Do You Need to Think About the Follow Through?

[drk_evns]

At this point, I think about directing all my energy to uncoil/whip from the back shoulder to the hit, and the follow through happens on its own. My body sets up the angle of the shot, which includes whether or not my arm will follow through up or down.

Do we ever need to talk about the follow through? How do you talk about it?

 

[ChrisWoj]

I'm with you on "the follow through happens on its own."

I met a relative newbie at Ottawa Park yesterday on my lunch break (happenstance, had never met him before, I caught him while he was stuck behind a trio and we decided to throw together). He was throwing all FH. He finally uncorked a BH about halfway through the round. His follow through didn't exist, but he also had serious issues with closing up his throwing shoulder at the start of the throw, with his pull moving around his body. Once I had him loosen up the tension on his backswing and focus on establishing a swing plane that didn't have to go around his body - he had a decent follow through. It just seemed to be a natural consequence, for him, of better form resulting in following through.

 

[ninjabq]

I think this is addressed somewhat in SW's thread about the Finish Position

 

[ChrisWoj]

I think this is addressed somewhat in SW's thread about the Finish Position

Great share, thank you. That is helpful to me immediately. It put into words something I wasn't totally conceptualizing lately. I've been trying to return to being purposeful in establishing my swing plane, and that really pushes into my head that I need to establish it more wholly through my follow during the pre-shot. Let myself feel the body through the whole motion.

 

[lee76007]

I have found keeping my eyes on my disc during my complete swing, which keeps my head tracking with the disc, which helps keep my feet in their lanes while stepping, and while keeping my body loose still pinching the disc. The follow thru will work out very well, not having to think about it much, and that's when the flow is going well. Screw any of that up, not so well.

 

[HyzerRoc]

For me it just happens.

I tried to think about it a couple of times, mostly because of pain in my bizeps and I wanted a smoother deceleration of my throwing arm. However that did not work at all and I realised I need a stronger arm so it can protect itself from injury and I can only control what happens before the follow through to lessen the violent power my arm and shoulder are subjected to.

 

[drk_evns]

I think this is addressed somewhat in SW's thread about the Finish Position

Makes sense that I had this perspective in my head, seeing as I participated in that thread... lol

 

[Brychanus]

Makes sense that I had this perspective in my head, seeing as I participated in that thread... lol

It obviously influenced me deeply too - I usually think of it as an effect of whatever happens before it (or that's the goal, ideally). If I see no follow through it's a sign that something is seriously wrong/probably dangerous. Then I tend to work backwards to look for causes. If they have some follow through, I like the "tuning fork" concept because there's a predictable relationship between the finish position and mechanics.

Even without optimal movement, if you've got a sufficient level of momentum and "good enough" movement, follow through is something you shouldn't have to think about or force, and you'd actually need to tamper with your swing to stop it from happening. Sometimes I have worked with people where I've had to ask them if it's ok to literally help them feel their body move into follow through - those are the people that are usually either very tentative about getting braced up, or jam up so hard on a brace that they are putting all kinds of jerk stress into their body by blocking their follow through. Sometimes it really does help people to help them start backwards from the final position balanced on their front leg, and rocking back from there, too.

 

[drk_evns]

Good to get some (re)validation on that... the throw feels clearer in than ever lately. I shot my first 1000+ rated round recently and in the past week or two have had a new level of consistency, accuracy, and distance. Coming up on my three biggest tournaments of the year so it's a good time to test it out.

Tangent: I hear McBeth occasionally talk about manipulating the flight of the disc by essentially putting purposeful off-axis torque on it. Usually in the context of manipulating the flip by following through lower than usual. Anyone ever discussed this? Probably?

 

[Jussi Alanko]

It just happens...

 

[Countchunkula]

Good to get some (re)validation on that... the throw feels clearer in than ever lately. I shot my first 1000+ rated round recently and in the past week or two have had a new level of consistency, accuracy, and distance. Coming up on my three biggest tournaments of the year so it's a good time to test it out.

Tangent: I hear McBeth occasionally talk about manipulating the flight of the disc by essentially putting purposeful off-axis torque on it. Usually in the context of manipulating the flip by following through lower than usual. Anyone ever discussed this? Probably?

I'm sure this was discussed back in the DGR days. They definitely talked about intentional OAT. I remember talk of changing wrist angles to add OAT, not sure about adjusting follow through, but it sounds preferable. Seems like it would be easier to mistime or get the angle wrong when manipulating the wrist late in the throw.

 

[ChrisWoj]

Good to get some (re)validation on that... the throw feels clearer in than ever lately. I shot my first 1000+ rated round recently and in the past week or two have had a new level of consistency, accuracy, and distance. Coming up on my three biggest tournaments of the year so it's a good time to test it out.

Tangent: I hear McBeth occasionally talk about manipulating the flight of the disc by essentially putting purposeful off-axis torque on it. Usually in the context of manipulating the flip by following through lower than usual. Anyone ever discussed this? Probably?

LMAO. This whole time I thought you were Derek Evans #37864. I read this post and my first thought was "huh? I thought you had tons of 1000 rated rounds" and then I went and checked your profile in more detail.

 

[drk_evns]

LMAO. This whole time I thought you were Derek Evans #37864. I read this post and my first thought was "huh? I thought you had tons of 1000 rated rounds" and then I went and checked your profile in more detail.

So close lol

I'm looking to add at least one more 1000+ this weekend at the CCR Open in Michigan.

 

[Brychanus]

Good to get some (re)validation on that... the throw feels clearer in than ever lately. I shot my first 1000+ rated round recently and in the past week or two have had a new level of consistency, accuracy, and distance. Coming up on my three biggest tournaments of the year so it's a good time to test it out.

Tangent: I hear McBeth occasionally talk about manipulating the flight of the disc by essentially putting purposeful off-axis torque on it. Usually in the context of manipulating the flip by following through lower than usual. Anyone ever discussed this? Probably?

'grats on the round!!

I've heard him talk about that too, and he also occasionally uses intentional air bounces in tight conditions. I can't recall the exact shots but in Round 1 at PCS Open I remember seeing him throw at least one intentional air bounce off the tee, and I've seen him do things like "destabilize" a Buzzz with OAT to get different flight characteristics and ground play upon the disc landing. The guy seems like he has experimented with just about anything you can do with a disc and it's really awesome to learn watching him attack courses that aren't just open field hyzer after open field hyzer. Seems like the European swing is letting him lean into those skills right now.

 

[ChrisinFL]

Speaking from a newbie perspective, I agree while driving, follow through mostly 'just happens'. However, I noticed spin putting, with the easier throw, I have to think about the follow through, or I won't do it. Referring, in particular, to finishing with the 'handshake with the basket'. The handshake follow through definitely improves my likelihood of making putts, and it doesn't happen unless I think about it.

 

[Brychanus]

Speaking from a newbie perspective, I agree while driving, follow through mostly 'just happens'. However, I noticed spin putting, with the easier throw, I have to think about the follow through, or I won't do it. Referring, in particular, to finishing with the 'handshake with the basket'. The handshake follow through definitely improves my likelihood of making putts, and it doesn't happen unless I think about it.

Yeah, on putts w/ lower momentum I had to learn tricks that kept me from "shortarming" the putting stroke.

You could swing a golf putter and make contact with the ball and shortarm it and it would probably be a less effective stroke even if you didn't hurt yourself.

Like a golf putt, it's the same with DG putts generally - "slash through" or follow through the release point. I threw textbooks, small weight plates, and hammers to help my wrist and square my body up. They help the follow through or "handshake" with the basket because if you try to throw a textbook or weight without following through it'll feel weak, jerky, and harder on the joints!

 

[Sheep]

The follow through Does happen on its own, but we rarely think about it and that is a bad thing.

The point we should actually be focusing our energy on is the point that happens just after the disc leaves our hand. This means that we have focused our energy THROUGH the hit.

Secondly, while the follow through happens on its own, a lot of people are making bad shot shapes and throws because they focus none on their follow through. so this dank noodle is just flappin in the breeze and it doesn't help you.

It's important to direct our follow through on target line to assist in our shot shapes and trajectories.
It's important for us to use good follow through technique as well.

When you purely focus on the hit, youre most likely slowing your arm down before the hit and your follow through is still there, but you just robbed your shot of power.


Also a good example of why follow through focus is important.

One of the issues I see with a lot of players is upshots.
They suck at them, hard suck.
Knee's are sore from sucking so hard suck.

I fix their up shot with 1 instruction.
"Flourish the follow through"
What a majority of players are doing is trying to jerk stop the distance vs swing the disc.
They are worried they are going to throw passed the basket if they dont.

You just swing easy and really focus only on that follow through and NICE, CLEAN, SMOOTH throws happen with TONS of control.

 

[drk_evns]

The follow through Does happen on its own, but we rarely think about it and that is a bad thing.

The point we should actually be focusing our energy on is the point that happens just after the disc leaves our hand. This means that we have focused our energy THROUGH the hit.

Secondly, while the follow through happens on its own, a lot of people are making bad shot shapes and throws because they focus none on their follow through. so this dank noodle is just flappin in the breeze and it doesn't help you.

It's important to direct our follow through on target line to assist in our shot shapes and trajectories.
It's important for us to use good follow through technique as well.

When you purely focus on the hit, youre most likely slowing your arm down before the hit and your follow through is still there, but you just robbed your shot of power.


Also a good example of why follow through focus is important.

One of the issues I see with a lot of players is upshots.
They suck at them, hard suck.
Knee's are sore from sucking so hard suck.

I fix their up shot with 1 instruction.
"Flourish the follow through"
What a majority of players are doing is trying to jerk stop the distance vs swing the disc.
They are worried they are going to throw passed the basket if they dont.

You just swing easy and really focus only on that follow through and NICE, CLEAN, SMOOTH throws happen with TONS of control.

I feel the opposite lately. I'm uncoiling from the back shoulder to the hit and that's all I really think about. I shorten and slow down the swing for upshots.

 

[Sheep]

I feel the opposite lately. I'm uncoiling from the back shoulder to the hit and that's all I really think about. I shorten and slow down the swing for upshots.

Interesting.
I'll try it.

I try and copy simon/paul for upshot stuff mostly, cause they are so deadly and make the throws look so easy when they do it.

Basically a short stroke with a wrist pop with a huge follow through.
But I'm mainly talking about upshots for flourishing the follow through.

When I talk about focusing on the follow through on a main swing, it's mainly to try and turn the focus from accidentally slowing down in the throw focusing to hard on trying to snap the shot.
To focusing on just passed the hit so you accelerate through the hit.

A lot of people just try and jerk the hit point vs drive through it.

Something like in boxing/martial arts.
Punch through the target, not to the target. etc.

Though, I think with what you're saying is to focus on getting the shoulder moving and the arm out and letting it fly?

 

[Sewer bill]

I aim with the follow through so I plan my swing and shot shape on what the follow through will feel like. I don't think about it mid swing though it's more like recite what I practice.