The third release from Sweden’s Kastaplast takes it’s previously released Kaxe midrange and makes a few tweaks to produce the straighter Kaxe Z. Both the Kaxe and Kaxe Z have a very similar feel and fall right into that midrange/fairway slot. You could easily call it a faster midrange or a slower fairway driver and you wouldn’t be wrong in either sense.
Kastaplast says this about their latest offering:
This disc is essentially a beadless Kaxe. Just as with the original Kaxe we have called it a midrange driver, but Kaxe Z is just as much a fairway driver. With this disc we’re introducing the Z as in Zero, symbolizing less stability than the original mold. However don’t expect Kaxe Z to be understable. It’s still dependable and Kaxey!
Kastaplast sent us the Kaxe Z to review and even in the colder winter weather, we were able to see some nice results on the course. Right away we saw many similarities to the more stable Kaxe. Even with the change in the bottom of the rim, if you would hold both in your hand with your eyes closed, it would be hard to feel the differences.
Due to the smaller diameter the Kaxe will feel a lot smaller than you’d expect. This translated to a lot of control for us and a lot of confidence. We were really able to hit some smaller windows and hit our lines just due to the control of the Kaxe Z. Even with the small diameter, the Kaxe Z has a decent amount of depth which helps with nearly any grip you want to use with the Kaxe Z. You could use a power grip, fan grip, or any modification of the two and you’ll still get a nice flight out of it.
For a midrange, the Kaxe Z does have quite a bit of speed and glide. It was a disc we could trust on those tweener holes. Sometimes you need to power down a fairway driver, but that often leads to less control. Or, you could try and muscle a midrange to that distance, but results aren’t always what you’re looking for. The Kaxe Z tends to have the right combination to where it will reach those distances, but it also maintains the control.
In our review of the Kaxe, we noted how it was pretty stable at high speeds. It wasn’t afraid of power and would remain on the initial line you threw it on. The Kaxe Z on the other hand has a similar stability, but does show a hint of turn. You’d be hard pressed to get it to roll over just on pure power, but you will get a little movement from it. We were able to see little hyzer flips or a moderate turn, but nothing that we were ever worried about. If anything, the small turn helped produce some very straight flights.
The Kaxe Z has a hint of fade, but it really doesn’t want to kick left too hard. You can really rely on it to finish in a very predictable place. It didn’t take many throws to realize how straight the Kaxe Z can be. We often find ourselves reaching for a midrange where we really lean on the control it provides. Control out ranks other features of that disc. In the case of the Kaxe Z, that is certainly the case. The fade at the end really provides a flight you can trust.
While it can be a useful tool for nearly any disc golfer, we feel the Kaxe Z might be a very useful disc for beginners. The smaller diameter size and moderately large rim size for a midrange is a very comfortable grip to get used to. The disc just doesn’t feel intimidating. The slight hint of turn and calm fade really makes the disc approachable.
Overall, we’d rate the Kastaplast Kaxe Z at 5.5, 5, -0.5, 1. The end result is a very straight flier that can fill that void between midranges and fairway drivers in your bag. The speed and glide are certainly there and will certainly be a pleasing sight. There is just enough turn to make it dance down the fairway a little bit, but you can really rely on it not flipping too much on you.
The Kastaplast Kaxe Z, in their K1 line plastic, is another nice release from this young disc golf company. The plastic continues to provide a lot of durability and grip on a disc that really can be controlled. Kastaplast called it a seasoned Kaxe and that is a very accurate way to describe the Kaxe Z.
The Kaxe Z was a fun little disc to throw. Just as we stated with the Kaxe, it is nearly in a class of it’s own. It’s a little hard to compare to other midranges due to the speed, gilde, and overall size of the Kaxe Z. Don’t overlook the Kaxe Z if you’ve been on the hunt for a midrange you can reach for time and time again.
