Do rollers involve a bit of voodoo?

[The Last DJ]

I feel like the people in here trashing rollers are folks that can't throw rollers!

In all seriousness, I do use them on occasion. It does take a bit of luck if your fairway isn't clear. I've had plenty of great-looking shots be stopped well short of the target because they hit a stick or root in the fairway.

I'm trying to use them more on wooded courses and increase my accuracy. My thought is that you have a better chance of hitting a tree when the disc is horizontal than when it's vertical!

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

I feel like the people in here trashing rollers are folks that can't throw rollers!

This.

I used to be in the "a frisbee only flies" club.
Then I saw a 65 year old out drive me with a roller...... TWICE in one round.
I now look for the roller shot on every lie.

 

[roggenb3]

World Record Roller Distance 1156.00 m / 3,792.6 ft

Is this really true? Someone threw a roller 71.83% of a mile?

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

There is a bit of luck sometimes with things on the ground. But my rollers are pretty consistent and my farthest shot.

.......says the guy that rakes the roller-hole fairways before a tournament

 

[JC17393]

Is this really true? Someone threw a roller 71.83% of a mile?

http://wfdf.org/worldrecords/?r_sec=1

It was a desert, so some asterisks apply. The "turf" roller record is 211.24m (693 feet). At the time it was set, it was longer than the air record. But the record is 17 years old, so it's not like anyone is actively trying to break it.

 

[elmexdela]

Was it sexton who threw that 700 ft plus roller in that tourney this year with a sidewinder?

 

[Shooter14]

Yep. 700ft+ with a Star Sidewinder at USDGC.

Pretty epic.

 

[Ted Bratton]

Rollers are a surprisingly consistent shot in their execution, it actually just as simple to throw the right speed, angle, etc., etc. as an air shot. The wind is tricky, but it is also tricky for air shots. The "voodoo" that comes into play is the ground itself, obviously. The ground you roll along is less predictable than the air as a medium. Some ground is "slower"/"faster" than others, but that is an easy adjustment with practice. The real trick is that most ground is full to the brim with tricky **** like roots and valleys that you have to get lucky to miss.

 

[Dan Ensor]

Yep. The voodoo is all in choosing when to do it. I think they might be more accurate, if the ground is nice. Just due to the circle type path at the end of the flight. Also, just like you can control distance with hyzer on air shots, you can control distance with anhyzer on rollers. After they flip to the flight plate, they're done getting distance.

 

[dobbins66]

2013 US Masters - Brian Schweberger threw a BH roller on the 600' 17th hole at Cedar Rock and put it in the putting circle for an Eagle 2. Rollers are great if you know how to use them.

 

[ManUtd]

I feel like the people in here trashing rollers are folks that can't throw rollers!

This ^

 

[gcr_russell]

I learned to throw the roller effectively this year. When I can eventually get back out to tournaments in Phoenix or Vegas I feel like it will shave serious strokes off my score

 

[tonyroberts]

This thread inspired me to throw a roller out of the woods today. Got it down and rolled close enough for a putt. Had no idea what I was doing, but I was happy it all worked out. I guess I'll have to start practicing this thing.

 

[DG_Before_Breakfast]

Its got to be voodoo, but some people do that voodoo, that you do, so well...

They are too unpredictable for me because I can't lay them down right to start

 

[Pbmercil]

Ya rollers are a pretty high variance strategy. They can work great, and they can also bite you in the butt. That's why you usually only see highly skilled players (outside of Nikko, who just loves to roll) use them when there is enough room to get out of trouble if it doesn't work out. I used to have a pretty decent roller back in the day, but the courses I play now aren't very conducive to them. I haven't actually had any regular practice with them in a hot minute, so I probably suck at them now.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

It's more about knowing the topography than putting on the traveling pants.

 

[kerplunk]

I voted yes because roller drives certainly involve some voodoo, which is why you typically only see them when distance is more important than accuracy.

For approach shots though I think rollers can be pretty darn predictable. And I completely agree with the person who says they don't like sharp rims for rollers, I think this is why I have never been able to roll Destroyers as well as I could roll a Tee-Rex (FH). Banshee and Zone are my favorite for roller upshots, although some of the poops and giggles I throw with my soft Banger end up pretty nice. Maybe because its consistency is more like a tire?

 

[teemkey]

My teammate rolled an approach that hit a root, jumped 10' in the air, continued up a hill, did a pole dance, and settled under the tray. As we walked to the pin, we saw that on the other side of the root was a wind-blown collection of fir branches that would have killed the roll -- his disc jumped right over them.

I voted voodoo.

 

[gcr_russell]

I like rollers when the ceiling is low, or I need to throw a long Anhyzer otherwise, but there's room on the ground. There are times they work just fine.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

This thread inspired me to throw a roller out of the woods today. Got it down and rolled close enough for a putt. Had no idea what I was doing, but I was happy it all worked out. I guess I'll have to start practicing this thing.

"I love it when a plan comes together"