The Discraft Heat was released in 2014 for the Discraft Ace Race that year. Players attending fell in love with it for its unique flight, ease of use for beginners, and impressive glide!
The Heat is a 9-speed disc that most consider a control driver or a slightly faster fairway. It fills the understable slot in Discraft's lineup and is great for beginners, rollers, and really big turnovers! You can see all our editions of the Discraft Heat for sale above!
Discraft Heat Review
The Heat mixes two great ingredients for a great result! Glide and Understability make it versatile and useful to a range of players. Players just starting can utilize the glide for extra distance! The understability and smaller rim with a slower speed make it manageable.
More advanced players will be eyeing out the Discraft Heat for rollers and long turnovers that don't look back! Hyzer flips and controlled shots in the woods also await.
Backhands
The Heat is a great backhand disc! New players can use it to achieve maximum distance with backhand drives. The understability makes it easier for you to get some turn on it! When throwing with less power you can also trust in the Heat to fade back.
Advanced players the Heat is not to be scorned! Use it for rollers (like PmcB) or massive turnovers that will hold the angle to the ground. Experiment with different angles of hyzer to discover different turnover flights, and then take that expertise with you to the course!
Forehands
The Discraft Heat makes an acceptable forehand disc for beginners. It has a very similar flight to an Innova Sidewinder which is one of the best beginner forehand discs. The difference is that the Sidewinder has a flatter top making it more torque resistant and comfortable. The Heat has quite a dome to it, therefore the huge amount of glide.
Advanced players will want to move on to something more overstable, and flat with less glide.
Feel
The Discraft Heat has a very comfortable feel to it! The main reason is the small rim that fits snugly into any grip. The Heat does have a very domy flight plate for extra glide. If you're throwing sidearm it doesn't have the low profile feel that most players prefer.
In our opinion these numbers are accurate. Beginner players will find it to be less understable than suggested due to slower arm speeds.
Discraft Heat Flight Chart
Here's a chart to give you an idea of the Discraft Heat's flight path.
Plastics and Special Editions
ESP: This is a great choice for those looking for something that blends grip and durability.
Big Z: Decent grip, incredible durability, and a really cool picture. What more do you want?
Z: Very durable, and also consistent across runs. Generally the stiffest and lacks slightly in grip when new.
X: Less durable, but with incredible grip! This will beat in quicker making it great when planning on using the heat for rollers, or if you're a beginner looking for distance.
It's been 8 years since the 2014 Ace Race where the Heat made its debut. Since then it's maintained a spot as one of the more popular discs in the sport. Newer players especially have enjoyed it as a great driver to start out with! Back in 2019, Paul McBeth started bagging Heats when he moved to Discraft.
Discraft is one of the oldest manufacturers in the sport. They used to be fairly low-key, prioritizing consistency over glitter and sparkles. Then in 2019, they signed Paul McBeth, then the world's best player, onto their team and it all changed! During the Pandemic Discraft discs were like water in the desert due to plastic shortages and increasing demand.
Learn more about the Heat on Discraft's site here.
Here's what Discraft has to say about the Heat:
The Heat™ debuted as the 2014 Ace Race proto and quickly caught fire with players for its control, glide and distance at slower arm speeds. It has a smaller rim for easier grip, and is being hailed as a breakthrough in delivering improved distance for new and developing players.
Here's a video from Discraft's YouTube channel demonstrating the Heat.
Skill Level Recommendations
Beginners - The Heat is a great choice. Use it to increase the distance on your drives, improve your form, and learn how to hyzer flip!
Intermediate - A good option for long backhand turnovers and rollers.
Advanced - This will be the perfect roller disc. For backhand turnovers, you might want to try the Avenger SS.
Pro - Still a great choice for rollers!
Pros Who Throw The Discraft Heat
Being more of a beginner-friendly disc you'd be surprised to know that one or two notable Discraft pros bag the Heat!
Paul McBeth
Hailey King
Michael Johansen
Dimensions
Here are the dimensions the Heat was registered with at the PDGA.
Max Weight: 175.1gr
Diameter: 21.1cm
Height: 2.1cm
Rim Depth: 1.2cm
Rim Thickness: 1.9cm
Inside Rim Diameter: 17.2cm
Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 5.7%
Rim Configuration: 29.50
Flexibility: 11.00kg
Pros and Cons
Pros
Great for slower arm speeds
Massive glide
Small and comfortable rim
Impressive roller disc
Long backhand turnovers
Cons
Not ideal for sidearms
Conclusion
If you're starting with disc golf and you're looking for an easy-to-use driver the Discraft Heat is perfect! As a more advanced player, the Heat is not obsolete! Use it for rollers and big turnovers that can be tweaked with various degrees of hyzer!
The Discraft Heat will not be its true self in a gust. The large dome which gives you amazing glide will start to act like a parachute! The understability means it won't be able to handle significant headwinds.
Is the Heat good for backhand?
Yes, the heat is an amazing backhand disc, especially for new players! The high glide, smaller rim, and understable flight give it impressive distance potential for slower arms! Advanced players can use it for long backhand turnovers and rollers.
Is the Heat good for forehand?
While new players may enjoy learning to forehand with a Discraft Heat it's not ideal for the long run. It will soon become too understable to handle the sidearm torque. It's also better to get a disc with less glide and a flatter top for a better feel in the hand!
What are the Heat's flight numbers?
The Discraft Heat has a speed rating of 9, a glide rating of 6, a turn rating of -3, and a fade rating of 1.
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