Hi, Just started and looking for some pointers

[duckbutter]

max weight really? I would have assumed lighter would be better in the beginning

I'm a 150 class thrower and I still prefer my Mids 170+ and Putters 173+. Only my drivers are 150 class.

Do play lots of putter only rounds. I just now am able to get my putter to 250-255. It is a great feeling when you are able to throw it straight as an arrow that far. I can't wait to hit maybe 300 with it.

 

[b-mart]

To the OP: I've only seen one recommendation for the River thus far, but I'm going to advise against it at this point in your "career". The River is a great disc that you should get down the road, but at this point it's too nose angle sensitive for you. If you're throwing nose up it will take the same line as the discs you have. You should ultimately learn to throw nose down, but I think you should focus more on form with some mids before moving on to a disc like that River that will punish you severely for throwing it at the wrong nose angle. I've been playing for two years and I didn't do the research or start on these forums as early as I should have. I'm essentially starting over by doing all of my field work with putters and mids to fix the flaws that I developed from a lack of research and understanding. You're on the right track by asking questions and doing research. Go to the "technique" section of the forums and read the "sticky" at the top of the page. There's a lot there to keep you on the right track.

 

[chuckrcp]

I have only been playing for a few months, but what has helped me is playing with people better than me.
You can watch how they throw and most will help you out.

 

[ForTheGlory]

Ok, I'm going to say it...

Another "Loki"? Are we ready for this? I hope they're not both wearing the same thing, that would be embarrassing!

Maybe "New Loki" could ask for pointers in "Original Loki"s Ask Me Anything thread.

 

[craftsman]

Loki, if youre ever in the ann arbor/yspi, west of det area, feel free to pm me
Im not a pro but i have a good grasp on the basics.

 

[loki993]

To the OP: I've only seen one recommendation for the River thus far, but I'm going to advise against it at this point in your "career". The River is a great disc that you should get down the road, but at this point it's too nose angle sensitive for you. If you're throwing nose up it will take the same line as the discs you have. You should ultimately learn to throw nose down, but I think you should focus more on form with some mids before moving on to a disc like that River that will punish you severely for throwing it at the wrong nose angle. I've been playing for two years and I didn't do the research or start on these forums as early as I should have. I'm essentially starting over by doing all of my field work with putters and mids to fix the flaws that I developed from a lack of research and understanding. You're on the right track by asking questions and doing research. Go to the "technique" section of the forums and read the "sticky" at the top of the page. There's a lot there to keep you on the right track.

Well I did already buy a River, its on the way , I was planning on shelving it for a bit and concentrating on mids and putters. I also have a new DX Roc on the way and I spotted a cheap used Champ Avair in like new condidtion at a store I was at yesterday thats calling my name. I'm also still trying to get a hold of a Leopard and probably a different putter or mid. Buzz, Comet, Fuse , gateway or MVP for a different putter. I kinda like the idea of Mid/putter only rounds. I may see how well I get around a course with just an Aviar.

The nose angle thing though If I get punished everytime I mess up to angle though, wouldn't it force me to do it right? Id like more feedback when throwing not less.

I have only been playing for a few months, but what has helped me is playing with people better than me.
You can watch how they throw and most will help you out.

Yeah, its funny how that works for just about everything doesn't it.

Ok, I'm going to say it...

Another "Loki"? Are we ready for this? I hope they're not both wearing the same thing, that would be embarrassing!

Maybe "New Loki" could ask for pointers in "Original Loki"s Ask Me Anything thread.

There more then one?

Loki, if youre ever in the ann arbor/yspi, west of det area, feel free to pm me
Im not a pro but i have a good grasp on the basics.

Yeah for sure

 

[jimcramer24]

Definitely start with the slower discs. I made the mistake of buying a Groove when I first started playing (a mistake in and of itself) because I thought I could throw the disc fast enough because I thought I had a strong arm. Wrong! Proper technique and snap help you throw the faster discs, not arm speed. I would start with a stationary throw and then work up to the 3-step X-step. You'll lose accuracy at first, but with practice, it will get better. I would start with DX or comparable plastic and go up from there. You will find that DX wears in really fast and that it beats up pretty quickly. Understable discs are good to learn on, as they take less effort to get them to do what you want them to do. Roadrunner/Valk/Sidewinder/Leopard are all good ones to use. Roc/buzz are good mids to start on. An Aviar/Aero might be a good putter as well. Find something that feels good in your hand. That is important too. The most important thing to do is just play and have fun. Technique and distance will come as you play more.

 

[ForTheGlory]

This might help....

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57404

("All rise for Lokirising")

 

[stealthfalcon84]

One thing that has helped me keep the nose down on my throws, is to practice throwing with a disc under my left armpit (I throw RHBH). That way you keep your body more compact and your release angle down. If you're flailing the left arm when you're first starting out, that can cause you to lift your right arm up while releasing. It's gonna feel really weird at first, but stick with it. Once you're consistently keeping the nose down like that, then start slowly incorporating your left arm into your follow through until you keep the nose down.

Another thing I did was stopped worrying about my run up and x-step at first, and just focused on getting clean releases every time. The name of the game, just as everyone has pointed out already, is practice, practice, practice. Find an open field and just toss and toss. It's a good way to really learn your discs and how they want to fly and how you need to throw them to get them to fly that way.

I also think you can't go wrong with a DX Roc. Once those things beat in, they are even better, IMO. Don't let yourself feel like you're less of a player for buying in the cheaper plastics either. Go out there and have a ton of fun. With the research and the practice and all the advice from this site, you'll be tearing up the courses in no time.

 

[stealthfalcon84]

One other recommendation. If you feel you absolutely want to throw a driver, I recommend a DX Teebird. My wife doesn't have much power at all, not the best form (none of this leaves this thread, you hear?) but she does real well with my DX Teebird. It's a 166g. Once the DX Teebirds get beat in a little bit, they go straight as an arrow in my experience. I know the tendency is to have the newer players use understable discs and I went that route with my wife (got her a 150 Archangel), but when she threw my Teebird, it went a lot further and straighter. Just thought I'd throw that out there!

 

[jimcramer24]

Keep in mind that heavier discs for the most part will be more overstable than lighter ones. A 175 g disc will fly differently than a 165 g disc and will require more effort to get it to do what you want. Champ/Star plastic (talking Innova discs here) are more overstable generally than DX but keep their flight characteristics much longer and more consistently than DX. Star is really grippy, but I like the feel of Champ better. Just a personal preference. As a previous poster put it, try a stationary throw first and then move to the X-step when you are ready. Can't emphasize this tho: HAVE FUN HAVE FUN HAVE FUN!

 

[loki993]

Yeah, when I played the other day I was doing a run up....totally wrong too probably, Im definitely going to take it a piece at a time though and not worry about that. Work on good form and release and follow through.

I love the Champ plastic, hate the price right now though. What I have on the way

TM1 River 169
150 class DX Leo
Dx Roc 167...probably should have went heavier on that but it was a deal.
SSS Warlock...we will see how SSS it is and if I can actually drive with it.

A store near me has a stupid cheap champ Avair that I may pick up to use for a driving putter but there may be better options.

At some point id like to track down at least a heavier Champ Leo and maybe a Champ Roc to try as well for driving duties.

Eventually Id like to try a Buzz,comet and a Fuse, but Im pretty sure at this point in the game different midranges arent going to be too much different for me. Right now its all about getting the form down.

 

[Matt O]

Nobody said Cheetah? IMO best driver to start with. Max weight Cheetah was the disc I learned with. It makes me laugh to think of how I used to throw hyzer routes with a Cheetah. Plus, once broken in, easy disc to throw a controlled anhyzer. I still kind of miss having one, but I've "graduated" from that to a Comet.

 

[SaralaAnne]

My husband and I have only been playing for a few months when we stumbled on the more social part of this site and I'm super glad. We've been collecting drives and after reading through a lot of you more seasoned players testimonials, we have decided to put those on the shelf for now (except my blizzard Krait, and probably a couple others we have) to try for some single digit discs.

For Mid-Range discs, all we really have right now are a Star Skeeter and Mako (I don't know weights off the top of my head) and are kind of working with those two at the moment, and while I get frustrated, he is really enjoying the Mako. What are your guy's options on these? Oh! We have some form of a Roc (what one, I do not know off the top of my head) as well.

 

[jrawk]

My husband and I have only been playing for a few months when we stumbled on the more social part of this site and I'm super glad. We've been collecting drives and after reading through a lot of you more seasoned players testimonials, we have decided to put those on the shelf for now (except my blizzard Krait, and probably a couple others we have) to try for some single digit discs.

For Mid-Range discs, all we really have right now are a Star Skeeter and Mako (I don't know weights off the top of my head) and are kind of working with those two at the moment, and while I get frustrated, he is really enjoying the Mako. What are your guy's options on these? Oh! We have some form of a Roc (what one, I do not know off the top of my head) as well.

Skeeter and mako are both good beginner mids. Skeeters are not very popular, but those that throw them like to swear by them. Makos are more popular and are very controllable. Good disc for learning nose angles and release angles (hyzer/anhyzer). Another often overlooked midrange good for blossoming beginners is the coyote. It is a bit more under stable and will fly slower. Rocs are good discs but can be frustrating for beginners until consistancy builds up a bit. Rocs are easy throw excessively high and stall out or flip over if not careful.

 

[SaralaAnne]

Another often overlooked midrange good for blossoming beginners is the coyote.

Thanks for the tip! I actually have one of those on the way

 

[jrawk]

Thanks for the tip! I actually have one of those on the way

Cool. Give it lots of time to get used to. Don't expect magic on the first few throws. The best advice I can give to new beginners is to get a good set of discs and stick with them for many, many months. Learn them well. Learn to throw low and level. And then begin to experiment with other discs if you find that any specific disc in your bag isn't able to hit the line you want to hit.

 

[b-mart]

Well I did already buy a River, its on the way , I was planning on shelving it for a bit and concentrating on mids and putters. I also have a new DX Roc on the way and I spotted a cheap used Champ Avair in like new condidtion at a store I was at yesterday thats calling my name. I'm also still trying to get a hold of a Leopard and probably a different putter or mid. Buzz, Comet, Fuse , gateway or MVP for a different putter. I kinda like the idea of Mid/putter only rounds. I may see how well I get around a course with just an Aviar.

The nose angle thing though If I get punished everytime I mess up to angle though, wouldn't it force me to do it right? Id like more feedback when throwing not less.

If you're happy with Latitude you should look into getting the Opto Pure instead of that Aviar. I've pretty much given up on Innova. I'll throw what I have, but they've been so inconsistent in their molds that I only buy Lat 64, MVP, and Discraft discs new. The Pure is a great putter, and in Opto they list it as a "short range driver"... Meaning that it's spectacular for those putter only rounds and field work with putters. Driving putters really brings out your flaws and rewards you when you do it right. The adjustments you make transfer really well to work with mids and drivers as well.

As for your nose angle question: You're right, but I still stand by my statement. There are a lot of moving parts to a good drive. If you're just starting out you aren't going to have the muscle memory so you'll have to try to remember them all. So if you mess up your nose angle and focus on that you'll forget when to accelerate the disc, or how to turn your hips, or release it on a hyzer, or etc. If you have a disc that's going to punish you severely for nose angle I don't see it necessarily helping because you might focus on that and miss out on three other things. Better to learn the overall mechanics and then fix your flaws (those with more experience than me can feel free to correct me... I'm no expert).

 

[Murderous Monkey]

One other recommendation. If you feel you absolutely want to throw a driver, I recommend a DX Teebird. My wife doesn't have much power at all, not the best form (none of this leaves this thread, you hear?) but she does real well with my DX Teebird. It's a 166g. Once the DX Teebirds get beat in a little bit, they go straight as an arrow in my experience. I know the tendency is to have the newer players use understable discs and I went that route with my wife (got her a 150 Archangel), but when she threw my Teebird, it went a lot further and straighter. Just thought I'd throw that out there!

I have to agree here. I got a DX Teebird, love it, traded for a Champ Teebird (now my primary driver), and just traded for a DX Teebird for my younger brother who is starting out. I will always recommend a Bird now.

As to the OP, watch that TM River. It's kind of like DX plastic but from Innova, so from my experience it will takes some hits WAY quicker than GL or I assume Opto as well. I personally noticed it with my TM Diamond that it dinged up quicker than my GLs.

 

[loki993]

Nobody said Cheetah? IMO best driver to start with. Max weight Cheetah was the disc I learned with. It makes me laugh to think of how I used to throw hyzer routes with a Cheetah. Plus, once broken in, easy disc to throw a controlled anhyzer. I still kind of miss having one, but I've "graduated" from that to a Comet.

Ive seen them but I have a Leo coming and they seem so similar.

If you're happy with Latitude you should look into getting the Opto Pure instead of that Aviar. I've pretty much given up on Innova. I'll throw what I have, but they've been so inconsistent in their molds that I only buy Lat 64, MVP, and Discraft discs new. The Pure is a great putter, and in Opto they list it as a "short range driver"... Meaning that it's spectacular for those putter only rounds and field work with putters. Driving putters really brings out your flaws and rewards you when you do it right. The adjustments you make transfer really well to work with mids and drivers as well.

As for your nose angle question: You're right, but I still stand by my statement. There are a lot of moving parts to a good drive. If you're just starting out you aren't going to have the muscle memory so you'll have to try to remember them all. So if you mess up your nose angle and focus on that you'll forget when to accelerate the disc, or how to turn your hips, or release it on a hyzer, or etc. If you have a disc that's going to punish you severely for nose angle I don't see it necessarily helping because you might focus on that and miss out on three other things. Better to learn the overall mechanics and then fix your flaws (those with more experience than me can feel free to correct me... I'm no expert).

I will probably check out the pure for putter driving. Ive also been looking for a fuse too. I dont know why, but I really like the LAT 64 stuff. They just seem to have really nice plastic and from everything I read it throws just as nice as it looks.

I get that with the nose angel stuff that makes sense. Ill try the River just too see how it flys but Im going to focus on mids and putters for a bit I think.

So Im gonna try a few different mids to see what I like. I think a Buzz and/or Comet are in the near future too because I need to try disccraft.

The MVP plastics are pretty good? I see them around and they are definitely interesting. I've thought about trying them.. plus they're a local Michigan co and that's always nice supporting that.

I have to agree here. I got a DX Teebird, love it, traded for a Champ Teebird (now my primary driver), and just traded for a DX Teebird for my younger brother who is starting out. I will always recommend a Bird now.

As to the OP, watch that TM River. It's kind of like DX plastic but from Innova, so from my experience it will takes some hits WAY quicker than GL or I assume Opto as well. I personally noticed it with my TM Diamond that it dinged up quicker than my GLs.

Yeah, Im thinking of getting a backup when I get paid. Also I may try and find a nice GL or Opto one, because we do have trees here and I like hitting them.

I got the TM because its a "limited edition" and it intrigued me.. I wanted to try it. I figured grab one now to try because at some point they will be gone. Also it was a good deal.