For as much as MVP Disc Sports has grown over the previous couple of years, it is hard to believe the their first two discs remain their only putters. All that changes with the release of the new MVP Disc Sports Atom. Not only does the Atom mark the third putter released by MVP, it also marks the release of a new baseline plastic called Electron.
It seems fitting that MVP returns to their roots to release a much desired baseline plastic. Putting with a premium plastic putter isn’t always a desirable situation, especially in bad weather. MVP once again hears the requests and after a lot of development, comes through with a very strong effort. We’ll detail both the Atom and Electron plastic in this review.
MVP says this about their third putter:
The Atom is a straight flyer with enormous potential off the tee and on long approaches. Right off the shelf, the Atom has a neutral stability with just a bit of fade. Over time the Atom will wear in to an extremely straight and floaty putter. The Atom combines Electron baseline putter plastic with the extended flight phases of GYRO™ Overmold Technology, producing a tactile and controllable go-to putter.
Before we get into the Atom itself, let’s talk about Electron. Electron plastic comes in both a normal and soft blend. From what we can tell just by using and holding the putters, the overmold is the same plastic blend. It is the flight plate that is different. Both blends have a nice chalky feel to it. Electron Soft might be a little more chalky, but both bring a nice amount of grip. You can dig a thumb into the flight plate with a lot of confidence.
In terms of stiffness, while the soft is certainly on the soft side, the main Electron plastic isn’t rock hard and does have a little give to it. It’s similar to the Dynamic Discs Blend or Latitude 64 Medium plastic. They aren’t quite the same, but share a lot of the same qualities.
While we haven’t had countless round with Electron plastic we find that it does hold up well. We had a few knocks off of trees and plenty of time in the circle and it still looks pretty good.
For those who have been wanting an Ion or Anode in a base plastic, this is the blend you’ve been waiting for. It is safe to say both of those should be available in Electron plastic at some point.
As for the Atom, you can expect a very straight flight from this new putter. The Atom shares the same core of the Axiom Discs Envy and Proxy. The Atom features the same small profile with a moderate amount of depth inside. With it being beadless, it isn’t overly deep and should feel comfortable to a wide audience.
The flight of both the Electron and Electron Soft Atom were quite similar, but we did see a few differences. We’ll focus on the Electron flight to start and note the changes at the end.
The one feature that stood out the most to us on the Atom was the amount of glide. As with many baseline plastics, the Electron Atom seemed to have a little more glide than other MVP discs, especially their putters. We could tell this both on drives and approaches along with inside the circle. There was just a little more carry to the Atom which did help it down the fairway.
When thrown off the tee the Atom was quite stable at high speeds and showed a lot of resistance to turn. It really held the line of release time and time again. If you gave it a little hyzer you can expect it to just ride that angle for the remainder of the flight. It makes for a driving putter with a lot of confidence.
Even on approach shots we were able to look right toward the basket and an attack it straight on. If you have a moderate headwind the Atom should also hold up for you. Don’t expect a big wind fighter, but it can hold its own.
At the end of the flight the Electron Atom showed a small fade. It did finish to the left, but it wasn’t that extreme. It didn’t take long for us to see this predictable finish. It was the type of fade that you can trust at the end of the flight to help the disc hyzer in at the last moment.
This would be the time to mention the differences in flight between the Electron and Electron Soft Atoms. The Electron Soft Atom is a hair less stable at the end of the flight and might show a hint of turn at high speeds. For the straightest flight out of the box, you’ll want to check out the Electron Soft Atom. In the soft plastic the Atom showed virtually no fade and would settle down to the ground on a very straight path. The feel and the rest of the flight are the same. The softer fade was really the only noticeable difference.
Inside the circle the Atom is another one of those putters where you can go right at the chains. It has a nice amount of glide to help it on some longer putts and the lack of any big fade really produces a straight flight.
Overall we’d rate the MVP Disc Sports Atom at 2, 3, 0, 1. We’d adjust that to 2, 3, 0, 0 for the Electron Soft version. The straight flight is very clear from the start. If you want a little fade, go with the Electron Atom. For a straighter flight, opt for the Electron Soft.
The third putter from MVP Disc Sports can certainly hold its own with the popular Ion and Anode. While the two putters were able to help launch the company, the latest addition will help boost MVP into the future. It’s another solid release from a company with plenty of room to grow.
