Analyze my throw in slow-mo

[Poster Nutbag]

Hey DG community,

This is my first post of the forums but I have been playing for over a year. I developed bad tennis elbow in the right elbow early on. I started playing left-handed about 5 months ago and I am now feeling pain in this elbow. Doctor suggests I am too aggressive with my activities and I just need to rest and not play as much.

https://youtu.be/Gs1mwhADfiU

Would you take a look at this video I made of myself throw right and left handed (back hand). I don't see anything in my technique that would cause such pain except possibly I am reaching back and wrapping around my body instead of reaching back and following throw on a straight line. On my follow thru, I have to pull the disc around my body because the reach back wasn't straight.

Any thoughts?

 

[Lumberjack504]

I'm sure SW will come in and give you the full scoop but the main glaring things I notice from both LH and RH are the same:

- turning/reaching back way too early. Backswing should begin as you stride into your plant (equal and opposite)

- you're running backwards instead of striding laterally towards the target line

- your strides are massive. Keeping it more compact will probably help greatly with balance.

-big time rounding/curling in the backswing. Keep that arm straight and out from the body, try to maintain 90° or more from your shoulder to upper arm.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pedals]

This turned out to be pretty long but it might help you. I'm new to disc golf but have dealt with tennis elbow from rock climbing where tendon injuries are very common. I'm definitely not experienced enough to comment on your technique but you simply might not be giving your tendons enough time to strengthen for the explosive motion it takes to throw a disc far.

Muscles build extremely fast since they have a lot of blood flow through them. The blood brings nutrients that heal the damaged tissue and when the muscle fibers heal you end up with stronger muscles. Tendons on the other hand do not get much blood flow to help them heal and strengthen. So you can end up having the muscle strength to crush drives but the rest of your body hasn't caught up to handle those high loads. Especially if you've never done other sports that involve throwing things really hard. I would say this is most likely causing your tennis elbow but it may be a combination of the two.

In either case you should listen to the doctor and take things easier. Tendon injuries take a very long time to heal (back to the blood flow thing) so its not something to just keep playing through. I wouldn't stop playing, the activity helps keep your tendons conditioned and blood moving. Just don't be so explosive and back your throws down to what you feel would be 60 or 70%. Great opportunity to work on a smoother technique which will easily net you more distance once you get back to full health!

Some side notes. Make sure you have a good amount of vitamin C in your diet. Try to get it from actual food since supplements tend to just flush through our system without being absorbed. Its a key vitamin your body uses to create collagen which is what builds and repairs your tendons along with there connective tissue. Protein is also what helps built tendon strength but most people don't really need to eat more protein unless you're body building 6 days a week. Also try not to fully lock out your elbow (ever) with force behind it. Its terrible for the joint and the tendons, just a slight bend from fully locked is perfect.

 

[sidewinder22]

Elbow pain could be from your grip being too tight. You should be gripping the disc firm, but relaxed until you start to accelerate the disc and then match increasing grip strength with acceleration.

Also could be related to poor posture and balance causing wonky weightshift and deceleration. And/or a narrow upper arm angle - hugging yourself, not allowing your elbow enough room or space to swing through more freely without hyper-extension.

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119328