Building Distance

[Midnightbiker]

I have been playing for a year now, and the longest I have ever thrown is about 280'. I normaly throw about 250'. I have tried everything, and I don't know what to do. I hear about new guys throwing 300' and complaining about it. I would be happy just throwing 300'. Please help. For the record I am a RHBH thrower. I have tried throwing sidearm and I just can't do it.

[djext1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAV8kKURKaw

Saw this in another thread so sorry if you've already seen it. I've been playing off and on for 12+ years, and only recently become serious about it. I was sort of in the same boat you were...I was out a bit further, but still couldn't get more on my throws no matter what or how hard I tried. Then I watched this...and all these years I have been holding my own shots back. I watched this explanation from Climo and I finally understood the power grip. The very next day I went on to add about 30-60ft on my backhand drive.

Hope it helps!

[maniak]

I'm a newer player I've only been at it for a few months. I'm lucky in that I've picked up the distance thing pretty quickly, I had one throw last night at around 380 - 400 feet, I'm just trying to get more control. I think the two biggest things with distance for me are getting as much spin on the disc as possible, and getting a lot of disc speed as I come across my chest with it. When I throw the disc, my thought process is 1) keep the disc flight as flat as possible, 2) Cock my wrist so I can spin the disc as much as possible and 3) Generate power with my entire upper body as I turn and not just my arm. After I pull the disc back, I almost feel like things start with my shoulder as I accelerate it through to the release. Oh yeah and just go to a field and practice!!:)

You've been playing longer than I have, so my may have heard all these things before. I hope they can help at least a little bit though.

[PhattD]

One thing to remember is that for most people if they threw a disc 375 one time with a tail wind that becomes their average drive. Don't get frustrated about not breaking 300' when it seems like everyone posting on forums is. My league has an elite division, Pro in other words. One of the long bombers from that division was practicing drives in the field waiting for all the groups to get in. Everyone watching was calling out his drives as being 450' -500', some were even saying 550'. I was skeptical and went back the next day with a laser range finder and his drives were more like 375'-425'. I have recently increased my average from about 260' to around 280' I get some over 300' but not many. You can also try different lines I find that my best distance comes off a lighter disc that I can flip to Annie and have it hold the whole way, accuracy sucks but if its a wide open shot some times it don't matter.

[tomjulio]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAV8kKURKaw

Saw this in another thread so sorry if you've already seen it. I've been playing off and on for 12+ years, and only recently become serious about it. I was sort of in the same boat you were...I was out a bit further, but still couldn't get more on my throws no matter what or how hard I tried. Then I watched this...and all these years I have been holding my own shots back. I watched this explanation from Climo and I finally understood the power grip. The very next day I went on to add about 30-60ft on my backhand drive.

Hope it helps!

Thank you, thank you. Great vid series.
I thought I have had the power grip down since I started. BUT lately after marking my discs with big black perm marker lines to help see the spin I realize I am not getting enough spin. This vid helps out so much. Have only been playing for three months and am averaging 290 on my drives. I think the grip correction is going to help.

[djext1]

Something else I might add, and this is just MY personal opinion:

Driving far ISN'T the be all end all...For some people, on the right course (wide open), sure it makes a difference. That being said, consider this situation:

My friend and I come to hole 9, a 450ft line.
I tee up, and drive out to around 320.
My friend tees up, and shoots one out about 250.
My friend gets to his disc, lines up and throws another shot for 200ft up to the pin.
I reach my disc, and throw my second shot up to the pin as well.
We both reach the pin, make our putts, and both get par.

Moral of the story: I outdrove him by a good amount, but we both made it to the pin in 3 for par.

Do you understand what I mean? I have a real life friend that gets frustrated at times because we out drive him off the tee. But he still keeps his score around ours, mainly because he has a really tight short-mid game. So we tell him "what's the difference really?".

That's not to say a good, strong and long drive isn't good to be able to do...just saying it's not always that important. Control and accuracy in my opinion are more important. Distance and power comes in time, but control and accuracy will always win the day ;)

[Donovan]

Something else I might add, and this is just MY personal opinion:

Driving far ISN'T the be all end all...For some people, on the right course (wide open), sure it makes a difference. That being said, consider this situation:

My friend and I come to hole 9, a 450ft line.
I tee up, and drive out to around 320.
My friend tees up, and shoots one out about 250.
My friend gets to his disc, lines up and throws another shot for 200ft up to the pin.
I reach my disc, and throw my second shot up to the pin as well.
We both reach the pin, make our putts, and both get par.

Moral of the story: I outdrove him by a good amount, but we both made it to the pin in 3 for par.

Do you understand what I mean? I have a real life friend that gets frustrated at times because we out drive him off the tee. But he still keeps his score around ours, mainly because he has a really tight short-mid game. So we tell him "what's the difference really?".

That's not to say a good, strong and long drive isn't good to be able to do...just saying it's not always that important. Control and accuracy in my opinion are more important. Distance and power comes in time, but control and accuracy will always win the day ;)

I do understand what you are saying. However, if the hole was 600 feet, you are there in 2 and he still has a long throw just to get close. I would rather have 50 feet for my 3rd shot verses 150. It may not seem like much to you, but that kind of advantage can be huge over the course for a round.

[Midnightbiker]

Thanks for all the advice. I guess I need to take my time a practice.

[Marv Vega]

For only playing a year that's pretty good distance. My advice, and what has worked for me, is to go to an open field and measure out either by pacing or by a measuring wheel and mark certain distances with cones. Place cones every 25 feet or so starting at around 200 feet or so, up to 300 feet if you average around 250. Then just practice your drives trying to throw each driver as long and straight as possible. I usually watch a couple of video clips on driving before I go out just to get the picture of someone driving really well in my head. Also make sure you're throwing discs designed for your distance range, something along the lines of a Leopard, Valkyrie, Viking, XL, Polaris LS, lighter weights will generally be easier to throw. Good Luck.

[garublador]

I do understand what you are saying. However, if the hole was 600 feet, you are there in 2 and he still has a long throw just to get close. I would rather have 50 feet for my 3rd shot verses 150. It may not seem like much to you, but that kind of advantage can be huge over the course for a round.What about a 280' hole where a one guy can throw an easy mid shot for a drop in and another has to throw an awesome driver shot for a 20' putt? Situations like that are where throwing far are actually much more benefitial.

Many times when you reach a plateu you have to break your whole form down and start from scratch to improve. It really is one step back, two steps forward. If you aren't playing as well as you like then your current philosphy and methodolgy obviously isn't working. Doing more of or trying harder at what you're currently doing won't work.

[MoPhunk]

For the longest time i was only throwing 250-280ft. What i did was slow down my x-step and reach back slowly before exploding into my drive. I've been consistently anywhere from 325 to 390 since i slowed things down. And yesterday i had my first drive over 400ft!! Try putting a little anhyzer on the disc so if flys from left to right and then dumps left at the end. It's been working well for me.

[jedwards]

Great advice -- that has worked for me as well.

[ptsawyer]

Up until this year, I was never able to throw more than 230 feet. I have been playing for about 5 years, 3 years regularly. My approach game is great, which is the only reason I was able to score with my friends. Two of them have HUGE arms and throw over 425, only adding to my inferiority complex. :) I was able to extend my drives this year to 300' in a matter of a few weeks, and I am very proud of it. Here is the short version of how I did it.

1. Instead of going to the course, go to the range. How many full power blast drives do you throw in a round? 15 max maybe? Go find a big open field and throw bombs for an hour or two. You can get 30-50 drives in a practice session, that alone will make a difference vs just playing rounds.

2. The key things that I worked on to improve my distance were grip and footwork, footwork being the most important. There are many resources for this on the internet.

Another key thing is try a more understable disc, like a Sidewinder, Avenger SS, Valkyrie, etc. A lot of people swear by Wraiths and Destroyers, but I cant throw them. They fade much to quickly for me. Once I switch to a sidewinder, that helped also. Dont make the mistake of getting too caught up in disc selection though, technique far outweighs disc choice when it comes to distance.

[adam423]

2) Cock my wrist so I can spin the disc as much as possible

When you say, cock your wrist, what exactly does that mean? I know you cock the wrist down, like you're shaking someones hand, but do you also bend it in towards your body? Then snap it out as you extend your elbow. I think it makes sense to try to snap it out to get more spin, but I thought I read somewhere not to do that...

[Midnightbiker]

Up until this year, I was never able to throw more than 230 feet. I have been playing for about 5 years, 3 years regularly. My approach game is great, which is the only reason I was able to score with my friends. Two of them have HUGE arms and throw over 425, only adding to my inferiority complex. :) I was able to extend my drives this year to 300' in a matter of a few weeks, and I am very proud of it. Here is the short version of how I did it.

1. Instead of going to the course, go to the range. How many full power blast drives do you throw in a round? 15 max maybe? Go find a big open field and throw bombs for an hour or two. You can get 30-50 drives in a practice session, that alone will make a difference vs just playing rounds.

2. The key things that I worked on to improve my distance were grip and footwork, footwork being the most important. There are many resources for this on the Internet.

Another key thing is try a more understable disc, like a Sidewinder, Avenger SS, Valkyrie, etc. A lot of people swear by Wraiths and Destroyers, but I cant throw them. They fade much to quickly for me. Once I switch to a sidewinder, that helped also. Don't make the mistake of getting too caught up in disc selection though, technique far outweighs disc choice when it comes to distance.

I do practice at a field, and I do find I get the most distance out of my Avenger SS and my Champ Valk. I do need to work on my foot work. I did notice when I went to a power grip, I gained about 30-40 feet. I just need to practice my drives more.

[agentdozzer]

I found that video very helpful i was doing the power grip all wrong there for it wasnt effective. Tried the right way today, not sure it added that much to my throw. I dont know how far i can throw because i can duece a 360 with ten foot putts constintly yet a 350 on the same course takes a good shot from 100 out to set up par. To say you can drive 400 should mean you can do it on a flat field with no wind. I would bet i have thrown one or two 400 down hill the key for me is getting that 350 up hill. To me elevation change is the best part of a disc golf hole. Distance is just a number.

[maniak]

When you say, cock your wrist, what exactly does that mean? I know you cock the wrist down, like you're shaking someones hand, but do you also bend it in towards your body? Then snap it out as you extend your elbow. I think it makes sense to try to snap it out to get more spin, but I thought I read somewhere not to do that...

Sorry, this might be hard to explain, but what I mean by that is I hold the disc, four fingers curled under the lip, and thumb on top then if I'm holding the disc flat, directly in front of me, bend my wrist back, towards my body so the edge of my disc is resting against my forearm or close to. Then when I throw I just snap my wrist and usually get a nice audible snap. Some people say they can't throw a Wraith because it fades too much, but this method has allowed me to put a really nice S curve on mine. Before this I was really having problems controlling it. I was practicing really throwing it hard like this the other day, and I had problems where it really turned over and didn't come back. When I first started doing this I found it tough to control but I found my form and this has been working pretty consistently for me lately when out on the course.

If you're still not sure what I mean, I could post a picture...I personally have a hard time conceptualizing when people are explaining technique through text.

[ERicJ]

I have been playing for a year now, and the longest I have ever thrown is about 280'. I normaly throw about 250'. I have tried everything, and I don't know what to do. I hear about new guys throwing 300' and complaining about it. I would be happy just throwing 300'. Please help. For the record I am a RHBH thrower. I have tried throwing sidearm and I just can't do it.
Several good ideas in this thread. My best advice is get out of Texas! I'm throwing ~300' regularly here with really good drives getting up near 400'. But I just got back from Denver where my first drive (Badlands (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=870) #1, big downhill) was a 540' monster! :D The thin air was awesome for driving, I was getting birds on 366' and 416' holes (at Westminster (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=869&mode=ci)).

But seriously: wrist snap. Don't think about trying to throw hard, think about trying to throw right.

ERic

[Midnightbiker]

Several good ideas in this thread. My best advice is get out of Texas! I'm throwing ~300' regularly here with really good drives getting up near 400'. But I just got back from Denver where my first drive (Badlands (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=870) #1, big downhill) was a 540' monster! :D The thin air was awesome for driving, I was getting birds on 366' and 416' holes (at Westminster (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=869&mode=ci)).

But seriously: wrist snap. Don't think about trying to throw hard, think about trying to throw right.

ERic

Yea, I think I am trying to overpower the disc and not looking as much as throwing right. I remember that day that you and I were playing in the Mini, and I was very impressed with your drives. I will be happy when I break 300. The field where I practice at , its 270ft from the sidewalk to a tree line, so I can't wait till I pass the trees.

[tomingh]

I agree with the power grip.... I just found that the other day went to the course today, practiced it and ended up with a personal best on the course. I found out that you can only use it on your long shots. Anyone have any suggestions or sites for a better grip on longer mid-range shots???

[gcoghill]

I have been struggling with building distance this year myself. I seem to have topped out around 225 based on a basket I know I can reach in one drive - and I don't always get that far either. Up to this point in time I was working on my putting - which is very solid now - and my approaches, which are getting better but nowhere near the consistency I would like.

Getting a new driver helped out some, but the other day I randomly met with some guys who were just picking up the sport and they were throwing sidearm drives at least 275 feet - with S-curves! Just when I thought I was improving, I realized I needed more work by seeing these guys throwing drives that far, and just starting out.

[kvanorsdel]

When I hit a wall with my distance I started playing rounds only using my putter. I played for nearly a month at least 9 holes a day throwing only a putter and it increased my distance immensely.

[edge3281]

I agree with the power grip.... I just found that the other day went to the course today, practiced it and ended up with a personal best on the course. I found out that you can only use it on your long shots. Anyone have any suggestions or sites for a better grip on longer mid-range shots???

This might help you out some. It talks about different grips and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Also has a picture of them them.

http://www.innovadiscs.com/tips/davesgripsmain.html

[edge3281]

Tried to edit my last post but it was outside the 5 min window... anyway here is what I was wanting to add.

This is only my second summer playing disc golf. I was stuck in the 250 range when I started this summer. I have used some of the pointers in the link below to help increase my distance. I would guess I am in the 280 to 300 range most of the time. I think my farthest drive on a flat surface is around 325. Just yesterday I had one at 390 but that was throwing down hill :).

http://www.kenclimo.com/howto_drive.htm

Just a sidenote I normally throw a 167 gram Champion Beast and occasionally a 164 Star Sidewinder.

[tomjulio]

When I hit a wall with my distance I started playing rounds only using my putter. I played for nearly a month at least 9 holes a day throwing only a putter and it increased my distance immensely.

This is great advice! Played the other day with a pro and that's all he was using. He said he comes out to the course with just his putter and learns how to throw that one disc every way possible. His drives were crushing mine! So I shut up and watched and learn. He also said that basically when you get the right technique down that your mids and putter really aren't that far away distance wise to your driver. 20 to fifty feet maybe. Watching him I believe it.

Today played about 60% of my drives with my putter, slowly things down and was easily hitting 230-250 with it, and straight as an arrow. surprised the hell out of me.

[Midnightbiker]

That is great information. My nephew is learning how to play and I want him to read this.

[gcoghill]

Today I tried out the Power Grip mentioned in the Ken Climo video clip mentioned earlier in this thread. My accuracy isn't there yet, but I can feel a lot more snap off the throw already. Even with minimal power (so as not to lose too much control) I was hitting similar distances with my old throw.

The other thing I noticed is that the Power Grip was forcing me to throw more similar to how the pros recommend - it's like a combo thing that just makes sense together. I had to modify my arm & body movements to get the right snap on the Power Grip. Very interesting.

I think I may make my next outing just a distance drive day and practice the Power Grip in an open field for an hour or so.

[Donovan]

gcoghil,

First off I love your posting of your journey, I think it will help many of us.

When trying this in the field start off with perfecting the form with medium distance throws. Let the distance come to you on its own. Each throw after so many will start to get longer and you will start throwing harder. But allow the form to guide you, so the accuracy still has its place with your distance right now.

Sorry for spelling and grammar, this came from my blackberry. ;)

[Aaron D'Angelo]

Wow, I'm just starting to comfortably throwing like 230-240, probably shorter:). 300' is still a bit beyond me. I started throwing really hard and nothing but really high hyzers heh. Maybe 130-150'.

For new people starting (about 2 months now) how fast does distance seem to gain on throws? I've corrected my approach steps, I seemed to dip my left knee just before my throw causing high shots. I now x step but step in front rather than behind as it feels more comfortable. Is this bad? I'm coming much more straight across my body and getting my torso more into it, though my snap could proabably be improved...

Those videos posted earlier I think are a great help, just have to go and try them out now.

[garublador]

I now x step but step in front rather than behind as it feels more comfortable. Is this bad? It defeats many of the purposes of using an x-step by doing it that way. It might still help you get your weight over your front foot, but ideally you won't need an x-step for that anyway. It will not get your hips into position to maximize (in fact, it will probably minimize) the power you can generate from the lower half of your body.

[High Flyer]

I like the idea of using your midrange and putters on drives. I don't get as much distance with my back hand, so I've been using my 180g Roc on half my back hand throws. Seems to have given me an extra 20 to 50 feet when I go back to back hand drives with my Sidewinder.

[gcoghill]

gcoghil,

First off I love your posting of your journey, I think it will help many of us.

When trying this in the field start off with perfecting the form with medium distance throws. Let the distance come to you on its own. Each throw after so many will start to get longer and you will start throwing harder. But allow the form to guide you, so the accuracy still has its place with your distance right now.

Yeah I can feel myself trying to overpower the throws instead of going for control. Need to work on that.

It's also interesting that lately I have been meeting more people on the course, and almost all of them have been throwing with pretty good distance. Part of me gets frustrated — especially when they are players out there their first year — but also it's making me realize that my technique is not correct.

I met a guy yesterday that said my "standard" grip (which I use on drives) is actually a mid-range grip. This guy was getting monster distance, and he recommended the power grip.

I wonder sometimes if some people new to the sport either learned to throw a Frisbee/disc differently than I did growing up, or perhaps not at all, and as a result they are coming to it without any preconceived throwing style. I've played "catch" Frisbee all my life — and it's what got me into disc golf — and lately I am thinking I may have brought a technique into my drives that negatively affects my drive distances.

The first step is definitely control, since my drives with the power grip have a 50% tendency to go wildly off-course. I need a day in a field where I just throw, and get that down and under control.

[ERicJ]

...I met a guy yesterday that said my "standard" grip (which I use on drives) is actually a mid-range grip. This guy was getting monster distance, and he recommended the power grip.

I wonder sometimes if some people new to the sport either learned to throw a Frisbee/disc differently than I did growing up, or perhaps not at all, and as a result they are coming to it without any preconceived throwing style. I've played "catch" Frisbee all my life — and it's what got me into disc golf — and lately I am thinking I may have brought a technique into my drives that negatively affects my drive distances.

The first step is definitely control, since my drives with the power grip have a 50% tendency to go wildly off-course. I need a day in a field where I just throw, and get that down and under control.
Yep. I started playing DG with a "fan grip". Then someone who knew what they were doing showed me a "power grip"... and I read the instructional articles over at discgolfreview.com and I made the change for my drives. And my game suffered for a couple weeks while I got used to the new grip. (I actually settled on a three-finger power grip, I don't use my pinky finger.) But after that I definitely got more distance with the improved technique.

I still use a "fan grip" on my putting and mid-range shots. I may eventually switch the mid-range over to a power grip, but for now it's working alright with the fan grip.

ERic

[gcoghill]

Cool Eric, thanks for the inspiration. FYI, the guy I met also used the 3-finger power grip.

[gcoghill]

OK, wow. The Power Grip. Amazing.

I just got back from 3 hours out on a big open field on the local college campus this afternoon with the sole goal of practicing Power Grip throws. It took about an hour to finally start getting the feel of the right grip — turns out for me the three-finger power grip ended up being what felt most natural.

After the initial hour, I could start getting a sense of the trow and a bit more control over it. I walked out a few of the longer ones and was amazed to find I was averaging 275' to 300' throws! Even had a 320'! And I was coming from a Fan Grip/mid-range throw where I was lucky to hit over 200–225'. For the record, I was just pacing out the throws, estimating a 3–foot pace — which is fairly accurate.

My control was spotty, but pretty good considering it was the first time for a real workout with the Power Grip. I would say I had a 65% consistent throw. Some just went wild, others I didn't get a clean snap so they hard-arched to the left the whole flight. But when I got a good clean throw, man did those things sail!

I narrowed down my drivers from 5 to 2 discs as I progressed and got a feel for the disc that felt right for me; I was throwing all Discraft: Cyclone, XL, XL 150, and 2 Xpress discs. The Cyclone went out forst, then the XLs (I think the small diameter of the discs was not a god fit for my hand). Ended up with both Xpress discs as the ones I was hitting the sweet spot with consistently.

I was totally stoked heading back home — if my arm wasn't so tired, I would have gone out and played a round. Probably best that I didn't. I still think I should go throw another afternoon of Power Grip practice throws before heading back to the course, since my consistency is so spotty right now — don't want to lose/chase discs!

[ERicJ]

Good to hear! My experience was similar. The increase in distance came pretty quickly after adopting the power grip. The control is what took me a while to get used to. If you're like me, you'll be shanking some pretty ugly looking drives for a couple weeks until you really get used to the grip.

ERic

[Olorin]

From Distance Secrets (http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/distancesecrets.shtml#grip) by Dave Dunipace:

Grip

Many people have wondered if there is one “best” grip to use. I know of at least five different grips that have been used for distance and golf championships including the power grip, fan grip, fork grip, flip the bird grip, and bonopane. What this means is that no one grip is "the" right one, so the specific grip doesn't matter. What is important is that your grip should match your finger and thumb strength.

If you do use the power grip, there is a best way to do it, though. For the fingers to be lined up correctly, the first knuckle of the index finger should be closer in line to the second knuckle of the middle finger than to the first knuckle, and so on down to the pinkie. This way the finger pads all line up with the crease in the palm. There should also be some space between the index and middle finger. Then by holding the wrist down, the disc can be in line with the forearm.

With the power grip the index finger is usually the finger that the disc rips off from. The ring finger is usually a “lock” rather than “rip” finger. The ring finger pad is the first to pop off the rim with a power grip and other grips too. If you put your ring finger on the lower part of the rim it will be easier for it to slide off and let the index rip.

Note, too, that the distance of every shot necessitates a different grip strength from short shot to long. A high degree of precision is possible if you concentrate on the hit. When you are on your game you can put the disc right on the beam at any speed or distance. Just like magic but real.

Thumb Position

The thumb position is an important part of every grip, but it is a tricky thing to explain. First realize that just as there is no “best” grip, there is also no “best” place to put your thumb. However, each grip does have a better way to do it depending on your hand size and strength. Here are the points to look for: 1) good feel for the position of the disc in your hand as far as being nose up or down, hyzer or anhyzer, 2) good lock and release to the pivot point that allows for a clean linear release and pivot to the rip point, and 3) a strong rip point with good feel. The thumb is almost always on the flight plate from close to the rim to more central.

You must realize, too, that your thumb can grip and oppose in more than one place. The various positions are the thumb pad, the first joint, the second joint, and the base. These are in order of the weakest to strongest points. As an added complication, the pressure from the base of the thumb can be translated along the rim such that it is not directly opposed but is none the less effective. Try to become aware of where the pressures are coming from, and what you are trying to accomplish with your grip, and you may find a more efficient and/or powerful grip. At the very least you may be able to focus pressure in your current grip more effectively. It should be emphasized that the grip pressure is light until the disc pivots, then the pressure becomes strong between the thumb and rip point.

[Olorin]

NOTE: I still only average about 290 with occasional bursts of 300-320.

One of the most helpful thing I got out Dave Dunipace's Distance Secrets (http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles/distancesecrets.shtml#grip) was based on this statement in V. The Hit (Snap) " you need to feel of the weight (inertial shift) as the disc is ripping out of your grip." I found that gripping the disc very tightly on my drive, at the hit, forces it to rip out of my hand and this adds distance.

[Jungle Tim]

Everyone watching was calling out his drives as being 450' -500', some were even saying 550'. I was skeptical and went back the next day with a laser range finder and his drives were more like 375'-425'.

An easier and quicker way to do this is to use the ruler on Google Earth, once you have located your course/field, work out what the landmarks are and measure away. Accurate to around 6ft (measuring know building distances)

That way you can gauge your D from the comfort of home.... then you can type in that you genuinely average 800ft drives :p

[gcoghill]

I finally got a chance to go back out after my day last week of practicing the Power Grip (arm muscles were too sore to play until this rain-filled weekend).

The Good: I still had "the feel" of how to do the throw. 3 hours that day of practice must have helped with the muscle memory. My aim/control still needs work, but it wasn't too bad. I could feel that "snap" off the index finger and got some nice drives. I didn't overpower anything as I didn't want to wear out my arm like last time.

The Bad: On the back nine — where the more open holes are in my local course — I ran into some guys starting the back nine. It was late and they suggested playing together to beat the dark. These guys turned out the be living incarnations of Silent Bob & Jay from the Kevin Smith movies! Although they both talked all the time... One dude kept losing his discs, and frustratingly the other guy had some monster drives, although they were all over the place and he couldn't putt for crap. He did show me the new performance air filter he installed on his Corolla though!

Anyways, the whole flow of the game was ruined while these guys looked for discs, talked my ear off and drank beers. Nice enough guys, but I was not there to socialize/party. I did get a few good drives in with the Power Grip, and really I just wanted to get back out and test the Power Grip in an actual round instead of in an open field.

Overall I was pretty happy with the results and can't wait to get back out for a solo round to put the new throw to a real test round.

[Donovan]

I finally got a chance to go back out after my day last week of practicing the Power Grip (arm muscles were too sore to play until this rain-filled weekend).

The Good: I still had "the feel" of how to do the throw. 3 hours that day of practice must have helped with the muscle memory. My aim/control still needs work, but it wasn't too bad. I could feel that "snap" off the index finger and got some nice drives. I didn't overpower anything as I didn't want to wear out my arm like last time.

The Bad: On the back nine — where the more open holes are in my local course — I ran into some guys starting the back nine. It was late and they suggested playing together to beat the dark. These guys turned out the be living incarnations of Silent Bob & Jay from the Kevin Smith movies! Although they both talked all the time... One dude kept losing his discs, and frustratingly the other guy had some monster drives, although they were all over the place and he couldn't putt for crap. He did show me the new performance air filter he installed on his Corolla though!

Anyways, the whole flow of the game was ruined while these guys looked for discs, talked my ear off and drank beers. Nice enough guys, but I was not there to socialize/party. I did get a few good drives in with the Power Grip, and really I just wanted to get back out and test the Power Grip in an actual round instead of in an open field.

Overall I was pretty happy with the results and can't wait to get back out for a solo round to put the new throw to a real test round.

That is hilarious bro! I have totally been ther before. Although I don't think I got the air filter tour. Some guys have all the fun! :D

The funny thing about the "Jay and Silent Bob" duos that you run into on the course is, you never really know which is Silent Bob! ;)

[garublador]

That is hilarious bro! I have totally been ther before. Although I don't think I got the air filter tour. Some guys have all the fun! :D

The funny thing about the "Jay and Silent Bob" duos that you run into on the course is, you never really know which is Silent Bob! ;)I think we've all been there before. It's always when you're trying to work on something, too.

[JR Stengele]

Helpful, thanks.

[gcoghill]

the "Jay and Silent Bob" duos that you run into on the course

Hah, I should have figured those guys had troops stationed on every course! ;) Funny thing, I never really ran into any of the hard-core party types before. Usually it's 25% just high school kids goofing around, 25% newcomers/super-casual players and 50% serious/semi-serious players. I finally got initiated I guess. We need a name for the disc golf party duos - Donovan you are the resident comedic genius, I expect something by Friday ;)

Back to the topic, I played some hooky today to try and get solo course time and really put the Power Grip to the test. Oddly the course was very busy — my home disc golf course has gone from almost no one playing to 5–10 players/groups on the course at one time over just the past 3–5 years.

Anyways, got out and threw some Power Grip throws. While the control isn't there 100% yet, I was getting some serious distance, and even risked it on a few of the more technical holes — to varying degrees of success.

I did find myself "over-thinking" the grip/throw at times; too much tweaking of the hand/finger positioning instead of sticking with the technique as I learned it.

I also found myself unconsciously letting go of the disc instead of forcing it to rip out of the hand. This resulted in straighter/more accurate throws, but with very little distance increase over my old Fan Grip drives.

[gcoghill]

I've kind of hijacked this thread with my own diary of learning the Power Grip, but to sum it up at this point for anyone out there trying to build distance as I was, and frustrated with the lack of progress: try these new grips if you haven't. They will feel weird and you will have some terrible games for a while. In fact, I feel to some degree like i am starting all over. But sticking with it you will emerge closer to the drive distances you are looking for.

When I first started out (many years ago) I was just using some crappy Wham-O disc golf discs I got at Target or wherever. A seasoned DG player friend told me to get new discs, and I was skeptical back then. He gave me his unwanted Comet, which changed everything for me at that time. It also refueled my interest in the game.

I started experimenting with discs, staying with Discraft and building from the Comet outward. My game improved quite a bit, but for the past few years (and some years of relative inactivity on the course) I felt like I was at a plateau I couldn't rise above.

After seeing some guys significantly out-throw me — most of them new to the game — this summer out on the course, I knew my technique needed to be changed since I had tried enough varieties of discs to know that there was another component that was missing. The Power Grip, even in the short time I have been using it, has proven itself to be the missing ingredient. And I was skeptical about it for a long time. It didn't feel right, and it wasn't something I would have ever tried on my own naturally. I put off practicing it for reasons I had created in my head until I came to the realization that I had no choice but to give it a chance.

I am by far any sort of master with the throw, but have had enough positive feedback from using it that I know it is at least a major component in improving my drive distance.

Hope some of this information helps out people who are in the same boat as I was.

[qheaton]

One thing to remember is that for most people if they threw a disc 375 one time with a tail wind that becomes their average drive. Don't get frustrated about not breaking 300' when it seems like everyone posting on forums is. My league has an elite division, Pro in other words. One of the long bombers from that division was practicing drives in the field waiting for all the groups to get in. Everyone watching was calling out his drives as being 450' -500', some were even saying 550'. I was skeptical and went back the next day with a laser range finder and his drives were more like 375'-425'. I have recently increased my average from about 260' to around 280' I get some over 300' but not many. You can also try different lines I find that my best distance comes off a lighter disc that I can flip to Annie and have it hold the whole way, accuracy sucks but if its a wide open shot some times it don't matter.

Interestingly enough, I was convinced I was reaching a consistant 300 ft drive. My home course is pretty hilly and gets some interesting wind channels and I was loving my almost 350 ft drive that went into the wind and dropped into a small valley. Then I went to the high school football field and tried my shots. On the flat with hardly any wind, I was lucky to get 80 yards. Go figure, a nice reality check.

[gcoghill]

80 yards is nothing to shake a stick at either though. Losing 60 feet must sting though.

I think my biggest impetus to increase drive distance was seeing guys on the course, new to the sport, effortlessly getting 250–300 ft. drives. I knew I needed to change something.

As others have advised on the boards, my game has taken a dip. Even my approaches & putts oddly enough. But over time I know this will improve.

Just the fact that I can feel muscles ache that hadn't ached before tells me I am doing something that will take time to become accustomed to, and to integrate it with the rest of my game.

[Marv Vega]

Interestingly enough, I was convinced I was reaching a consistant 300 ft drive. My home course is pretty hilly and gets some interesting wind channels and I was loving my almost 350 ft drive that went into the wind and dropped into a small valley. Then I went to the high school football field and tried my shots. On the flat with hardly any wind, I was lucky to get 80 yards. Go figure, a nice reality check.

I started practicing my drives a few years back. At first I'd go to an open Soccer field, pace the steps off and use the lines for a guide. Even with measuring my shoe I never quite new either way about my driving distances. I finally broke down and bought a measuring wheel at Home Depot about a year and a half ago. Now I measure out cones at 25' intervals, it's nice to know the exact distance you're throwing.

[discflinger]

Just the fact that I can feel muscles ache that hadn't ached before tells me I am doing something that will take time to become accustomed to, and to integrate it with the rest of my game.

Yeah, playing through the pain will prove huge. I used to get sore after two rounds and I felt like my arm was gonna fall off for three weeks, but I kept playing and now am able to play six straight rounds without so much as a cramp, not to mention putting it out there 450' on a good drive.

[gcoghill]

I used to get sore after two rounds and I felt like my arm was gonna fall off for three weeks, but I kept playing...

I am finally getting to the point where I am not super sore after just one round, which is cool. And my control is improving as well. It's really like a whole new game for me now, which is really great.

[discflinger]

Sweet. Keep it up.

[gcoghill]

I am also staring to think that part of the aches are from trying to overpower the drive throws, which I am working on toning down. Not only do I lose control over the release, but it could be hurting my back!

[Brida]

When I hit a wall with my distance I started playing rounds only using my putter. I played for nearly a month at least 9 holes a day throwing only a putter and it increased my distance immensely.

I have used this theory too and it helped me focus on my form more and not worry about the distance so much. Next time I picked up a driver I easily added 70 ft to my drive.

[gcoghill]

The putter-only technique is interesting, will have to give that a try too.

[Camgolfer]

I am just spoiled with the air up here I guess. I can't imagine what I would be like in another state with more air... I have been playing for about three years, but it is just until recently that I took an interest in improving my game. I started by watching some great videos on youtube from discraft. Mark Ellis is a great teacher and discraft has some great videos that explain everything to improve your game. I have noticed how much more accurate and farther my drives have gone since I have watched these videos. Prctice all the time and before you know it your game will be much better.


Several good ideas in this thread. My best advice is get out of Texas! I'm throwing ~300' regularly here with really good drives getting up near 400'. But I just got back from Denver where my first drive (Badlands (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=870) #1, big downhill) was a 540' monster! :D The thin air was awesome for driving, I was getting birds on 366' and 416' holes (at Westminster (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=869&mode=ci)).

But seriously: wrist snap. Don't think about trying to throw hard, think about trying to throw right.

ERic

[sir chingalot]

ive been goin out in the field and just strictly practice drives. If your not partial to a certain brand i would suggest a little lighter valkrie star plastic 168-170 turns over a bit to the right get that pretty "s" ive been launching mine 425-475. And Orc in champ plastic is money, and my go to is a heavy monarch (175) hammer that thing out there naturally fades to the right a bit and comes back to finish up that S!!

[Lewis]

ive been goin out in the field and just strictly practice drives. If your not partial to a certain brand i would suggest a little lighter valkrie star plastic 168-170 turns over a bit to the right get that pretty "s" ive been launching mine 425-475. And Orc in champ plastic is money, and my go to is a heavy monarch (175) hammer that thing out there naturally fades to the right a bit and comes back to finish up that S!!

I've got a 175g Star Valkyrie and a somewhat lighter Champion Orc. They both turn over a little, but my Orc is slightly more stable and fades much harder at the end of its flight. This tends to give me a little less raw straight-line distance with it, so if you're going for pure distance, you may find you get more out of a Valkyrie, even though it's got a slower speed rating. A lot will depend, of course, on your particular throw, the particular disc, and the way it breaks in. I must say I'd second Sir Chingalot's recommendations.

[swarren1977]

I focus on being relaxed. Being in a relaxed state is key to a good drive. You shouldn’t be gripping your disc to tightly. It should be loose in your hand as you begin your x-step.

[NEWBY1151]

It sounds like every one knows more than me about improving distance so I have no intelligent advice to add to that part. The only suggestion I have for practicing is try to find an open football field. This way you don't have to worry about marking your distance. That's what I do when I practice. On another note I also throw RHBH so thank you to everyone who posted advice.

[Midnightbiker]

I used to do a full X-step and I never got much distance. I now have cut my run up in half, and I have started to release lower and my distances have started to improve, as well as my aim.

[Disc Dog]

Hey this is a good thread. I wish I had found it sooner.

[SearchingForDistance]

This will maybe sound weird but to get most distance you need to have spin which gives speed and then you need a good line which gives the disc a surten turn, and then you also need to get a good disc with a surten stability that should work great to the line and then you need to work on the flow to get maximum spin which gives SPEEEEEEEEEEEED>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

//PRACTISE AND YOU WILL THROW FURTHER//

This is what i have put together so tell me if you understand what i mean

those that not know what spin does I will explain now.
In the end of the throw your wrist snaps and the disc gets spin which will make the disc to cut through the wind much faster so it will hold the speed much longer.
If the disc doesn`t get much spin, then it will cut through the air slower and slow down faster.

When going for distance you can increase your disc speed by lowering your disc closer to the ground(almost like a seesaw when it`s up and then falls down closer to the ground (gaining speed)and then up again).This will cause the disc to gain more speed.I do this almost all the time.

[Technohic]

Yeah, this IS a good thread. Seems to have been burried for a year.

[agapedad]

Wow! This one was dug out!

MB- What is your driving distance now?

[SearchingForDistance]

(almost like a seesaw when it`s up and then falls down closer to the ground (gaining speed)and then up again).

I meant a swing not a seesaw but i think you will understand either way.

[tamahawk]

I'll quote myself from another thread. I was stuck around 280avg for the longest time, very frustrated with not ever throwing any farther. The biggest thing was that several of the holes at my home course were 30-40ft out of my range, so a great drive left me a longish putt which is not the strongest part of my game. This gave me a very limited selection of holes to get a birdie on, so when I go over par, it is difficult to ever catch back up.

Here's the post:
Alright, so I went back and revisited the Dan Beato video since that seems to be highly recommended. The next time I went to the course, I decided to just practice my drives (the Beato way) rather than to play.

I started at the front of the box, arm in position, rotated back, and threw the disc trying to really focus on keeping the disc close to my body and shifting the wait to the front foot. At first, I was all over the place, but after about 25-30 drives, I actually started getting a little control and a clean release. After practicing this for a while, I discovered that I could throw pretty much just as far standing at the front of the box as I could with my run-up.

Since then, I've started adding a slow, smooth run-up with the new form. Very awkward at first, but after a week or so, I'm starting to get a good feel for this with a run-up. I went to my home course today (Freeman Lake) and threw some of the best drives I've ever had.

Example:
Hole #6: 405ft slight downhill the entire way. A couple of big trees to clear early off the box, and then a 30ft tree gap to clear about 40ft short of the basket. Typically, a good drive for me here is just short of the tree gap, leaving me about a 50ft putt. Today, I threw my typically flex shot here through the tree gap in the air and the disc ended up only 10ft from the basket.

Another example: Hole #7 (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/view_image.php?p=course_pics/717/0d7c594e.jpg), uphill, plays 310-320. I have played this hole hundreds of times in my 3yrs of disc golfing, and have never dueced this hole in this position. My best drives would occasionally leave me 30-35ft uphill, but never could make the putt. In the last week, I have put the disc UNDER the basket twice.

THIS IS THE KEY, THIS IS WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE FOR ME.
First, practicing like I stated in the above quote. Second, I used to start with my right arm fully extended, disc pointing toward the target, now I start with my arm bent by my right peck (very awkward at first). Now the disc (and my arm) has a lot less distance to travel to reach full extension, and this really helps a lot with the timing. Here is a quote from a PDGA professional that I know, he told me, "The only thing in disc golf that has to be fast, besides your mind, is your arm/hips when you are throwing far. Slow is so much easier to time, and timing is the key."

These things combined have added 30ft or so to my drives in just a couple weeks. This may not seem like a ton of extra distance, but it has really made a big difference to me, and gives me a since of hope that I can still throw even farther as I learn better technique.

The original quote was from the "Calling All Noodle Arms" thread.

[Midnightbiker]

Wow! This one was dug out!

MB- What is your driving distance now?

Still crappy, but I think it has to do with the way I throw. I have been watching others throw far, and they seem to lean into it more. Something that I don't do, but I need to practice.

[Technohic]

Still crappy, but I think it has to do with the way I throw. I have been watching others throw far, and they seem to lean into it more. Something that I don't do, but I need to practice.

Sounds like they are going from low to high, in relation to their body since they are leaning into it. Sort of how Garublador explained it, and it helps nose angle.

I did that along with making sure I kept the wrist and disc straight in line with my arm. It makes you thing your are putting it at a hyzer angle for release but dont worry about it so much and the angle of your arm should start to control that.

What discs are you using Midnight? I found I lost a little distance at first, but going to a Leopard had really helped since it will forgive you a bit and you can see what its doing. Throwing a fast driver will only frustrate you more because things will get a little wild while you change form.

[Midnightbiker]

Here is a video of me throwing in a "closest to the pin" throw off back in August. I noticed the way I throw, is that I don't lean forward, I stay pretty much straight, and don't seem to be making a lot of power. You be the judge. I am at the 1:45 mark in the video in the white shirt and cowboy hat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGCOdsXeX6Q

[Jimb]

Here is a video of me throwing in a "closest to the pin" throw off back in August. I noticed the way I throw, is that I don't lean forward, I stay pretty much straight, and don't seem to be making a lot of power. You be the judge. I am at the 1:45 mark in the video in the white shirt and cowboy hat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGCOdsXeX6Q

So how'd you end up finishing? And some other questions.

I can't tell about distance from the perspective of the camera. How far is the hole? Is the basket before or past the big tree? And guys like you who are taking the right side path... are you trying to turn the disc in front of the tree or behind it?

I'm amazed at the video quality in HD. Very nice.

And I'm really not qualified to critique anyones' form, but what you said makes sense. You do seem to be more upright when you throw. And since this isn't a full out throw, it's hard to tell how far you might reach back when going for maximum d.

[Technohic]

YOu the guy in the hat then?

I also would like to know how far that is but, if that was you, like you didnt want to throw that far.

What disc was that you threw? It looked like it got a little flex and depending on what disc it is, might might be an indication of oat at that distance.

Again, this is if it is you, but also, you get more power if you come under your chest, low to high then pulling straight across your chest, but in order to do this you have to lean into it. In other words, put some emphasis on it like you want that thing to go far, and it should bring your body around with your arm following through.

You look like a bigger guy like me and I will tell you, guys like us, you dont get the rotation of the skinny guys but you should be able to make up for it by getting your weight into it.

[Midnightbiker]

So how'd you end up finishing? And some other questions.

I can't tell about distance from the perspective of the camera. How far is the hole? Is the basket before or past the big tree? And guys like you who are taking the right side path... are you trying to turn the disc in front of the tree or behind it?

I'm amazed at the video quality in HD. Very nice.

And I'm really not qualified to critique anyones' form, but what you said makes sense. You do seem to be more upright when you throw. And since this isn't a full out throw, it's hard to tell how far you might reach back when going for maximum d.

I was throwing a TL and it was very, very windy. You can here it in the video. That is why my disc shot right, and then finished left. The basket is just past the tree at the 230ft mark.

[garublador]

Here is a video of me throwing in a "closest to the pin" throw off back in August. I noticed the way I throw, is that I don't lean forward, I stay pretty much straight, and don't seem to be making a lot of power. You be the judge. I am at the 1:45 mark in the video in the white shirt and cowboy hat

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGCOdsXeX6QA few things stick out to me.

1. Your weight isnt' forward. You barely end up weight forward at the end your follow through. You weight should be over your plant foot at the hit, not at the end of the throw.

2. You aren't getting any shoulder rotation. You don't really get much past parallel to the target on your reach back, which robs you of any power you could be getting from your shoulders, hips or legs.

3. You're coming into the hit too fast and coming out of the hit way too slow. You don't need to accelerate until after the disc passes your right pec. Accelerating before will rob you of power.

[Shuie]

So, how does a person gain distanace on their forehand shots??? i drive around 400' on a good day 340' average tho..

[Noill Golf]

I was throwing a TL and it was very, very windy. You can here it in the video. That is why my disc shot right, and then finished left. The basket is just past the tree at the 230ft mark.

Yeah the vid is great quality and I can see just how windy it was by dragging the button instead of just letting it play normally....the tree is moving big time to and fro. Maybe a more overstable disc than a TL woulda helped there.

btw - Love the hat!

[Noill Golf]

I just re-watched it and comparing you to Doug (who steps up at about 2:43) I see that he seems to un-coil the motion from his x-step a bit more and has a little bit more follow-through as well. Also, it looks like he anny'd it a bit and kept his nose down. Check out where he starts from on the tee... off to the right and at the end he is pointing straight ahead at the basket. You started dead center and finished pointing off to the right of the basket (actually to the right of the tree even).
I think that this all just means that Doug made a better line choice... doesn't have much to do with your D though.