Innova Sidewinder | Control Driver

The Innova Sidewinder is an understable 9-speed that's maintained popularity for 20 years! It has great glide, turn, and a controllable speed! It's extremely useful for rollers, turnovers, and hyzer flips. 

The Sidewinder is also one of the best beginner distance drivers due to its understability. You won't find many discs better to start learning how to throw sidearm with! You can see all our Innova Sidewinder for sale above

Innova Sidewinder Review

The Sidewinder feels compact in the hand! Beginners will feel the surge of confidence in knowing they have a driver that will always turn and fade for their max distance! 

Advanced players will be considering the Innova Sidewinder for rollers, turnovers, and hyzer flips. If you're advanced but lacking a sidearm the Sidewinder is a great disc to learn with!

Backhands

Beginners can throw this flat and expect a full turn and fade. With a little practice, you'll start to learn this flight and adjust your aim point for pinpoint accuracy! When your arm is a little more powerful you can utilize the Sidewinder for rollers and big turnovers. 

Forehands

This is perhaps the Sidewinder's strongest trait! The shallow profile and flat top make it an incredible forehand disc! When you're learning to forehand this will help to release smoothly.

 The understability means you can throw softer and focus on form and spin while still getting full flight! Being a 9-speed disc the Sidewinder also possesses the torque resistance to handle sidearms!

Feel

The Innova Sidewinder is extremely comfortable in the hand! It has the smaller 9-speed rim, a low profile, and a flat top. It's comfortable in both forehand and backhand grips.

innova sidewinder side profile to give visual feel

Image Source: PDGA 

Innova Sidewinder Flight Numbers

Flight Numbers 

Speed: 9

Glide: 5

Turn: -3

Fade: 1

These flight numbers are perhaps a little off. Most players consider the Sidewinder to be less understable than suggested. This is especially true when it comes to the Champion plastic.

Innova Sidewinder Flight Chart

Here's a chart to give you an idea of the Innova Sidewinder's flight path.

Innova sidewinder fligh chart showing flight paths for both forehand and backhand shots

Plastics and Special Editions

Champion: Very durable but also the most overstable, a better choice for advanced players rather than beginners.

Star: Solid grip, and great durability. The stability can vary run to run.

Gstar: Very gummy and flexible. This makes it more comfortable in the hand! It beats in slightly quicker and is less stable making it great for beginners!

Pro: More flexible, grippier, and more understable. This plastic beats in a little quicker making it a great choice for new players!

DX: Less durable, but with incredible grip! This will beat in quicker making it great when you're planning on using the Sidewinder for rollers. 

See this Innova plastic guide to learn more.

History 

The Innova Sidewinder was PDGA approved in November 2004. Innova brought it out to help players with less power achieve distance. Since then it has done just that and more! The Sidewinder is still popular after 20 years thanks to its appeal to newer players and advanced ones alike!

See the PDGA-approved Sidewinder here.

Manufacturer - Innova

If you thought 2004 was a long time ago how about 1983? That's when Innova started their story that's continued until now! The Sidewinder is undoubtedly one of their success stories along the way! 

See all our Innova discs for sale here.

Learn more about the Sidewinder on Innova's site.

Here's what Innova has to say about the Sidewinder:

The Sidewinder is a fast flyer with a predictable high speed turn and lots of glide. This disc can add distance to anyone’s drive, but is especially useful for those with less power. The Sidewinder is our best disc for long turnover shots and long distance rollers. Even disc golfers who have never had much success throwing a roller shot, will be amazed at the results they can achieve with the Sidewinder.

Check MJ Gager picking up a birdie with Innova Sidewinder:

 

 

 

Skill Level Recommendations

Beginners - This is a great disc to pick up as your first distance driver! The relatively low speed of 9 and the understability make it easier to manage for slower arms!

Intermediate - This will still be a go-to disc in your bag! Especially in Champion. Use it for long turnovers, rollers, and sidearms!

Advanced - You'll primarily be using this as a roller, or for hyzerflips that continue to turn over. 

Pro - Most pros would stick to rollers with the Sidewinder.

Dimensions

Here are the dimensions the Sidewinder was registered with at the PDGA.

Max Weight: 175.1gr

Diameter: 21.1cm

Height: 1.4cm

Rim Depth: 1.2cm

Rim Thickness: 1.8cm

Inside Rim Diameter: 17.5cm

Rim Depth / Diameter Ratio: 5.7%

Rim Configuration: 28.00

Flexibility: 10.43kg

Pros and Cons 

Pros

  • Great beginner disc
  • Amazing for Sidearms
  • High glide
  • Flys far
  • Controllable
  • Low profile and flat top
  • Comfortable in the hand

Cons

  •  Not the best flyer in the wind
  • Can be more overstable than suggested in premium plastics

Conclusion

Strike now and start using distance drivers with the Innova Sidewinder. If you're a seasoned pro the Sidewinder is perfect for rollers and long turnovers! Struggling with your sidearm game? The Sidewinder is the answer to your troubles. Use it to slow everything down and get smooth yet far!

Characteristics

Ratings are on a scale of 1-10.

Stability: 5

Consistency of Flight: 7

Consistency in Wind: 6

Beginner Friendliness: 9

Distance Potential: 7.5

Control: 7

Utility: 8

Fun Factor: 8

Comparable Discs

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Innova Sidewinder good in the wind?

The Sidewinder is not the best choice in the wind. This is because it is too understable to handle considerable headwinds. It does make a great tailwind driver! 

Is the Sidewinder good for backhand?

You can use the Sidewinder to throw long backhand turnovers, hyzer flips, and even backhand rollers. The disc feels great in the hand and instills confidence on the tee!

Is the Sidewinder good for forehand?

The Innova Sidewinder is an excellent disc for forehands! It has a shallow profile and feels great in the hand. This helps you throw with a flutter-free release! The speed 9 rim can handle some torque as well. 

What are the Sidewinder's flight numbers?

The Innova Sidewinder has a speed rating of 9, a glide rating of 5, a turn rating of -3, and a fade rating of 1.