Innova Teebird Vs. Thunderbird

If you are looking to add a new disc golf fairway or control driver to your bag and can't decide between the Innova Teebird vs Thunderbird - keep reading.

Both of these discs are staples in the sport and are commonly found in both professional and amateur players bags. But what is the difference between these discs, and which one is right for you?

The bottom line:

• The Teebird is a better choice for beginners
• The Thunderbird is better for intermediate and advanced players

If you want to know more, this in-depth review will guide you in the right direction.

Innova Teebird Vs Thunderbird

Teebird: 7 | 5 | 0 | 2

The Teebird is a slightly overstable fairway driver. The Teebird comes in a variety of plastics and will fly straight then finish left for RHBH (right hand backhand) players.

As the disc gets worn in, it will fly straighter with more turn, and may even become slightly understable as it continues to wear.

Thunderbird: 9 | 5 | 0 | 2

The Thunderbird is also slightly overstable, but it falls into the distance driver category due to its increased speed rating. For RHBH players the Thunderbird will fly straight and finish left with a moderate amount of fade.

Both discs are available in most of the popular plastics Innova offers, including:

• Star
• Champion
• Metal Flake
• GStar
• Pro
• DX

The Thunderbird is also available in Halo Star plastic as well.

The Thunderbird and Teebird are both very versatile, but what is the difference between them?

Distance Driver Vs. Fairway Driver

The Teebird is a fairway driver with a speed of 7 where the Thunderbird is a distance driver with a speed of 9. A fairway driver is a disc that is typically thrown distances around 250 feet, and a distance driver is used at distances over 300 feet.

Disc golf players will typically carry both fairway and distance drivers in their bag for different types of shots. This is one thing that separates the Teebird from the Thunderbird, but in what ways are they similar?

Thunderbird Vs. Teebird: Similarities

As the names suggest, the Thunderbird and Teebird are similar in a lot of ways.

Aside from the speed rating they have the exact same flight numbers. This means that when thrown in the same conditions these discs will fly very similarly.

Glide

Both the Teebird and Thunderbird have a glide rating of 5.

Turn

Both discs have a turn rating of 0. This means that a RHBH player will not likely have the disc glide to the right during a throw (at least when its new).

Fade

Both discs have a fade rating of 2. This means that when the disc starts to slow down at the end of the flight it will fall to the left at a similar rate.

When you are throwing these discs you will notice that they both will fly in a similar way with the Thunderbird flying faster and farther than the Teebird.

Next we’ll look into some of the ways that these discs are different.

The Difference: Speed

The Teebird has a speed rating of 7, while the Thunderbird has a speed rating of 9. This means that although the Thunderbird can fly farther, it requires more arm speed to get it there.

For most players the Teebird will be easier to throw and control.

Is The Teebird Right For You?

If you are a beginner or haven’t mastered driving form yet then the Teebird is a better option for you. The Teebird is known to be a very versatile disc and is one of the first discs that many new players pick up when they are learning how to play.

This is one of the best discs for advanced players due to its dependability. Teebirds are very accurate and are incredibly versatile when thrown in different ways. With enough arm speed you can get a Teebird to turnover, so intermediate and advanced players can use this disc for narrow, low ceiling shots.

There's a spot in every disc golfer's bag for a Teebird, but what about the Thunderbird?

Who Should Use A Thunderbird?

The Thunderbird is a faster flying control driver that can be very useful in many situations. If you have a faster arm and more experience playing disc golf, then a Thunderbird can make a great addition to your bag.

But new players shouldn't dismiss the Thunderbird entirely. 

Due to it's overstability; a Thunderbird can be an excellent first disc to learn forehand drives with. The stability will actually work in your favor by balancing out the natural fade when throwing a forehand shot.

So if you're a beginner who wants to learn how to drive with a flick shot, give the Thunderbird a try!

Both of these discs are great and deserve a chance in your bag at some point in your disc golf journey.

You can check out our selection of disc golf discs here.

If you enjoyed this post the you may also like our Firebird vs Thunderbird comparison!

Sources: 

https://www.innovadiscs.com/disc/thunderbird
https://www.innovadiscs.com/disc/teebird