Help with accuracy

[OLAD]

I have been playing off and on for about 4 years. Up until this year I only cared about getting out and hanging w/ my friends. This year I am actually trying to improve my game. So far everything I know has pretty much been self taught. I've watched the Dan Beato video on YouTube and just watched other players. I'm pretty sure I'm missing something. I can throw fairly accurately to about 200' (I'm guessing). But once I start trying to put some power into it the discs go right. They are nice straight drives, just going the wrong way. So here is my question: What do I need to do to learn to drive accurately with distance? Are there DVDs that would help me? Do I just need to go throw in a field for hours on end? Do I need to find a clinic near me? I'm at a loss of where to go from here.

[SomeChump]

I have been playing off and on for about 4 years. Up until this year I only cared about getting out and hanging w/ my friends. This year I am actually trying to improve my game. So far everything I know has pretty much been self taught. I've watched the Dan Beato video on YouTube and just watched other players. I'm pretty sure I'm missing something. I can throw fairly accurately to about 200' (I'm guessing). But once I start trying to put some power into it the discs go right. They are nice straight drives, just going the wrong way. So here is my question: What do I need to do to learn to drive accurately with distance? Are there DVDs that would help me? Do I just need to go throw in a field for hours on end? Do I need to find a clinic near me? I'm at a loss of where to go from here.

1) Throw accurate discs (midranges)

2) Practice at least once in a field for every round you go play.

3) Discs turn right for only a few reasons:

They are being thrown faster than they are designed to fly
They're being thrown with too much nose down
They are being thrown with an anhyzer release
They're too old and beat and you need new ones
You release the disc toward the right (griplock)
You're applying the infamous off-axis-torque (OAT.)

The first five are pretty easy to fix on your own. The last seems to be a life-long quest.

I suggest you spend a little money on a new mid-range (say a Roc or a Buzz or something else reasonably stable) and a new fairway driver (say a TL, a Teebird or similar) and go out to a field for an hour and practice NOT throwing to the right (aim left, hyzer release with more stable discs). I cut 10 throws off my rounds the first month I actually started practicing instead of just playing.

[mashnut]

If you are doing any kind of run up to your drives, you might try eliminating that for the time being, and just work on your accuracy from a standstill. Once you get more consistency, you could add back steps one at a time and try to keep that same consistency. Worked for me.

[OLAD]

3) Discs turn right for only a few reasons:

They are being thrown faster than they are designed to fly
They're being thrown with too much nose down
They are being thrown with an anhyzer release
They're too old and beat and you need new ones
You release the disc toward the right (griplock)
You're applying the infamous off-axis-torque (OAT.)


Out of these I think my issue is griplock. The discs don't seem to have any anhyzer when I release.


I suggest you spend a little money on a new mid-range (say a Roc or a Buzz or something else reasonably stable) and a new fairway driver (say a TL, a Teebird or similar) and go out to a field for an hour and practice NOT throwing to the right (aim left, hyzer release with more stable discs). I cut 10 throws off my rounds the first month I actually started practicing instead of just playing.

I only have about 4 discs and was thinking of getting some more for practice. I'll be sure to get ones that you suggest. Thanks.

If you are doing any kind of run up to your drives, you might try eliminating that for the time being, and just work on your accuracy from a standstill. Once you get more consistency, you could add back steps one at a time and try to keep that same consistency. Worked for me.

For me to get any accuracy I have to throw from standing still. It is when I add steps or a pull that I have issues. Not sure I'm using the term pull right. To get an accurate 200' shot I am throwing from my right pec standing still.

Thanks for the ideas.

[OLAD]

Ok, after looking at the distances on my home course again I am more likely only throwing between 125' and 150' accurately.

[SomeChump]

If you're only throwing 125 accurately, it sounds like you need to work on your form. Practice, practice, practice. I can probably only throw 125 too if I don't bring the disc past my right pec.

The key to adding distance is to use your body rather than your arm to throw.

Start out facing the basket, then gradually turn your body more and more to the left. Your distance will get longer each time. Then, when you're perpendicular (shoulders in line with the basket) you can start taking the disc further back. First to your left pec, then a little past your body, then as far as you can reach. Your drive starts in your feet, then your hips, back, and shoulders, arm, and wrist. Once you can do that well, it's time to learn an X-step. The purpose of a run-up is NOT to get a little more speed, it is to get your body even more wound up than you could otherwise. I laugh when I see Barneys doing a run up and not x-stepping. What's the point?

[sumner420]

To improve accuracy I would say to practice from a standstill, use your elbow and shoulder as a guide for direction.
Don't forget to allow your body rotate, a good followthrough should pull your back leg up from it's plant and wrap it around the front of your body, following the lead of your throwing arm, this will add torque to the throw, but should keep the accuracy you need because you don't ever need to take your eyes of the prize.
Also be aware of your forward motion, from a standstill its more of a weight shift from back leg to front as the disc passes the center line of you torso.
After this motion is ingrained into your subconcious, add the steps to it.
Just my two cents...

[A.Mutt]

One thing that has helped me with accuracy is to think of it like playing catch with an imaginary person/dog. Bear in mind I'm not very accurate backhand yet but this strategy has taken me from only hitting my lines on dumb luck to getting them about a third of the time on purpose. Its a work in progress and I'm in very much the same scenario as you, having only been casual to hang with friends until this year.

[BrotherDave]

Something that practically eliminated all my grip lock issues was when I adopted the stack grip. http://discgolfreview.com/resources/images/forkgrip01.jpg
This is the article that pic came from, pretty helpful, just make sure your pull is straight, i.e. your not pulling through in an arc and you should be better.
http://discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/gripittoripit.shtml

[klay]

Just chiming in to say thanks for all the replies. I'm in the same boat as the OP, but with under a year of experience.

Still trying to figure out all the variables like form, grip, and appropriate disc types and every time I come on here I learn something new.

[OLAD]

I bought a couple fairway drivers and a ROC today. Now I just need to get out to a field and throw a bunch of discs using the advice I got. I really appreciate all of your responses. I'll keep watching the thread in case I get any more advice. I know I need all of it I can get. :D

[BrotherDave]

Just chiming in to say thanks for all the replies. I'm in the same boat as the OP, but with under a year of experience.

Still trying to figure out all the variables like form, grip, and appropriate disc types and every time I come on here I learn something new.

If I'd known my advice would help a Spurs fan I would have kept my mouth shut ;)

[TalbotTrojan]

They are being thrown faster than they are designed to fly
They're being thrown with too much nose down
They are being thrown with an anhyzer release
They're too old and beat and you need new ones
You release the disc toward the right (griplock)
You're applying the infamous off-axis-torque (OAT.)

These are all potential causes. It seems that if they are going straight to the right griplock is certainly a potential. Do not discount the others. I had a problem going right for a long time because my release simply put a little bit an anhyzer on the disc that I was not aware of. It really only came out when I started getting stronger and my discs started to get beat in more. I also know that the more that I have played, the more I have learned where my release point is and I know based on what my body is doing where I am going to release. There are some throws that do not go where I want them to and I can tell you one of the big reasons is that my body was not properly positioned to get the disc to do what I wanted it to do. When the pros talk about muscle memory believe them, I just need to start retraining my muscles to be in better form still. And one last thought, it is not always about just going out to a field and throwing. I do very little of this, but it does not mean that I am not working on things during a round. Do not be afraid to play doubles with yourself on the course. Change some things up. Start to learn your body.