fresh Destroyer would start to flatten and turn. If your home course is open and windy and you have the arm, the Ballista Pro is the more dependable pick straight out of the box. (Worth noting: reviewers find the Ballista Pro flies a touch less overstable than its 0 turn implies, so it's wind-resistant rather than a pure overstable utility brick.)
Backhand distance and versatility: edge to the Destroyer
The Destroyer is one of the most popular distance drivers ever made precisely because it does so many things. For a big backhand arm it offers hyzer-flip-to-flat distance — that brief -1 flex lets a powerful throw stand up and ride before fading — which a 0-turn Ballista Pro resists. It will also throw controlled flex lines, long anhyzers that flex back, and standard power hyzers. The extra point of glide helps here too: the Destroyer floats a little longer, which translates to more carry for the same effort.
The Ballista Pro can throw power hyzers and forehands beautifully, but it's a more specialized tool — a wind-and-power driver first. As a do-everything backhand driver for a wider range of arms, the Destroyer's slightly less overstable profile and extra glide give the average power thrower more usable distance and more shot shapes. That's the trade: the Ballista Pro gives you ceiling and wind resistance, the Destroyer gives you range and versatility.
Break-in: a key difference
How these discs age matters as much as how they fly new. The Destroyer — especially in Star plastic — beats in predictably, moving from overstable toward stable-with-fade over time in a fairly linear way. That is the reason you'll see players carry several Destroyers at different stages of wear: a fresh one for headwinds, a seasoned one for turnover and flex lines. The disc essentially grows a whole family of flights as it wears, and Star Destroyers in particular are famous for it.
The Ballista Pro, in Latitude 64's durable Opto and Gold blends, holds its overstability longer and is built to stay consistent. That's a feature if you want a disc that flies the same way for years, and a limitation if you were hoping it would soften into a flippier line. If you like to "season" drivers into different roles, the Destroyer rewards that approach far more; if you want a wind and forehand disc that stays put, the Ballista Pro's durability is the point.
Plastic options
Both discs come in a range of blends, and the plastic you choose nudges the flight and feel.
- Opto Ballista Pro: the standard clear premium plastic — durable, slick, and holds the overstable flight a long time.
- Opto Air Ballista Pro: lighter weights for an easier release, useful if a 14-speed at full weight is a lot of disc.
- Gold / BioGold Ballista Pro: Latitude 64's grippier premium runs; BioGold in particular is a more premium overstable option.
- Star Destroyer: the all-around standard — grippy, durable, and the run that beats in most predictably.
- Champion Destroyer: holds its overstability longer with a slicker grip, closer to the Ballista Pro in longevity.
A useful rule of thumb: if you're choosing a Destroyer to beat in, start with Star; if you want maximum-weight stability from the Ballista Pro, Opto or Gold is the durable choice, while Opto Air helps if you need a lighter, more releasable version.
How to choose
Because both are overstable full-width drivers, the decision usually answers itself once you ask three questions:
- How much arm speed do you have? If you can genuinely power a 14-speed, the Ballista Pro unlocks wind resistance and a high ceiling. If you're not sure, the Destroyer's 12 speed will give most players more real distance.
- How do you throw your power shots? Mostly forehand or playing in wind? Lean Ballista Pro. Mostly backhand and want shot variety? Lean Destroyer.
- Do you want the disc to evolve? If you like seasoning a driver into multiple flights, the Destroyer's break-in is a real advantage. If you want one consistent flight for years, the Ballista Pro holds it.
For most developing power throwers, the Destroyer is the more sensible single driver — it's more attainable, more versatile, and beats in usefully. The Ballista Pro earns its spot once you have the arm speed to load a 14-speed and want a dedicated wind-and-forehand bomber that won't flip.
If neither is quite right
- Innova Boss — a 13-speed Innova driver that splits the difference, faster than the Destroyer but a touch more attainable than the Ballista Pro.
- Discraft Force — a 12/5/0/3 very overstable driver, the Discraft answer to a no-turn forehand and wind disc at a more attainable speed than the Ballista Pro.
- Discraft Nuke — a 13-speed distance driver if you want raw distance with a more stable, less brutally overstable flight.
- Innova Wraith — an 11-speed, less demanding driver for arms that find a 12- or 14-speed too much.
Related
- Discraft Force vs Innova Destroyer
- Innova Wraith vs Destroyer
- Understable vs overstable explained
- What is speed in disc golf?
- The complete flight numbers guide
Compare these two discs with overlaid flight paths in the comparison tool.