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

The Innova Shark is a 4-speed stable midrange. With published flight numbers of 4 / 4 / 0 / 2, it is most often described as suited for straight midrange lines with a gentle, predictable finish, first midrange for new players learning flight control.

Overview

The Innova Shark is a neutral 4/4/0/2 midrange and one of the oldest molds still in constant production — PDGA-approved on January 1, 1989 (certification 89-06).[2][3] Innova bills it as 'the perfect mid-range disc for players of all skill levels,' good for straight, hyzer, or anhyzer drives and approach shots — you can even putt with it.[1] IsaacSam's Innova deep dive describes the modern Ontario-mold Shark as a fairly straight, neutral midrange that is noticeably more stable at max weight than in the popular 150-class versions.[4]

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Innova (mfg) 4 4 0 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.

Reach for the Shark on straight-to-gentle-fade midrange lines where predictability matters more than distance: controlled drives at moderate power, upshots, and approaches.[1] It shines as a first midrange — it is the mid included in every Innova starter pack — and the 150-class Shark has long been a favorite for beginners and younger players.[4] DX beats in toward a neutral flyer over time, while Star and GStar hold the stock flight longer.[1]

Best for:

  • Straight midrange lines with a gentle, predictable finish
  • First midrange for new players learning flight control
  • Controlled hyzer and anhyzer drives at moderate power
  • Upshots and approaches where you can even putt with it

Plastics & variants

The Shark is available in the following plastic blends from Innova:[1]

DX, Star, GStar

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 Shark came about in 1989 because Innova wanted a less stable Roc, and in designing it invented 'V-Tech' — a convex lower outer rim edge — the same technology behind the later '3-series' molds in the Innova catalog.[4] Effectively a beadless Roc with V-Tech, the Shark out-distanced the Roc for newer players, and during the shift from the San Marino to the Ontario mold Innova even stamped it an 'All Purpose Driver,' since dedicated drivers barely existed yet.[4] Pros like Ken Climo and Barry Schultz bagged Sharks in that era, and circle-stamp and first-run Star Sharks remain sought after by collectors.[4] The Ontario Shark is the current version, still shipped in every Innova starter pack.[1][4]

Notable throwers

Ken Climo (historically), Barry Schultz (historically)

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. Shark — Innova Disc Golf (official product page)
  2. Shark — PDGA Equipment Certification (approved 1989-01-01, cert 89-06)
  3. Innova Shark Flight Chart — Disc Golf Puttheads
  4. A Quick Guide to Every Single Innova Disc, Part 2 (Phenix – Birdie) — u/IsaacSam98 (used with permission)

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