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

The Innova Spider is a 5-speed stable midrange. With published flight numbers of 5 / 3 / -1 / 1, it is most often described as suited for flat, straight gap shots in tight wooded fairways, skip approaches that bite hard off the landing.

Overview

The Innova Spider is a low-speed, small-diameter midrange with a 5/3/-1/1 flight that Innova markets as a 'do-it-all' disc: thrown nose-up it finishes left, nose-down it turns right, and flat it tracks straight.[1][2] IsaacSam describes it as 'a unique neutral midrange' and possibly 'the best skip-shot disc of all time,' which is why it retains a devoted following despite long stretches out of regular production.[1] First approved by the PDGA on January 19, 2001, the Spider's modern Innova flight rating is 5/3/-1/1, though IsaacSam lists the original as 5/3/0/1.[1][3]

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Innova (mfg) 5 3 -1 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.

Reach for the Spider on touch midrange shots that demand a predictable finish: flat, straight gap shots through the woods,[2] gentle turnovers and skip approaches where its sharp skip is the whole point,[1] and short controlled lines for players who prefer a smaller-diameter midrange in the hand.[2] Its modest glide keeps it from floating past the target, making it a confident approach disc inside 250 feet rather than a distance midrange.

Best for:

  • Flat, straight gap shots in tight wooded fairways
  • Skip approaches that bite hard off the landing
  • Controlled turnover lines at midrange speed
  • Short, predictable approaches inside 250 feet

Plastics & variants

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

DX, Star, Champion

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

Innova introduced the Spider in 2001 and PDGA-approved it on January 19 of that year (certification 01-02).[3] Marketed as a versatile 'do-it-all' midrange, it was only mildly popular in its era — IsaacSam attributes this to heavy overlap among Innova midranges, with the Roc reigning as king of the early 2000s.[1] The Spider eventually fell out of regular production, but Innova has continued to make limited runs in Star and Champion plastic to satisfy an active group of dedicated throwers.[1] Per IsaacSam, the reason the Spider endured out of print for so long is its reputation as possibly the best skip-shot disc ever made.[1] It carries a 21.2 cm diameter, a 1.3 cm rim, and a PDGA maximum weight of 176.0 g.[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. "Every Single Innova Disc, Part 5 (Eagle – Firebird)" — u/IsaacSam98 on r/discgolf (dedicated Spider chapter)
  2. Spider — Innova Disc Golf (official product page; flight rating, 'do-it-all' description)
  3. Spider — PDGA Equipment Certification (approved 2001-01-19, dimensions)
  4. Innova Spider | Stable Midrange — 1010 Discs (flight/skip-shot overview)

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