Building from the putt back

[azplaya25]

One of the most confusing topics related to the disc golf backhand is if/when you should add power to the throw. Many recommend a completely loose arm throughout the throw, but most big distance guys, including SW22, often talk about leveraging the disc with the thumb and pushing it out through the hit. I've struggled mightily with this concept and have spent several months of frustration just strong arming everything while trying to get a feel for this thumb push.

Recently, I came across this post from SW22 in the slow plastic thread:

If you standstill centered(feet inline) in athletic ready position tilted forward slightly over knees and make a fist with knuckles vertical (forget the disc) about 6" above navel and hand right next to your abs and arm/shoulder relaxed next to body/holding beverage, and as you shift slightly from center back and forth don't move your hand or arm, but feel a little uppercut action with the fist in the backswing and then mirror forward crossing center so your fist rotates palm up and palm down back and forth following the momentum of the shift, just a little 1" twitch/punch back and forth from your center.

Pendulum action smooths out the arm rotations. At the top of the backswing I want the opposite edge of the disc above my hand, or feel that way, like Steve Brinster. Everything just unwinds forward.

My address position of the drive/release point and finish position of push putt are about the same with arm/thumb straight out to target standing on one leg.

So the push putt feels like the hammer pound? I've spent the last 3 weeks playing away with this concept and my results have been fantastic. Take a look at the this putting motion:


Compare that motion to the full swing and you'll see the similarities:



I've been bringing a hammer out to my practice basket and just feeling that leverage/thumb push, and my putts have never been better. Getting a feel for this in a full swing is a bit more challenging, but I'm having my best success just doing the elephant walk drill and focusing on that thumb push feel with the forward step:



Hopefully this helps some of you that have been struggling with these feels!

 

[lee76007]

One of the most confusing topics related to the disc golf backhand is if/when you should add power to the throw. Many recommend a completely loose arm throughout the throw, but most big distance guys, including SW22, often talk about leveraging the disc with the thumb and pushing it out through the hit. I've struggled mightily with this concept and have spent several months of frustration just strong arming everything while trying to get a feel for this thumb push.

Recently, I came across this post from SW22 in the slow plastic thread:



So the push putt feels like the hammer pound? I've spent the last 3 weeks playing away with this concept and my results have been fantastic. Take a look at the this putting motion:


Compare that motion to the full swing and you'll see the similarities:



I've been bringing a hammer out to my practice basket and just feeling that leverage/thumb push, and my putts have never been better. Getting a feel for this in a full swing is a bit more challenging, but I'm having my best success just doing the elephant walk drill and focusing on that thumb push feel with the forward step:



Hopefully this helps some of you that have been struggling with these feels!

I saw the post earlier today prior to playing on the course. The elephant walk caught my attention, because I'm in my 5th week of a one-step rehabbing my form on the practice field, after spending a few weeks in a Standstill. The elephant walk makes since to me, because it simulates the end of the x-step. When I feel I'm ready I'll transition to the two-step in the form of an x-step. I've been one=stepping with by feet aligned together, but can have a balancing problem with some throws. I went cold turkey with the elephant today, and no balance problem. Several good throws, and could feel it in the stomach area. Felt good overall. I will be at the practice field the next few days to gain some consistency. Please correct me if I'm wrong in my thought process. Eventually I plan on returning to the 4-step, unless I feel I'm good with a 3-step.

 

[sidewinder22]

 

[drk_evns]

The arm is "passive" until you get into the power pocket. From there, you can extend the elbow to the hit.

To practice when it's appropriate to add the power, you can do the actual towel drill. Instead of whipping a towel just to give a little resistance to the swing like everyone else does, attempt to keep the towel loose and hanging until you get into the power pocket, then it should pull taught.

 

[sidewinder22]

Calvin Heimberg

 

[sidewinder22]

Nikko Locastro
Note how he's feeling and slinging/bouncing/waggling the weight of the disc going to the target.

 

[sidewinder22]

Adam Hammes

 

[Rastnav]

Calvin Heimberg

Something I've been wondering about, the thought spurred by Heimburg putting so well in the wind at the Vintage Open, is how does he get so much power on his putts?

Unlike most other pros, there is almost no leg involvement, nearly zero body, he just starts with his weight forward and stays there. It seems like it's entirely shoulder and wrist, somehow. The motion is fluid and unhurried, no stab or sudden acceleration. And he just pops out these line straight lasers from about out to the edge of C2. Is there anyone else who putts like him? It seems so efficient.

 

[sidewinder22]

Something I've been wondering about, the thought spurred by Heimburg putting so well in the wind at the Vintage Open, is how does he get so much power on his putts?

Unlike most other pros, there is almost no leg involvement, nearly zero body, he just starts with his weight forward and stays there. It seems like it's entirely shoulder and wrist, somehow. The motion is fluid and unhurried, no stab or sudden acceleration. And he just pops out these line straight lasers from about out to the edge of C2. Is there anyone else who putts like him? It seems so efficient.

It's almost like One Leg Drill. Nate Doss would sometimes putt on one leg.
Bruce Lee One Inch Punch, there's a little twitch in there from the body that whips the arm/disc.

 

[azplaya25]

The arm is "passive" until you get into the power pocket. From there, you can extend the elbow to the hit.

To practice when it's appropriate to add the power, you can do the actual towel drill. Instead of whipping a towel just to give a little resistance to the swing like everyone else does, attempt to keep the towel loose and hanging until you get into the power pocket, then it should pull taught.

Agreed - closed shoulder snap drill is good for this as well. I think a lot of players really mess this up (myself included) but thinking about pulling really hard across their chest. I feel like like the word "pull" should be banned from disc golf.

In this video I think he even says he's pulling around the nose.



I much prefer holding the disc by the inside of the rim, then just doing exactly what SW described in my OP, little one inch punch. It's basically what Brad is doing here (also note how he's posting/bracing on the front leg....lol) but it's not pulling, it's leading with the elbow and swinging the lower arm out. It's unbelievable how much effortless pop you can get on a disc if you get this right

 

[drk_evns]

Applying the "whip" to my putt has dramatically increased power and accuracy.

It finally clicked after I decided to start applying enough power to putt from 50-60 feet without a step putt. When I did so, I realized I was swinging my arm and "manually" releasing my wrist.

If I instead think about whipping my arm to the release point, it seemingly blasts directly on line.

This feels identical to the same epiphany in the backhand.

What beautiful symmetry there is in disc golf.

 

[BruisedOoze]

If I instead think about whipping my arm to the release point, it seemingly blasts directly on line.

Could you expand a bit on this when it comes to a putt? For a normal throw I can connect the dots mentally well enough, but there's a gap in there for me and a putt.

How I'm thinking a bit of it and playing with an empty hand in a putting motion, it seems to come out like a one-inch punch sort of deal. And seems a bit uncontrolled for a putt so I think I'm a little off-base here.

 

[azplaya25]

Could you expand a bit on this when it comes to a putt? For a normal throw I can connect the dots mentally well enough, but there's a gap in there for me and a putt.

How I'm thinking a bit of it and playing with an empty hand in a putting motion, it seems to come out like a one-inch punch sort of deal. And seems a bit uncontrolled for a putt so I think I'm a little off-base here.

Drk may have a different explanation, but I try to do what Philo is teaching here. I basically line up my back thigh with the pole, then use my body to swing my arm and give it a little pop at the end. More of a toss close in and a whip the further you get out. I think the key is if you use your body to swing your arm, it's much easier to power the putt with just a little finger spring right at the end. Probably doesn't matter inside 10 feet, but as you move further out, it's much easier to use your body to generate momentum, just like with driving.

Philo explains it well from 2:30 - 3 minutes

https://youtu.be/W6pdd-ETeos

 

[navel]

Could you expand a bit on this when it comes to a putt? For a normal throw I can connect the dots mentally well enough, but there's a gap in there for me and a putt.

How I'm thinking a bit of it and playing with an empty hand in a putting motion, it seems to come out like a one-inch punch sort of deal. And seems a bit uncontrolled for a putt so I think I'm a little off-base here.

Japanese game shows are weird.
This is a good example of whipping forward though.
Imagine holding a glass of water and trying to throw that water forward to the basket. The wrist will spring (not curl) and you'll need a strong and controlled momentum forward for the water to accelerate out of the glass. Don't spill it.

 

[drk_evns]

The water cup is a great example. I'd say the one inch punch feeling is correct.

Thinking about it this way seemingly makes sense to my whole body, because suddenly it all becomes one move rather than a bunch of different motions strung together. That's also what I mean when I say it's just like the backhand. When I started treating my arm like a whip, you just start to understand what the rest of your body needs to do to get it there.

The putt is just the smallest version of that same move... which is why this thread is so brilliant.

 

[rhatton1]

The water cup is a great example. I'd say the one inch punch feeling is correct.

Thinking about it this way seemingly makes sense to my whole body, because suddenly it all becomes one move rather than a bunch of different motions strung together. That's also what I mean when I say it's just like the backhand. When I started treating my arm like a whip, you just start to understand what the rest of your body needs to do to get it there.

The putt is just the smallest version of that same move... which is why this thread is so brilliant.

I do a lot of putting coaching without players having a disc in hand for this very reason. I want them to see what small motions in their lower body can do to their hand and how someone like Heimburg can create such force on the disc with seemingly little effort. Soon as the disc goes in the hand everyone tries to do what they know.

It's also why I like starting them at the basket and isolating motions that allow them to generate enough power and then going back and adding more. Take the stupid out of the equation. Don't let our dumb brains get in the way!

 

[azplaya25]

Japanese game shows are weird.
This is a good example of whipping forward though.
Imagine holding a glass of water and trying to throw that water forward to the basket. The wrist will spring (not curl) and you'll need a strong and controlled momentum forward for the water to accelerate out of the glass. Don't spill it.

Solid gif. Really appreciate all the parallels you make connecting every day activities to proper disc golf technique. It's so much easier to learn this game if you have swing thoughts involving activities we've all done our whole lives.

 

[klodkrawler05]

Thanks for sharing this! I've been procrastinating on drive form but it was a total putting lightbulb moment last summer when Eagle made a "standstill" putt from 104'
At full speed it looks like a casual 25' for anyone else, slowed down you can really see how much he uses his body to pop the disc.

 

[rhatton1]

It's so much easier to learn this game if you have swing thoughts involving activities we've all done our whole lives.

You throw a lot of glasses of water into Japanese Girls faces? What kind of monster are you

 

[sidewinder22]

Japanese game shows are weird.
This is a good example of whipping forward though.
Imagine holding a glass of water and trying to throw that water forward to the basket. The wrist will spring (not curl) and you'll need a strong and controlled momentum forward for the water to accelerate out of the glass. Don't spill it.