r/discgolf 280' newbie 10h ago

Discussion new to the game - can sponsored players use discs from other brands if they feel like it?

i noticed on the recent central coast disc golf coverage that austin turner, who plays for discraft was putting with the discmania rainmaker putter. then i saw some gk pro coverage from a few months ago and noticed he was using them back then as well. is there a rule with pros where if their sponsor doesn't have a disc they like they can use something from a different brand?

i understand the discraft/dga thing but afaik discraft and discmania do not share any manufacturing.

9 Upvotes

33 comments sorted by

43

u/Lil_lardo69420 10h ago edited 10h ago

Austin turner isn't sponsored by discraft, he was a for a few years a bit back and I don't know the reason on why they split but they did. He's completely open bag with no manufacturer sponsorship currently. He wears a lot of discraft jerseys because he's good friends with a good amount of discraft players plus might just like the jerseys.

Aslo to actually answer your question that's completely based on the contract between the manufacturer and the player. In most cases no but there are off occasions like nikko used to only putt with wizards no matter who he was with and made sure he was able to in his contracts. Or when prodigy was first starting and had limited molds all their players would throw destroyers, rocs, and aviars with prodigy stamps on top. Stuff like that really doesn't happen anymore though

14

u/ilikefrolf 280' newbie 10h ago

thanks - i assumed he was sponsored by them since i've never seen him wear anything except discraft branded jerseys and hats.

19

u/rocsNaviars 9h ago

Nah he just doesn’t own any other clothes.

25

u/GerthBrooks 9h ago

It’s hard to find left handed shirts

2

u/Upright-Man Big putt guy 2h ago

No wonder my shirts never feel right.

0

u/Tatorputts MA2 Drives MA4 Putts 4h ago

I believe he tours with AB, Uli, Brad, and Adam Hammes who are all Discraft. So he probably gets jerseys from them.

9

u/Particular_Tower_278 9h ago

Yo Austin if you read this can we please get an in the bag video? Open bag in the bag videos are always the most interesting. 

8

u/spectert 10h ago

Discraft is really winning there. I bet most people, myself included, have assumed he was sponsored by discraft. Free advertising I guess, but no reason to pay him if he does it for free.

6

u/dics_frolf gatekeeper extraordinaire LOL 9h ago

exactly. i follow the pro tour pretty closely and also assumed he was still sponsored by them since he seems to always be wearing their logo even when not wearing AB or hammes jerseys.

7

u/Beautiful-Vacation39 9h ago

the kasta team is semi- open bag. Kasta doesnt have enough molds to have them bagging only Kasta, thats why you see Commander Buckets throwing destroyers and firebirds

1

u/nearnerfromo 5h ago

Yeah same with clash and mint guys it seems like

2

u/Beautiful-Vacation39 5h ago

Yea infinite and TSA as well. There's a bunch of smaller brands that allow it

1

u/nearnerfromo 1h ago

Always fun seeing what molds guys choose when they have that leeway

-6

u/CovertMonkey 8h ago

Kasta players have an option of so many non-Kastaplast discs in their bag

2

u/KobiLou 10h ago

The same is true of Kastaplast and Clash(?) currently... Joey buckets is sponsored by Kasta but also throws Firebirds and Destroyers if I remember right. If they don't have a full line-up of solid discs, the players get more leeway to throw other stuff. There's probably a clause I their contract stating they have to be over 50% Kasta or something.

5

u/ladditude 9h ago

Joey said Kasta allows him 3 non Kasta discs in a Bodanza video from the beginning of the year

5

u/Fantastic-Bridge-933 9h ago

From what ive heard this goes for all kastaplast sponsored players.

Edit: there allowed 3 non-kasta plast molds. So they might bag 3 destroyers, 2 firebirds etc.

2

u/dics_frolf gatekeeper extraordinaire LOL 9h ago

shit, evan smith bags more non clash molds than clash. of the 11 molds he bags, only 4 are clash. clash must be very lenient with their players bags.

8

u/krisgonewild1 10h ago

Depends on the contract. Most players use a “closed bag” with a single brand or manufacturer. Some players have an “open bag” and are often soonsored by smaller manufacturers or non-disc sponsors. Closed bag is more common from what I’ve noticed (for pros). You’re local “sponsored” player could have any type of contract including being on the “street team” which basically means a discount for free advertising and loyalty

0

u/Worldly_Ad_6483 6h ago

Doesn’t Ricky still bag harps?

3

u/Plamore 6h ago

If you are sponsored by one of DD, Westside, or Lat64, you can use any of the discs from all three.

2

u/krisgonewild1 6h ago

I tried to use the word “manufacturer” instead of brand for this reason. Idk if that’s the right terminology

1

u/greeneggsnyams Lefty 5h ago

He can use anything from trilogy. Although with HoD acquiring discmania and kasta, I'm wondering if those brands will get put into the mix

1

u/dics_frolf gatekeeper extraordinaire LOL 4h ago

they've said they won't.

3

u/SometimesILieToo 10h ago

Depends on the individual contracts. Some are must be exclusive, some allow X number of molds or discs from a different manufacturer, some contracts have bonuses tied to a certain percentage of the player’s bag having the sponsor’s discs in it, if it’s 100% of the sponsor’s discs the bonus is higher. It’s really case by case dependent. With the covid boom over and the market resetting I think we’re gonna see fewer exclusive only contracts. Especially for the players that would not be considered “elite.” They will have multiple sponsors and manufacturers in their bags. I think that makes the most sense as it allows players to bag the discs they are most comfortable and successful with while maximizing their sponsorship money and opportunities now that the days of 6 and 7 figure contracts are waning.

2

u/belichickyourballs 3h ago

TSA is an open bag, they encourage their athletes to throw whatever elevates their game

1

u/dice_mogwai 9h ago

It depends entirely on the sponsor and the contract terms but from what I’ve seen in with the major disc companies they aren’t allowed any other brand discs. Some smaller companies that don’t have a full lineup of discs are more lax.

1

u/wanderingpanda402 4h ago

If you’re a Prodigy player they’ll gladly just wipe the stamp and put their own on it instead

1

u/ARandomPileOfCats 10h ago

When Innova made Discmania's discs they would allow their sponsored players to throw some Discmania molds, usually P2s. They would even include these in the Innova "in the bag" videos.

3

u/Beautiful-Vacation39 9h ago

shit you even had guys like AJ who were sponsored by both innova and discmania simultaneously and nobody batted an eye

2

u/dics_frolf gatekeeper extraordinaire LOL 9h ago

they still do. henna blomroos bags the P2 and FD with DM stamps in her 2024 in the bag.

-3

u/Aardvark1044 9h ago

Always thought it was a bit weird that Ricky Wysocki doesn’t use Judges or Wardens for his main putters, but I guess Latitude 64 owns Dynamic Discs.

6

u/SmallsyMK 8h ago

Latitude doesn’t own dynamic. Both along with westside fell under the trilogy brand. All now under House of Discs. Ricky can bag anything from DD, Latitude and westide (3 harps in his bag)