The Innova DX Cheetah is a stable fairway driver made in Innova's cheapest, grippiest plastic, and it is the disc most new players use to graduate off putters and midranges. Speed 6 with real turn out of the box means it does not take much arm speed to get it flying its full distance.

Flight Numbers: 6 / 4 / -2 / 2

DX is a soft, tacky base line plastic that grips well in cold and wet weather but wears down fast, picking up dings and losing its dome after a season of tree hits. That wear actually helps the Cheetah: as it beats in it turns over a little easier, so an old Cheetah flies flatter and flippier than a fresh one.

Thrown flat with a smooth release it turns right early and comes back to a gentle fade, the classic S curve that teaches new players what a clean release angle looks like. On a hyzer it holds the hyzer, and it makes a fun hyzer flip disc once you have the timing down. Headwind is its one weakness; a light DX Cheetah gets pushed around badly in a strong wind. It is the natural first fairway driver for beginners and younger arms, and a good woods control disc for anyone who wants distance without much fade to manage.

New to the game? The GStar Leopard3 (Reaper Edition) flies straighter with less turn if you want less S curve to manage. Ready to step up to a faster overstable driver once your arm speed grows? The Halo Star Teebird3 is the usual next disc. Browse the rest of our stable fairway drivers.

Speed 6, glide 4, turn -2, fade 2. Diameter 21.1 cm, rim width 1.6 cm, max weight 175 g.