How to transition to heel pivot

[JamesWalker]

To transition the heel pivot the first thing you should do is to adjust your body weight and rest on your knees or toes. There's no need to lean as you may fall. Just balance your body.

 

[bbutch]

...but puts more strain on the achilles and foot. :|

And on your mind from all the other children pointing and laughing.

 

[MNcyclone]

Thread resurrection... At any rate, since I never posted back, here it is. Trying to heel pivot almost killed my knee. It was the most unenjoyably round of the season. I have promised my knee to never try that again.

 

[sidewinder22]

Thread resurrection... At any rate, since I never posted back, here it is. Trying to heel pivot almost killed my knee. It was the most unenjoyably round of the season. I have promised my knee to never try that again.

I think it's safe to say you're doing it wrong. Throwing from a standstill is the best way to get it.

 

[drickanderson]

I'd love to see a video of somebody that pivots on their toe. I just can't imagine how you would do that, and it has got to be dangerous for your ankle.

 

[MNcyclone]

I think it's safe to say you're doing it wrong. Throwing from a standstill is the best way to get it.

That may be the case, but this situation is like skydiving, I can't afford to learn on the job and screw it up.

 

[sidewinder22]

That may be the case, but this situation is like skydiving, I can't afford to learn on the job and screw it up.

Since when did throwing from a standstill constitute skydiving? GCRussell has a bum knee, and drives everything from a standstill because of his knee and heel pivots. I actually don't know how one can toe pivot from a standstill.

 

[sidewinder22]

I'd love to see a video of somebody that pivots on their toe. I just can't imagine how you would do that, and it has got to be dangerous for your ankle.

Craigg is the only toe pivoting pro I know, there's a few other of his drives around 4-6min in the vid, but this is the best view:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpcm5VJiBcM#t=11m20s

 

[Triflusal]

cale leviskas is pretty much a toe pivot, its actually pretty weird looking



jesper appears to be doing a toe pivot as well

 

[MNcyclone]

The point isn't that I want to remain a toe pivot guy, the point is that trying to change it right now at the end of the season with my knee ready to go at any moment is not the right call. I am mid foot pivoting right now and it is saving my knee, next season I will try out the heel pivot after my knee has 5 months to heal.

 

[jenb]

Is the heel pivot generally recognized as producing more armspeed/snap/distance or whatever than a toe pivot. I ask because I was playing and my feet got wet and numb and I couldn't feel my toes, so I started heel pivoting and it seemed like I was getting lot more something or other on the disc as a result.

 

[bbails]

Good question, Jenb, I'll stay tuned for an answer.

I have a question/concern too. It sure does look like a heel pivot requires the plant knee to come closer to locking out. I've torn my acl three different times (football, squash, etc. not dg) and I have a real fear of ever locking it. In fact, I sort of throw myself off the front of the teebox as it is. Definitely a toe (or more precisely, ball of foot pivoter.) But like all the rest of you wh**es, I'll do anything for more distance.

Any knee problem sufferers want to way in on toe vs. heel for bad plant knees.

interesting thread, folks.

 

[Dsplayname]

I've seen some pretty good heel-pivoters drive, and it does look like it's easier to put the momentum of the spin into the disc. I ripped my ankle apart earlier this year, so I don't want to try a heel-pivot myself; but I will.

 

[sidewinder22]

Never lock your knee! How are you supposed to maintain an athletic position and any balance on one leg with a locked knee? A safe pivot is all about balance, take it from one that has crappy knees and ankles, and broke their leg. I believe the heel pivot is less stressful on the joints and haven't experienced any pain since. During the throw you should land on the ball and maintaining weight on the inside part of the foot/leg, then roll to the heel as your center of balance moves forward toward the outside part of your plant foot and then it pivots.

Try standing feet together barefoot, knees slightly bent, and then lift the rear foot up. So you should be one legged and balanced on your plant foot with a slightly bent knee, and your weight centered and stacked over the knee and foot. Now pivot on your ball, and then pivot your heel and keep the knee slightly bent. Doing the above drill is what the pivot should feel like as you have to be in balance while on one leg and simulates weight forward and also clears the hip. You shouldn't feel any stress from the heel or ball, but you should feel a difference rotating the body and the balance is slightly different. Pivoting on the heel maintains a tighter spinal axis rotation and has more power potential as evidenced by just about all the distance champs.

 

[pchitti]

Is the heel pivot generally recognized as producing more armspeed/snap/distance or whatever than a toe pivot. I ask because I was playing and my feet got wet and numb and I couldn't feel my toes, so I started heel pivoting and it seemed like I was getting lot more something or other on the disc as a result.

I would say its a more natural pivot than the toe is. Allows your body to maintain the flow and speed better than the toe. You learn to pivot on your toes in many sports that require agility and speed of side to side movement. Its hard to break away from those lessons and memory. Just my thoughts on this.

 

[bbails]

i played college tennis

and there was a lot of emphasis on being on your toes. Having your weight forward gives you a lot more pace. So, getting on my heel is going to be tough. I'll work on it AFTER my next serious round.

 

[BrotherDave]

Bump

I'm going to try and do this. Years of basketball have made pivoting on the ball of my foot second nature so this is going to be like pulling teeth. :| I'm going to go really slow, using a standstill, and just try and Beato the disc out there for awhile. Here are my question(s) for Sidewinder22 (and others) so I don't completely jack Mike C.'s form thread:

Is there a particular throw/line I should start with that would help facilitate? Like hyzer, flat, or anhyzer? Hyzers I'd like to work on anyway but I dunno.

For some reason, would putters, mids, or drivers give me better feedback or does it matter? TIA

 

[sidewinder22]

This vid really helps, try the one-leg and feet together drills from a standstill and work to a wider stance. Throw with some hyzer to flat something slow and neutral so you don't have to worry so much about nose angle. Notice how he brings the heel up in the backswing and then firmly plants the heel just like Dion shows in his distance vid.

 

[BrotherDave]

Will do.

During the throw you should land on the ball and maintaining weight on the inside part of the foot/leg, then roll to the heel as your center of balance moves forward toward the outside part of your plant foot and then it pivots.

Okay, this really helps. Now that I know this I might have a shot at getting this transition down.

 

[ajkuck]

How To Switch From A Toe To Heel Pivot

I recently took some video of my shot. Can I get some advice on how to switch from a toe pivot to a heel pivot. Should I practice by standing still first? My follow through in this video is a little different than normal since I was trying to avoid stepping in the mud, but any advice would be awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91ueFST75gs&feature=youtu.be