In this article we cover how Premier was built, how the Premier Technology hold their spin longer than our standard discs and what Niklas Anttila and Gannon Buhr have seen on tour.
How Premier was built
At the end of 2023 we set a clear goal: make a disc that flies further, and prove it with data. PDGA rules fix a disc's size, shape, sharpness and maximum weight. Within those limits, most discs end up with similar weight distribution. Our approach was to take mass out of the center of the disc and move it into the rim.
That raised two problems:
- A thinner flight plate has to keep its shape. Make the lid too thin and the dome can collapse.
- The rim cannot get bigger. To reach full weight without a larger rim, we needed denser plastics.
We went through several prototype rounds. Some worked well, some did not, and none got the weight distribution and feel right. In spring 2025 we found the formula now called Q-Line. It was the first version that combined a thin flight plate, a rigid rim and the grip we were after. Pick up a Q-Line disc and you notice the thinner flight plate straight away, while the rim stays firm in the hand.
What TechDisc measured
In every mold tested, the Premier version lost spin more slowly than the standard version. For the Premier DD1 that difference was 8%.
TechDisc has measured millions of throws over the past three years. Players usually use the sensor to read speed, spin and angles at release. For this project, TechDisc kept the sensor recording after release, to see what the disc does in the air.
The question was simple. A thinner flight plate is easy to measure on the bench. Does that difference also show up in how the disc flies?
Why spin matters
A typical distance shot makes an S-curve. The disc leaves the hand on a slight hyzer, turns over to flat and then to anhyzer, and fades back to hyzer as it slows down.
Early in the flight the disc climbs, so air hits the top of the disc. For a right-hand backhand, that rolls the disc to the right. When the disc starts to come down, air hits the underside and rolls it back to the left. That is the fade.
What resists that rolling is angular momentum: the spinning mass of the disc acting like a gyroscope.
How much a disc rolls depends on two things:
- How fast it spins
- Where its mass sits. Mass in the rim gives more angular momentum than the same mass in the center.
Premier moves mass from the flight plate to the rim. If that works, a Premier disc should lose its spin more slowly.
The test
TechDisc fitted sensors to standard distance drivers, Premier distance drivers and a standard S-line Driver. Release angle, speed and starting spin all affect how quickly spin drops off. So the Tech Disc team threw each disc across as wide a range of speeds and angles as they could, to compare like with like.
The results
After about 1,500 throws:
- Premier discs have higher angular momentum than their standard counterparts.
- The Premier DD1's spin decreased 8% more slowly than the normal S-line DD1.
- The same gap showed up in a second driver mold and in a midrange. In every case tested, the Premier version lost spin more slowly.
What it means for your flight
With more angular momentum, a Premier disc turns more slowly in both directions. It turns over more slowly and fades back more slowly.
The result is a straighter flight:
- On hyzer, the disc holds the release angle longer.
- On flat, it still turns over, but it stays flat longer.
- At the end of the flight, it finishes straighter.
TechDisc's comparison with forehand throws helps here. In their testing, forehands have about 40% less spin than backhands, which is why forehands usually turn and fade harder. Premier moves a throw in the other direction. A forehand flies a little more like a backhand. A backhand flies as if you had added more spin to it.
On the course
The data explains the mechanism. The players tell you how it feels in a round.
Gannon Buhr
Gannon first threw Premier at the 2025 World Championships, with a DD3.
''I threw it soft, and it just kept going straight, and I was like, how is that even possible? I was getting at least 30 to 40 more feet.''
He noticed the biggest change on his forehand, which naturally has less spin than a backhand. He also points to wind:
''I think they perform a lot better in wind and a lot more consistent due to having more weight in the rim. When other people's discs are getting wobbly, the premier just really holds straight.''
Niklas Anttila
Niklas also first threw Premier at Worlds in summer 2025, with a DD3 that was on the understable side.
''It went so, so far. I was thinking that if you can get this with a little bit more stable disc, it's going to be something else. And that happened.''
He describes his Premier DD3 as flying like a fairway driver, with a slow turn and a slow fade, but further than his regular DD3s:
''My DD3's almost have the same flight as my FD or PD. They fly straight and they fly far. I can get, I would say, 10 to 15 meters more distance, depending on the line.''