Level one
Starter Set vs Individual Discs: Which Should You Buy?
Buy the set, unless one of three specific things is true. Here is the decision in full.
By Selena H. Published September 28, 2026 Updated September 30, 2026
Hyzer & Chain is reader-funded. We earn a commission when you buy through a link here, at no extra cost to you. Picks come from published manufacturer specs and current retailer availability, never from who pays most — here is how we pick.
The verdict in one line: buy the starter set, unless you want a specific weight, you already know which putter suits your hand, or the only sets available include a high-speed driver. In those three cases, buying separately costs a little more and gets you discs you will actually throw. Everything below is the reasoning.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Innova Aviar The putter either way | a brand-new player who needs one disc that does exactly what they aim it at, and for every level above that as a putting disc | 2 / 3 / 0 / 1 · Putter | |
| 2 |  Discraft Buzzz The midrange worth buying separately | any player from their second round onwards who wants one midrange that flies the same line every single throw | 5 / 4 / -1 / 1 · Midrange | |
| 3 |  Innova Leopard The driver sets usually get right | a beginner taking their first step beyond a putter and midrange — at speed 6 it is slow enough to actually fly for a new arm | 6 / 5 / -2 / 1 · Fairway driver |
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1. The putter either way
Innova Aviar
- Flight numbers
- 2 / 3 / 0 / 1
- Speed
- 2
- Glide
- 3
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Putter
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- DX, Pro, Star, Champion, GStar
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Whichever route you take, this is the disc most likely to be in the box or on your list. It is worth noting that the putter is the one disc where buying separately genuinely pays: it is the most personal disc in the bag and the one a set chooses for you, and if a beaded rim does not suit your hand you will be relearning the release on the disc you throw most.
How it flies
Speed 2 with 3 glide and a flat 0 turn means the Aviar goes where you point it at any arm speed. The single point of fade shows up only at the very end, so from inside 30 feet it drops almost straight down rather than drifting left. That predictability is the whole reason it has been the most-bagged putter in the sport for decades.
Best for a brand-new player who needs one disc that does exactly what they aim it at, and for every level above that as a putting disc.
Look elsewhere if you want a putter that fights a headwind — the Aviar's 1 fade gives you very little resistance when the wind picks up.
What works
- Flies the same line for a 150-foot arm and a 500-foot arm
- Available in DX (cheap, grippy) all the way to Star (durable) so you can buy the same flight in whatever plastic suits you
- Low speed means a bad release barely changes the line
What does not
- 1 fade is not enough to hold a line in real wind
- DX plastic wears noticeably after a season of tree hits
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
2. The midrange worth buying separately
Discraft Buzzz
- Flight numbers
- 5 / 4 / -1 / 1
- Speed
- 5
- Glide
- 4
- Turn
- -1
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Midrange
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- Z, Big Z, ESP, Titanium, Jawbreaker
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Sets rarely include a Buzzz, because it is a premium-selling mold rather than a volume one. That is the strongest single argument for buying individually: if you want the best beginner midrange in the sport, you will probably have to buy it on its own.
How it flies
The -1 turn and 1 fade cancel each other out almost exactly, which is why the Buzzz is the reference straight midrange. Thrown flat it flies a long, flat line and finishes with the gentlest left drift. Thrown on a hyzer it holds the hyzer. Discraft's own page calls it their most popular midrange because it suits a wide range of player styles, and the numbers explain why: there is nothing in them to catch out a developing arm.
Best for any player from their second round onwards who wants one midrange that flies the same line every single throw.
Look elsewhere if you need a midrange that fights hard wind — 1 fade and -1 turn is a neutral combination that a headwind will flip.
What works
- The most repeatable flight in the sport — the same line at 250 feet and 350 feet
- Works at beginner arm speed and still earns a bag slot at tournament level
- Z plastic barely changes flight over years of use
What does not
- Neutral stability means a real headwind will turn it over
- So common that it is rarely the cheapest option
Specs read from Discraft’s own published product page.
3. The driver sets usually get right
Innova Leopard
- Flight numbers
- 6 / 5 / -2 / 1
- Speed
- 6
- Glide
- 5
- Turn
- -2
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Fairway driver
- Stability
- Understable
- Plastics
- DX, Pro, Star, Champion, GStar
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Sets that include a Leopard are the ones worth buying, because this is exactly the driver a beginner should have. If you are comparing two sets and one contains a Leopard while the other contains a speed-11 driver, the choice is already made.
How it flies
-2 turn with only 1 fade is the classic beginner driver shape. At modest arm speed the turn gets the disc moving right and the single fade point brings it gently back, so the result is a long, shallow S that reads as straight. The low speed 6 means you do not need power to get it up to flight — the most common reason a new player's drives go nowhere.
Best for a beginner taking their first step beyond a putter and midrange — at speed 6 it is slow enough to actually fly for a new arm.
Look elsewhere once you are throwing over 300 feet; the -2 turn will start rolling the disc over on you.
What works
- Genuinely flies at beginner arm speed, unlike a speed-11 driver
- The shallow S-curve adds real distance without demanding technique
- DX plastic is cheap enough to lose
What does not
- Turns over once your arm speed grows past it
- 1 fade gives nothing in a headwind
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
Pick the set if...
- You are buying your first discs and have no strong preferences yet. The molds in a set are chosen to work together and cover a full round, which is more than most people assemble on their first attempt.
- Price matters. A three-disc set is almost always cheaper than the same three molds bought separately, often by a meaningful margin.
- You want to stop deciding and start throwing. This is a real benefit — the fastest way to improve is to go and play, not to spend another evening comparing flight numbers.
Pick individual discs if...
- You want lighter weights. Sets are sold at fixed weights with no choice, and weight is the single cheapest distance gain available to a developing arm. If you throw under 220 feet, buying light separately is worth the premium.
- You already know your putter. If you have thrown a beaded Aviar and a beadless Judge and preferred one, buy that one. The putter is the disc you throw most and the one a set is least likely to get right for you.
- The sets available include a fast driver. A speed-11 disc in a beginner set is padding. You are paying for a disc that will sit unused until your arm catches up, and by then you will want to choose it yourself.
Neither, if...
You are not sure you will keep playing. Borrow discs for two or three rounds first — most courses have people who will happily lend a putter and a midrange, and many clubs run loan schemes. Three rounds with borrowed discs tells you more about whether you want to buy than any amount of research.
If you do buy and then stop, discs hold their value reasonably well secondhand, so the downside is small. But borrowing first is free.
What a set costs you that nobody mentions
The hidden cost of a set is that it decides your putter for you, and putter preference is the stickiest decision in the sport. Players routinely throw the same putter mold for a decade. If a set hands you one that does not suit your hand, you either throw it anyway or you buy again — and the second putter is the one that should have been first.
The cheapest fix is to buy the set and also buy one putter you chose yourself. That is a small additional outlay and it covers the one slot where personal fit genuinely matters. See beginner putters for the options.
Common questions
Are disc golf starter sets cheaper than buying individually?
Yes, almost always, and often by a meaningful margin. The trade-off is that you do not choose the weights or the specific molds.
What is wrong with the discs in starter sets?
Usually nothing. The common problem is padding — a four or five-disc set that includes a high-speed driver a beginner cannot throw yet. Check the speed ratings before buying.
Should I buy my putter separately?
If you have thrown a few and know what you like, yes. The putter is the most personal disc in the bag and the one you will throw most, and set putters are chosen for you.
Can I buy a starter set and add to it later?
That is the normal path. Buy the set, play with it for a season, then add discs to fill the specific gaps you discover rather than the ones you imagine.
Every flight number and spec on this page was read from the manufacturer’s own published product page, linked beside each pick. We do not throw these on a course — here is how we pick.
Sources
Read next
Best Disc Golf Starter Sets (2026)
The three molds a starter set should contain, and when to build your own instead.
Best Disc Golf Discs for Beginners (2026)
The three-disc core every new player should start with, plus two worth adding next.
Best Disc Golf Putters for Beginners (2026)
Five putters that forgive an unpracticed stroke, compared on fade and feel.
How Many Disc Golf Discs Do You Need?
Three to start, seven or eight to cover every shot shape, and why more rarely helps.