Quick Review: The Discmania Golden Horizon Vanguard celebrating Kyle Klein’s win at the 2023 USDGC is the perfect 9 speed driver to add to your bag!
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Horizon Vanguard Quick Review
The Kyle Klein Golden Horizon Vanguard is superb. Why? For starters, this version of the Discmania Vanguard is beautiful and the Horizon plastic feels especially good in the hand. Players who love throwing 9 speed drivers will love the feel of this disc. This driver also features a consistent, easily controllable level of stability, similar to what one might find in a seasoned Discmania PD or brand new Star Thunderbird.
Kyle Klein Golden Horizon Vanguard Overview
Discmania recently released the Vanguard as Kyle Klein’s signature 9 speed driver. The Vanguard sports flight numbers of 9/5/0/2, the same as an Innova Thunderbird or an MVP Volt with just a tick more speed. Celebrating Kyle Klein’s USDGC win this year, Discmania dropped the signature Golden Horizon Vanguard, a special black with gold rimmed version in Horizon plastic. Originally a special, Discmania only release, this disc is now available for sale on Disc Golf Deals USA.
5 Reasons to Buy the Golden Horizon Vanguard
There are a ton of reasons to buy a Golden Horizon Vanguard but after our review of this version, we’ve narrowed it down to the 5 key reasons this 9 speed driver should make your bag.
1. Consistency
The Discmania Vanguard is already a great, reliable disc to have in your bag. If you’re looking for a disc in between the Discmania CD1 and the PD, this 9 speed driver is exactly what you’re looking for. Regardless of wind, the Golden Horizon Vanguard always fades out at the end of its flight.
2. Control
Expect a high level of control from this disc off both the forehand and backhand side. The feel of the Vanguard is a slightly flatter and shallower PD or a slightly beefed up CD1. This disc feels great in the hand, and given it’s only a 9 speed driver, players can expect a high level of control compared to an 11 or 12 speed distance driver.
3. Distance Potential
Delivering on both consistency and control, you might ask, how can this disc get any better? The Golden Horizon Vanguard offers a high level of distance potential, even in the wind! Thrown flat, players can expect some serious glide before a careful fade at the finish. Throwing this version of the Vanguard on a maximum distance line unleashes its full potential and we hand no problem ripping over on this disc to achieve some huge drives!
4. Beauty
It may be obvious, but pretty discs fly better than regular discs. The Discmania Kyle Klein Golden Horizon Vanguard is no expectation to this rule. With a black middle surrounded by a shimmering golden rim, this 9 speed driver will easily become the prettiest disc in your bag.
5. Feel
Not only does the Discmania Horizon plastic look great, but it feels even better. Fans of the Horizon Cloudbreakers, PDs and DD1s will feel right at home with the Golden Horizon Vanguard. The plastic is stiff with a high level of grip and a subtle pop top. This disc feels great in both the forehand and backhand!
Golden Horizon Vanguard Comparisons
Below, we compare a number of other drivers to this version of the Discmania Vanguard and give you our take on the similarities.
Innova Thunderbird: Tighter rim profile due to a different configuration. The Vanguard feels slightly less bulky in the hand than the Thunderbird. Depending on the run of Thunderbird you favor, the Golden Horizon Vanguard flies similar to a fresh Star Thunderbird.
Discmania PD: The Discmania PD has the numbers of 10/4/0/3 making it faster, with less glide and a touch more stable than the Vanguard. Paul McBeth is quoted as saying he prefers throwing the PD when he needed accuracy and distance. In our Discmania Vanguard review, we found this 9 speed driver to have similar flight characteristics of a well seasoned PD.
Discmania CD1: Compared to the more stable version of the CD1 in C-line plastic, the Golden Horizon Vanguard flies with the same amount of glide and distance but with a more stable flight. We prefer the CD1 in the woods and Vanguard out in the open or on tight, hyzer-lines.
