By disc type
Innova Jay vs Discraft Buzzz
Almost the same disc, one number apart. That number decides which of them suits you.
By Selena H. Published September 4, 2026 Updated October 6, 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.
Pick the Buzzz if you want forgiveness. Pick the Jay if you want a flight that does not change as your arm speed grows. The two are published at 5/4/-1/1 and 5/4/0/1 respectively — identical apart from a single point of turn — and that one number is the whole of the difference.
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Discraft Buzzz Pick this for forgiveness | any player from their second round onwards who wants one midrange that flies the same line every single throw | 5 / 4 / -1 / 1 · Midrange | |
| 2 | Innova Jay Pick this for stability as you improve | a beginner or intermediate player who wants a straight midrange with 0 turn, so it will not flip as their arm speed grows | 5 / 4 / 0 / 1 · Midrange | |
| 3 | Innova Mako3 The third option most people miss | a beginner or intermediate player who wants a midrange with literally no built-in curve in either direction | 5 / 5 / 0 / 0 · Midrange |
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1. Pick this for forgiveness
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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The -1 turn is doing a specific job: it offsets an accidental hyzer release, flattening the disc out so a slightly imperfect throw still flies roughly straight. For most players most of the time that forgiveness is worth more than theoretical neutrality, which is why this disc is in so many more bags.
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.
2. Pick this for stability as you improve
Innova Jay
- Flight numbers
- 5 / 4 / 0 / 1
- Speed
- 5
- Glide
- 4
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 1
- Disc type
- Midrange
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- DX, Star, Champion
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0 turn means there is nothing for extra arm speed to exaggerate. A Buzzz that is dead straight at 280 feet shows a slight right-hand drift at 400; the Jay does not change. If you are improving quickly and want the flight you learn to stay learned, that is a real advantage.
How it flies
5 speed, 4 glide, 0 turn, 1 fade: almost the Buzzz's numbers with the turn removed. In practice that means it is marginally less forgiving on an imperfect release and marginally more dependable as your power grows, because there is no turn for extra speed to exaggerate. A genuinely straight midrange rather than a canceling one.
Best for a beginner or intermediate player who wants a straight midrange with 0 turn, so it will not flip as their arm speed grows.
Look elsewhere if you want the slight turn that makes a Buzzz forgiving of an accidental hyzer release — the Jay has none to offset it.
What works
- 0 turn means the flight does not change as you get stronger
- Only 1 fade, so the finish is gentle
- Available in cheap DX for a first midrange
What does not
- No turn to offset a hyzer release
- Less widely stocked than a Buzzz or a Roc
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
3. The third option most people miss
Innova Mako3
- Flight numbers
- 5 / 5 / 0 / 0
- Speed
- 5
- Glide
- 5
- Turn
- 0
- Fade
- 0
- Disc type
- Midrange
- Stability
- Neutral
- Plastics
- DX, Pro, Star, Champion, GStar
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If the appeal of the Jay is its 0 turn, the Mako3 takes it further with 0 fade as well — a genuinely neutral disc that holds your release angle all the way down. It is on this page because the Jay-versus-Buzzz question often has a better answer than either.
How it flies
0 turn and 0 fade with 5 glide: the Mako3 holds whatever angle you release it on for the whole flight and then lands. Release it flat and it flies flat. Release it on a 20-degree hyzer and it rides that hyzer down. That makes it the best disc on this page for learning what your own release angle actually is, because the disc adds nothing of its own.
Best for a beginner or intermediate player who wants a midrange with literally no built-in curve in either direction.
Look elsewhere if you want a midrange that finishes left to settle under a basket — the Mako3 will not do it.
What works
- Truly neutral — the flight is entirely your release
- 5 glide carries well for a midrange
- Excellent teaching disc for diagnosing your own release angle
What does not
- No fade at all, so it will not tuck in at the end of a shot
- Neutral stability is a liability in wind
Specs read from Innova’s own published product page.
What one point of turn actually does
Turn is the early right-hand bank, and it expresses itself in proportion to how fast the disc is moving. At low to moderate arm speed, -1 turn barely shows at all and both discs fly very similarly.
The difference appears in two places. First, on an imperfect release: if you let the disc go on a slight hyzer angle, the Buzzz’s turn flattens it out while the Jay holds the hyzer. Second, at higher arm speeds: the Buzzz begins to show a rightward drift that the Jay does not.
| 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.
Which suits your stage
Developing arm, under 280 feet: the Buzzz. The forgiveness is useful now and the turn barely expresses itself at this speed anyway.
Improving quickly, 280 to 380 feet: either, with the Jay having a slight edge if you expect to keep gaining. You will not have to recalibrate.
Advanced, 380 feet and up: the Jay, or more likely something more overstable still. At high arm speeds a -1 turn midrange starts behaving like an understable one.
The practical tiebreaker
Availability. The Buzzz is one of the most widely stocked discs in the sport and the Jay is not, which matters when you want to replace a disc you have learned. If both are available to you, this is a genuine choice; if only one is, the choice is made.
Rim feel is the other tiebreaker and, as always, cannot be resolved by reading. Borrow both if you can.
Common questions
What is the difference between an Innova Jay and a Discraft Buzzz?
One point of turn. The Jay is published at 5/4/0/1 and the Buzzz at 5/4/-1/1. The Buzzz is more forgiving of an imperfect release; the Jay's flight does not change as your arm speed grows.
What are the Innova Jay flight numbers?
Innova publish the Jay at speed 5, glide 4, turn 0, fade 1 — a straight midrange with no turn to offset its single point of fade.
Which is better for a beginner, the Jay or the Buzzz?
The Buzzz. Its -1 turn offsets an accidental hyzer release, which is the most common beginner error, and the turn barely expresses itself at beginner arm speed anyway.
Is there a straighter midrange than either?
The Innova Mako3 at 5/5/0/0 — no turn and no fade, so it holds whatever angle you release it on for the entire flight.
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
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