the two primary styles (i'm making these terms up right now):
1. "American" technique.
2. "Swedish" technique.
the main difference between these two styles is the focus of the power base. american technique uses the kinetic biomechanics to generate its power, with the ideal being elbow extension. swedish technique uses much less elbow extension but tons of leverage on the outer edge of the disc.
Brad W.'s idea of throwing a stick/hammer vs. throwing a disc pretty much describes the primary determinant of swedish power. swedish power is based upon being able to lever the shiz out of the edge of the disc opposite the hand and find a way to translate the absurd amount of angular velocity/acceleration as the disc pivots out of the hand during wrist extension.
the current swedish technique derives heavily from Tomas Ekstrom's form.
american technique also uses leverage, but it is not dominated by leverage in the same way.
american technique can basically be broken down into 2 primary categories and one subcategory:
1. bent elbow (and derivations of it, probably most commonly found in carolina)
2. long reach back.
2a. folded shoulder rotation.
2b. spinal axis rotation.
2a. and 2b. both derive power in the same basic way, but the presentation of it differs slightly. however, most folded shoulder throwers are hyzer dominant and most spinal axis throwers are anhyzer dominant. in truth, pure hyzer mechanics use a folded shoulder and pure anhyzer mechanics use a spinal axis, what makes these two differ enough in styles to be noted is how they throw during a FLAT throw.
as for bent elbow vs. reach back, it's probably best compared to the differences in a wrist shot vs. a slap shot in hockey.
bent elbow throwing is efficient and it's easier to hit all of it. if you flub it, you flub it bad.
reach back throwing is less efficient but has greater power potential if you hit all/most of it. it's easier to flub it, but the diminished output during flubs depends on how bad you flubbed it.
the big thing is that long throwing bent elbow throwers and long throwing reach back throwers (as well as long throwing swedes) have more in common during the important parts of throw than they have differences.
the main differentiation between reach back throwers and bent elbow throwers (even those that use some reach back) is this:
-with a reach back throw the angle formed between the upper arm and the shoulder/chest collapses at the start of rotation and extends entering the power zone.
-with a bent elbow throw the angle formed between the upper arm and the shoulder/chest is constant at the start of rotation and doesn't extend until well into the power zone.
my point in writing all that?
what happens with the disc/arm during the final 12" of the throw is exactly the same for everyone throwing 500'.
