Can you explain how to putt like this?

[Asian Style]

I have studied this section of video (32:44 in murdermike's video) over and over again pausing and trying to catch each stage of the movement of his pitch putt and all I have determined is that it's magic.

http://www.tubechop.com/watch/1087709

He really doesn't break his wrist from what I can see. When I look at his finger position right after the disc leaves, they aren't really that sprung open. They are about as open as they would be if he was going to shake hands.

When I try this putt even from 15 feet away, it looks like a wounded duck high in the air flapping towards the basket and dies before it even reaches the basket. He pitches it sooo far away and it comes out super smooth like it has a lot of spin on it, no wobble, and a lot of forward movement.

I'm hoping someone who can putt like this can break down the secret? There has to be something subtle I'm missing here because monkey see, monkey do is not working for me here.

 

[Tiny]

Straddle putt, you use your knees and vertical arm movement with a slight wrist movement to get the trajectory needed for that putt.

 

[Asian Style]

Can you demonstrate better on video perhaps?

I got all that, but knowing that is not translating kinesthetically for me. The vertical movement of my arm just makes the disc go up and flop, and the slight wrist movement, what slight wrist movement do I need to make it fly that smoothly and forward?

 

[RustyStrings615]

here is a clinic from Nikko

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31WBwNtbQIQ

 

[costoid]

Feldberg tries to claim there's no wrist in a proper push/pitch putt, but this isn't always true. Nikko and Ricky both slightly bend the wrist and POP it at release to get spin. A smooth arm motion is also important.

 

[Asian Style]

I have learned a bunch in the past few days trying to learn pitch putting and I can see Feldberg's point. I can actually get a decent amount of spin, and make a pretty pitch putt from 20 feet away with very minimal wrist. I can wear a wrist brace and still get the same spin. There is kind of a trick to it. Your arm speed + clean release with finger spring + disc angle generates a lot of spin surprisingly. I'm writing up an extensive guide to pitch putting as I'm learning and plan to post it when it's ready.

Ricky definitely bends his wrist. I've seen videos of a very distinct wrist break at the back of his downswing. I think he is what people are now calling spush putter. Definitely a hybrid.

I haven't seen any videos of Nikko breaking the wrist though. Not like Ricky anyways. So I am under the impression he keeps his wrist still for the most part.

 

[bfowler]

From my observations Ricky stops his wrist and pops the disc. He has a distinct "hit" on the throw much like a drive. I do this myself.

Nikko has a release point at which he lets go of the disc and his arm and hand still continue on a follow through.

I think of Ricky as more like a catapult and Nikko as a baseball pitch.

 

[Asian Style]

Hmm, odd analogies. Ricky does stop his wrist, a lot of spin putters to do to keep it from pulling right I imagine. But I'm always curious to hear what other people's definition of "popping the disc" is?

As I've been practicing putting, I'm learning that <15 feet I am using a push putt and >15 feet I am doing more of a "swing" putt. Pitch/push aren't very good ways of describing what I'm doing. I swing my arm, like I'm bowling. Along that point I simply spring my fingers open and release the disc and it goes sailing. I guess I have a hit, a point where I try and be at maximum acceleration for the distance I want and that is where I release the disc. Usually it's somewhere around the upper part of my stomach but if I was standing up straight, it would be around my waist.

 

[samfoy]

You can get a good amount of spin on the disc without moving the wrist at all by just maneuvering the disc with your fingers.

 

[Natten]

Why do you call it 'asian style'?

 

[tu-f-o]

despite all the claims about low spin on a pitch putt, I still see lots of wrist spin. Especially on that video of Nikko.

 

[Asian Style]

Why do you call it 'asian style'?

I had a white teacher in high school who used to refer to "other" people as "flavors". I was the only asian in the entire school in a backwater town in Idaho. One day he is talking about "Indian flavors and Asian flavors" and I spoke up and said, I prefer Asian style. It stuck with me for whatever reason. Why do you Natten?

 

[Asian Style]

despite all the claims about low spin on a pitch putt, I still see lots of wrist spin. Especially on that video of Nikko.

I think the further you go out, the more "spushing" happens. Pitch/push putts have spin, but usually nowhere near the amount a spin putter puts on it. I was skeptical at first till I learned how to do it, I can add spin to a pitch putt with a wrist brace on and no elbow break. From what I can tell, the arm speed and the finger spring push/pull the disc in a clockwise motion and that is where the spin comes from.

Take a disc in your hand, use a fan grip where the fingers are toward the middle of the plate. Now point it up at the ceiling, now without moving your wrist at all, spring your fingers open at the same time. You should see the disc move clockwise. Now try and get it to rotate the other direction using that same motion. I doubt you will be able to. The friction of your finger tips is pulling the disc in that direction (clockwise) as your hand opens. Now if you were to add the arm speed (pendulum motion), it accelerates this effect even more. And thus, that is how I think pitch putters are getting spin. Not a lot of spin, but enough. Of course you could always add a small break in the elbow or wrist to add even more spin, and that wouldn't necessarily be wrong, but as far as I can tell, you can generate a small but adequate amount of spin with arm speed and finger spring alone.

 

[MagPie]

I think the further you go out, the more "spushing" happens. Pitch/push putts have spin, but usually nowhere near the amount a spin putter puts on it. I was skeptical at first till I learned how to do it, I can add spin to a pitch putt with a wrist brace on and no elbow break. From what I can tell, the arm speed and the finger spring push/pull the disc in a clockwise motion and that is where the spin comes from.

Take a disc in your hand, use a fan grip where the fingers are toward the middle of the plate. Now point it up at the ceiling, now without moving your wrist at all, spring your fingers open at the same time. You should see the disc move clockwise. Now try and get it to rotate the other direction using that same motion. I doubt you will be able to. The friction of your finger tips is pulling the disc in that direction (clockwise) as your hand opens. Now if you were to add the arm speed (pendulum motion), it accelerates this effect even more. And thus, that is how I think pitch putters are getting spin. Not a lot of spin, but enough. Of course you could always add a small break in the elbow or wrist to add even more spin, and that wouldn't necessarily be wrong, but as far as I can tell, you can generate a small but adequate amount of spin with arm speed and finger spring alone.

Exactly this. Feel it, don't force it

 

[Obligation]

I've found a lot of it comes from getting the finger pop down then working on adding more arm motion then adding more straddle.

Also with the fan grip the further back you move your fingers on the plate from middle to further back you get more spin and distance without involving your wrist.