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

The Discraft Roach is a 2-speed stable putt & approach. With published flight numbers of 2 / 4 / 0 / 1, it is most often described as suited for circle putts (high glide, neutral flight), jump putts with consistent release.

Overview

The Discraft Roach is a beadless, straight-flying putt-and-approach disc with 2/4/0/1 flight numbers,[1][2] originally released as the 2015 Ace Race disc.[1] Often described as a neutral putter, the Roach delivers exceptional glide and a clean, consistent release that makes it suitable for putting, approach shots, and short drives.[1] Note: contrary to a popular misconception, the Roach is NOT a Paul McBeth signature mold — McBeth's signature putter is the Luna; the Roach is its own straight-flying putter that pre-dates McBeth's move to Discraft.[3]

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Discraft (mfg) 2 4 0 1 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 Roach is at home on circle putts where you want the disc to fly exactly where you release it.[1] The disc's 4 glide is unusually high for a putter,[1] which helps long putts and touch upshots; the neutral 0 turn / 1 fade means it lands close to where it was aimed. Pro D is the standard putting plastic; Putter Line Soft offers a softer feel for circle 1 putts; ESP and Big Z are firmer throwing options that hold the flight characteristics longer.[1]

Best for:

  • Circle putts (high glide, neutral flight)
  • Jump putts with consistent release
  • Touch upshots and approach drives
  • Beadless-putter grip preference

Plastics & variants

The Roach is available in the following plastic blends from Discraft:

Pro D, Jawbreaker, Putter Line Soft, ESP, ESP Soft, 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 Roach was PDGA-approved on November 30, 2015 (certification 15-79) as the 2015 Ace Race disc — Discraft's annual Ace Race release.[2] After the Ace Race run, the Roach was added to Discraft's stock lineup and has been continuously produced since. The disc sits in the neutral, high-glide-putter slot alongside the Dynamic Discs Warden, Innova Aviar, and Westside Harp's gentler cousin Tursas. Although a popular misconception ties the Roach to Paul McBeth, his actual signature Discraft putter is the Luna (PDGA-approved December 2018, two-plus years after the Roach).[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. Discraft Roach — 1010 Discs (manufacturer-summary flight + plastics)
  2. Roach (Ace Race 2015) — PDGA approved-disc database (certification 15-79, approved 2015-11-30)
  3. McBeth Mythology — The story behind the Discraft Paul McBeth Line (Ledgestone)

This is a community page. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Suggest a correction — every edit is reviewed before it goes live.