By P.J. Harmer, Steve Hill and Jack Trageser — Rattling Chains Staff

Rattling Chains was lucky enough to be one of the sponsors for a tournament that had the DGA Breaker as part of a player’s pack.

In fact, it was the first tournament to have the Breaker with a custom tournament stamp.

Still, if the disc doesn’t deliver, then it’s nothing more than eye candy.

When I play in tournaments, I usually find the nicest disc with the tournament stamp and keep it. I don’t throw it at all, rather allow it to become a wall-hanger to show what tournaments I’ve played in. Usually, I hope it’s a disc I’ve already thrown or own.

I was lucky enough to be able to grab more than one disc from this tournament, which allowed me to have something to throw, too.

Score!

I’m not one to get into technical details of a disc. As barely a 700-rated player, my disc choices are based on feel and what the disc does for me.

And I’m digging the Breaker.

With a lower — and flatter — profile and a different feel to the underside, I wasn’t sure what it would do for me. But it fit what I was looking for — a putt-and-approach disc I could use in multiple situations. What I really like about it is it doesn’t seem to do anything silly once it lands.

Within 100 feet or so, I usually use the Innova JK Aviar. I still will use it as it’s reliable, but the Breaker is going to start pushing its way into play. The reason being is when the Breaker heads toward the basket and slides in, it stops. The Aviar, as well as a few others I’ve used, will sometimes hop up and bounce or roll away.

The Breaker didn’t do that. I’m not saying it’s not possible for it to do it, but it hasn’t in the times I’ve used it. For me, that’s enough to put it in the bag.

Though big-bead rims usually mess with my grip, the Breaker actually felt comfortable. I’m not a power thrower, so it was nice to have a good feel and grip. That’s something I noticed, too — the grip was solid and wasn’t slippery. I felt I had control from start to release.

Finally, the flight path was excellent. It held my type of line with minimal break at the end. I felt confident with the disc so much that I even used it in a few mid-range spots, just to see what it would do and I truly liked where it went.

Though I tried, I didn’t find many things wrong with this disc. For a player of my level, it’s a great addition to what I already use. For bigger-arm and higher-rated players, who can say? But for me, this disc has now found a permanent place in my bag and it’s the first time in a while I can say that.

Steve Hill

Every disc golfer has that go-to, super reliable disc in his or her bag. For me, it is the Vibram VP. I know that, if I hit my line correctly, it is going to do the same thing I need it to every time I call on it.

I can see the DGA Breaker filling that same role for those who adopt it.

With a low-profile feel and a massive bead to keep it stable, this disc just wanted to fade at the end of its flight, no matter what. As a result, upshots were a breeze and always landed right near the basket. It was also useful for bigger flex lines, as I couldn’t get it to turn over entirely. This kind of stability has a key role in any bag.

The paradox I found with this disc, though, was that it was an extremely straight putter – more so than the aforementioned VP. It also feels a bit faster out of the hand and is packed with a fair amount of glide, making it a bit more effortless to guide it to the chains.

Honestly, as I type this review, I can hear my VPs shaking a bit over in the corner. They know there is a little competition in town — I love low-profile putters — but they are safe for only one reason: the plastic. Made in DGA’s Proline blend (aka Discraft’s ESP), it is as durable as anything on the market, but a little slick for general putting duties. If DGA were to make this a base plastic release in the future, though, I could definitely see keeping it in the bag.

On the whole, this is definitely a solid offering for DGA, a company that is generally pretty under the radar. If more players discover the Breaker, though, that might not be the case much longer.

Jack Trageser

When I received my DGA Breaker, the first things I noticed were the smallish diameter and — what really got me excited — the completely flat top.

And though listed as a putt-and-approach disc, I considered it to be more useful as a short mid-range/approach disc, so I am doing my part of the review as such.

I like my mid-range discs with little or no dome, and the Breaker is flat enough to use as a foundation for a house of playing cards. I own a few DGA mid-range discs (the Shockwave, Aftershock, and the venerable Squall) and was curious to learn how the Breaker would differ.

My conclusion is that the Breaker is designed for slightly shorter flights than those discs, has more stubborn stability, and greater predictability through that stability.

I should point out that because of a past arm injury and the way I’m now forced to throw, some of my favorite discs are the ones that are so overstable that I can throw my hardest with exaggerated turnover and know they will hold a line regardless.

With that in mind, the Breaker is right at home in my bag.

I’m pretty happy with my current lineup, so that alone wouldn’t be enough to make an impression on me. But I’m always on the lookout for discs that fill a niche.

When you carry 15 or more discs, chances are there is room in your bag for one or two “specialists,” or discs that are not the go-to driver, mid-range or putter, but rather to execute a particular shot in a critical situation. Like the super overstable drive used in insane headwinds or for skip-hyzers that absolutely must keep skipping to the left or right. And that’s where to me this disc really shines. Not the particular niche I just described, mind you, but one that is just as important.

You see, some discs have a flight that seems to go great most of the way but just at the point you expect (and want) them to come back to earth and just stop, they curl off and finish with a hyzer that ruins your positioning for the next shot. Or they remain in the air long enough on a turnover line to land on edge just enough to get a little roll, and ruin your positioning for the next shot.

The Breaker, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to realize it’s a flying disc. It acts just a little like a manhole cover, wanting to plunge back to earth as quickly as possible.

If you’re looking for a mid-range that you can throw almost as far as your drivers, this isn’t a good choice. But if you have a gap in your bag between your putt-and-approach discs and your typical mids, and also want something that just feels solid, stubborn and stable, the Breaker is worth a try.

I can also see the Breaker being a good choice for those who like to play with only one disc, when playing a short course. It’s got that kind of reliability, and thanks to its profile, can do a reasonable impersonation of a putter if required.

If you have any comments, questions, thoughts, ideas or anything else, feel free to e-mail me and the crew at: pj@rattlingchains.com. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook!