Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
For today’s post, I thought it would be fun to take a closer look at one of the Innova fairway drivers, the Banshee. It wasn’t until recently that I tried out the disc, but I quickly picked up some experience and now know enough to share with you all!
For the rest of this Banshee review, I’ll be going through my favorite uses for the disc, any negatives that I found when using it, and what plastic and weight combination I enjoyed the most.
Overview of the Innova Banshee
The Innova Banshee is an overstable fairway driver that’s useful for throwing into heavy winds and has a consistent and powerful fade. One of my favorite things about the Banshee is that it feels easy to throw for both forehand and backhand throws, while a lot of fairway drivers don’t.
Innova Banshee Specifications
- Flight Ratings: 7 Speed, 3 Glide, 0 Turn, 3 Fade
- Plastics: DX, Champion
- Weight: 150-175g
- Stability: Overstable
- Fade: Minimum
- Primary Use: Fairway
- Skill Level: Intermediate
Innova Banshee Features
Here’s a nice quick look into the Banshee characteristics that are important to learn about.
Plastic Types
You can find this disc golf disc in the following molds; DX Banshee, and Champion Banshee.
- DX – The DX line is available for virtually every disc model and weight at Innova. This is their most cost-effective plastic and provides outstanding traction in the majority of situations. In comparison to other plastics, discs manufactured with DX plastic are significantly less robust and can be damaged while flying through trees or other obstructions.
- Champion – The most premium and costly plastic produced by Innova is the Champion mold. It’s extremely long-lasting, firm, and overstable. Discs molded in Champion plastic can withstand abuse from trees or rocks while retaining their flight characteristics. Because it is so robust, this material is less flexible and soft.
Read more about each Innova plastic in my complete guide.
Available Weights
The Banshee can be found with a minimum weight of 150 grams and a maximum weight of 175 grams. Like most fairway drivers, there is a lightweight option, although it’s won’t be as useful as a heavier disc for most throws.
Best Throws for the Innova Banshee
For most players, the best throws for the Innova Banshee are:
- Tailwind
- Headwind
- Hyzer
- Sidearm
Tailwind – Tailwinds will help push your disc forward since it’ll be moving in the same direction that the disc is flying. This type of wind also causes the disc to be more overstable and have less glide since it gets pushed down towards the ground.
Headwind – This disc performs well when throwing into a headwind situation. Headwinds are when the direction of the wind is pushing toward you and your disc. This causes the disc to be less stable and usually lifts the disc slightly. When there’s a lot of wind, overstable discs are great options since they aren’t affected as much during the flight.
Hyzer – Hyzer is the angle of release for a right-handed backhand thrower, with the outside edge or left edge tilted downward. A disc released with a hyzer will travel to the left faster than one thrown flat. If you want your disc to go further to the left, use more hyzer (RHBH).
Sidearm – Overstable discs that provide a lot of grip in the hand are often excellent for sidearm throws. A good forehand requires a clean release and spin, and this disc has a wide enough rim to enable you to create a strong, powerful throw.
Even though these are the main uses that I found with the Banshee, plenty of other disc golfers can take advantage of different throws!
Banshee Stability and Turn
Overstable discs like the Banshee are great for players who generate a lot of power. This doesn’t actually need a lot of speed to go far, but with more power comes more of a strong fade depending on the release angle.
Which Players Should Use the Innova Banshee?
Fairway or control drivers are a wonderful combination of midrange and max distance drivers. They don’t require as much arm speed, making them ideal for controlled shots. You probably won’t be able to hit the same distance, but you should notice greater control and accuracy.
These are the major benefits of using a fairway driver:
- Being able to slow down your throws and still generate a lot of distance.
- Having more precise and controllable throws that won’t change during the flight.
For disc golfers with some prior expertise and practice, intermediate discs are ideal. These discs may be thrown by beginners or newer players, but they’ll require a lot of effort to achieve considerable distance.
Where Can You Find the Innova Banshee?
As an experienced player, my preferred place to look for certain disc golf discs like the Banshee is at any local disc golf shop in my state. If I can’t find the disc in-store, there are two online shops that I always prefer to shop at.
InfiniteDiscs – They have plenty of disc options and show unique images of each individual disc that you can sort through, look at, and buy.
Amazon – Amazon is another option that has plenty of inventory, as well as a variety of plastics and weights.
Discs Related to the Banshee
Check out these similar disc golf discs to the Banshee and read through my full reviews below!
Innova TeeBird – One of the most popular and consistent fairway drivers with good speed and glide.
Innova Eagle – Super reliable and predictable flight path that’s great for long power throws.
Final Review
In this Innova Banshee review we covered topics like,
- The best uses and throws for the Banshee
- Each available plastic mold and disc weight
- How difficult the disc is to control compared to other fairway drivers.
Hopefully, this quick write-up gave you some insight into whether or not the Banshee is a disc that would fit well in your bag!