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

The Discraft Mantis is a 8-speed stable fairway driver. With published flight numbers of 8 / 4 / -2 / 2, it is most often described as suited for hyzer-flip shots that stand up to flat and hold in the woods, s-curve distance lines for newer and developing players.

Overview

The Discraft Mantis is a controllable driver with flight numbers of 8 / 4 / -2 / 2 (Discraft lists a 0.8 stability rating).[1][3] Discraft markets it as a utility driver for experienced players and a distance driver for newer players, with a modest rim and a touch of workable stability that allows control at both slow and high speeds.[1] Reviewers and retailers more often classify it as a stable-to-neutral fairway driver — Infinite Discs describes its flight as 'neutral, not too understable or overstable.'[2][3] Rip it hard for a hyzer flip or S-shaped distance shot, or hold a straight line at slower speeds.[1]

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Discraft (mfg) 8 4 -2 2 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 Mantis is built for shot-shaping: hyzer flips that stand up to flat in the woods, S-curve distance lines for developing arms, and threading controlled lines through tight fairways.[1][3] Its smaller rim and glide make it an approachable first driver while still rewarding experienced players threading wooded gaps.[1] Discraft also recommends it for straight thumber and sidearm shots.[1] It comes in the brand's full plastic range — durable Z and Titanium, grippy ESP, and premium Big Z.[2]

Best for:

  • Hyzer-flip shots that stand up to flat and hold in the woods
  • S-curve distance lines for newer and developing players
  • Threading controlled lines through tight wooded fairways
  • Straight thumber and sidearm shots

Plastics & variants

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

Z, Titanium, ESP, 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 Mantis was PDGA-approved in December 2013, having debuted as the 2013 Ace Race disc in Titanium plastic before joining Discraft's retail catalog.[2][3] It slots into Discraft's lineup as a control-oriented driver bridging fairway and distance roles — Team Discraft's Nathan Skinner summed it up as 'the Comet as a driver,' praising its smaller rim, neutral stability, and glide for both beginners and players threading wooded lines, while teammate Nate Heinold calls it his go-to wooded driver for hyzer-flip shots.[1] Discraft produces it across its standard plastic families.[2]

Notable throwers

Nate Heinold, Nathan Skinner

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. Mantis — Discraft (official manufacturer product page; flight 8/4/-2/2, stability 0.8, distance-driver class, team reviews)
  2. Discraft Mantis — Infinite Discs (diameter 21.2cm, height 1.9cm, rim depth 1.1cm, rim width 1.9cm, max 175g, 2013 Ace Race origin)
  3. Discraft Mantis — Disc Golf Dojo (fairway driver, flight 8/4/-2/2, PDGA approved 12/01/2013)

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