I was lucky enough to get my hands on a test unLace thanks to Steve Dodge for being awesome. I'm loving this disc so far. It's a Vibram X-Link 172g beauty. Immediately upon receiving my test Lace I headed to the field behind my office, and using a moderate standing throw (no run up, no x-step) watched this thing fly. I was amazed. With just a mild throw it went about 250 feet and exhibited some high speed right curving turn. Most discs don't do this unless you're really throwing with some power.
The unLace is indeed ultra understable. It's interesting, most Vibram discs have their flight ratings on the bottom that show how far they will go if thrown 55mph, and what degree of turn and fade they will have. Not the unLace. It shows a flight path on the back of the disc and has one number 44mph. If you've read my reviews before, I don't like thick rimmed discs. I generally don't have enough power to throw ultra high speed drivers backhand, and have trouble consistently throwing them forehand when the rims are too fat. I wasn't a fan of the original Lace, but am a big fan of the unLace for certain throws.
1. Up Hill Throws: two of the local courses I play have some serious elevation increases. When throwing up hill it's really hard to get good distance with anything overstable when the disc is pointed up (which needs to happen when you're throwing up). Understable discs perform much better for me for steep uphill shots. Previously I had used an Avenger SS for these type throws, but the much faster, yet still very understable, unLace is able to give me the same unAwesomeness but more distance.
2. Low Power Throws Where You Need Turn and Distance. On my home course there are certain shots where you want your disc to turn right in one direction but then have it fade back at the end of the flight. Today, for the first time ever, I Birdied hole 5A at Von Baer Park in Providence because I used the Unlace. This is a 300 foot hole that starts with a 50 foot tree tunnel, then trees in the direct path of the basket at about 175 feet. The only way to birdie this hole is to make a straight throw to get past the tunnel, then have your disc turn to get around the trees, then slightly fade back towards the basket. Normally with this hole I moderately throw my Avenger SS. It's understableness allows me to get around the trees at 175 feet, but usually leaves me 30-50 feet from the basket, which is outside my makeable putt range. If I try to throw hard my discs hard enough to make it all the way to the basket, I rarely can make it past the tunnel. With the unLace, I'm able to use my moderate throw, AND get the distance necessary to park the shot and set up a Birdie.
3. Long Right Turning Anhyzer Throws. If you're a disc golfer that can't throw forehand, this disc will hold an anhyzer line better than any high speed distance driver I've tested. I was amazed at how it held its line without fading back at the end of the flight. You have to be careful with these throws so it won't turn into a roller, but if you can't flick, this might be a great disc.
I hear experienced disc golfers all the time telling people to "disc down." In this case, I say disc up. Newer disc golfers will flat out be able to get more distance with this faster disc. I'm sure there will be lots of people that don't like the UnLace because it's so understable. For an intermediate player with some power, it will flip into a roller. But, for certain shots, this great disc has already found a place in my bag. If you're a disc golfer desperately looking to get more distance, or someone looking for a disc that will give high speed turn and easy distance with moderate throws, you'll want the unLace.