By Jacob Arvidson
The popularized video segment known as an “In the Bag” has given fans a look into what their favorite pros are carrying around on the course.
You might catch a glimpse of their putter and the two backups they carry, or get a few extra seconds to stare at their favorite driver as they relive an important shot with you, but the insight usually ends there. You never get to hear about the specific runs, plastic types of certain discs, or what makes the stamps so sentimental to certain players.
Some players have one-of-a-kind runs, others have interesting acquisitions stories and a few carry discs with extreme financial value. We’ve taken the time to speak with several top pros in our “Behind the Bag” series to find out the stories that fans care about.
Next up: Andrew Presnell
Putt and Approaches
Jawbreaker Swirl Focus - Presnell throws the 2021 Putt-Like-A-Pro run. He carries three of these in his bag as his primary putting putters and has about 20 more in storage because this particular run is hard to get ahold of. The 2021 run was a special request from Presnell to Discraft. “They specifically made them for the Discraft players,” he said. “Discraft asked us what we putted with, what plastic we wanted, what stiffness we wanted and what we wanted it to look like. It was actually customized for me and how I wanted it.”
Swirly Soft Zone - Presnell has several connections to this particular Zone, which has only been run once in this plastic. First, from a playing perspective, the grip, flexibility and skipless landing makes this a must-have for approaching the basket. Second, this limited, 1,500-disc run was produced with the PREZ logo by Ledgestone to help fund his tour. Finally, Presnell’s brother was the one who designed the stamp. Presnell is excited about the release of a second run of Swirly Soft Zones being produced in 2023.
Paul McBeth 4-claw Z Zone - Even used, this run of Zone is quite valuable to collectors and throwers alike. Presnell joined Discraft in 2019 at the same time as Paul McBeth and scooped up a handful of the 4-claw Zones because those were the quickest to get a hold of at the time. He currently bags a sleek, black one which draws eyes every time he throws it.
Presnell ESP Zone
Midranges
Big Z Drone - Presnell fans (and anyone who has watched him on coverage) will recognize this green, beat-up disc. It sports a very faded, red version of the classic Big Z Drone stamp and flies nothing like a Drone. “It’s more like a nice, stable Buzzz,” Presnell said. “A lot of people just assume it’s a Buzzz at first. I’ve had it for a while and I’m known for throwing it.”
Presnell CryZtal Drone - This was the first time Presnell got to be involved in a hands-on approach with the stamp and he really likes how it turned out.
Ledgestone ESP Flx Drone
2020 Andrew Presnell Fundraiser Z Buzzz
FlyDye Z Buzzz
Fairway Drivers
ESP Flx Avenger SS - This disc dates back well over a decade. It was pulled from a pond by happenstance after being submerged for a long time. It still features the original Avenger SS “Batwing” stamp. Because of its age and usage history, this disc is extremely understandable and serves as Presnell’s go-to roller disc.
Test Flight Athena - Though much more valuable and harder to come by than the First Run Athenas that have recently flooded the market, Presnell has stocked up on several test flights because they fly a bit different. “The test flights and the protos are more overstable where the first runs are a little bit flippy,” he said. “I want that overstable flight. I’d rather beat it in than have it come out of the box flippy.”
Z Avenger SS
CryZtal FlyDye Raptor
First Run Captain’s Raptor
Prototype Anax
Z Vulture
Ledgestone Z Swirl Scorch
Distance Drivers
ESP Force - Presnell bags two from the 2019 run, which he swears is the best run of Forces ever made. He has one that’s beat-in and one that’s much newer. “It actually looks a lot like Innova’s Halo or Dynamic Discs’ Orbit plastic,” he said. “It’s been my workhorse. We played a lot of windy tournaments last year, so it’s my most thrown driver in the bag. The 2019 run has a lot of glide while still being overstable.”
Ledgestone Tour Series ESP Force
Z Glo Force
ESP Nuke
Z Nuke
FlyDye Z Nuke OS