ESP FLX XClone - OOP - 2015 Amateur World Championships - Kalamazoo Michigan Bells Brewing

7/4/-1/2   *Great flex to this "fingerprinty" ESP FLX XClone (CycloneTM)!         

The Discraft Cyclone is the most influential driver ever produced. Introduced in 1995, almost every modern fairway driver is a tweak of the Cyclone, and most distance drivers evolved from the Cyclone. This may sound like a bold claim, but keep in mind that aside from the failed Cruiser - Windstar series produced 6 years prior, small diameter drivers did not exist. Companies like Lightning and Innova designed their drivers like large diameter midranges with more bevel. No one had a disc like the Cyclone, and Cyclones flew off the shelves in the early 90s. The success of the Cyclone meant that Innova had to keep up, and Innova's response was the Gazelle. It also helped that Discraft's burgeoning Elite X made the Cyclone more predictable than other drivers in baseline plastic.

Don't get me wrong, the Innova Whippet, Viper, Raven etc still easily outsold Cyclone. But the Cyclone was faster and players with big arms were starting to notice. The success of the Cyclone caused Discraft to invest more in disc golf and it allowed Discraft to start sponsoring professional players. Sponsorships in the 90s are much different than what they are now, however Discraft paved the way for "modern" sponsorships where players would actually get paid to throw a companies plastic. Ron Russell had the Cyclone as his signature disc, and as we will discuss later, Scott Stokely did something pretty cool with a Cyclone.

Discraft ESP FLX plastic is a special version of ESP with added flexibility. It adds a soft, flexible polymer that retains its form and stability very well.