By disc type
Best Disc Golf Discs for Backhand Throws (2026)
Every flight number you read describes a backhand. These five are the ones that make the most of it, by level.
By Selena H. Published October 17, 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 best backhand disc for most players is the Innova Valkyrie — 9 / 4 / -2 / 2 produces the long shallow S that a backhand is built to throw, at a speed a developing arm can still reach. Here is the thing almost nobody tells you: every published flight number in disc golf already describes a right-hand backhand throw. Turn is how far the disc banks right, fade is how hard it hooks left, and both only read that way off a backhand. So “best disc for backhand” really means “which discs make the most of the shape a backhand naturally produces”. These five do, each at a different level.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Innova Valkyrie Best backhand disc overall | an intermediate player who wants a long S-curve driver with a real finish at the end of it | 9 / 4 / -2 / 2 · Distance driver | |
| 2 | Innova Wraith Best backhand distance driver | an intermediate or advanced player who wants a long, dependable distance driver with a real finish | 11 / 5 / -1 / 3 · Distance driver | |
| 3 |  Latitude 64 Explorer Best backhand control driver | an intermediate player who wants a stable fairway driver with a shallower rim than a Teebird | 7 / 5 / 0 / 2 · Fairway driver | |
| 4 |  Latitude 64 Compass Best backhand midrange | a beginner or intermediate player who wants a straight midrange with a touch of finish and plenty of carry | 5 / 5 / 0 / 1 · Midrange | |
| 5 | Innova Thunderbird Best backhand disc in wind | an intermediate player who wants Teebird-style control with meaningfully more distance | 9 / 5 / 0 / 2 · Fairway driver |
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1. Best backhand disc overall
Innova Valkyrie
- Flight numbers
- 9 / 4 / -2 / 2
- Speed
- 9
- Glide
- 4
- Turn
- -2
- Fade
- 2
- Disc type
- Distance driver
- Stability
- Understable
- Plastics
- DX, Pro, Star, Champion, GStar
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9 / 4 / -2 / 2 is the classic backhand shape in one disc: two points of turn to let it run right out of the hand, two points of fade to bring it home, and the two roughly balance into a long S. On a backhand page specifically it earns the top slot because the S-curve is the shape a backhand produces for free — you do not have to manufacture anything, you just throw it flat and let the numbers work.
How it flies
-2 turn with 2 fade gives a textbook S: out right, then back left with enough authority to actually land where you planned. The 4 glide keeps it from floating, so the shape is more controlled than a higher-glide understable driver.
Best for an intermediate player who wants a long S-curve driver with a real finish at the end of it.
Look elsewhere if you want to hold a flat line in wind — -2 turn makes that unreliable.
What works
- Classic controllable S-curve
- 2 fade means the flight finishes properly
- Cheap and widely available in DX
What does not
- -2 turn is wind-sensitive
- Needs decent power to reach full flight
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
2. Best backhand distance driver
Innova Wraith
- Flight numbers
- 11 / 5 / -1 / 3
- Speed
- 11
- Glide
- 5
- Turn
- -1
- Fade
- 3
- Disc type
- Distance driver
- Stability
- Stable
- Plastics
- Star, Champion, GStar, Halo Star
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11 / 5 / -1 / 3 and the mold a lot of players settle on once a backhand can genuinely power a speed-11 disc. One point of turn is enough to hold a long line without flipping over, and 3 points of fade means it finishes rather than drifting. The reason it beats the faster options here is that the Wraith is reachable at around 350 feet of arm speed, where a speed-13 driver is not.
How it flies
Innova use the Wraith's 11, 5, -1, 3 as their own worked example of the flight rating system. With power it turns slightly right, carries on the 5 glide, then finishes left with 3 solid points of fade. That shape is long and, more importantly, repeatable — which is why it has stayed in bags for two decades.
Best for an intermediate or advanced player who wants a long, dependable distance driver with a real finish.
Look elsewhere if your drives are under 300 feet — 3 fade will take over before the disc gets going.
What works
- Long and dependable rather than long and risky
- 3 fade means it finishes where you planned
- Only -1 turn, so it handles moderate wind
What does not
- Needs real arm speed
- 3 fade costs you distance if you are underpowered
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
3. Best backhand control driver
Latitude 64 Explorer
- Flight numbers
- 7 / 5 / 0 / 2
- Speed
- 7
- Glide
- 5
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 2
- Disc type
- Fairway driver
- Stability
- Stable
- Plastics
- Opto, Gold, Zero Hard
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7 / 5 / 0 / 2, which is a backhand shot with nothing to manage. Zero turn means it will not flip, so the line you release is the line you get until the fade arrives. This is the disc for the wooded backhand shot where accuracy matters more than distance, and it is the one on this page that most improves a scorecard rather than a drive-distance number.
How it flies
Published at the same 7, 5, 0, 2 as a Teebird, with a shallower, more putter-like rim that many players find easier to grip and release flat. The flight is the same story: straight with power, then a dependable 2 points of fade.
Best for an intermediate player who wants a stable fairway driver with a shallower rim than a Teebird.
Look elsewhere if you need understability — 0 turn means this disc never flips up for you.
What works
- Shallow rim is easy to grip and release flat
- Dependable straight-then-left flight
- Opto plastic is durable and consistent
What does not
- Needs arm speed like any stable speed-7
- No turnover line available from it
Specs read from Latitude 64’s own published product page.
4. Best backhand midrange
Latitude 64 Compass
- Flight numbers
- 5 / 5 / 0 / 1
- Speed
- 5
- Glide
- 5
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Midrange
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- Opto, Gold, Zero Hard, Retro
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5 / 5 / 0 / 1 with 5 glide. Here because the backhand shot that costs most players strokes is not the drive, it is the 250-foot approach, and this is the disc for it: slow enough to be accurate, glidey enough to carry, and with just one point of fade so it finishes close to where you aimed rather than hooking away.
How it flies
5 glide at speed 5 with no turn and a single point of fade: it carries a long way for a midrange, holds the line you release it on, then eases left at the very end. The 0 turn is the useful part for a developing arm — it means a harder throw does not flip the disc over, so the flight stays recognisable as you gain power.
Best for a beginner or intermediate player who wants a straight midrange with a touch of finish and plenty of carry.
Look elsewhere if you want a hyzer-holding disc in wind — 1 fade will not get you there.
What works
- High glide gives real midrange distance
- 0 turn means the flight does not change as your arm speed grows
- Opto plastic is durable and holds its stability
What does not
- Only 1 fade, so wind resistance is limited
- High glide can carry it past a tight pin
Specs read from Latitude 64’s own published product page.
5. Best backhand disc in wind
Innova Thunderbird
- Flight numbers
- 9 / 5 / 0 / 2
- Speed
- 9
- Glide
- 5
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 2
- Disc type
- Fairway driver
- Stability
- Stable
- Plastics
- Star, Champion, GStar, Halo Star
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9 / 5 / 0 / 2. The reason a backhand page needs an overstable option is headwind: a headwind effectively adds turn to every disc, so the -2 Valkyrie that flies beautifully in calm air will turn over and cut left in a breeze. The Thunderbird's zero turn is what keeps a backhand line honest on an exposed course. Same speed as the Valkyrie, opposite temperament.
How it flies
Essentially a faster Teebird: 0 turn, 2 fade, 5 glide at speed 9. With enough power it holds a flat line a long way then finishes left dependably. The 0 turn is what makes it trustworthy — it does the same thing on a calm morning and into a headwind.
Best for an intermediate player who wants Teebird-style control with meaningfully more distance.
Look elsewhere if your drives are under 280 feet — the 0 turn means you have to supply all the flip yourself.
What works
- Control-driver predictability with speed-9 distance
- 0 turn means genuine wind reliability
- Holds a hyzer line beautifully
What does not
- Requires a developed arm
- Not a turnover disc
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
Why flight numbers are already backhand numbers
Innova’s own flight ratings system describes turn and fade from the point of view of a right-handed backhand throw. Turn is the disc’s tendency to bank to the right during the fast part of the flight; fade is its tendency to hook left as it slows down.
Throw the same disc forehand and both of those directions mirror: the disc banks left early and finishes right. That is why forehand players shop differently — they want overstable discs because a forehand imparts less spin and more wobble, and because the finish direction is reversed. Our forehand picks are a genuinely different list for exactly that reason.
| Number | Range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 1 to 14 | How fast the disc has to be thrown to fly as designed. Higher speeds cut wind better but need more arm. |
| Glide | 1 to 7 | How well the disc keeps itself in the air. Higher glide means more distance for the same throw. |
| Turn | +1 to -5 | How much the disc banks right early in flight. -5 turns most; +1 resists turning most. |
| Fade | 0 to 5 | How hard the disc hooks left at the end. 0 finishes straightest; 5 hooks hardest. |
Ranges as published in Innova’s flight ratings system. All four numbers describe a right-hand backhand throw.
The backhand progression, by level
A backhand develops in a predictable order, and the disc that suits it changes as it does:
- Under 250 feet. Speed 5 to 7, with -2 or more turn. A Leopard or a River. At this stage turn is your friend because you cannot yet generate enough speed to make a disc turn on its own. See our beginner driver picks.
- 250 to 350 feet. Speed 7 to 9. The Valkyrie and the Explorer on this page. You can now reach a real driver speed, and the job becomes choosing how much turn you want to manage.
- 350 feet and up. Speed 9 to 12. The Wraith, then a Destroyer or Zeus. At this point your arm, not the disc, is the thing adding shape to the flight.
The mistake to avoid at every stage is buying ahead of your arm. A speed-12 driver thrown at 280 feet of arm speed fades out early and lands shorter than the speed-7 disc you already own.
How to get more out of a backhand without buying anything
Three things change a backhand more than a disc does, and all three are free.
Release angle. A backhand released even slightly nose-up loses most of its glide. Nose angle is invisible to the thrower and obvious in the result — if your drives climb and then stall, that is nose-up, not the wrong disc.
Reach back and timing. Arm speed on a backhand comes from sequencing, not from pulling harder, which is why working on arm speed beats upgrading a driver for almost everyone.
Weight. Every mold here is sold across roughly a 20-gram range. Dropping toward the lighter end of that range is the cheapest distance gain available to a developing backhand — see our weight guide.
The five discs, side by side
Sorted slowest to fastest. The slowest disc on this list is the one most readers should buy first.
| Disc | Speed | Glide | Turn | Fade | Type | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latitude 64 Compass | 5 | 5 | 0 | 1 | Midrange | Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced |
| Latitude 64 Explorer | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | Fairway driver | Intermediate, Advanced |
| Innova Thunderbird | 9 | 5 | 0 | 2 | Fairway driver | Intermediate, Advanced |
| Innova Valkyrie | 9 | 4 | -2 | 2 | Distance driver | Beginner, Intermediate |
| Innova Wraith | 11 | 5 | -1 | 3 | Distance driver | Intermediate, Advanced |
Ready to move up?
Gear that suits you depends far more on how far you actually throw than on how long you have played. If these picks are starting to feel wrong in either direction, the matching page one level away is the better place to shop.
Common questions
What is the best disc for a backhand throw?
The Innova Valkyrie (9 / 4 / -2 / 2) for most players. Its two points of turn and two of fade produce the long S-curve a backhand naturally throws, at a speed a developing arm can still bring to full flight.
Are flight numbers for backhand or forehand?
Backhand. Turn and fade are both published from the point of view of a right-handed backhand throw. Thrown forehand, both directions mirror, which is why forehand players shop for overstable discs instead.
What disc should I throw backhand as a beginner?
Speed 5 to 7 with at least -2 turn — an Innova Leopard or a Latitude 64 River. Below about 250 feet of arm speed you cannot make a fast disc turn, so you need a disc that turns on its own.
Why does my backhand drive fade left early?
Usually because the disc is too fast for your arm. A disc thrown below its intended speed never reaches the turn part of its flight and goes straight to fade. Dropping two or three speed numbers normally fixes it.
Should I throw a different disc backhand in a headwind?
Yes. A headwind effectively adds turn, so an understable disc like a Valkyrie will turn over and cut left. Switch to a zero-turn disc such as the Innova Thunderbird and the line stays honest.
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
- Innova Discs — Flight Ratings System (the published Speed/Glide/Turn/Fade scales)
- Innova Factory Store — Star Valkyrie (9 / 4 / -2 / 2)
- Innova Factory Store — Star Wraith (11 / 5 / -1 / 3)
- Innova Factory Store — Star Thunderbird (9 / 5 / 0 / 2)
- Latitude 64 — Opto Explorer (7 / 5 / 0 / 2)
- Latitude 64 — Opto Compass (5 / 5 / 0 / 1)
Read next
Best Disc Golf Discs for Forehand Throws (2026)
Five overstable molds that hold a forehand line instead of turning over.
Disc Golf Flight Numbers Chart
Every disc we cover, with manufacturer-published flight numbers, grouped by disc type.
Disc Golf Discs by Arm Speed
Disc speed matched to throwing distance, bracket by bracket, with molds for each.
Disc Golf Fairway Drivers
Six speed 6-9 drivers compared on turn and fade, covering every shot shape.