Why the Sapphire Is Suddenly Everywhere (Jan 18, 2026 DiscList data)

Top-ranked discs on Sunday January 18, 2026

The headline act this week is not subtle. Based on DiscList weekly sales data for Jan 18, 2026, the Latitude 64° Sapphire has sprinted from #46 to #1, which is less “steady improvement” and more “stole the show, took the mic, walked off with your pint”.

When something jumps 45 places, it is rarely because everyone woke up on Monday with identical taste. It happens because the disc solves an awkward human problem. The Sapphire sits in that sweet spot where a driver still feels like a driver, but it does not demand you throw like you are being timed by a stadium announcer. Speed 10 with a bit of turn is basically a permission slip. People buy permission slips.

Then there is the Roadrunner at #2, up from #32. That is a big move for a disc that has always been a bit of a charming rogue. A very understable fairway driver is the disc golf equivalent of choosing the lift over the stairs. It is not cheating, it is sensible. In winter, when footing is iffy and you are wearing three layers and mild resentment, “easy distance” becomes a purchasing motive all on its own.

What I like is the push and pull happening in the Top 10. Players are buying help, yet they are also buying control. Innova’s Thunderbird arrives as a new entry at #4, and that tells a completely different story from the Roadrunner. The Thunderbird is a security blanket with a spine. When you want something that will not turn into a surprise roller the moment a headwind looks at it funny, you reach for an overstable fairway and you feel like an adult again.

Up the middle, the Mako 3 climbs from #9 to #3, which is what happens when people get bored of feeling stupid. A point-and-shoot midrange with zero fade is basically honesty in plastic. It does what your release did, and that can be either comforting or emotionally educational. Meanwhile, the Teebird 3 rises from #20 to #8, reinforcing the same theme: fewer fireworks, more fairways. Some weeks, disc golf retail is just players trying to buy one less excuse.

It is also a week of fresh faces. Kastaplast’s Guld debuts at #6, and the Berg X lands at #7, which is wonderfully on brand. The Guld scratches the “I could totally throw 13-speed if I wanted” itch. The Berg X scratches the “please stop and sit down” itch. Discmania turn up with a little parade too: Method new at #9, MD3 (new) at #10, plus Enigma at #11 and Essence at #13. That is a lot of people quietly reorganising their bags while pretending they are not.

Not everyone is having a party. The Luna slips from #3 to #5, the Zone SS drops from #8 to #12, and the Hades drifts from #13 to #15. And then there is the proper shocker: the Firebird falls from #2 to #56. That is the sort of drop that makes you check if you have misread the label. My hunch is simple. When conditions and confidence wobble, people buy discs that flatter them, not discs that lecture them.

Next Friday, the list drops again. I am curious whether this is the week the sensible classics tighten their grip, or whether another quiet mould does a Sapphire and gatecrashes the conversation.

View the full Top 40 Golf Disc Rankings for this week.