Elephant Walk Drill

[RoDeO]

Originally Posted by SaROCaM

Are you saying a continuous relatively straight line from reachback to release?

Again, focus on the concepts. No one throws with exactly the motions in the various drills. They are meant to help feel various parts of the throw that one might be having trouble feeling.

For example, elephant walk drill to get down the timing of swinging once you are on the leg you are swinging into.

Pendulum for various things; when you get it right (especially along with the concept behind the elephant drill) it will actually decrease rounding by keeping the front shoulder from collapsing. It also helps to get more of the free flowing swinging feel rather than the mechanical robotic throw that can come from trying to "glue together" various parts of the throw. Gets you swinging rather than dragging.

Once you figure out how the pendulum fits in, when you watch all those pros throwing again you will see it.

This thread has a lot that should help: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forum...d.php?t=134415

Straight relatively speaking. The elephant drill teaches an arc motion from high, around and down through the arc and into release. The elephant drill would be fine if you weren't trying to add the arm arc motion in. That will teach bad muscle memory.

[sidewinder22]

Originally Posted by RoDeO

Straight relatively speaking. The elephant drill teaches an arc motion from high, around and down through the arc and into release. The elephant drill would be fine if you weren't trying to add the arm arc motion in. That will teach bad muscle memory.

Not sure what you are trying to say. The body doesn't work efficiently on flat or straight swing paths.

[RoDeO]

Originally Posted by sidewinder22

Not sure what you are trying to say. The body doesn't work efficiently on flat or straight swing paths.

I'm trying to say that from the side, on some of these elephant drills that arm swings around like the hand of a clock and then into release. Paige Pierce is a great example of a straight flight path as viewed from the side.
https://youtu.be/ZOofFbzTgjo

[sidewinder22]

Originally Posted by RoDeO

I'm trying to say that from the side, on some of these elephant drills that arm swings around like the hand of a clock and then into release. Paige Pierce is a great example of a straight flight path as viewed from the side.
https://youtu.be/ZOofFbzTgjo

[RoDeO]

Paige Pierce. I need say nothing further.

[sidewinder22]

Originally Posted by RoDeO

Paige Pierce. I need say nothing further.

Glad you agree.

[sidewinder22]

Originally Posted by RoDeO

Time has proven the power and distance in a disc throw comes from uncoiling the body and reaching relatively straight back and then bringing that disc on a relatively straight line into its release. That's what I mean by that power flight path.
This is wide, narrow, wide. Also wide rail. My throw is similar in starting out wide then bringing it in close. This helps me feel the weight of the disc as it pendulum from wide into narrow.
https://youtu.be/2NNjW2dHoj8

That motion you are speaking of promotes rounding because you are telling your arm to start accelerating from the reach back, in that same circular arc instead of from the power pocket and straight forward. 98 percent of pros don't throw like that.

This is a true power flight path.

[SaROCaM]

Originally Posted by RoDeO

Straight relatively speaking. The elephant drill teaches an arc motion from high, around and down through the arc and into release. The elephant drill would be fine if you weren't trying to add the arm arc motion in. That will teach bad muscle memory.

Focusing on the wrong thing. The elephant drill teaches delaying the swing until the thrower is on the swing leg. You can replace the arm swing you see in the drill with whatever swing you want if that allows you to understand the drill better. The arm swing shown in the drill keeps it simple and natural. No pulling, jerking, dragging; just a smooth, natural, simple swing that uses natural forces.

Originally Posted by RoDeO

I'm trying to say that from the side, on some of these elephant drills that arm swings around like the hand of a clock and then into release. Paige Pierce is a great example of a straight flight path as viewed from the side.
https://youtu.be/ZOofFbzTgjo

Same as above, and like I said earlier, focus on the point of the drill. Also, PP isn't swinging straight or flat from reachback to release. In the video you linked, watch her throwing shoulder and upper arm from the forward pump to reachback through the swing. Pendulum action. The lower arm brings the disc in, then out, but it is attached at the elbow to the pendulum of the shoulder and upper arm. Also, if you take a straight object like a ruler and hold it up to the screen you will see that the disc moves like on a wave (there have already been diagrams showing the wave motion from the side.)

To illustrate further, it is the same thing with the windmill drill. No one is saying to start with the disc above your head for your regular throw. The purpose is for feeling the down shift, working on timing and position, feeling how natural forces like gravity can be harnessed for easy power instead of trying too hard to generate momentum or strongarming. Focus on the concept the drill is training; don't focus on the windmill action. That's focusing on the wrong thing.

Originally Posted by RoDeO

Paige Pierce. I need say nothing further.

True, you don't need to do anything, but if you want to understand better, you need to do some more homework. Since you point out PP, there's video where she demonstrates a footwork drill; if you were there, would you tell her that's not how she throws, or would you try and figure out why she is demonstrating that drill?

[RoDeO]

Originally Posted by SaROCaM

Focusing on the wrong thing. The elephant drill teaches delaying the swing until the thrower is on the swing leg. You can replace the arm swing you see in the drill with whatever swing you want if that allows you to understand the drill better. The arm swing shown in the drill keeps it simple and natural. No pulling, jerking, dragging; just a smooth, natural, simple swing that uses natural forces.



Same as above, and like I said earlier, focus on the point of the drill. Also, PP isn't swinging straight or flat from reachback to release. In the video you linked, watch her throwing shoulder and upper arm from the forward pump to reachback through the swing. Pendulum action. The lower arm brings the disc in, then out, but it is attached at the elbow to the pendulum of the shoulder and upper arm. Also, if you take a straight object like a ruler and hold it up to the screen you will see that the disc moves like on a wave (there have already been diagrams showing the wave motion from the side.)

To illustrate further, it is the same thing with the windmill drill. No one is saying to start with the disc above your head for your regular throw. The purpose is for feeling the down shift, working on timing and position, feeling how natural forces like gravity can be harnessed for easy power instead of trying too hard to generate momentum or strongarming. Focus on the concept the drill is training; don't focus on the windmill action. That's focusing on the wrong thing.



True, you don't need to do anything, but if you want to understand better, you need to do some more homework. Since you point out PP, there's video where she demonstrates a footwork drill; if you were there, would you tell her that's not how she throws, or would you try and figure out why she is demonstrating that drill?

I've seen guys doing this elephant drill and they start with the disc really high then swing it way down in an arc and then into release. That's bad muscle memory training. Always practice your motions and drills in the same manner you correctly throw with.

[SaROCaM]

Originally Posted by RoDeO

Always practice your motions and drills in the same manner you correctly throw with.

Tell that to PP when doing her footwork drill.

Tell that to champion Olympic weightlifters who do drills and motions other than the snatch and C&J.

Tell that to professional MLB pitching trainers who use weighted ball training.

Tell that to athletes and coaches using overspeed training.

Guess you have all the answers while all these professionals are doing it wrong.