Latitude 64 Ballista Review: Speed 14 Distance Driver

The Latitude 64 Ballista (14/5/-1/3) sits at the top end of Latitude 64's speed lineup, a full Speed 14 rim built for players who can generate enough arm speed to get real value out of it. Latitude 64 markets it as overstable for beginners and slightly understable for advanced throwers, which describes exactly how it behaves: the same wide rim reads very differently depending on how fast it leaves your hand.

This review covers how the Ballista actually flies, which plastic to grab first, who has the arm speed to benefit from a Speed 14 rim, and how it compares to the other maximum-speed drivers already covered on this site.

Who Should Throw the Latitude 64 Ballista?

A Speed 14 rim is the widest, hardest-to-control category in disc golf. The Ballista needs genuine power to get off the ground cleanly, and thrown below that threshold it just fades out early instead of covering ground.

• Beginners: Skip this one for now. The 2.4cm rim is too wide to grip and release cleanly without developed technique, and a slower fairway driver will cover more real distance at a beginner's arm speed.
• Intermediate players (300-380 feet): Still a stretch. The Ballista rewards raw power more than finesse, so most intermediate throwers get more consistent distance from a Speed 12-13 driver like the Discraft Nuke first.
• Advanced players: This is the target audience. High-speed arms get a controlled, predictable flight with strong fade at the end, and the Ballista becomes one of the farthest-flying discs in the bag once it's dialed in.

How the Latitude 64 Ballista Flies

The 14/5/-1/3 combination describes a maximum-speed driver that holds a stable line through most of its flight before finishing with a dependable Fade 3. Latitude 64's own description calls it overstable for beginners and slightly understable for experienced players, and that split is real: a slower release keeps the disc overstable and fighting itself, while a fast release lets the -1 turn show up as a brief high-speed flatten before the standard fade kicks in.

For more on how turn and fade interact at different arm speeds, see the overstable vs understable guide. If you're still learning what the four flight numbers mean, start with the flight numbers guide.

Compared to the Discraft Nuke (13/5/-1/3): the Nuke is a full speed slower and easier to get airborne, while the Ballista's extra speed point translates into more distance once an arm can actually use it. Compared to the Innova Boss (13/5/-1/3), the first Speed 13 disc ever made, the Ballista follows the same shape one speed class faster, making it the more specialized choice for players who have already maxed out what a Speed 13 rim can do for them.

Latitude 64 Ballista Plastics Compared

Latitude 64 releases the Ballista across three plastic grades, from a budget baseline blend up to a premium grip-focused option:

• Opto Line: Latitude 64's durable, translucent premium blend. Holds up well to years of hard use and keeps the stock flight numbers longer than the softer plastics. This is the most popular release and the best starting point. Around $17-19.
• Gold Line: Built on the same base as Opto but with an added polymer for better grip, without giving up Opto's durability. A good pick for players in wet or cold conditions who want more traction on release.
• Retro Burst: Latitude 64's affordable baseline plastic. Grippy out of the box and beats in faster than the premium blends, which lets the disc season into a slightly more understable flight sooner. Around $11.

Recommendation: start with Opto Line for the truest, longest-lasting version of the stock 14/5/-1/3 flight. Reach for Gold Line if grip matters more than raw durability, or Retro Burst if you want a cheaper disc that breaks in toward understable faster.

Similar Discs to Consider

If the Ballista is more speed than you need right now, here are the closest alternatives:

• Discraft Nuke - A Speed 13 driver with the same 5/-1/3 glide-turn-fade profile, easier to get airborne while you build toward Speed 14 territory.
• Innova Boss - The original Speed 13 disc, sharing the Ballista's shape at one speed class slower, with a strong forehand reputation.
• Dynamic Discs Raider - A Speed 13, more overstable workhorse for players who want dependable fade over maximum top-end speed.