I suck in the woods - HELP!

[Chizult]

I've been playing for a year; my home course is wide open and my game has evolved accordingly. On that course I shoot at the better end of the advanced range. On closed courses, I shoot on the poor end of the intermediate players.

I know it has all to do with driving and upshot accuracy. My problem is powering down properly. I end up doing the same run-up that I would on my open course, slowing my arm speed and leaving my wrist completely collapsed (unsnapped) on the release. This makes all my discs extremely overstable to the point they can't hold a line even if I happen to hit it (which rarely happens). My upshot, which is accurate, is similar to this...it's almost as if I'm trying to do a longer version of my upshot off the tee. Also, I do a full body turn and take my eye off the target. So...should I open up my chest more to the target so I can see it before my release? Should I be snapping my wrist even in the woods?

I know my technique is completely wrong. Any pointers or pointing our threads or articles would be appreciated.

[dmbrun2]

Try and disc down, use more mid ranges and putters, helped me a lot

[dmbrun2]

Do you tend to throw a lot of flex shots in the open course

[bradharris]

Playing in the woods and playing in the open are two totally different skills.

On open courses, what matters is the destination, not the journey. It doesn't matter how you get it there, as long as it lands where you want it to. In the woods, it's the complete opposite. The line is what matters more than the final destination.

You're accustomed to just ripping it and not caring about minute details of the release that may affect where the disc goes. Once you get into the woods, those minute details are hugely important.

The best way to learn to throw in the woods is really to start over from the beginning. Don't worry about how far you're throwing. It sounds like you're still trying to crush big drives, stop that. Disc down, take out your run-up and just try to hit lines. You'll find that staying in the fairway 100' short of your target is far better than crushing it into a tree and kicking into no-man's land. As your line-shaping skills develop, you can start focusing on hitting those lines for better distance, but take it one step at a time.

[garublador]

The Dan Beto video from the sticky indirectly shows a great way to power down. The whole thing is showing you how to build your throw from the hit back, but it also teaches you how to take a lot off your throw. Instead of doing your whole run up and throwing slower, which you found doesn't work that well, you instead get rid of the run up and possibly some of your reach back, but then perform the last bit of your throw the same. It lets you keep your timing the same but also takes some off your throw.

[bcr123psu]

Behold...my first post on DGCR:

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums...ead.php?t=9182

[Dthunderchicken]

Originally Posted by dmbrun2

Try and disc down, use more mid ranges and putters, helped me a lot

This. ^

My most productive woods discs have all been control discs. Right now I like the ESP Impact and Sirius Aurora MS. They're both slow and the come in premium plastic for when you do hit the trees.

[Discwrangler]

Follow through on your line instead of trying to aim. When you aim you slow down to the hit when you ALWAYS want to accelerate through the hit.

Hyzer release angles are easier to throw in tight areas too...so less stable discs on hyzer release helps.

[keltik]

Get a Fuse (or a Comet) and a Polecat. and don't throw as hard.

[wkelly42]

Originally Posted by bradharris

The best way to learn to throw in the woods is really to start over from the beginning. Don't worry about how far you're throwing. It sounds like you're still trying to crush big drives, stop that. Disc down, take out your run-up and just try to hit lines. You'll find that staying in the fairway 100' short of your target is far better than crushing it into a tree and kicking into no-man's land. As your line-shaping skills develop, you can start focusing on hitting those lines for better distance, but take it one step at a time.

This. I had a really hard time in the woods, but once I took my run up out, I played a lot better. I still don't have as much of a run up as I used to, but I tend to do better in the woods. I actually have the opposite problem -- I don't have the distance to score well on open courses, because I've focused so much on playing well in the woods.