Rhyno

The Innova Rhyno was by no means the first overstable approach disc (that title would belong to the Piranha), but it was the mold that brought overstable approach putters into the forefront. Rhyno’s employ a “Thumbtrak” which is Innova’s patented thumb rest that resides on the top of the mold.

The Thumbtrak helps reduce glide, which makes the Rhyno one of Innova’s slowest molds. It isn’t unheard of for someone to putt with a Rhyno, however its lack of glide does make it difficult to use with most modern putting styles. The Rhyno shines in high wind situations or when power control is needed in short ranges.

The Rhyno was PDGA approved in 1998, which means that it did enjoy a Champion Era release and hence “Circle Stamp Rhynos” exist. The first run of Rhynos were the Proto Star Rhynos, however, unlike most other proto stars, its name was proudly displayed on the mold. The most sought-after version of the Rhyno were the Special Edition Soft Rhynos that were released in 1999. Recently G-Star and R-Pro Rhynos have alleviated the Soft Special Edition market, but they are still valuable runs.

Like most other molds released between 1995 and 2004, the early Champion runs of the Rhyno are extremely valuable. The most famous run of Champion Rhynos are the “Zipper Top” first run Rhynos that were released in 2003. Zipper Top refers to the zipper sounds your fingernail would make if you were to scratch the top of the mold. The texture that produces the zipper sound is simply a byproduct of using a very new plastic injection mold (and is not unique to the Rhyno by any means)  

Rhynos have been a main stay on the pro tour since their initial release with Michael Johansen, Gregg Barsby, and Calvin Heimburg being notable Rhyno throwers. Modern releases such as the Toro, Animal, and Berg have taken away from the Rhyno’s dominance in the slow approach putter market, but the Rhyno remains as an iconic mold that will never go out of production.