Been playing a year now . . .

[fasteddy8170]

. . . and here is where my form is. Looking for feedback.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Pmy1GgVIik&list=UULSEFnwQMCc6ZgyanQG_aMQ&index=1&feature=plcp

My distance and accuracy has increased quite a bit in the last two months. But, after watching this video, I think it's because of the towel and hammer drills I've been doing and not because my form is picture perfect. To me, I look very "tight" throwing. I've never been flexible ever and I'm 41 so that's not going to change. And I've lifted weights the last 15 years so I can understand why, for example, my arm doesn't flail around like so many other throwers' do. In addition, it seems like the timing is off between my upper and lower body. But, I'm getting my drives in neutral conditions out to about 370 feet but normal is about 340 which I'm not gonna complain about. Most of the time they are line drives about 10 feet off ground but when I do max out I can get some of the discs to do some nice S-curves.

Also, I've managed to really limit the wormburners and skyshots. They rarely happen anymore. These days my main miss is to the right off the tee. Rarely do I ever grip lock anymore. The discs thrown in the video are: Champ Leopard and Monarch, Star TL-Beast-Valkyrie-Roadrunner-----all bought very used but I like them. For rounds, max dist. off tee upwind: Star TL or TBird, downwind: Star Beast. 275-325feet upwind: Champ Leopard, downwind: DX Leopard. All other shots KC Pro Roc. Once again, looking for some pointers. Thanks.

 

[UnitedPuppySlayer]

From what I could see, it looks like you're pulling through really low, like down almost to your belt line. Try bringing it up to about nipple high and see if that helps at all.

 

[dheathx]

From what I could see, it looks like you're pulling through really low, like down almost to your belt line. Try bringing it up to about nipple high and see if that helps at all.

This. By pulling more level and across your nipples, you should see more elbow chop too which will help with accuracy and distance. One other thing I noticed was it looked like you started your pull quite fast instead of accelerating later for more energy being transferred to the disc. This might not be happening, but again its hard to really visualize due to the low height you are pulling across your body.

 

[sidewinder22]

Looks better, but still a lot of the same issues. This is difficult to explain because there's a lot of action going on with some incorrect timings and positioning and planes. I'd highly recommend watching the snap 2009 vids again and read the thread and secret technique thread, also working the hit backwards.

Footwork...slow down, focus on being smooth, light, and then fast the last step and lead with the hips. You want to be slow in, fast out with everything. You plant too open, so hips are open way early and can't drive the power side, and also looks like you lock the front knee(beware). Keep some bend in the knee while planting the foot closer to 90 degree from the target and roll from the toes to the heel and brace on the front side. When the heel lands is when your arm should begin to move forward from kinetic motion, but don't actively pull until the disc comes into the chest.

Working from a standstill or one step should help rhythm and sequencing the throw. You're trying to force your weight back and then forward...want to keep your weight centered/balanced, the weight shift will happen. Also trying to be too rotational with the shoulders...on reachback you get spanky with the off arm which is interesting, but it's not helping cause you are crashing your throwing arm into the chest and it pulls around instead of through. Your "reachback" is too far and too stretched vs the hips and pull line. Your shoulders are fairly turned in the right position, but the hips/body need to be turned more backwards. Think of reachback as a back swing like ball golf. Turning the hips back which turns the shoulders/arm together, so the arm doesn't really move, but the whole body moves into the back swing and the disc should be in a straight line to the target line and pulled through straight down that line without the body getting in the way. That should help you maintain width between the upper arm and your chest throughout the throw. You can also try throwing your off elbow back and up high which should help you hinge or relax the throwing shoulder, and dropping the shoulder on the backswing to create a better hyzer swing plane while lowering the reachback to pull a straight line with an upward trajectory finishing high.

This should help with your posture and alignment and leading with the hips:

 

[drickanderson]

I'm getting my drives in neutral conditions out to about 370 feet but normal is about 340 which I'm not gonna complain about.

I'll agree with all of the previous with one exception. If that distance is accurate, then you must be getting a pretty decent hit. If you were to bring the disc up to chest level on the pull, and get the full leverage out of your arm, you should see an incredible increase in distance.

I'm guessing you're pulling so low to adjust for wrist angle. When you start to pull through higher, you're going to have to take extra care to make sure you're keeping your wrist down, or the OAT is going to be hard to manage. It'll feel weird at first, but keep working with it.

 

[Dookville]

I was a low puller too, and still am by others standards I guess. I have made changes to my pull, trying to get it up in a higher slot. In the begging it jacked my game all up, I lost nose angle control right away. I also lost my feel right at the hit, I just couldn't get any snap. In trying to control angle and regain timing, I got jerky and really unsmooth. It was very frustrating. I had to go back to my lower pull and start over, slowly, very slowly.

Go slow with the changes you make, and understand how one area of change effects another.

 

[dodgeball]

Looks better, but still a lot of the same issues. This is difficult to explain because there's a lot of action going on with some incorrect timings and positioning and planes. I'd highly recommend watching the snap 2009 vids again and read the thread and secret technique thread, also working the hit backwards.

Footwork...slow down, focus on being smooth, light, and then fast the last step and lead with the hips. You want to be slow in, fast out with everything. You plant too open, so hips are open way early and can't drive the power side, and also looks like you lock the front knee(beware). Keep some bend in the knee while planting the foot closer to 90 degree from the target and roll from the toes to the heel and brace on the front side. When the heel lands is when your arm should begin to move forward from kinetic motion, but don't actively pull until the disc comes into the chest.

Working from a standstill or one step should help rhythm and sequencing the throw. You're trying to force your weight back and then forward...want to keep your weight centered/balanced, the weight shift will happen. Also trying to be too rotational with the shoulders...on reachback you get spanky with the off arm which is interesting, but it's not helping cause you are crashing your throwing arm into the chest and it pulls around instead of through. Your "reachback" is too far and too stretched vs the hips and pull line. Your shoulders are fairly turned in the right position, but the hips/body need to be turned more backwards. Think of reachback as a back swing like ball golf. Turning the hips back which turns the shoulders/arm together, so the arm doesn't really move, but the whole body moves into the back swing and the disc should be in a straight line to the target line and pulled through straight down that line without the body getting in the way. That should help you maintain width between the upper arm and your chest throughout the throw. You can also try throwing your off elbow back and up high which should help you hinge or relax the throwing shoulder, and dropping the shoulder on the backswing to create a better hyzer swing plane while lowering the reachback to pull a straight line with an upward trajectory finishing high.

The highlighted part is exactly what I was doing too. Played around with planting more in a closed position and sure enough, it does encourage a better drive with the legs/core. It seems I've read before where u or another wrote about planting slightly to the left of your target line for a RHBH throw. Would that fall into this same category of driving from more of a 'closed' position?

 

[sidewinder22]

The highlighted part is exactly what I was doing too. Played around with planting more in a closed position and sure enough, it does encourage a better drive with the legs/core. It seems I've read before where u or another wrote about planting slightly to the left of your target line for a RHBH throw. Would that fall into this same category of driving from more of a 'closed' position?

Yep, more closed and compact stance generates more power through the core. The vid below is good info for engaging the core. Pay attention to the end where his rear leg comes up behind the front leg. When watching the top throwers in the followthrough with slow motion its really neat to watch the whole body uncoil from that position. All the top throwers one way or another finish with their knees crossed up. Robbie Bratten and Marc Jarvis look more like a slithering snake than a human. Ken Jarvis and Marcus Kallstrom finish with the rear leg still behind the front. Steve Brinster keeps his rear foot down through impact but you can see how crossed his legs are with a closed stance.