I am naturally lefthanded, but started playing as a righty because it felt more natural from baseball to backhand that way. My attempts to learn a righty forehand with my non natural arm has been a miserable failure. But, Attempting lefty backhand has paid off greatly, I use it on a few holes at my local course, usuallu getting birdie looks on shorter doglegs. The more I practice, the better I get at it, its crazy how quickly it can be learned. I am just glad i didnt do it due to injury, but its nice to know how fun it can be in case anything happens. Putting is an adventure, lol
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Broken elbow going lefty adventures
- Thread starter Noahlearner
- Start date
Noahlearner
Par Member
I have played a couple rounds with mixed results. I'm still throwing from a standstill. I am throwing the latitude 64 Core the best. It makes me feel like I'm going to leave everything but core and putter at home. It is a stable midrange and comes out of my hand the best.
I was grip locking a lot today. It drove me nuts. I was trying too hard and rushing throw.
I was grip locking a lot today. It drove me nuts. I was trying too hard and rushing throw.
Noahlearner
Par Member
I feel like I understand proper technique pretty well, but am not seeing distance gains with my left hand. I am wondering if it is due to the real difference in musculature on the left side of body- and I'm talking about all muscle groups involved--back, shoulders, arms, grip. With my right hand, I was at point where I had to focus on throwing soft rather than hard. When I focused on smooth with right, I was hitting 400 with regularity, but 200 feet with my left. I suppose a video would be helpful...... Thoughts? I suppose a standstill is robbing me of distance too, but I need to get the muscle memory down for weight transfer and pull through with late acceleration.
I will definitely only go to course next time with a core so I can focus on good /smooth / slow technique. Long term best solution probably.
I am open to all thoughts and to anything that worked for you.
I will definitely only go to course next time with a core so I can focus on good /smooth / slow technique. Long term best solution probably.
I am open to all thoughts and to anything that worked for you.
razorsmith.com
Par Member
hey Noah, how is the learning going? i threw Mon and Tues and had decent rounds. my lefty control is getting much better. throwing closer and more consistent to the lines i am aiming for. my one benefit is that i can still putt righty. i took anything faster than a teebird back out of the bag. (i was throwing a tresspass, escape, and renegade) so now main drivers are stalker, leopard, teebird. distance is gaining and control getting better like i mentioned, but here are my issues. working on them. planning on a tourney in Jan and would like to be able to throw either handed. there are some good lefty holes.
1. throwing in the dirt vs. air bombs. about every 1/4 drives i either put into the dirt in 50 feet, or i throw it 50 foot in the air and it just flies out. this is not a purposeful hyzer shot, just a bad throw.
2. throwing upshots with mids and putters with accurate distance and flight. i have a tendency to throw much shorter than needed on a hyzer line putting me to the right, or i throw flat and way to long.
3. throwing nose up on drives. i notice that when i rush to much and don't pay attention to my grip i throw nose up and lose distance.
1. throwing in the dirt vs. air bombs. about every 1/4 drives i either put into the dirt in 50 feet, or i throw it 50 foot in the air and it just flies out. this is not a purposeful hyzer shot, just a bad throw.
2. throwing upshots with mids and putters with accurate distance and flight. i have a tendency to throw much shorter than needed on a hyzer line putting me to the right, or i throw flat and way to long.
3. throwing nose up on drives. i notice that when i rush to much and don't pay attention to my grip i throw nose up and lose distance.
Noahlearner
Par Member
Hey Darren,
Thanks for the kick in the butt! I am still at it. I have been putting 20 - 40 minutes a day and have watched my comfort zone stretch out to 18 feet. I am putting more hyzerish with my left hand than my right. feeling far less like an adventure. I feel good till my body thinks it is far to the basket and then my technique falls apart as I wildly sling disc at basket. baby steps right?
I was getting frustrated at my technique with 7 and 9 speed discs, so I have been going to course with two putters, and three midranges. I threw an opto and medium blend pure and an opto core, champion panther, and a glow roc3. I am grip locking the panther consistently. I find myself telling myself to slooooow down and throw soft. Panther flies best when I throw soft. I found my putters flew great today. By great I mean 180 - 195 feet. I have to like straight with a hyzer finish though. The other discs were going a little farther, but by only another 15 feet. I am working on consistent and smooth though. Once I feel that is good, I will add a leopard or river to the mix.
Still throwing from a standstill.
Today was first session where I could begin to feel the hit with my left hand and that was really cool. I felt it for 5 - 10 throws. The hardest thing for me has been working live without a net; or to put it another way, not having 10,000 throws worth of muscle memory has been a handicap.
Other thing that was a focus of today's session was keeping follow through on plane. When I was able to do this, I had some really nice approach shots. When I didn't, I was turning shots over.
Your challenges feel very familiar to me. Other than my panther, I feel like my core was driving pretty smooth.
My upshots are coming out pretty well considering the challenge of learning to range the pin efficiently.
Nose up....I try to get over(my upper body and head) the disc slightly as I'm throwing on a slight hyzer line and to keep shoulders square with front shoulder aiming at intended line of flight until disc comes through chest. I feel like this helps me keep on line and not have my back inadvertantly arch and throw a turnover off to left. Try it and let me know if it helps.
-N
Thanks for the kick in the butt! I am still at it. I have been putting 20 - 40 minutes a day and have watched my comfort zone stretch out to 18 feet. I am putting more hyzerish with my left hand than my right. feeling far less like an adventure. I feel good till my body thinks it is far to the basket and then my technique falls apart as I wildly sling disc at basket. baby steps right?
I was getting frustrated at my technique with 7 and 9 speed discs, so I have been going to course with two putters, and three midranges. I threw an opto and medium blend pure and an opto core, champion panther, and a glow roc3. I am grip locking the panther consistently. I find myself telling myself to slooooow down and throw soft. Panther flies best when I throw soft. I found my putters flew great today. By great I mean 180 - 195 feet. I have to like straight with a hyzer finish though. The other discs were going a little farther, but by only another 15 feet. I am working on consistent and smooth though. Once I feel that is good, I will add a leopard or river to the mix.
Still throwing from a standstill.
Today was first session where I could begin to feel the hit with my left hand and that was really cool. I felt it for 5 - 10 throws. The hardest thing for me has been working live without a net; or to put it another way, not having 10,000 throws worth of muscle memory has been a handicap.
Other thing that was a focus of today's session was keeping follow through on plane. When I was able to do this, I had some really nice approach shots. When I didn't, I was turning shots over.
Your challenges feel very familiar to me. Other than my panther, I feel like my core was driving pretty smooth.
My upshots are coming out pretty well considering the challenge of learning to range the pin efficiently.
Nose up....I try to get over(my upper body and head) the disc slightly as I'm throwing on a slight hyzer line and to keep shoulders square with front shoulder aiming at intended line of flight until disc comes through chest. I feel like this helps me keep on line and not have my back inadvertantly arch and throw a turnover off to left. Try it and let me know if it helps.
-N
discflinger
Double Eagle Member
I broke my right arm earlier this summer and was forced to do the same. The nice thing about it is that we know what we 'should' be doing with the off arm and have not developed those bad habits we learned from just chuckin' as hard as we could. Muscle memory, muscle memory, muscle memory... It was frustrating, but I found my close putting to be even better with my left. Not as cognitive; just point and shoot. Easy(forehand was fhucking laughable, though). The discs you described are almost exactly what I threw. Dx Leopard I was getting out around 300'. Keep it up, rest and repair and get back to that righty when it's handy.:thmbup:
Noahlearner
Par Member
Discflinger, Thanks for positivity! Dan, you will find that your lefty backhand will be a much easier thing to learn. Fo Sho!
Noahlearner
Par Member
Hey all,
Today was a great day in the journey. I was able to get in 300 putts (200 in morning and 100 tonight). At one point I got in 10 out of 11 at 20-22 feet. I was so stoked. It felt like getting in 10 out of 11 from the edge of the circle with my right hand. Putting is beginning to feel more natural. I am working on getting a pop on the disc too. Happens inconsistently with left hand.
I cheated today and took a driver with me to course. I ripped a 260-280 foot throw with my havoc from a standstill. I was incredibly stoked. It was my first measurable jump in distance. Core flew nicely as did my putter today. I am feeling better and am settling into a consistent reachback and pull through. That is comforting.
Just thought like sharing news of a good day.
Today was a great day in the journey. I was able to get in 300 putts (200 in morning and 100 tonight). At one point I got in 10 out of 11 at 20-22 feet. I was so stoked. It felt like getting in 10 out of 11 from the edge of the circle with my right hand. Putting is beginning to feel more natural. I am working on getting a pop on the disc too. Happens inconsistently with left hand.
I cheated today and took a driver with me to course. I ripped a 260-280 foot throw with my havoc from a standstill. I was incredibly stoked. It was my first measurable jump in distance. Core flew nicely as did my putter today. I am feeling better and am settling into a consistent reachback and pull through. That is comforting.
Just thought like sharing news of a good day.
Noahlearner
Par Member
Excuse the rambling, but here is my 5 week in update.
Despite feeling a bit sore, I decided to play through it. I am sore now, but more of a dull ache than a strain or pull. Today's round felt the best of any of left handed rounds. My best round with right hand is +3 or a 71. In singles match on Wednesday I shot a 99. That was hard to take. I shot a 90 today, and I felt like real progress was taking place. My short approach game with left hand felt pretty good. Reasonably accurate. I enjoyed throwing the truth, and lucid suspect. I hope they feel this good when I get my right hand back. My lucid escape also felt good. My drive on 11, a left handed hyzer shot that dog-legs about 75° to the right, came out of my hand with a lot of snap and felt like it would make it around corner. Of course it just barely ticked the tree in the center of the fairway flying into the fringe on the right.
One of biggest things I was happy about was playing inside myself. For the most part. I made sure to drive all holes from a standstill. I had one hole where I zig zagged up fairway, not really making progress and racking up strokes in the process.
Putting was pretty good. I made all putts inside 20 feet. I feel like the pure in test material, can't be a winter putter. It hit and rolled about 18 feet away from basket, 3 times. I will take out something much softer in future.
I worked on my form what felt like successfully today. The last two rounds were very tiring (physically) because I would reach back too far, and as I set plant foot, would reach back even farther before pulling with effort from beginning. In abstract I knew it was wrong and my body was telling it was wrong, but I couldn't start pull softly enough.
Today was another story thankfully. I didn't reach too far back. I also thought about having disc out from body( ie not straight back, but a bit out) at end of backswing, and then pulling disc through my torso as close as I could. Results were good. I also tried to keep pull line high across my chest, felt comfy and I was getting a nice straight flight. I was really pleased.
At some point I will learn a bit of lefty forehand, not yet, but soon.
I threw a bunch of anhyzer shots with left. Some came out nice, some turned into annoying cut rollers at end. Seems like disc only needs to be up just 2-4 degrees from flat, and I was a bit higher than that. Getting closer with this shot.
I need to do field work. Period.
Driving is still around 200 -240. It is feeling better though.
Feeling like it has been a good month of learning. I definitely feel like disc is coming out of hand better.
Overall, I'm proud of myself for not quitting, and look forward to starting to see distance gains over the next 2 months.
Despite feeling a bit sore, I decided to play through it. I am sore now, but more of a dull ache than a strain or pull. Today's round felt the best of any of left handed rounds. My best round with right hand is +3 or a 71. In singles match on Wednesday I shot a 99. That was hard to take. I shot a 90 today, and I felt like real progress was taking place. My short approach game with left hand felt pretty good. Reasonably accurate. I enjoyed throwing the truth, and lucid suspect. I hope they feel this good when I get my right hand back. My lucid escape also felt good. My drive on 11, a left handed hyzer shot that dog-legs about 75° to the right, came out of my hand with a lot of snap and felt like it would make it around corner. Of course it just barely ticked the tree in the center of the fairway flying into the fringe on the right.
One of biggest things I was happy about was playing inside myself. For the most part. I made sure to drive all holes from a standstill. I had one hole where I zig zagged up fairway, not really making progress and racking up strokes in the process.
Putting was pretty good. I made all putts inside 20 feet. I feel like the pure in test material, can't be a winter putter. It hit and rolled about 18 feet away from basket, 3 times. I will take out something much softer in future.
I worked on my form what felt like successfully today. The last two rounds were very tiring (physically) because I would reach back too far, and as I set plant foot, would reach back even farther before pulling with effort from beginning. In abstract I knew it was wrong and my body was telling it was wrong, but I couldn't start pull softly enough.
Today was another story thankfully. I didn't reach too far back. I also thought about having disc out from body( ie not straight back, but a bit out) at end of backswing, and then pulling disc through my torso as close as I could. Results were good. I also tried to keep pull line high across my chest, felt comfy and I was getting a nice straight flight. I was really pleased.
At some point I will learn a bit of lefty forehand, not yet, but soon.
I threw a bunch of anhyzer shots with left. Some came out nice, some turned into annoying cut rollers at end. Seems like disc only needs to be up just 2-4 degrees from flat, and I was a bit higher than that. Getting closer with this shot.
I need to do field work. Period.
Driving is still around 200 -240. It is feeling better though.
Feeling like it has been a good month of learning. I definitely feel like disc is coming out of hand better.
Overall, I'm proud of myself for not quitting, and look forward to starting to see distance gains over the next 2 months.
Noahlearner
Par Member
Today was first day where disc felt like it was really snapping out of my hand and like I was mirroring my right handed throw with my left. It was so sweet to see and hear the disc come out of my hand the way I was used to. Felt more natural than before. I was just doing approach shots from 100 -200 feet, but they really came out nicely. I still can't do a full run up reliably, but that too will come with time. I paid attention to my shoulders and keeping them on same plane as my intended line of flight, and the discs were coming out with nice smooth hyzer, even into a 20+ mph headwind. The other thing I was doing right was feeling the disc rip out of hand versus pulling hard with muscles. I also curled my wrist ever so slightly as disc approached the power zone, and it added tons of pop to each throw. I am stoked.
Noahlearner
Par Member
It finally warmed up a bit and I got to play a round. It was awesome. I had best drive yet at over 270 feet, and I hit all my putts inside 24 feet. I am crazy stoked.
Barefooter
Bogey Member
- Joined
- May 27, 2012
- Messages
- 96
Awesome.
Shoot. I can't hit 270' half of the time, and I am using my "strong" arm. Nice progress!
Mark
Mark
Romans 5-8
Eagle Member
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2013
- Messages
- 855
Keep it up man, I give you props for being so determined. Cool thread.
Colt
Birdie Member
Did u get ur MR yet? Btw, cash price can be as low as $250 for one.
Noahlearner
Par Member
No I didn't get MR yet. Looking to trade my grip and some discs for one.
Noahlearner
Par Member
I have been doing the Mark Ellis putting program as a way to quickly ramp up to being able to putt with left hand. I also set up my iPhone so I could see what my left handed putting looks like to compare to right hand. I strongly recommend you do this. I noticed my body looked more tense when putting left, my balance was a bit off center and also that I wasn't getting the same little wrist action that I was with my right hand. I also noticed that I popped it out earlier and followed through a lot on line of flight with my right hand. Once I incorporated the earlier release, slightly firm, not tight not floppy grip, with more follow through, and a little more wrist (1-3 inches of snap) the disc came out with way more spin, pop, and consistency. The disc was hitting chains way mo better. In terms of balance I noticed my back foot was more off to outside than when I was putting with right hand. So I altered my stance a bit and pulled my back heel in to line up with front foot and the basket.
I guess I'm a spush putter. Who knew.
When I started with this lefty shenanigans, 8 feet from basket was an adventure. I am hitting 24 footers 50% of the time. I am feeling real measurable progress. I hope to do the same from 28 feet in the next two weeks. We'll see.
I guess I'm a spush putter. Who knew.
When I started with this lefty shenanigans, 8 feet from basket was an adventure. I am hitting 24 footers 50% of the time. I am feeling real measurable progress. I hope to do the same from 28 feet in the next two weeks. We'll see.
razorsmith.com
Par Member
sounds like things are getting better. good to hear. even though my right shoulder is feeling better i am still trying to throw a lot of lefty drives and upshots.
my focus now is keeping my reach back on same line as target i am throwing to, keep things slow until my elbow passes my shoulder and then accelerate the hit. what i have seen improvements on is not throwing so many worm burners, being able to throw on specific hyzer/flat vs just letting the disc come out as it may, and controlling upshot distance much better.
i ripped a couple yesterday that just felt so good. weight transfer is good, footwork simple, good disc snap. also by learning the basics on lefty, i try to transition this back to righty. i was throwing discs with much less effort and what seemed like more control. good times.
darren
my focus now is keeping my reach back on same line as target i am throwing to, keep things slow until my elbow passes my shoulder and then accelerate the hit. what i have seen improvements on is not throwing so many worm burners, being able to throw on specific hyzer/flat vs just letting the disc come out as it may, and controlling upshot distance much better.
i ripped a couple yesterday that just felt so good. weight transfer is good, footwork simple, good disc snap. also by learning the basics on lefty, i try to transition this back to righty. i was throwing discs with much less effort and what seemed like more control. good times.
darren
