Roc3

The Innova Roc3 is a beaded mid-range rated 5/4/0/3 — Innova’s faster, flatter take on the Roc, and a straight-flying control disc rather than the overstable one its rating suggests.

Five speed with four glide and three fade describes a disc that goes where it is pointed and finishes left at the end. Innova calls it a fast, straight Roc that excels at controlled approaches and mid-range drives, and the reported flight backs that up more than the rating does: Infinite’s reviewer averages across 256 ratings come back at 5 / 4.1 / -0.1 / 2.6, so throwers find noticeably less fade than the three on the label and a trace of high-speed turn that is not in the rating at all. In practice it is a straight disc with a dependable finish rather than a hard overstable one. Arm speed decides which of those you get: a strong backhand sees a genuine flat line for most of the flight, while a slower arm meets the hyzer finish earlier. It holds up in wind — Innova says it keeps a line in a variety of conditions — without being the disc for a gale.

That puts it in the control slot: approaches, tunnel shots, and the stand-still upshot that has to land near where it was aimed. It is the natural step up for a Roc thrower who wants a little more speed and a flatter plate, and it rewards a full-power throw in a way the slower Roc does not. Owners rate it highly — 4.52 out of 5 across those 256 ratings, which is a strong number for a mid-range. The limit is utility work: this is not the disc that refuses to turn under a hard forehand or a stiff headwind. The RocX3 (5/4/0/3.5) is the beefier mold in the same family, and the Gator (5/2/0/4) is the one Innova points at spike hyzers and headwind approaches — two glide means it drops out of the air rather than gliding to a stop.

The 3 is generational rather than a reference. Innova’s mid-range progression runs Roc, Roc3, RocX3, and Innova describes the Roc3 as having a flatter profile, slightly faster speed and more torque resistance than the original. The measurements bear that out: the PDGA lists the Roc 3 with a 1.4 cm rim thickness against the Roc’s 1.2 cm at the same 1.3 cm rim depth, and the wider rim is where the extra speed comes from. Innova publishes no origin for the Roc name itself — collectors identify the old ones by where they were molded instead, San Marino, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga being the California towns Innova ran production in. The first Champion run was announced on 12 December 2012; the PDGA record for the Roc 3 is certification 17-96, dated 29 August 2017, with a maximum weight of 180.9 g.

Innova lists the mold in Champion, Star, Halo Star, GStar, Metal Flake and DX. DX is the base plastic and the grippiest, and it beats in fastest — a worn DX Roc3 turns more and fades less, which is how a lot of players get a straight-to-flippy version without buying a different mold. Champion and Metal Flake hold the rated flight longest, and GStar gives a softer, more flexible plate for cold weather.