Learning to play - From the beginning

[RD22]

If this is in the wrong forum, sorry! And hello to everyone!

Ive decided to document my progression learning and playing disc golf. Im a new player and have fell in love with the game quickly. In here ill be talking about my experiences from techniques, obbsession, the game, purchases, and really whatever I feel can help others or help myself to learn more about the sport.

Im hoping that by doing this new players like myself can learn from my mistakes, my findings, and some triumphs ill have down the line(hopefully). I also think(hope) that I and others can learn from new and experienced players who may post in here.

First a little background. At this point Ive only been playing a couple months. In no way do I feel like I know a lot, or very much really. I do have the desire to learn and become a better player. And in the short time I have been playing I feel ive learned a lot, be it mistakes, things ive read or what have you. Im also planning on updating this as much as possible as time goes on. So heres to hoping, striving, and constantly learning. Oh and cant forget helping, however it is!

How it all started - I recently visited a friend down south who introduced me to disc golf. He had basically asked if I was up for going and trying it out. Why not! Him, his wife, my girlfriend, and I all heading out to a local course.

Having never really thrown a disc other than a frisbee disc golf was very different. A lot of laughs came that day, but all in fun. Everyone had a great time and by the end of the last few holes I was really getting the hang of it. Or so I thought! I was drive a couple hundred feet and nice smooth lines(dx leapord). I was happy with myself for picking it up fairly well my first day out. I was also hooked...

Being that im generally competitive and knew id be playing again with my friend, I wanted to try and learn some new things before the next day(of course we were going back to play, it was a blast!). So I spent that night reading articles, forums, watching videos. I was pumped that next morning.

This was my first big mistake! I overloaded my brain and when I went back to play, I was trying to do the million things I had read and "learned". I hadnt really realized it was a mistake until days later. I basically tried to replicate what I had seen. So just some advice form a new guy. If youre very new, feel it out. Only the concepts of throwing are the same between everyone. How you get there is what feels right and comfortable to you. Thats why youll see people throw with different styles but the discs still fly the same!

This reading and trying to learn more basically happened every day I was on vacation and played(which was also every day). Man was I hooked!

Day 3 or 4 I was off to the local disc golf store to pick up my own discs so I wasnt using my buddies. That and to replace one of his I threw into water! (side note, whats the policy for posting about stores? Like their names, etc). Walked into store and explained my situation about being new. I was handed a teebird, cobra, and avier. I also grabbed a leapord because I loved how my friends threwand a very basic 15$ bag. Yay plastic! My own too! I couldnt wait to play again! This also led me to making a trip back to the store almost every day and by the time I was headed back home I had about 15 discs... I think I would have doubled it if I could have. Im glad I didnt though. Haha

So on my 10 day trip I played every day almost, at least once a day. My experience on the course slowly got better after my second day frustration. Though I kept reading and soaking up information. Then I found a video that really put things into perspective for me. And made me slow down a little.

(link to video) http://www.discraft.com/vid/html/dg20.html

What I loved about it was the simplicity to it. It wasnt very technical with terms, it was all dumbed down a bit in a upbeat way(refreshing compared to the droned "do this do that" videos). And it was just for me. A new player! So if you are new it may help you. I know it did for me and got me to start analizing my throws and what might be happening!s Knowing why something doesnt go right can only make you learn from it and improve.

So at this point my advice as far as throwing would be this. Throw and grip in a way that feels comfortable. Keep your weight on your front foot when you throw. And try to follow through! Dont be discouraged, stay positive, and learn. Learn learn learn. Im sure even people who have been playing for years learn everytime they play.

Thats it for this post! Ive got a lot to add but food is calling my name! Thanks to all who read this, help, share,etc!

Ive made a lot of realizations recently and cant wait to share them!

[JSurmann]

Welcome to the site! Glad to see another one hooked.

Oh and you cant post just about anything on here like store names etc....except no personal phone numbers/addresses.

[dendrite]

Pro tip #1. If you call it frolf you will get eaten alive for no good reason.
Frolf on boss! :clap::clap::D

[plastic cannon]

welcome man! that was a great write up of your first disc golf experience too. if you can, find a local pro at your course and ask if you can play with him(or her). most of them are very friendly and will be willing to help you out. most people on this site are more then willing to help out too. weather it be disc selection, form, or just general chat, the folks on here are pretty spot on. good luck!

[plastic cannon]

Pro tip #1. If you call it frolf you will get eaten alive for no good reason.
Frolf on boss! :clap::clap::Doh and this lol.

[jtreadwell]

Welcome Stranger! This is a fantastic resource and a pretty friendly place so take advantage of all the site has to offer!

[RD22]

Before I continue talking about my journey up to this point,I just want to say a couple things! First off thanks for all the warm welcomes! Im glad I chose to document all this and really gives me the encouragement to continue. :)

One of the coolest things about disc golf is its free! Sure you need to pick up discs and maybe a bag when you get too many, but to play doesnt cost you a thing. I think its awesome that comunities are willing to set up course for people to spend time at and play, without something in return. Its just a very cool thing and amglad to enjoy and be a part of it. It doesnt hurt that the people ive met so far all seem very friendly and helpful as well!

The last thing I want to do is also apologize. I under stand that what ill be typing is going to be long and maybe winded but stick with me if you can. Once im caught up to where im currently at, I promise my posts wont be so big! Also im using my phone so if words I type are not spelled right, sorry again! Im also dyslexic but ill try my best to not let it show up in my writing. ;)

And since I can, big shout out to clearwater disc golf down in clearwater florida! Thats the shop I went to(often) on my vacation. They are SW of Tampa across the bay if youre in that area. And also thanks again to them because they had a raffle while I was down there. I won a skillshot basket! Cant wait for it to arrive! Im sure it will make its way into this thread and my progression to bettering myself as a player.

Thanks again everyone!

[SteezeOG]

Welcome. If you haven't already find the course on here and post your review from a first time player. You write well and detailed so I'm sure other new players might benefit from it. I'll only offer one piece of advice that I don't think you'll have to worry about.....don't stop playing.

[BionicRib]

Play with good players.........go to leagues.......go to tourneys.......don't be hesitant or think you are not good enough to go. Most doubles leagues are very welcoming and the novice/rec divisions for pdga events are full of beginners.........I think you are on the right track as far as your approach, but my advice for a beginner is to learn the mechanics from what is called a one step approach. It is frusterating, but slowing down and not worrying about a run up will help you not get into "bad habits" that will be harder to stop the more you play.

By getting into local leagues and tourneys you will learn "alot"......Sometimes its almost like getting a free lesson. Don't worry about the skill level you are at, just try to get the basics down with etiquette and the rules first.

IMO the basic rules you should know before playing a "league" is the 10 meter rule, How to stand properly at your lie, Out of Bounds, 2 meter rule (if it is in affect). Learn proper etiquette......Clear your disc out of the basket after you make it in, Farthest person from the hole throws first, Don't talk when others are throwing, Give everyone in your group a clear horizon when throwing (basically don't stand in front of them and if you are in front of them or in their field of view stand still).........These things go a long way with me when I am playing with a newer player.

Good luck.....and I will stress this point again, if you really want to learn to be a better player you need to try to play with better players. Lessons are available in certain areas of the country also. What area are you from?

[RD22]

So back to how I got to where I am today!

Ive read a ton of articles and too many videos to count. Some more helpful than others. Id read and re-read(or watch) over and over again to understand them. It was helpful and hurtful bit in the end probably helped more. So to anyone learning. Take what you read with a grain of salt, but dont underestimate the importance of what someone is trying to tell you. Everyone is there to help. You may realize that after the fact like I have. And I will explain. :)

For me in the very beginning I basically overloaded my brain with information I couldnt comprehend. Not because it was hard to understand, but as a new player I couldnt take what I was reading and apply it to experiences ive had on the course. So try not to do that. ;) Keep it simple when youre starting out. It will come in time, I have no doubt about that. And absorb everything! Learn as much as you can. I know ive said it before but if you can keep an open mind you cant get any worse. Theres only room to improve. And I say this for everyone of all playing levels. Why? Well sometimes if you learn incorrectly its hard to fix it and some people are just stubborn. ;) Coming from shooting trap, id see people who had done it for years, tens of years, and were okay players at best. This is not to be disrespectful but they were like that because they either learned the wrong way or were so set in their ways it couldnt be them that was wrong. It was always something. So keep your mind open and stay positive. We all have bad days but learning from them makes you better.

So back to playing! The last day or two of me playing was my happiest, and most consistant. After throwing high and watching my discs travel short inaccurate and hyzer. Frustration would set in. it was time to really sit down and go over what was wrong. Was it my discs, weather, me? Well it was all of them to be honest. Ill go into each one with some detail.

Discs: I had roughly 9 discs I was using. I always read people talking about getting a putter, mid, and driver. Use them...keep using them...and eventually start getting more. This is exactly what I didnt do. In the store id stare at innovas flight charts, see something cool, and add it to my bag. I was also looking for discs that filled in what I was bad at. Bad idea! My shortcomings? I was and am too new to know what mine are. Its everything at this point. I was throwing a katana just as good/bad as my next driver. Oh its high speed. Oooooo. I need it! Wrong. I didnt and still dont need it, and after today its out of my bag for now(ill go into that later). Stick with a basic driver, mid, and putter. Stay with something thats not too heavy and ask for suggestions. Eveyones helpful. I know for me if I could go back, id choose a magnet, cobra, and leapord. Im sure that will change but I havent thrown much. So dont et hype get to you and dont think you "need" something. Learn with what you have! Throwing 5 different drivers, or what ever youre throwing wont teach you anything but how to get a headache.

Weather: I meantioned the weather playing a role in my poor scores and just bad playing. This is only true to the point of me not being expierenced. Wind and direction matter! just keep that in mind when a shot doesnt go the way you expected. ;) Putting was where it killed me.

Me: The big one. The main reason I was doing bad was me. Dont beat yourself up if its you though! Pause and see why. If you can figure out why you can correct it! The three biggest problems I had was where my weight was when I threw, and my grip, and rotation. Because I couldnt(at that point) throw far, I would muscle disc and throw. Well as I did that my weight was always on my back foot. I sure could throw high! Once I got that under control things got better and a bit easier.

My grip was another big issue. I had read and watched all this information about proper grip. Id try and replicate it(dont). Never worked. Take the ideas of proper grip and apply that to yourself. All 4 fingers under the disc. Keep the disc parallel to your forearm. But hold it in a way thats comfortable! And use your thumb as pressure too. It really works. Ever throw to the left? Chances are you have a loose grip. Any time I threw left I asked myself why and then realized I was barely holding the disc. It would slip from my hand.

Rotation was the only that really helped my form and accuracy. I dont mean I could lazer beam a shot where I wanted but I was more consistant. When you rotate during your throw, alot of the work/power is done for you. I went from strong arming my throws to what seemed like "barely using any power" yet it would fly just as far and a lot cleaner.

I was pretty happy I was improving! And in 10 days I wasnt beating myself up anymore. I was learning which made each time I went to play more exciting. So like ive said, learn!

Thats it for this post. :) Next post ill share some links with everyone and my opinions. Go over my bag and what mistakes I had made and hopefully start breaking through to more recent events.

[RD22]

Thanks again! Im in Michigan, very close to Ohio. I agree about the "one step" approach. I tried the x-step too early and today I realized how much more I have to work on. Details on that later but its basically how mich power you are generating based off what you are doing. Huge eye opener for me and maybe other new players. :)

And thanks to everyone who has shared their advice to improving. I know im hoping to join a league soon.

[MsTerrye]

Hey - thanks for your posts, it's good to hear from another new player who is just discovering how much fun this sport is! My sons introduced me last spring to disc golf and I've been playing nonstop since. My younger son is really good at keeping me in check as far as trying new discs - I have learned to stick to the 150 class discs (In addition to being a new player I'm also a woman). I like the leopard and good old stingray (like throwing a dinner plate). For putters I throw an off brand version of the magnet.
The only drawback right now for me is there aren't very many women out there playing. Recently I've talked a co-worker into joining me on the course, and my future daughter in-law and her mother play also. My advice to the guys would be to invite the ladies in your life out to play, they might just get hooked too!

[sidewinder22]

That is a good beginner vid I often recommend, however this is how you play like a pro:
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Best advice...get a stack of neutral putters and field practice drives with them and then play practice rounds only with them.

[Jukeshoe]

Nice neckerchief...:rolleyes:

[Huk Finn]

That is a good beginner vid I often recommend, however this is how you play like a pro:
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fwNiJYMWG-E
aInSyEQ2M2Q

Best advice...get a stack of neutral putters and field practice drives with them and then play practice rounds only with them.[/QUOTE]

The putting clinic is very helpful! Gread vids. :hfive:

[RD22]

So I havent posted a lot of what I wanted to, yet. To get everything up to date and all. But im too extied not to post what I learned today!

Im a RHBH player and I generally drive around 280-320. Im not nearly as acurate as I would like to be though(it can be pretty bad). I strong arm my throws. I knew I did at least a bit but after tonight I KNOW I do, and a LOT. I found this link http://www.discgolfreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19220. After spending some time "drilling" I decided to head outside at 10pm, very dark, and 3 inches of snow, and more coming down fast. Using what is explained in the article I threw over 250 with "trying" to do anything. The effort involved compared to how I normally throw are totally opposite. I wish I could explain exactly how my throws were, but the best I can do would be to say I I had no reachback, use of hips, minor shoulder rotation and not much of a "strong" follow through. It was like I wasnt even doing anything at all! And honestly I was "holding back" because I didnt want to lose a disc to snow.

Side note: Dont throw in 3 inchs of snow at night. I lost a driver!

So if you tend to strong arm, are not consistant, or want to try and see some improve,emt, check out that article! When the snow melts ill be back out and really give it a go. I almost feel like this has been whats setting me back! And I might see some 350-400 plus. Remember be open minded to change! The way I threw tonight was nothing like how id normally throw.

[RD22]

I got my first big breakthrough today! I’m pretty excited about it and hope that it may help others as well. I already wrote out this once, but my phone took a crap on me so here it goes again. :)

A little background to how I’ve been throwing lately. I’m a RHBH thrower and on a good day(not bad weather) I can drive right around 300 with a run up, big reach back, etc. The weather here has been pretty bad, great temps but horrible winds. I live out in the middle of no where farmland so its like that pretty often. Today was constant strong 35+ mph winds with bigger gusts that ran SW to NE or L-F TW from where I “tee off” at, in the yard. With my usual way of throwing, I was barely making anything past 200 feet with the crazy tail winds. Then it was back inside and read up on things like I usually do. ;) So my breakthrough, which I’ll explain, got me throwing a very constant 270 feet in the same strong tail winds, with my teebird, but run-up and little reachback. I was shocked! And why I felt like I should share. :) For the longest time I knew I would strong arm throws. But not after today!

There are a few things that all seemed to culminate into my “breakthrough” today. The first part was loosening up and trying to stop muscling(strong arming)the disc. You can see the effects of this in your own home. Stand somewhere far away from anything you may hit, relax your arms completely, and just rotate your upper body. Your arms will move back and forth in a smooth motion. If youre a RHBH thrower, rotate your upper body left, and when your arms stop moving, quickly rotate your upper body right. Your loose arms should swing fast around if you keep them loose. This is the first step! The next step to really see how fast your arms can move without trying is do what I was saying, but simply bring your elbow up and bend it during the quick rotation to the right. If you time this right, your throwing arm should snap around very fast like a whip. So your arm moves that fast without using your muscle! No need to force anything by strong arming. ;) The first big part of my breakthrough right here. Now that I understood to relax, flow, and be fast and relaxed it was on to the next part!

This came to me from the Snap 2009 videos floating around at DGR(Check it out!). Ive watched the video so many times but today it finally sank in! The part that I got? When to accelerate in my throw and something called the outward pull described in the video(big kicker!). The man in the video talks about 4 stages of a throw, the inward pull, power zone, apex, and outward pull. The inward pull is basically pulling the disc from your reachback, to your pec. The Powerzone is from your pec to the apex of the throw. The Apex of the throw is where your elbow begins to straighten back out. The outward pull is where your hand no longer travels with the disc in line with your throw, but away from the disc(to the right for RHBH throwers), or beginning of your follow-through.

From the Apex to the Outward pull is where I feel this whole “snap” is generated and reaches its peak. What im going to explain may or may not help you achieve snap, but that’s not my goal. Its really where and when you should accelerate. Which is from the apex, into the outward pull, and through the outward pull(follow-through). Snap is(from my understanding) a way to accelerate the disc out of your hand instead of accelerating your hand and simply letting go of the disc. How this works is from the disc rotating while you’re still holding onto it, and right when it reaches its furthest point(maximum acceleration) is when you let go and it slings out(which begins the outward pull).

So what did I take away from the snap 2009 videos exactly? First off is accelerate beginning at the apex. This allows you to have the energy left, to accelerate all the way through your throw. I and Im sure most people accelerate way to early. The second part of the videos that really hit a nerve is the outward pull. Ever see those guys who spin a complete 360 on their follow through? Its how fast they’re still accelerating during the outward pull. You’ll get a reference in a bit. ;) But remember! Accelerate from the apex, all the way through, hard, even past the outward pull(follow-through).

Now to tie it all together before heading out and throwing! Back to doing the noodle arm routine. Relaxed arms, rotating your upper body back and forth, oh and that elbow thing! When you rotate from left to right very fast, bend your elbow to get a whip motion out of your arm. When your elbow begins to straighten back out, this is the apex, you accelerate hard starting from this point! Soon after you are going to run out of room and begin your outward pull. This is where a RHBH thrower will have his/her throwing arm begin moving off to the right. When you reach this point, open your wrist, and keep accelerating and pulling that direction. When I was in socks I was doing 720s on carpet most of the time. I was really trying to maximize my power from the apex through the outward pull. It was crazy how much power from the whip of my arm I was getting. And I really wasn’t using much muscle this whole time either. After I did this for awhile I took it outside. Practiced a bit, especially when to accelerate and do it hard, then throw! And there came my 270 feet throws with my tee bird in very strong tail winds, all from a stand still.

If anyone has any questions all try to answer them as best as I can. I pretty happy myself and hope to see 350+ once the wind finally calms down a bit.

[rocktownedisc]

i was just doing the noodle arm in my office! i hope nobody saw me!.... great advice! i knew about snap but feeling myself do this was like a light bulb went off! keep up the posts!

[Snailpowered]

I have been playing for a year and I have a problem with strong arming, as alot do. I came into this forum to better my technique and saw your thread and started reading it. You are giving the exact same advice as the helpful people on my post are.


Keep on posting, its not only good info, its nice to see (hear) someone progress so quickly. I would say the only thing that is more rewarding than putting a drive down in the donut (dirt ring at the bottom of a basket....if you didnt already know), is watching someone that you have helped or introduced into the sport put one in the donut on their drive. Dont know how to explain it, just a real cool feeling! And im sure there are going to be noobs reading this that will be hitting chains and donuts alot sooner because of this thread and the great people on this forum helping you.

[RD22]

Thanks guys! Im glad its informative and appreciate the positives from other people. Its why im doing this!

Just a note as far as me progessing so fast. For myself, I dont really know if its fast or not but I do know I have the motivation to be as good as I can be. So every day I am going out, im not doing the same thing over and over again saying"why doesnt this work??". I know I dont have the talent or experience behind me to have that sort of attitude. Im out there with an open mind, try my best to do well. The only way to go is up! What that also means is people like myself and others who find breakthroughs may lose whatever it is they found that helped them. Simply because old habits are hard to break. This noodle arm, finding the snap is only going to stick with me if I practice it often. All professional athletes practice the basics daily. You can only assume its no different for disc golf. :)

Once the weather gets better ill keep working on my snap for throws but will always keep up finding the "feel" of it indoors like I explained above. New goals are work on my hyzer/anhyzer shots. Oh and playing in boots doesnt work for me. I dont feel grounded and can impart enough energy into a throw. Just makes me feel off balance!

Ive also decided to ditch my plastic for a refresher. Basically I feel I have too many discs instead of focusing on working with a smaller selection of discs, and making them do what I want. Wish I knew better at the start! Lesson here? Might be fun to have a ton of different discs but if you dont truly know how to use them to their potential, why have them? Just a humble way of going back to the basics. :) thanks again all!

[RD22]

Nothing really new going on lately. Its been so windy out here its not worth getting out for practice. Next week hopefully! Im getting pretty antsy not being able to do anything. Anyone have any good exercises or drills that can be done indoors aside for the hammer drills??

Ive probably mentioned this but im cutting back to slower more controlable discs. I figure it will help with getting my form a little easier. Walk before you run! Going to limit myself to two putters, two mids, a fairway or two and maybe a distance driver.

[plastic cannon]

playing in the wind will help you a ton! thats where you really learn your plastic. if you ever decide to play tournament golf, wouldnt you like to have had the experience of knowing what you disc is going to do? and as far as inside drills you can do, i say towel drill. look it up on youtube. great teacher the towel is.

[RD22]

Maybe youre right. I should just throw in 35-50+ winds. Its just frustrating when you make a mistake, the disc goes out 150 feet but then catches the wind last second and is now 200 feet behind you. Lol And I guess I am learning,like in super strong headwinds teebird needs snap not power or it wont fly very well. I think you've convinced me. Haha. Ill keep heading out.

[Cory326]

Hi! I am a new player as well, and I'm finding RD22's experiances to be very similar to mine. Except for the starting with 15 discs thing lol My wife got me an Innova 150g beginners set for Valentines day, (gotta love her) and I got 3 more discs today. (6 discs total)
The 150s seem a bit light for how I throw, Like being used to throwing a baseball, then throwing a tennis ball with the same effort. Just throwing too hard, too soon, I figure.
RD, do you throw a heavier disc, or a lighter one? how do the 150s seem to throw for you? (Or do you have any 150s?) The 3 discs I got today are abit heavier, so I may be able to toss those abit easier, and Im hoping they'll buck the wind a bit better as well...
I throw rhbh, but can sidearm if i take my time and think about it. Havent tried overhand yet. But I find if I slow dont and dont rush, I can throw WAY better.
Im actually goin to start throwing more during my 30 min break @ work, so I can practice some, and hopefully get to a course here soon and play some actual holes.
Hope I didnt derail your thread too much and look forward to seeing what other experiances you have RD

[Corack]

Thank you for doing this post. As a newer player I am finding alot of the experiences you are sharing go along with what I am having problems with. I read to much :doh: have to much plastic :wall: ect Personally I have played about 6 months and have gone on 3 tournaments, with a 4th coming up. I go to them expecting to be in last place. However I expect to learn from going and watching other/better players.:popcorn: As previously stated I have tons of plastic because I am addicted to collecting "new to me" discs... I only throw with about 6 disc tho in order to try and learn those. The rest are in a storage bin for the occasional day I take them out "just to see what happens". :p I agree you need to get out and play in the wind and other conditions that are not so favorable. Constantly my friends are teasing me about going out to play on cold days, windy days, days where it starts raining. But this is the only way to learn how your disc is going to act. Tournaments are not always going to be under ideal conditions. My personal goal is to be throwing with accuracy and 250-300 feet range by the end of summer. I look forward to following your progression and if you are ever in the Rockford, Il area look me up :thmbup: and lets go on a learning round together.

[RD22]

Most of my discs are between 165-171. All my putters are 175. Not too sure if thats good or not though! I have thrown some 150 stuff but not enough to really give an opinion. Later this weak ill get back to you on that! Busy for awhile. No worries about derailing. People talking, learning, asking, whatever. Its all good!

[Cory326]

Sweet. It'd be interesting to see if the lighter discs treat you well or not.

[RD22]

I went back and checked my discs. Everything I enjoy throwing is between 168 and 170. My katana thats 174 is way too heavy for me. Im actually really glad you asked about disc weight because I never really paid attention! And since I'm planning picking up some new stuff I now have some numbers to keep in mind. So thanks! :)

On a side note, what are people using for bags? Ive still got my starter fade(cheapest one) bag and im look to pick something thats bigger and better. Nothing against fade, the bag does what its ment to do, ive just got too many minor complaints about it, to keep using it. And since my girlfriend wants her own bag I'm in the market.

[Corack]

1) I have a fade zombie, ( bought it because of the zombies! I like the zombies but bag is already wearing :thmbdown:)

2)A innova standard (free bag with some ebay discs I use for bad weather).

For family bags:
3)a few fade lights (my favorite of the very small bags),
4) A small Lighting ( so so),
5) a small Ching( already ripping at seams after a few uses by my wife)
6) a Voodoo mojo (wifes new bag, most expensive, I like the features and seems heavy duty. Made in USA! She likes the color option of Purple). :thmbup:

As of right now if I were buying me a new bag (not that I need one :p) I would be getting a Voodoo bag

http://www.voodoodiscgolf.com/
They are also on facebook if you want to investigate them some more.

[Cory326]

RD...I have an Innova Standard for a carry bag, I bought it used for half the cost of a new one. It didnt come with dividers, though, so I'll have to get one or make one, either way. The bag I have has some wear on it, but nothing too major, and as I only have 6 discs atm, it suits me fine. Prolly my only complaint is that its not full of discs yet lol.
Cor...If im not mistaken, that Ching has a warrenty, doesnt it? if it does, I'd send it back and have it repaired proper or replaced.

[Corack]

Thanks Cory326
I had not really thought about it, ill have to look into it. One the shoulder strap the pad seam is what is seperating. I'll have to drop gottagogottathrow an email and ask them about it. Between work and trying to get out and practice everytime I have a chance, it slipped my mind till now.

[RD22]

Hello eveyone! I have some new things i'd like to go over today!

First things first, is attitude when you play. Everyone makes mistakes during a round, but dot let it get to you. Put it behind you, and start fresh every shot like its your first. I understand it can be tough to stay positive, but it will only help you, and your group. I say this because your attitude can effect people in your group in a negitive way. It happened to me today, and it got so bad I wanted to end the round just so I didnt have to be around this person. So keep in mind a positive outlook for yourself and who you are around. That also said, if you are in a situation like I was today, also try and be positive it makes things easier. And its disc golf, its supossed to be fun! So I will be keeping this in mind from now on, for myself and others around me. :)

The other part about playing a round with your buddies is simply watching them throw. Ive missed a lot of shots, great shots, aces, super long puts, because I was in my bag. Nothing like hearing chains and then chearing, only look up and realize you missed an awesome shot by a friend. So be a part of the action, join in, and support your buddies! I wont be digging in my bag at those times anymore.

[RD22]

I have been in this "evaluate my bag" state lately, and try and have less molds, learn what I have sort of thing. So I posted about some ideas only to be linked to a thread that discusses choosing discs and really is geared toward beginners. I cant explain how much this has helped me! It took a few reads to soak it all in(i dont know much when it comes to terms). But really allowed me to finally understand different discs and how they work. So check it out, hope its useful! Be sure to read the "required reading".

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32790

So following this, I went and picked up a dx gazelle, roc, and banshee. Headed out to play around todaym and see how things went. First off the roc is a great disc. I wish I was pointed to a roc instead of a cobra as my first mid. If you havent thrown one yet, I suggest you do! Next up is the banshee. Not a fan, at least not yet, but ill give it some more time before I make my decision. I may switch to a firebird. The gazelle? Well nothing great to say but nothing bad either. I didnt get a lot of time to use it either as I threw the roc 50% or more and 20-30% was my putter. All inall still a good read and I dont regret my purchases. Ill put in the time to learn!

Today after I got home I threw some big numbers(for me) driving in the yard, 360-370! Im so happy, but the funny thing was, I couldnt come close yesterday or even today on the course. I was actually helping my girlfriend fix some of biggest problems with her throwing. Seeing her do things a certain way made me keep in mind not to do the same, and then I would throw! What were they? Pulling the disc level, and shoulders level with weight forward on the throw. Whicher way your shoulders are angeled is generally the direction the disc will go(high or low) as your body rotates. This was the first part that helped, the next part is what I explained as the "nipple throw". This was more a term for her to keep in mind but also helps me for a few reasons! What it basically means is when youll pullthe disc do it so that it would intersect both of your nipples before the disc moves away from your body. What this does is makes sure you pull the disc tighter to your body and generates a better rotation. The other thing it does it allows you to pull at a level plane which reduces oat(wobble) and you wont throw high and stall out. Hopefully this reference will help some people out and even if it doesnt, the idea behind it should still be good. :)

The last thing I wanted to mention before I go is putting. Today at the course I was making 30-50' putts often. Not something I was use to, but I started to notice something! When I had my bag on my left shoulder, I was more acurate on those longer puts. No bag and my percentage was worse. After the round I decided to practice a bit of putting and noticed I actually raised my left shoulder when i would putt and id throw slightly right. With a bag on my shoulder the weight kept me from raising it. So I know people talk about practicing how you put in round, and vice versa, but maybe check and see why certain things work. Maybe youll learn something like I had. :)

Just remeber stay positive, keep and open mind, learn and just have fun! I cant wait until tomorrow to see how things go!

[Cory326]

Hey RD. Glad to see you got out. I may have to pick up a roc and try it like you suggested. Im throwing a shark and a buzzz right now. I throw them about the same, but get just a tad more distance out of the buzzz. Also got a Valkyrie and a wraith. the Val goes great, but dont quite have the hang of the wraith yet. My leopard is still my best thrown atm though. I can get that to do some nice S curves lol I dont seem to have too much trouble putting, as I can hit my practice "basket" (read, tree) with some good consistancy. I'll try the "nipple throw" tomarrow as well. I practice for my 30 min lunch break @ work. who needs food when you have disc golf lol.

[smokingmonkee]

This thread is great. I started in April playing on and off but have really just started trying to tweak my game and work on form. I'm not really concerned about distance since my home course is short so I'm spending my rounds now just going out with my putter or my comet and trying to get fix the flaws in my form.
Also I'd just like to say thanks because I find your thread very educational and encouraging.

[RD22]

Im glad to see what ive been posting is helpful for people and what others are posting as well!

Getting a chance to finally play a course again, has opened my eyes to my form and my weaknesses. I think next time I go, I will be taking a couple rocs and my putter only. Its fairly heavily wooded and requires very controlled shots. So I totally understand monkee. :thmbup:

Just some quick advice about playing wooded courses. You need to commit to your shots. I noticed if trees were very close to the tee, I would throw poorly for fear of hitting a tree. Dont let the things around you intimidate you! You know where you want to throw, how to do it, so just do it. Seems silly but I figure I cant be alone in this! And confidence will come over time anyway, so its only a matter of time where youre sure of yourself. :) Oh and visualize your shots. I made some silly putting mistakes, knowing I needed to hyzer it in, only to overthrow to the right because I was so worried about a tree. It all goeshand in hand!

Ive also found my own putting form! Im pretty excited about it, but I know I need to continue to practice because whe its not a straight shot im not as accurate. Straight shots inside the circle and even a bit out, I have a very high percentage. Tomorrow when I get time I will go over my grip, and how I throw.

Oh and Cory, I think its awesome you get to practice at work!

[Cygnus]

This is a pretty neat thread. Been following your progress on here and glad you are improving.

Improvement is what keeps me playing this game.

[JeCroisQue]

First things first, is attitude when you play. Everyone makes mistakes during a round, but dot let it get to you. Put it behind you, and start fresh every shot like its your first.

This is great advice, I have played with a few people who have actually quit mid round because they weren't playing well. There is nothing that brings down a group more than a negative person. It just kills a sport that is supposed to be about fun.

Also, a suggestion I'd like to add for beginners is to not focus on your score so much. It is important to think shot to shot. Think about executing the shot you are about to throw, think about the line you want to hit, not the last one you hit a tree with or grip locked.

I have been playing really well for the the past month in regards to my previous standards. Today, I played the worst round I have played in a long time. What was interesting about it was that I only ended up being +9 on 21 holes which is about 4-6 strokes over what I've been averaging lately. But, the +9, was still 2 or 3 stokes better than my average a month ago

What I realized was that regardless of my final score (I really didn't know it until we tallied it up at the end of the round), I felt the fact that I wasn't playing well. I only made 2 putts all day and I had 3 double bogeys when I normally have none. What I noticed was that, regardless of my score, I know I didn't play well. 11 of 21 drives were errant, I hit almost none of my lines I aimed at with my mids, and I missed 5 putts that I should have made. What I think saved me was my upshots, which I'm normally pretty good at. I tend to stay positive, so, the way I look at it is I stil have a lot of room to make improvements.

Also, I'm not saying you shouldn't keep your scores. I keep all of my scores for every round I shoot. This is how I keep score: I write down the weather conditions, I keep track of every hole, when I miss a putt I could have made I will underline the score, when I miss a putt I should have made I will double underline it, If I miss a putt do to not playing the wind correctly I will underline it with a ~. I also add an symbol for how I felt during the round (E.G. :), :thmbdown:, :(, :thmbup:, Etc.) I would suggest this system (or something like it) to everyone who plays regularly.

[goosefraba1]

Awesome... thanks for the write-ups. I am struggling with distance right now.... but I'm fairly accurate. Hopefully the 1 step-noodle arm-spin technique will help! Keep up the good work.

[RD22]

Hey not a problem! With spring basically here, ill be out often, working on my game and letting everyone know how it goes.

Question? Is there anywhere with a list of shot types and how to exicute them? Like hyzer flip, flex shot, etc. and maybe their flight paths based off of how stable a disc youre throwing. I really want to start work on an array of shots with few molds instead of a mold for every shot.

Thanks again for all the comments! Heading out for some practice, and will be posting my putting pics, up.

[BIGHAFNER]

Hey man. I wanted to say that even though I've been playing since August, and I thought I had my form figured out, I read some of your posts and thought I'd try the arm swinging thing. Along with another thing somebody else told me, I have started driving over 400'. I wanted to tell you thanks for doing this and keep it up.

[parrothead57]

I like this thread, good advise for beginning players.

I'd like to offer one piece of advise. This is very important for beginners. Don't try to make up for a poor shot by throwing a heroic shot. In other words, if you throw deep into the jungle and your path to the basket is more jungle with poor odds of advancing, look at laying back out to the fairway, even if you have to go sideways or backwards. And if you chose this option, figure out which side of the fairway will give you a better shot to the basket.

Play smarter, not harder.

[goosefraba1]

Just got back from practicing my drive and playing the back 9 at a local course. By using the noodle arm technique and more follow through, I threw my DX Leopard 240' (this is a personal best.... no laughing).... and the Champ Teebird that I just bought went a little farther at 250 (about 83 paces).... this was on flat ground. I actually heard the "snap" for the first time on those throws. Also, I believe that slowing down my x-step help a lot. Now I just need to learn to be more accurate with the drive.

Here's a question... on your reachback, are you blind to the basket/shot. I mean does your head actually turn with your body? I guess that I was strong arming my shots too... and before I was almost facing the basket on the reachback every throw. I guess this is something I need to get used to?

[jmhoekst]

Here's a question... on your reachback, are you blind to the basket/shot. I mean does your head actually turn with your body?

Yes. When throwing backhand, at the point where you are reaching furthest back, your right butt cheek (RHBH) should be pointing at the basket. Unless you're an owl, you shouldn't be able to see the basket/target when at this point.

[goosefraba1]

Yes. When throwing backhand, at the point where you are reaching furthest back, your right butt cheek (RHBH) should be pointing at the basket. Unless you're an owl, you shouldn't be able to see the basket/target when at this point.

Awesome.... Thank you.

OP- sorry for hijacking!

[RD22]

Hey BIG what was it that someone had mentioned to you? And Parrot, that is a good point about playing smart. I know for me if im 100 or so out, I wont go for it. Because if I miss(and chances are that I will) I dont want to leave myself with some huge put.

For me personally, I have a big reach back and look away from the basket. Im sure some people have much smaller reachbacks too. The reason I reach back far is it makes my shoulders rotate more, and i can get more distance. As far as run ups, ive moved away from x steps and am at a standstill or 1 or 2 very small steps. I have a lot more control without adding in a big runup. But like others here Im new! I dont want to overthink something or overcomplicate it. It also helps my local course is short. But thanks for asking, I want to try a shorter reachback but rotating my shoulders more, and see how that goes!

Since ive been playing, and finding useful tips ive only stuck with them a short time and move on. Big mistake on my part. Its adding inconsistancies to my throwing. At first I couldnt figure it out, but then it was that lightbulb of "hey, youre new. Practice fundamentals!" So I think im going to work out some sort of "morning training" to do daily before ever throwing a disc. Main reason I bring this up is I was getting oat(wobble) today and until I stopped, went back to the basics of a throw, I couldnt get rid of it.

Also, I havent forgotten about the putting. I do plan on doing that later today!

[Cory326]

I had some oat (wobble) as well throwing at lunch today. I know why, too. it was getting toward time to head back to work and I was rushing a few more throws. Gotta slow down and take my time. Otherwise, I was doing some pretty good throws with the wraith and the valkyrie today. tried throwing a little left handed today as well. can still do BH pretty well. but sidearm needs work. of course being new, everything needs work lol I just throw something different to break it up abit.

[RD22]

Before I forget, I attached my putting grip! The way I generally put is all snap, and power(distance) comes from how much weight transfer I use. My index finger on the rim is actually where the disc rotates around(at the tip). There is a lot of spin to my throws. If im 30-50 out and im going for it, I usually use less spin because if I miss even slightly left, I have so much spin the disc walks itself past the chains. My stance is 45 deggrees on foot placement, lead foot pointing slightly to the left. Shoulders square to the basket. Disc goes from my waist(weight back) to arm straight out(weight forward). I can aim with my arm and index finger for direction. Very clean release is needed. Its also very flat. Because of how I hold the disc, it is very secure and all the spin comes from my wrist. Simply change the angle to change the shot.

Sorry is that was too cut and dry! I was going over in my head all the steps involved when I putt.

Ill be going over some things I learned the couple days as well! One thing I would love to learn, read about, watch online, is aiming. Using your body to aim, like shoulders, hips, elbow, or whatever it is. If anyone has any links it would be much appreciated! Thanks!

PS - taking pictures of a grip is an akward thing to do. Especially trying to get the underside where all your fingers are!

Edit - Something I forgot to add is I stretch my hand out as far as possible when gripping like this. Im trying to have the tip of my index finger be as far away from the tip of my pinky as possible. If you dont do this, you wont have the same stability with the grip.

[Cory326]

Hey RD and others :), played my 1st 18 today, so I though I'd share. (went to Parkside school with the family) It was pretty windy today, and the winds seemed to be swirling from basket to basket. ( Noob + wind+ grumpy 8 yr old = rough time lol) I did pretty well on the front nine, got one over on one hole and got a birdy on the next, so I finished on par for the front nine. (according to the signs) :thmbup:
Back 9...totally different story... was one or two over on 7 of the nine holes.
Need to practice the wind more, and my putting was close but not close enough. Seemed to be a bit high, as I hit the basket ring on 4 of the holes. :thmbdown:
As the family and I finished up, a couple of other golfers showed up and started throwing. I watched them for a few minutes as they played through and saw what I was doing wrong on my drives and learned what a disc thrown tomahawk looked like. I'm a fast learner.Took a few minutes and worked on that with my putter while I was there and was throwing tomahawk o.k. when we left.
I finished a horrid 20 over due to my really bad back 9. But, I learned alot to day, ( so it was kinda worth sucking)and am sure I will improve tremendously with more practice. Im going back tomarrow solo and see how I do.

[RD22]

Hey thats awesome! Dont feel bad about the score, its all about improvement!

I actually havent been out the last day or so. Messed up my knee. Before I explain that, let me share this with everyone. You HAVE to pivot when you throw and you HAVE to followthrough. I use to until I started trying to pivot on my heel. I would end up flat footed with no way to pivot. I was doing this....throwing around 400 easily 60+ times - played a couple rounds, plus a bunch of other stuff. Theres so much force behind bigger throws and I paid the price. Im also going back to pivoting on the ball of my foot until my knee has heeled for some time. And im not an older person(im 24) and quite fit. It can happen to anyone.

That said, I cant wait to get back out there! Ive been getting huge improvement all over and want to share it after its proven its worth. Ive also got a huge stack of plastic coming. I shouldnt of, I know. Haha

Until then, have fun, keep your mind open to new ideas, and learn!

[Cory326]

Sorry to hear about your knee, man. Get better soon! I raced motocross for years, so I know how much a messed up knee can slow a person down. I'll post an update tomarrow of how I did, but you gotta share the list of what new plastics you got comin lol

[RD22]

Cant remeber everything, some is for the girlfriend too though. Haha. Prod magnet, 2 wizard SS, Anode Proton soft, 3 different leopards, champ firebird, champ eagle, sword, another pd, and a few others. I want to try some discraft stuff at some point, honesly id love to try it all! I feel bad limiting myself. I do know the 4 companies I have tried so far, have not let me down. If I got another order id say id grab a drone, river, buzzzs, preds, destroyers, warship, and im sure I could think of others as well. Got is it fun!

[Cory326]

well, as far as Discraft goes, I found my self throwing my Buzzz alot today. it seemed to buck wind better than my Shark. Might wanna throw that on your list of discs to try.

[RD22]

I basically started with a shark and cobra as my mids. I was never really happy with either one and I kept reading about rocs and buzzzs. Picked up a roc locally and havent looked back since. I wish I had started with a roc because I dont feel like sharks or cobras are great to start with. I will be giving a buzzz a shot next week to see if I like those more. Im already so happy with my rocs, but am happy to try something else too.

[DeadEye]

Field Work, Field Work, Field Work, Field Work, Field Work.

Oh, and field work.

Oh and watch videos on youtube where Feldberg talks about driving technique and form. He's by far the best at keying in on the important things you need to know and focus on.

Reachback, weight shift, heel pivot, follow through. If you do that stuff, you should throw 300+.

[RD22]

Just wanted to update a little bit. My girlfriend and have both been playing the dame amount of time, and shes now starting to really get the hang of it. Her throws arent perfect yet, but because I can watch her throw and help her, she is beginning to get some solid form down, especially her followthrough which is very clean. And its great! The reason I mention this is because people, especially new players like myself and others NEED to play with better people. People with better form or at least a good understanding of it. They will be able to point out all the mistakes youre making with your throws, and help correct you. So if you can, try to play with people you wouldnt normally play with. Just ask! Im currently in this boat myself and I need to take this leap to really up my game and my technique. Ill be joining a local league if I can, since I dont know anyone here that plays aside from my girlfriend and I.

I know im not the first to mention it, but after seeing it first hand, theres no doubt its a great thing to do.

[Cory326]

played 36 holes today. arms alittle sore lol. Met a father and daughter on family vacation from milwaukee today, and we played one hole together b4 they left. They gave me alot of advice about my discs and form, which helped alot. maybe I'll run into them someday after my skill has improved and play a full 18 with them. I think I may try a different course next weekend .
Still had issues with the wind, to the point where I was using my Buzzz exclusively, and had to side arm to keep my disc lower. My putting was WAY better today.
RD, do you change your throw to deal with the wind, or just your discs? or both?

[goosefraba1]

I picked up a stingray this week for an understable mid. It isn't beat in yet.... so it flies perfectly straight and low. I threw it about 250 today... missed some trees.... finished slightly left around a tree..... and hit the pin. By far my best throw off of a tee. I am really a fan of how I can grip that disc. I would definitely recommend it as a beginner disc.

Also... I had never thought about pivoting on my heel. I will try that sometime this week. Thanks!

[goosefraba1]

Hey thats awesome! Dont feel bad about the score, its all about improvement!

I actually havent been out the last day or so. Messed up my knee. Before I explain that, let me share this with everyone. You HAVE to pivot when you throw and you HAVE to followthrough. I use to until I started trying to pivot on my heel. I would end up flat footed with no way to pivot. I was doing this....throwing around 400 easily 60+ times - played a couple rounds, plus a bunch of other stuff. Theres so much force behind bigger throws and I paid the price. Im also going back to pivoting on the ball of my foot until my knee has heeled for some time. And im not an older person(im 24) and quite fit. It can happen to anyone.

That said, I cant wait to get back out there! Ive been getting huge improvement all over and want to share it after its proven its worth. Ive also got a huge stack of plastic coming. I shouldnt of, I know. Haha

Until then, have fun, keep your mind open to new ideas, and learn!

I tried spinning on the ball of my foot today on release..... seems like the heel spin might be a little dangerous. I had never even thought of spinning on my toe like that, though. Thanks for posting about it. I got personal best today with my Champ Teebird of 270 ft.... would have went farther but it hit a tree limb at the end. Amazing how these little things all add up.

[RD22]

Good job! Pretty soon you'll be throwing 300+!

Ive decided to start a "putting regimen" since its not stressful on my knee, and getting better at putting isnt a bad thing! I will record my numbers daily, and work on focusing on the bad parts after the normal rutine. And then every 5 days I will compare my progression,for 4 weeks. 30 days of putting here I come!

The way it will work is I will put from every direction, to play all aspects of wind and gusts. I will stand at 8 different directions at varying lengths each(N,NE,E,SE,S,SW,W, and NW from the basket). I will have 3 putters to use. I will first start at a ring of 10 feet and work my way back. How I will do this, is stand 10 feet away fom the basket, at N. Before I can move to a different direction, I must make either 3 puts in a row(using 3 discs before having to go and pick them back up) or throw 2 sets making 2/3 in each set(sets have to be made back to back). Until then I cant move to a new direction. Once ive hit all 8 spots I will move back to 20 feet and start again, then 25 and then 30. I may opt to get all the way back to 40 but for now im happy with 30. I will take notes while im out, about where I feel confident and where I dont. Then I will work on those areas before finishing up! And how do you finish up? On a high note! So I will throw another 20+ puts in spots I feel good at, at any distance im comfortable with, and end on a very high make percentage. This is to prevent discouragement and help instill confidence.

Just thought I would share that with everyone and hope to up my game. I also may have discovered a simple way to see how your form is. Ill give it a bit more thought before trying to explain it, and get some feedback. Until then keep improving!

[RD22]

Hey Goose - Figured id ask and see what issues you may be having not hitting 300. When you throw, how high does your disc ride before it starts heading back toward the ground? Also when it does head back down, does it seem to stall and fade hard? Or is it a gradual fade? The reason I ask is because the hardest part for me to get past 350 is really keeping the nose down when I throw. Im throwing my roc over 320 but im having a hard time throwing it past that.

[goosefraba1]

It seems that on level ground.... where I hit 270... that my dx Leo was about 30 ft above the ground at highest point. It had a gradual fade and no roll when it hit. So, I know that it hit flat.

My champ Teebird that I also hit at about 270 today was on about a 40 foot incline throwing downhill. This was when I decided to try the pivot move. The disc went a lot higher.... probably 80 feet.... got out to about 350 I'd say.... and then stalled/faded hard. I'm working on beating that disc in so it won't fade so hard, but I know that it is also largely due to my lack of form at this point.

So, I think on flat ground I am really gaining ground. I really need to work on nose down when throwing downhill.

I am really enjoying the stingray now. I am getting pretty dead on accurate with it. I don't think it is made in a premium plastic. I guess I will just have to keep buying it in dx.

[plastic cannon]

I am really enjoying the stingray now. I am getting pretty dead on accurate with it. I don't think it is made in a premium plastic. I guess I will just have to keep buying it in dx.i belive they make it in star. i could be wrong though.

[goosefraba1]

Also, I know that timing on backswing, spin, elbow, wrist, and followthrough/spin is what is really holding me back in distance. Guess I just need to keep practicing!

[goosefraba1]

i belive they make it in star. i could be wrong though.

I will have to check it out. Thanks!

Awesome... just found it. Now I know what to order when this one gets eaten up by trees :)

[Corack]

I am really enjoying the stingray now. I am getting pretty dead on accurate with it. I don't think it is made in a premium plastic. I guess I will just have to keep buying it in dx.

Here you can get the stingray in a star plastic. :thmbup:

http://www.discgolfunited.com/Store/product.cfm?prod_id=1073205159&prod_cat_id=85

[ALPO]

I love this thread, nice to read new player experiences. I throw sidearmed pretty decent. I think 300-350 is my average max distance, which is to me about the average maxout for sidearm throwers. I know the only way to ever gain more distance is to learn backhand technique. My backhand drives are horrific though. Imagine playing the game for years right handed and then all the sudden have to convert to left hand technique, that's the slop that I deal with when throwing backhand. My backhand drives go strait up in the air, often 60 degrees off where I'm aiming. I Hyzer Bomb or Grip lock at random...totally frustrating. Not to mention 1 out of 10 attempts backhand, I pop my shoulder joint (PAIN and EMARASSMENT!).

When a drive calls for a left fade to reach the tee, 95 times out of 100 I throw sidearm anyways for fear of hitting that first tree with a backhand.

I've read everything, watched videos, but I know I need to practice more and thats the bottom line. But, it's hard to practice because its easier to opt for more controllable, longer sidearm drives. I recently started trying to backhand mid range and this is developing a little, but its still a sacrifice to my score. Sidearm midrange is still much more accurate.

Been wanting to post this for awhile, this thread seems ideal, because I truly am learning to play from the beginning when backhanding. really enjoying the tips from new players on here. i guess my question is...what would you do if you could par a course sidearm but shoot 18 over backhanded? Is it worth developing or just stick with what works? Again, I really want to be the best I can be at this. I'm almost 29 and I've been playing seriously for about 7 months but off and on since I was 18.

[E_Rock25]

ALPO - 350' is not max D for FH throws. I can not play BH due to a shoulder injury from snowboarding. I have been working hard for the last year and a few months at really imporoving my form FH. I have thrown a FH 430' but average more around 380' most of the time. I do think if you want to be a really good player you should throw both FH and BH but don't just think you have maxed out on your FH. I know a guy that can throw close to 500' FH and it is crazy.

If I did not have an injury that limited me I would throw BH as well. Think of it this way if you have been playing FH for a year and practicing every day you have 365 days of practice. You have probubly hit a bit of a wall with your FH throws and it will be hard to see drastic improvements from day to day. Now think about how much you have practiced BH maybe 50 days maybe less you will learn better form BH much faster for the simple reason that you have not givin it as much of a chance as you FH throws. I think if you practice your BH every day for 30 min you will see a drastic improvment and you can still work on your FH and use it when you are not confident in your BH.

It really all comes down to Field Work IMO. Get off the course for a bit and really focuse on your BH.

Just my 2 cents...hope it helps.

By the way RD22 GREAT THREAD...:thmbup:

[RD22]

Thanks erock! The more people join in and the more people who learn from this is really my goal here.

For now im going to be taking a break from trying to improve my distance and simply work on my form and accuracy. Then I will come back amd start working on distance again.

Accuracy - my biggest foe at the moment. Not where the disc lands, not how it reacts during flight, but the direction I am releasing at. Ive been giving this a lot of thought lately amd found a way to practice this. So as most people know, throwing a disc is like a whipping action. In order to create a whip, and "crack" the whip, at some point, something has to stop moving or slow down to create the acceleration of the arm. Where is this? Your shoulders. So what im going to be doing is timing the whip in relation to my shoulders. Because your arm should never go past your shoulder line(risk injuring arm socket) it seems like a great way to determine direction of release. Now this also assumes full movement of your arm, forearm, wrist, and release. If you let go early you may shoot left and griplock you would shoot right. Im sure im not doing as best at can at explaining this but I will try. When you throw a disc, your reachback "coils" your body by loading your hips, shoulders, and arm. Your hips rotate first, making your shoulders rotate. Your shoulders rotating as you begin your pull into your chest accelerates your arm and as your arm begins to extend, you start the whip of your arm. If you stop your shoulders at this point, your arm creates the whip and snaps at the end of its movement. Then your followthrough pulls your body through slowing down the energy youve exerted. If you dont followtheough the energy has to go somewhere. Usually your leg or elbow. So followthrough! Ive toys with this a bit, and the direction im throwing seems to be pretty good (parking 80% at 200 feet) with straight shots, s curves, flex shots and hyzers(i have an issue with anhyzers). The only issue I have is this is all done in an open field so once youre in a heavy wooded area the real test begins. So I will be applying this to my throwing for now and am curious about other peoples thoughts on this!

I have also figured out a way to test this in a small area, that will help tell you if youre releasing early, slipping, grip locking, or rotating too far before release. But I will get more time doing that before posting about it. I just know when it is successful the throw also "feels right".

Im also going to try and join a doubles league later this weeks and see how that goes! I will be posting later on my first day of putting practice. So like always, try and progress your game, you can only get better! Visualize, think your shot through, and understand what your discs are capable of.

[RD22]

Just wanted to throw out a suggestion for anyone having some trouble getting distance! I watcjed a video where Ken Climo was showing someone how to grip a disc, and in it, he had pushed his thumb down hard enough to bend the top plate of the disc in. I decided to head out back and finally give it a try.

I normally max out at 350 usually stalling out with around 40 foot high in the throw. Using this new grip and not giving it more than around 65% I still threw 350. This time reaching max 15 feet. I'm pretty excited and cant wait to try again when theres axtual daylight. I also had really good control of where I was placing the disc!

So give this a shot next time youre out!

[goosefraba1]

Just wanted to throw out a suggestion for anyone having some trouble getting distance! I watcjed a video where Ken Climo was showing someone how to grip a disc, and in it, he had pushed his thumb down hard enough to bend the top plate of the disc in. I decided to head out back and finally give it a try.

I normally max out at 350 usually stalling out with around 40 foot high in the throw. Using this new grip and not giving it more than around 65% I still threw 350. This time reaching max 15 feet. I'm pretty excited and cant wait to try again when theres axtual daylight. I also had really good control of where I was placing the disc!

So give this a shot next time youre out!

I will try this next time. Wonder why it works? Also, tried driving some more this morning. The spin out at the end starting to feel more second nature. I guess it is like learning to shoot a basketball properly for the first time. It just feels weird until you get used to it. I actually got the Leo to turn right today like it is supposed to while pushing it out to about 270 again.

[sidewinder22]

Thanks erock! The more people join in and the more people who learn from this is really my goal here.

For now im going to be taking a break from trying to improve my distance and simply work on my form and accuracy. Then I will come back amd start working on distance again.

Accuracy - my biggest foe at the moment. Not where the disc lands, not how it reacts during flight, but the direction I am releasing at. Ive been giving this a lot of thought lately amd found a way to practice this. So as most people know, throwing a disc is like a whipping action. In order to create a whip, and "crack" the whip, at some point, something has to stop moving or slow down to create the acceleration of the arm. Where is this? Your shoulders. So what im going to be doing is timing the whip in relation to my shoulders. Because your arm should never go past your shoulder line(risk injuring arm socket) it seems like a great way to determine direction of release. Now this also assumes full movement of your arm, forearm, wrist, and release. If you let go early you may shoot left and griplock you would shoot right. Im sure im not doing as best at can at explaining this but I will try. When you throw a disc, your reachback "coils" your body by loading your hips, shoulders, and arm. Your hips rotate first, making your shoulders rotate. Your shoulders rotating as you begin your pull into your chest accelerates your arm and as your arm begins to extend, you start the whip of your arm. If you stop your shoulders at this point, your arm creates the whip and snaps at the end of its movement. Then your followthrough pulls your body through slowing down the energy youve exerted. If you dont followtheough the energy has to go somewhere. Usually your leg or elbow. So followthrough! Ive toys with this a bit, and the direction im throwing seems to be pretty good (parking 80% at 200 feet) with straight shots, s curves, flex shots and hyzers(i have an issue with anhyzers). The only issue I have is this is all done in an open field so once youre in a heavy wooded area the real test begins. So I will be applying this to my throwing for now and am curious about other peoples thoughts on this!

Does not compute as described. Sounds more like a good recipe to hyperextend or dislocate the wrist, elbow, or shoulder, unless you are releasing early which will really sap distance.

[RD22]

So would that mean just timing your release at the point your shoulders point? My goal was to find and use your body to point your shots, to better your aim.

[sidewinder22]

Your description of the pull with timing, acceleration, whip and coiling are wrong. Coiling/loading or "X"factor, happens in the downswing or inward pull, not the backswing or reachback. Reachback/backswing should be effortless. If you stop your shoulders to crack the whip, you are stressing the joints on the shoulder, elbow and wrist. There is a shoulder pause/slowing which loads the shoulder/wrist into the power zone and then accelerating re-direction which whips the lower arm. This is more detailed explanation:
http://www.discgolfreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=24009

As for aiming, I just aim the pull of my elbow/wrist/forearm in a direct line I want. Then I adjust shoulder turn and grip for power.

[goosefraba1]

Would just like to say that this thread helped me shoot -1 over 18 today for the first time. I normally throw +5 on that course. I had one bad hole where I threw a double bogey... and 3 birdies. All of my drives with the Leo were turning over to the right like they are supposed to. All Teebird shots were turning over left. I was getting an average of about 270 again today, although there was one drive that made it to about 290. Granted this is the easier of the two courses that I normally play, but a 6 stroke change was awesome! It is great seeing some positive change. Thanks again!

[RD22]

Good job Goose, thats awesome!

Ive taken a break trying to pass 350 for now. I need to go back to throwing smooth again. I was having a hard time with some of my throws. I'm starting to work more on shaping lines. One of the coolest so far was throwing my PD with a slight anhyzer but released on a level plane. Watched it flip up to flat and ride out a nice ling straight path with a late fade. Not sure why I found it so cool to watch but I did!

Got my new plastic in as well today! Just in time to head out to the course and hopefully join the doubles league tonight.

[craftsman]

Which league?

[RD22]

Theres a doubles league at Parmalee Park every thursday night.

I ended up not playing in it but at least got a few rounds in today! Shot my best of -1 and feel confident I can drop a few more strokes off my score soon enough.

Earlier today I mentioned slowing down and not try so hard, when it came to throwing far. It helped a lot! I throw much slower and very smooth compared to how I use to, it it really improved my shots. So I guess it means you can actually try TOO hard. So relax, slow yourself down and see how you do! Im still not to good when to comes to aiming left and right off the tee. Im all over the place, bit my upshots saved me big time. I wish I was at least somewhat more consistent off the tee but it should come in time. Seems silly that I have no idea how to aim. I also started to try different types of throws. I found myself using a tomahawk(sp?) because of how wooded the course is and how bad my drives were. Super impressed with them and even landed next to the pin a few times. If a tomahawk is a type of roller shot then that is not what I was doing. It was where I would throw high into the air and get the disc to spike down into the ground.

I know ive mentioned it before, but if anyone has some good advice on correctly aiming, please send it my way. I also tried "pulling" from my elbow instead and that seems to help me more than "pulling" from the disc at your reachback.

I was able to try out a lot of my new plastic today. Very exciting and a lot of learning. Mainly drivers as I'm very content with my Rocs covering all my mid shots.

Putters: New for me are the Wizard SS's from Gateway. The discs I was also most excited about! But to be honest they were very unimpessive. Thats not to say they are bad putters, but for me at the moment, they just didnt seems to work very well for me. They are, though, very different from the soft magnets ive been using and enjoying. Should I give them so more time, or trade them off? Ive heard so many good things about them.

MVPs Anode Proton soft - I origianlly got this putter since it was understable and could mke use of it, but started reaching for this more than the Wizards before the round was over. Love this putter and happy I picked it up.

Drivers: Even though Parmalee is a shot course, some of the twists and turns I can make out of the drivers I use them anyway. Especilly underthrowing my teebird for a big big fade at the end(underpowering a driver makes them more overstable).

Leopard: Not much to say here. I threw one in a Florida and enjoyed it a lot but when I came back up here, I stopped using it. Its staying in the bag for now. It definately has its uses. Im curious to try a river though!

Eagle: Threw it maybe once or twice and shouldnt have. The shot didnt call for it, and mainly threw it just to try. Ill keep it for now since other courses may require me to use it. But disnt see anything to great. But its early.

DiscMania's C-PD: I enjoyed my P-PD dispite its heavyness. This new C-PD has me sold. On the longer holes I was reaching for this. I love PDs and I think theyre here to stay. Not to mention the green/yellow color seems to glow very bright when it is getting dark out. It doesnt glow in the dark but seems very flourescent! Very awesome looking!

Firebird and Sword: Never came out actually. Will try them out after this weekend when I head to a new course.

That pretty much covers the plastic for today. And my lessons learned. ;)

As of now, whats staying in my bag? Well my favorites are PDs, Teebird, and Rocs. I think i'm still figuring out the putter and driver game though. Best of luck to everyone and hope you are all trying to better yourselves! Ive got a long road ahead of me but im willing to do what it takes to get there. :) Ive also been doing my "putting practice". Two more days and I will post my rundown of the first 5 days.

[RD22]

@ sidewinder - Thanks for the link! I havent spent a lot of time reading through it yet, but what little I have, is very helpful. Can't wait to read more of it. :thmbup:

[sidewinder22]

http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/aiming.shtml
http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/telegraphing.shtml
http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/visualaiming.shtml

[RD22]

Thanks again sidewinder. Ill be checking all those out a few more times before I play my next round!

Found this article over at dgr as well. I originally didnt read any of the more "advanced" articles there but now I feel as if I can grasp them.
http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/mored.shtml

The reason I posted this link was to share my expierence and maybe get some help from others. In the article it goes over snap, and a way to "test" it without a disc. They say use 6" of movement. I really whip my arm to get my wrist to really open and close(tendon bounce). Is that really how it suposed to feel??? I ask because if that is the case im make 2 very big mistakes. 1: Im accelerating way too early in my throw. 2: im not pushing through the throw like I should, because I dont ever feel that kind of momentum. I guess that hole"hammer pound" really is how it works. A strong snap of a hammer will drive a nail deeper and easier than a longer "strong arm" swing. I always knew of snap and have gotten a small bit of it, but feeling that in my hand is just crazy. The inertia of your hand is huge if you do it strong and fast enough. And I dont ever put that much effort into any of my throws. Im sorry if I am rambling, im just shocked that it took me so long to sink into my head and that its so....simple. Check it out, try it! Let me know what you think!

[sidewinder22]

Thanks again sidewinder. Ill be checking all those out a few more times before I play my next round!

Found this article over at dgr as well. I originally didnt read any of the more "advanced" articles there but now I feel as if I can grasp them.
http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/mored.shtml

The reason I posted this link was to share my expierence and maybe get some help from others. In the article it goes over snap, and a way to "test" it without a disc. They say use 6" of movement. I really whip my arm to get my wrist to really open and close(tendon bounce). Is that really how it suposed to feel??? I ask because if that is the case im make 2 very big mistakes. 1: Im accelerating way too early in my throw. 2: im not pushing through the throw like I should, because I dont ever feel that kind of momentum. I guess that hole"hammer pound" really is how it works. A strong snap of a hammer will drive a nail deeper and easier than a longer "strong arm" swing. I always knew of snap and have gotten a small bit of it, but feeling that in my hand is just crazy. The inertia of your hand is huge if you do it strong and fast enough. And I dont ever put that much effort into any of my throws. Im sorry if I am rambling, im just shocked that it took me so long to sink into my head and that its so....simple. Check it out, try it! Let me know what you think!
Yep. That's why I said your description of the throw a few posts back was incorrect. Throwing a disc is very similar to throwing a hammer or stick, or hammering a nail out to the target.

[Cory326]

I got out with the family today and played 36 more holes. didn't keep score as my brother in law and I were just working on throws and learning the course. Threw ok today, but my drives still get WAY too high:thmbdown:. Saw a vid on youtube on putting, and it helped me A LOT. made a lot of my putts today, which is really cool. :thmbup: Got a few more discs ordered, as I wanted to try a teebird, and have another buzzz coming. also ordered a little heavier putter.
I think Im goin to stick with what I have for molds other wise, and just get some in different wts and plastics. Although I would like to try some more Discraft stuff, Like Nukes, Magnets and Avengers.
I also could have had a nice tye dyed Rhyno, but I returned it instead of keeping it. The owner gave me $5 for a finders fee! :clap: lol That's $5 toward a CH Leo or another Valk.

[RD22]

Got a chance to go out and play a couple rounds today! Nothing too great to report on scores but tried working more on my aim. Main two things that helped me the most are my thumb pointing the direction im aiming for, at the release. And using my head to also point the way. Really stepped up on my consistency. Ive also been getting more snap, which has made it hard to judge distance. But thats a good thing! I also gave my wizards more time and was very happy during putting practice but doesnt seem to translate during the round.

Im still having a hard time getting past 350. Its a nose down issue and mainly on the bigger throws. Ill keep plugging away. Hopefully will have more to say tomorrow, and will ne posting about my putting "training" so far.

[RD22]

Sorry I havent been posting as much lately! Its been hard for me to put the hours in, like I normally would. And I'm also trying to not mess my knee up again, since a couple bad throws and I starting feeling it. That said, I have NOT given up on playing, learning, and becoming a better player.

I mentioned that I started spending time, practicing putting. And actually a lot of time! More than I have been spending on any other part of the game. But the real question is, has it been worth it? Yes! Unbelievably yes. Its help translate to being on the course, and not second guessing putts. I have confidence at longer ranges than I did before. And I have even started to go for it from distances I hadnt before! I even made a 50' putt the other day(very big for me)! Thats not to say my putting is phenominal, but it is at least better. :) I still have a lot more work to do, and am curious what it will be like once I hit my 30 day mark. For anyone who wants to up their putting give it a try. Even if it seems tedious, please dont give up.

I also wanted to go over something, someone had asked a long time ago. Throwing light discs! Personally I only had 2, that I never threw them. And the more I play the more I'm finding myself enjoying heavier plastic. Thats not to say 150 and under are not for some people. Its really all about whats comfortable and works well for you! The other side of weight though, is wind. In general, the heavier the disc the less effected by wind. And from what I understand heavy for headwinds and lighter for tailwinds(if called for). But try what works for you, dont be afraid to try something different! This whole game is about experiementing.

I will be hopefully getting a few rounds in tomorrow at a new(to me) course! My plan is to keep working on form not distance. Remeber to be slow, accelerate at the end. Point with my thumb, and maintain the correct angles at release.

[RD22]

Hello again to everyone! Found this video, and figured I would share. Ive always enjoyed the way Dave Feldberg explains his teachings, giving the reasons behind something. Not just "do this" because I say its right.

Im still out practicing as much as I can. Im concerned about my knee so I dont push myself as much as I did. Work seems to make it worse so its a bad cycle. Over time I will be back at it, giving it my all. My goal is to compete before summer is over, maybe sooner!

I have to say, so far Im really enjoying disc golf. And for anyone trying to better themselves, and have better form. Dont exaust yourself or burn yourself out. This game is supposed to be fun! So go out once inawhile and play...to just play. Enjoy your surroundings, the weather and your company. Relax!

I also wanted to mention something I noticed the last round I played! I talked about the pointing of the thumb at release. That really helped out my aiming issues! It wasnt so much the thumb itself, but the thumb, lining up with my arm, in line with my shoulders, that did. It seemed to just fall into place when I made an effort to do this. :) try it out, let me know how it works for you!

The second thing I noticed was my release angle problems. There were a lot of videos that talk about using your body to change your angle of release. Usually in the form of arching your back(anhyzer rhbh), or leaning forward over the disc(hyzer rhbh). This is because thr plane of motion your arm follows, changes based on this leaning/arching. Well if my shot wasnt doing what I had expected, I thought back to my form, and specifically my back. Almost every time I made a bad shot, this was a big culprit! I will be paying more attention to this from now on.

Just thought I would share some things with all of you before I head out to play a few rounds! Just remeber to keep that open mind, and when something goes bad, determine what caused it. Then its as easy as working on it. We can all improve this way!

[ALPO]

Working on backhand but I need a coach or clinic. You can teach me backhand and I'll share my forehand pointers.

[RD22]

In my last post, I never realized I had not posted the video link. Here it is!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUOq09T2q54&list=UU0l1U9GyWATP6pPpS6uOLBw&index=1&feature=plcp

Just wanted to share some more information with everyone. Ive been struggling a lot with my upshots lately and couldnt really pinpoint it until yesterday at the course. I would normally throw just like I was driving, just slower motions. Same reachback, similar grip, etc, and it was making for very inconsistant shots. This also makes for very frustrating shots that are hard to come back from. Ive found the cure though! This is something that most people may already do but took me this long to figure out. The biggest thing is not having a big reachback that forces my head to turn away from my target. The second was a change in grip. I have tried many grips, and what it really boils down to, is what works for you! I now use a very controlled(3 finger) fan grip on anything 250 and in, unless im throwing an anhyzer(then switch to 4 finger). This gives me a lot of control on exactly what I want the disc to do. I also focus more on form than speed...even more so on upshots. Form will get me to the basket, power wont.

I have also beat in my kc teebird to the point its going to hold whatever angle I put on it. Any anhyzer and its not coming back. While this is great addition to the bag, it means I need a fresh one to hold the lines it use to. Sad/Happy emotions as its my first disc I ever bought and will never throw the same. Im sure a new one will feel good again!

I have also been focusing on putting more and more. Earlier in the thread I shared my putting grip and a little on style. It has comepletely changed since then! Ive been playing around with things here and there, but have settled on a form like the one in the video I posted. At first it made me bad at putting, but as I practice more, I see it becoming better than my old way. I do have the problem of my old putting habbits slipping in here and there, but overall im more consistant. Now if I miss, its usually not enough power. Also practicing in the hectic wind at home has really helped on the course! Practice it if you can! Even if its frustrating, it will pay off!

My game is improving every time I play, though the progression is beginning to slow down. Im still focused on becoming a better player, and have better form. Im slowly seeing that light at the end of the tunnel!

Also, thanks for everyone whos helped, suggested, or has just been a part of this thread. I hope to keep it going as long as I can!