Are you having trouble with your putter? Maybe the Gateway Shaman can cure your ills.
Manufacturer’s Notes
“The Shaman is to the Chief as is the Magic is to the Wizard. The Shaman is blunt on the nose with a 25%, angle and no bead on the wing. The flight path is dictated on the type of release:
Thrown flat, the Shaman flies straight
Thrown with a tilted flip, the flight path curves“
http://www.gdstour.com/shaman/
Available plastics: S, SS, SSS
Flight Rating: 3 speed, 3 glide, -2 turn, 0 fade (estimated)
Initial Reactions
The Shaman has a very shallow rim and a blunt nose. It feels pretty good in the hand and reminds me a lot of the Innova Colt. Our review version is in the Super Soft plastic which is grippy and chalky but still feels fairly firm, like a new Innova DX Aviar.
By the Numbers
Gateway Shaman
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Putting Notes
I haven’t had a lot of success putting with the Shaman. Something feels off when I try to push putt; I can’t identify the exact cause either. Spin putting feels a little better but the rim is almost too shallow to get a solid putting grip. It does putt pretty straight with a decent amount of glide and I haven’t noticed a major tendency to roll away on a missed putt. Also, this is not going to be your wind putter. Not only is this understable but the shallow rim tends to yield inconsistent and unexpected results in windy conditions.
Upshots
I believe the Shaman was created for drives and approach shots. I’m guessing anyone that can drive over 250′ will see some decent turnover when throwing this putter flat at full power. Bigger arms will need to finesse the hyzer line a little to let the disc flip up and ride the turnover line. A regular playing partner uses the Shaman for long, sweeping turnover drives as well as the shorter shots that require a straight line. He’s taken the time to practice with the disc and learn it well. One thing’s for sure, you won’t want to throw the it too hard with a forehand.
Final Verdict
Looking for something similar to the Innova Colt that is offered in more plastics? The Shaman certainly fits right in. I’d also compare it to the Westside Discs Swan 1 Reborn that we recently reviewed, but the Shaman is a little less understable. Beginners would do well to try this one out, as well as someone with smaller hands looking for an understable option.