Behind the Bag: Chandler Fry

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

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 reveal the stories that fans care about.

Next up: Chandler Fry

Putt and Approaches

Discraft ChallengerCT Challenger OS - Fry specifically bags the 2019 Ledgestone Edition of the CT Challenger OS. “When I grab a putter, I don’t want my thumb to depress too much into the flight plate,” he said. “This run provides the stiffness that I want and the stability that I want. They’re crazy overstable and that’s my putting style. I like to aim high right and let it glide into the basket. This run features the Ledgestone-designed, barbed wire stamp with the text, “DISCRAFT CHALLENGER OS” across the center. Being a 2019 limited run, they are becoming increasingly harder to find for Fry, so he has stockpiled as many as he can.

Chris Dickerson Z Challenger OS
2020 Ledgestone CT Zone
Z Glo Zone
2020 Tour Series Luna

Midranges

Big Z Comet - Fry bags two of these. They are a few years old and feature the old-school comet stamp with the personified rock gripping chains between its teeth as it rips through the basket in a trail of flames. Fry refers to it as the “angry meatball”.

Presnell CryZtal Drone
ESP Glo Chandler Fry Buzzz

Fairway Drivers

Ledgestone Big Z Xtreme - Fry is one of the few players who bag an Xtreme. This out-of-production mold was brought back as an exclusive 2022 Ledgestone run with a unique, bug-eyed skateboarder stamp. “I like the simplicity of it,” Fry said. “There’s really only one thing you can do with it, and that’s throw hyzers. It’s super overstable and super extreme. I learned how to throw sidearms long ago with a Whippet, which is very similar to the Xtreme.”

Surge2022 Chandler Fry Tour Series Surge - Fry currently bags two, although he had several more at one point in 2022 before USDGC and Eagles Crossing cost him some of them. His main weapon of the two is a mis-stamped, orange-translucent workhorse that he calls Sir George. Sir George is one of five named Surges that Fry had in his bag over the course of 2022, but is the only one remaining. The other four were Sergio, Surgeon General, Serio Jr. and Sergio III.  “I was trying to find nicknames with ‘Surge’ in them,” Fry said. “But it’s been a rough year for the Surges.” He acquired Sir George at the Ledgestone Open despite it being 167 grams which is a bit lighter than he prefers, but it’s worked out for him and the Tour Series plastic makes it beautiful to look at.

ESP Surge - This one has been in Fry’s bag for several years and is beat in to perfection. Its versatile understability allows him to throw both forehand and backhand rollers.

Z Swirl Passion
First Run Captain’s Raptor
Test Flight Athena
ESP Avenger SS

Distance Drivers

Z ForceZ Force - The most valuable disc in Fry’s bag is his pink Force. He discovered it in the collection of Jeremy Koling who played for Team Discraft until 2013. When Fry pulled this pop-top disc out of Big Jerm’s collection in 2020, he knew he’d found a keeper. “This is a run of Force a lot of people look for,” he said. “I know Adam Hammes also has a few. I don’t know what it is, but they’re special. I was once told by Dave Feldberg if I ever found a disc with a heartbeat to hold onto it. This one still has that heartbeat. It’s still overstable and still glidey and it’s really just my security blanket in the bag.”

ESP Force
Z Nuke

2022 Champions

Missy Gannon
Ricky Wysocki


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Highlights
Previous Champions
  • 2021: C Heimburg/R Wysocki, Paige Pierce
  • 2020: Catrina Allen, Ricky Wysocki
  • 2019: Paul McBeth, Paige Pierce
  • 2018: Nate Sexton, Jessica Weese
  • 2017: Josh Anthon, Valarie Jenkins
  • 2016: Catrina Allen, Paul McBeth
  • 2015: Catrina Allen, Simon Lizotte
  • 2014: Catrina Allen, Nikko Locastro
  • 2013: Catrina Allen, Devan Owens
  • 2012: Sarah Hokom, Nikko Locastro
  • 2011: Al Hermosillo
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