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

The Westside Northman is a 10-speed stable control_driver. With published flight numbers of 10 / 5 / -1 / 2, it is most often described as suited for hyzer-flip drives that stand up and ride flat for distance, straight controlled drives that finish with a small fade.

Overview

The Westside Northman is a speed-10 control driver with a 10/5/-1/2 flight rating.[1][2] Westside calls it one of their original drivers, noting its bigger feel in the hand and the extra float that gives it easy glide.[1] For faster arms it flies straight with a small fade and finishes stable; for lower arm speeds it stays stable and practically hovers, offering distance without demanding elite power.[1] Disc Golf Puttheads describes it as a neutral-to-stable disc that bridges the gap between fairway control and high-speed distance — a smart choice for hyzer-flips, gentle turnovers, and controlled drives when max-speed drivers feel like too much.[2]

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Westside (mfg) 10 5 -1 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 Northman shines on hyzer-flip distance lines, straight controlled drives, long turnovers, and forehands under about 350 feet, holding its release angle before a dependable finish.[2] It's best in calm to light headwinds.[2] VIP runs stay slightly more overstable and durable, while Tournament glides a bit more as it seasons; Origio is the budget recycled blend and VIP-Ice a premium stiff option.[1][2] Westside files the Northman under its fairway drivers, but its speed-10 rim places it on the fairway-to-distance boundary.[1]

Best for:

  • Hyzer-flip drives that stand up and ride flat for distance
  • Straight controlled drives that finish with a small fade
  • Long, gentle turnover lines
  • Controlled forehands under ~350 ft
  • Shaping lines in calm to light wind

Plastics & variants

The Northman is available in the following plastic blends from Westside:[1]

VIP, Tournament, Origio, VIP-Ice

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 Northman (originally stamped 'Pohjan Poika') was PDGA-approved on December 3, 2009, certification number 09-29.[3] Its artwork depicts Ilmarinen, the great blacksmith of the Finnish national epic the Kalevala, drawn by Arto Hoffrén in 2009.[1] Westside+Discs">Westside Discs is the Finnish member of the Trilogy family alongside Latitude 64 and Dynamic Discs, and the Northman has remained one of the brand's original control drivers since launch.[1] Built on a 21.5 cm diameter with a 2.0 cm rim, it is certified to a maximum weight of 178.5 g and is commonly sold in the 170–176 g range across VIP, Tournament, Origio, and VIP-Ice plastics.[1][3]

Notable throwers

Currently no information

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. Northman — official manufacturer page (Westside Discs; flight 10/5/-1/2, plastics, Kalevala/Ilmarinen artwork by Arto Hoffrén 2009)
  2. Westside Northman Flight Chart — Disc Golf Puttheads (flight 10/5/-1/2, dimensions, approval date 12/03/09, plastic notes)
  3. Northman (Pohjan Poika) — PDGA approved-disc database (approved 2009-12-03, canonical dimensions)

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