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

The Discraft Wasp is a 5-speed overstable midrange. With published flight numbers of 5 / 3 / 0 / 2, it is most often described as suited for hyzer-finish midrange approaches in the 250–350 ft window, forehand approaches that need a flat-finishing fade.

Overview

The Discraft Wasp is Discraft's most popular overstable midrange — a beaded 5/3/0/2 mold designed for consistent flight in the 250–350 ft window, on windy days, and on hyzer-finish lines.[1][2] The Wasp sits a notch more overstable than the Buzzz but less so than the Buzzz OS or Malta, filling the trusty-fade slot in Discraft's midrange lineup.[3] It holds a straight line out of the hand before settling into a soft, reliable finish, and seasons in well rather than turning over.

Flight characteristics

Flight numbers: manufacturer vs. community
SourceSpeedGlide TurnFade
Discraft (mfg) 5 3 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.

The Wasp is the disc to reach for when a midrange shot calls for a dependable fade — controlled hyzer approaches, forehand work, headwind midrange lines, and spike-hyzer skip shots near the basket.[2] Z is the most popular run for its durability and grip; ESP offers more dome and a slightly softer feel; Jawbreaker is the grippiest in cold or wet conditions; Big Z and Ti are produced in limited tournament runs.[2][3] The bead helps players keep the nose down on power approaches without flipping over.

Best for:

  • Hyzer-finish midrange approaches in the 250–350 ft window
  • Forehand approaches that need a flat-finishing fade
  • Headwind midrange shots that resist turning over
  • Beaded touch upshots with a controlled fade
  • Spike-hyzer skip shots near the basket

Plastics & variants

The Wasp is available in the following plastic blends from Discraft:[2]

Z, ESP, Jawbreaker, Big Z, Titanium (Ti)

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 Wasp was PDGA-approved on September 29, 2002 (certification 02-13).[1] Discraft had spent years iterating on an overstable midrange, and the Wasp was the culmination of that project, but it didn't catch on with the mostly amateur market of the early 2000s because it was too stable and too fast for newer arms.[3] Discraft pivoted: using the Wasp mold as a platform, they removed the bead and tweaked the wing to create a more neutral midrange — the Buzzz — which the PDGA approved on September 30, 2003.[3] Because the Buzzz was literally cast from the modified Wasp tooling, the first run of Buzzzes had "WASP" stamped on the inner rim and a celebratory bar stamp reading "First Run Discraft Mid Range BUZZZ Super Straight Modified Wasp."[3] The original Wasp-tooled mold returned for limited commemorative Buzzz runs in 2006, 2013 (the 10-year anniversary), and 2023 (the 20-year anniversary, a one-time run of 20,000 discs).[3] The Wasp itself remains in production as Discraft's overstable midrange staple.

Notable throwers

Paul McBeth, Chris Dickerson, Adam Hammes

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. Wasp — PDGA Equipment Certification
  2. Wasp — official Discraft product page
  3. "The History of the Buzzz" — Ledgestone (Jacob Arvidson, 2024)
  4. Discraft Wasp — 1010 Discs review

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