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

The Innova Nova is a 2-speed stable putt & approach. With published flight numbers of 2 / 3 / 0 / 0, it is most often described as suited for dead-straight technical approaches through gaps, touch upshots that absorb impact and stick the landing.

Overview

The Innova Nova is a two-piece overmold putt-and-approach disc rated 2 / 3 / 0 / 0: a firm Pro-plastic flight plate is fused to a soft, grippy putter-plastic rim, so the disc can be thrown with power while the rim absorbs impact and sticks the landing.[2] IsaacSam describes it as the classic Aviar mold given the overmold treatment,[1] and the PDGA's launch announcement pitched it as combining Big-Bead Aviar high-speed stability with gentle putter fade.[4] Disc designer Dave Dunipace calls it the straightest putt-and-approach disc ever, in wind or calm.[2]

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Innova (mfg) 2 3 0 0 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 Nova excels on technical approaches and accurate upshots where the disc must hold a dead-straight line and then stop — Innova's own best-choice list is technical approaches, accurate upshots, and no-skip stops.[2] The soft rim makes it forgiving on slightly nose-down landings, and unlike most touch discs it handles modern power without flipping.[4] It is sold in XT Overmold plastic, whose extra traction shines in wet conditions.[2] Widely regarded as one of the best shot-shaping approach discs in the game.[1]

Best for:

  • Dead-straight technical approaches through gaps
  • Touch upshots that absorb impact and stick the landing
  • No-skip placement shots around the green
  • Straight throwing-putter lines at low speed

Plastics & variants

The Nova is available in the following plastic blends from Innova:[2]

XT (Overmold)

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 Nova was PDGA-approved on September 3, 2013 (certification 13-56)[3] as part of Innova's overmold line of that era, which paired firm flight plates with soft gripping rims.[1][4] The concept of a soft-landing, gummy-edged approach disc won players over at every level of the sport, and the Nova became widely bagged.[1] Paul McBeth ran the Nova as a signature disc during his Innova years and made it look devastating in early tournament coverage, which meaningfully drove sales; Bradley Williams had a tour series Nova, and Jeremy Koling and designer Dave Dunipace also threw it.[1] David Wiggins Jr. has called it the straightest-flying disc he has ever thrown.[2]

Notable throwers

Paul McBeth, David Wiggins Jr.

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. A Quick Guide to Every Single Innova Disc, Part 10 (Daedalus – Thunderbird) — u/IsaacSam98 (used with permission)
  2. Nova — Innova Disc Golf (official product page)
  3. Nova — PDGA Equipment Certification (approved 2013-09-03, cert 13-56)
  4. Innova Nova — New Star for Your Short Game — PDGA announcement

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