Aiming at that tree/gap

[timothy42b]

I think I hit trees and gaps about equally.

I thought this was interesting, maybe it has some application?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

 

[BillFleming]

Having played ball golf....here's my issues with the comparison. (disclaimer: I haven't watched the video)

In ball golf, the ball is intended/designed to go straight. You add hook/draw or slice/fade by aligning the club differently.
In disc golf, the discs are intended/designed to curve (based on stability)

In ball golf, you are standing still, your head remains on the line, and you can see the direction the ball will go.
In disc golf, you are moving, your head turns away from the target, and you can't see the direction the disc will go.

When I played ball golf, I had very little trouble hitting my line.
In disc golf, I have lots of trouble hitting my line.

So, I don't see ball golf alignment suggestions working for disc golf. But, what doesn't work for me, might work for someone else.

 

[gwsmallwood]

What's helped me the most is to stop paying attention to the gaps. I started focusing on the point 50 - 100 feet past the gap that I want the disc to travel to/through.

 

[Sheep]

Having played ball golf....here's my issues with the comparison. (disclaimer: I haven't watched the video)

In ball golf, the ball is intended/designed to go straight. You add hook/draw or slice/fade by aligning the club differently.
In disc golf, the discs are intended/designed to curve (based on stability)

In ball golf, you are standing still, your head remains on the line, and you can see the direction the ball will go.
In disc golf, you are moving, your head turns away from the target, and you can't see the direction the disc will go.

When I played ball golf, I had very little trouble hitting my line.
In disc golf, I have lots of trouble hitting my line.

So, I don't see ball golf alignment suggestions working for disc golf. But, what doesn't work for me, might work for someone else.

There is one major que in ball golf to disc golf when it comes to aiming.

Posture.

and yes.
Curse the lines on disc golf vs ball golf. hahaha.

But, lets back away for a moment.

In disc golf, if you really really really want to hit lines, you should be doing a standstill throw. You'll gain the most accuracy and stability.
What does that mean?
It means that just like ball golf, our feet are one of the main things that help us "aim" that is assuming our swing is clean. Because you can snap hook or slice hard based on dropping the shoulder or rounding in ball golf. Which you can also do in disc golf. These particular things do correlate, just... not quite in the same ways one would think. Crap. off topic. I digress.

In ball golf we align our swing plane and club face to our feet to aim the ball down the fairway.

In disc golf our feet position based on our swing when we throw the disc determines our aim as well. People are not really willing to put much stock in it for some reason when we talk about hitting lines and just good overall swing mechanics.

If your swing is consistent and your footwork consistent, your feet determine where the disc goes 100%

Same for putting. Though, putting in ball golf and putting in disc golf do not correlate whatsoever. But proper putting form, you should be aiming with your feet. not your arm. I digress again.


But the major correlation, as I have not watched the video, but played ball golf for over 20 years. Footwork aims the ball or disc assuming the swing is good.

 

[Steve West]

A big part of hitting a line is making sure your pivot foot actually hits the lie. How can you aim AT something if you don't know where you're aiming FROM?

Standstill helps, but what helps more is the belief that you should be hitting the lie, and NOT telling yourself that in a wide-open fairway it doesn't matter.

 

[jeffmonty]

If there's just one main tree down the fairway I need to worry about, my strategy is to aim right at it. I'm not really good enough to hit what I'm aiming at so this, along with the disc doing it's thing, works pretty well, most of the time.

 

[Innova63]

I was the "wise guy" that would say "nice shot " after someone in the group would say...

"D@mn it"

" I actually hit what I was aiming for"

 

[biscoe]

Aiming for a tree is like training a dog to do a trick and then kicking it when it does the trick.

 

[Steve West]

There is empirical support for the idea of aiming for that tree. On page 4 here you can see that the densest grouping of throws is about 2 degrees right or left of center, with way fewer than expected throws hitting dead center.

 

[biscoe]

There is empirical support for the idea of aiming for that tree. On page 4 here you can see that the densest grouping of throws is about 2 degrees right or left of center, with way fewer than expected throws hitting dead center.

On any given shot perhaps, not if you are attempting to build a functional mental game. Don't kick the pup for doing what it is told.

 

[Sheep]

A big part of hitting a line is making sure your pivot foot actually hits the lie. How can you aim AT something if you don't know where you're aiming FROM?

Standstill helps, but what helps more is the belief that you should be hitting the lie, and NOT telling yourself that in a wide-open fairway it doesn't matter.

This is my argument about "foot faults" and the whole idea that "oh it doesn't matter"

It DOES matter.
Part of the throw is hitting your lie. To act like it doesn't give you an advantage is hilarious.

I think we are going offtopic on this one though. hahaha

 

[BillFleming]

If there's just one main tree down the fairway I need to worry about, my strategy is to aim right at it. I'm not really good enough to hit what I'm aiming at so this, along with the disc doing it's thing, works pretty well, most of the time.

I have tree issues....along with any object issues. I will see a tree or object that is on my intended line....I KNOW I can't throw that far, I KNOW it! But I will yank my throw offline because.....well, maybe my mind doesn't want to take a chance that the universe will line up just right and I will hit the tree or object.

 

[Steve West]

On any given shot perhaps, not if you are attempting to build a functional mental game. Don't kick the pup for doing what it is told.

I agree, don't intentionally throw at trees. You'll learn to hit them.

I'm just musing on how the idea got started in the first place. Look at any shooting target, and you see the densest cluster of hits around the center. Not so with with disc golf. We have a donut hole.

Perhaps players noticed how the curve at the end of the flight of the disc makes it less likely to hit dead center than just off center - and that lead to the strategy. (As well as all the complaining about how the chains didn't catch the disc even though the pole is solid.)

 

[ballgolfconvert]

I agree, don't intentionally throw at trees. You'll learn to hit them.

I'm just musing on how the idea got started in the first place. Look at any shooting target, and you see the densest cluster of hits around the center. Not so with with disc golf. We have a donut hole.

Perhaps players noticed how the curve at the end of the flight of the disc makes it less likely to hit dead center than just off center - and that lead to the strategy. (As well as all the complaining about how the chains didn't catch the disc even though the pole is solid.)

The center of a gap is usually not the best place to throw the disc. I usually aim at trees factoring in the anticipated turn or fade of the disc. So if I am throwing an anny i tend to pass nearer to left side and conversely near the right side if throwing hyzer.

 

[jeffmonty]

I agree, don't intentionally throw at trees. You'll learn to hit them.

I'm just musing on how the idea got started in the first place. Look at any shooting target, and you see the densest cluster of hits around the center. Not so with with disc golf. We have a donut hole.

Perhaps players noticed how the curve at the end of the flight of the disc makes it less likely to hit dead center than just off center - and that lead to the strategy. (As well as all the complaining about how the chains didn't catch the disc even though the pole is solid.)

This. My comment above was mostly tongue-in-cheek, but I do have an aiming point down the fairway, and often times it's a tree. I typically aim for that and depending on disc stability and my somewhat lacking skill level, I somehow manage to miss that tree maybe 85/90% of the time. I don't recommend this as a 'strategy' for everyone though, lol.

 

[medicinalfunk]

the key to hitting any gap is simple: if you can imagine yourself driving a truck down the fairway, you can drive a disc down it. and look beyond the initial 100-200 feet, not straight at whatever is in your way immediately.

 

[Steve West]

I have tree issues....along with any object issues. I will see a tree or object that is on my intended line....I KNOW I can't throw that far, I KNOW it! But I will yank my throw offline because.....well, maybe my mind doesn't want to take a chance that the universe will line up just right and I will hit the tree or object.

It is very likely that every course you will ever play was designed by someone who throws at least twice as far as you. Those designers want the first 250 feet of every hole to be absolutely clear of obstacles because it would hurt their game so much if they hit one.

If you hit something it will happen way out at the end of (for you) a very good throw. That won't hurt your game much.

So go for it with absolute confidence that your throw will fall short.

(At least this is how I think when I play.)

 

[BillFleming]

It is very likely that every course you will ever play was designed by someone who throws at least twice as far as you. Those designers want the first 250 feet of every hole to be absolutely clear of obstacles because it would hurt their game so much if they hit one.

If you hit something it will happen way out at the end of (for you) a very good throw. That won't hurt your game much.

So go for it with absolute confidence that your throw will fall short.

(At least this is how I think when I play.)

I try that....I really do. Like I said, I KNOW I can't hit the object....but I will still yank it offline to avoid what I'm using as an aiming point. I've gone to a field, used a rangefinder and measured the distance from a tree, made sure it was well out of my range, and yet I will still yank the shot offline with the first throw. Only when I've definitely proved I can't hit the tree will I throw on a line at it....but playing a round, I don't have the option to throw a 'test' throw. I just need to 'get out of my head' and have confidence I won't hit the object I'm using as an aiming point.

 

[Steve West]

I try that....I really do. Like I said, I KNOW I can't hit the object....but I will still yank it offline to avoid what I'm using as an aiming point. I've gone to a field, used a rangefinder and measured the distance from a tree, made sure it was well out of my range, and yet I will still yank the shot offline with the first throw. Only when I've definitely proved I can't hit the tree will I throw on a line at it....but playing a round, I don't have the option to throw a 'test' throw. I just need to 'get out of my head' and have confidence I won't hit the object I'm using as an aiming point.

Or, change your goals. I'd rather throw far than score well. So, if I hit that tree I'm happy that I've exceeded my expectations.




At least, I would be, in theory.

 

[Dcinmd]

I have tree issues....along with any object issues. I will see a tree or object that is on my intended line....I KNOW I can't throw that far, I KNOW it! But I will yank my throw offline because.....well, maybe my mind doesn't want to take a chance that the universe will line up just right and I will hit the tree or object.

If and when I hit a tree in the middle of the fairway, I always tell myself that I will continue to throw down the middle of the fairway regardless.