Backhand Drive Help Please

[gaerith2]

I have been playing for about 4 years now and I have consistently lost D on my drives. I have tried changing a lot in the last couple of years but I haven't been able to figure out what the problem(s) is. I'm still waiting on that aha moment. I'm 6'4, weigh 190LBs and I have an 80 inch wing span so I feel terrible that I throw shorter than anyone I know (about 300-320 max as opposed to the 400 plus I threw my first year and a half of playing.)
When I throw, I feel like I am putting all of my momentum into throws but my discs don't have the snap that they should and they immediately start slowing down out of my hand. Please take a look at these videos my friend took today in the youtube links (sorry I'm terrible at embedding) and tell me what I need to fix. Don't hold back, be brutal.
There are also some pics attached of how I grip the disc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eIeY9PWo2w&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV1nuwmqveg&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtzzWGpz-eA&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGhscAiiD8&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq_1Dr0_vwA&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNrvTSIm0YA&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0acVp1q8HU&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fK9TyZnjJs&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpX7GBlr0O8&feature=youtu.be

 

[sidewinder22]

Grip looks decent, hard to tell how inline the disc sits to your forearm from the pic. Your backswing happens too early in the x-step and is forced back with your arm. You want to let your hips bring your arm/disc back and hit your max reachback just as the plant foot lands. When you begin the forward swing you are going too fast from the get go and you never get your spine/weight braced on the front leg so nothing is transferring down the whip. Let your weight transfer to the front leg and brace the spine against it, that will get the disc/arm moving into the powerzone with a loose arm that can then add power and acceleration through impact.

 

[knettles]

I would say to slow everything down a little. Remember that slow is smooth is far. And ya, it does kinda look like you're not accelerating the entire way through the throw. While there's nothing wrong with being able to throw 300-320 ft (that's decent), it is strange to drop to that from 400 ft. What I'm wondering is how has your accuracy been since you started? If it has dropped as well, it would seem to be a form issue. If it hasn't gotten worse or gotten better, it would sound like an arm speed issue. I've heard a few pros say if you can throw accurately, consistently, straight, but can't get huge distance, it's due to arm speed. But you did say you feel like you're not getting alot of snap, so I'm not too sure.

 

[gaerith2]

Thanks for the critiques. I have played a couple of rounds since this post and I have been concentrating on a slower run up. Two of my friends, who both throw farther, pointed out to me that they hold the disc closer into their fingers instead of their palm. It's almost like they have the pad of their hand on top of the disc. They both said it creates less drag that way.
I read some threads and watched some Paul McBeth videos and I think I am too tensed up throughout my throw. It's hard to train my body to do this but I am going to try to keep my arm and grip as loose as possible until the last second. I don't think I am getting any whip action from my arm.

 

[StarFirebird]

Here's one thing you can try.

Forget about your feet,forget about how far you pull back,forget bout how hard you grip it at the end.

I want you to just focus on your last second hit point.This is where all the energy is being transferred at the end. Think of how you pull a Lawnmower cord to start a Lawnmower,that is the hit I'm talking about.

When you go to the tee I want you to grip the disc with just a normal grip.Don't grip too hard, you need to be relaxed.Pick a point you want to throw to and breathe out. Next do your Run up and make sure you allow it to be natural and smooth,don't think about it,remember we are only thinking about the hit point.Pull the disc back still being nice and smooth and at the last second you explode.

Once you do this a few times,you will get what I mean. Then you'll start to feel your hit point being smooth. This is when everything starts to come together.

When I throw the only thing I think about is where I'm going to and getting that hit at the end. Everything else is just natural and smooth.

People at the course tell me all the time how it looks like I'm hardly putting any effort into my throws,but it goes so dang far. I just say it all comes down to technique.

 

[StarFirebird]

Missed my editing time frame.

Also going back to the hit at the end. If you do the hit at the end right,your hand automatically grips the disc a bit harder. So this is another thing you don't have to think about. :thmbup:

When I see someone gripping the disc too hard I tell them this little bit of info and show them about the hit at the end and then when they see me later they say,"hey man I worked on what you said and it's working out pretty good."

 

[gaerith2]

I went out to a field today and only threw miss, putters, and a couple of understable fairway drivers standstill. I concentrated on weight transfer, late arm acceleration, and pulling through close to the body. I picked out a target to aim at but I didn't really care where it went. To my surprise the discs went pretty far and straight but even more surprising was the amount of snap I felt. I didn't grip the disc very hard at all but I could hear an audible snap almost every time I threw.
I felt like when I shifted my weight back and turned with my hips, pushing my arm back, that when I transferred my weight forward, my arm had to play catchup. This felt very awkward but I can't argue with the results. Is this normal? Should your arm have to play catch up with your weight going forward from your body/hips?

 

[hipster]

Sounds like you were whipping/ripping it today. I think you are on the right track with letting the weight transfer assist/control most of the arm acceleration. The audible snap is a good sign for sure.