Extending Distance with Putters and Mids

[Dan Ensor]

Tried to edit . . . too slow; should have said:

"Typically small distance gaps indicate a nose up flight; putters handle nose-up the best since they are so slow and typically have minimal fade.

I'm not really sure what that gap should be."

 

[slowplastic]

I can throw my putter 250 with a tight fan grip (Maiden). I can throw my mids 260. Fairways up to 280. Drivers 300. I feel like something is seriously wrong with my distance throwing as the spread in distance between my slowest and fastest discs is~ 50 feet. Is this a normal plateau to hit during a player's progression?

If you're throwing with a lot of arm, "strong arming", then these distances aren't surprising to me. When I was really strong arming I was in that 240-250' putters, 270 mids, and any drivers from Leo to Valk were 285-300'. Nose up is part of it too, but honestly the gap there which surprises me most is the only 10' difference between putters and mids. 250' with a putter is good, I would think a mid would go at least 20' more.

When people are capped in that 300' range then anything with a fairway shape or more tends to get stopped at that max range, and putters and mids can creep farther than 250' the more confidence you have throwing them.

I'd look at nose down flights first, and also see if you're really strong arming the disc...like trying to throw real hard from the top of the backswing forward. Rather than letting the body turn and bring the arm forward before you start swinging outward.

 

[Casey 1988]

I've noticed there's a lot of talk about getting putter distance out to ~250 and mids out to ~300 or further. I am nowhere near that right now, but I'd like to put some more focus on that aspect of my game.

A couple questions come to mind, for those that do get that distance or are approaching it:

1. What grip do you use for driving putters/mids? (Should I be using a power grip for driving putters)

2. What putters/mids do you drive with in 10-15 mph wind (please include plastic type)?

10-15 mph is nothing where I live see top right corner, we get in Pierre South Dakota area 15-20 mph as the regular. Driving putter slot I use a Shark around 175 grams either Star or old Pro I am one of the few who dose use a Shark for both a driver and an approach disc but then I do not need an approach putter/driving in wind 25 mph and up and a driving putter or even a windy past 25 mph putt. I use the Star Shark more for driving putter if the shot is not more open or the wind is 25 mph or up.

 

[Casey 1988]

For true midrange I use a Shark 3, around 175 grams both are 176 grams. I chose that for a true midrange as the disc is more like a beadles ROC then a Shark is but still has a Shark like rim, Shark is more domed and thus has the putter style glide. I also have Impact for when a midrange is not enough but a fairway driver would be too much.

 

[VictorB]

1. What grip do you use for driving putters/mids? (Should I be using a power grip for driving putters)

2. What putters/mids do you drive with in 10-15 mph wind (please include plastic type)?

1. I always use a modified fan grip when I throw putters and mids. For drivers it's always a 3 finger power grip.

2. I don't really change my putters or mids for wind. I throw d/glow steadys, and wasps (JB/CT JB/Swirl ESP). I carry a zone but it's almost exclusively a forehand disc. Steadys and Wasps handle basically all the shots I need. I typically don't throw comets in a good head or cross wind.

 

[drk_evns]

Power grip everything.

Go throw your discs in a headwind and see what they do.

I throw a Champ Roc3 or RocX3 for stability in the wind.

 

[RunnerUp]

I've noticed there's a lot of talk about getting putter distance out to ~250 and mids out to ~300 or further. I am nowhere near that right now, but I'd like to put some more focus on that aspect of my game.

A couple questions come to mind, for those that do get that distance or are approaching it:

1. What grip do you use for driving putters/mids? (Should I be using a power grip for driving putters)

2. What putters/mids do you drive with in 10-15 mph wind (please include plastic type)?

I've been curious about this topic recently too. I ended up grabbing a 300' tape from home depot and brought a stack of putters and mids out to the field this morning.

To answer your first question, I've always used a fan grip for all putter shots. I think I tighten up the fan when driving though, kind of without thinking... Anyway, I was really surprised to see them getting 250' with fairly comfortable hyzer flip up / low lines (no wind to speak of).

I was also surprised to see some overlap in the putter / mid distances after emptying the stacks for the first time. For mids I use a power grip so in my head I was thinking there's no way I could get a putter out as far. Just knowing a get a "pop" off the fingers with midranges that I don't get with a fan grip seemed logical enough.

But I will say that my last couple of putter shots I was pushing it pretty good, so a few got out to about 300'! I think they were more "S" lines though, and not as low and flat as I'd like. At this point I would rather throw a more comfortable Roc shot during a round, but maybe continuing to get comfortable with putters is worth the effort. Thanks for the inspiration!

 

[atison]

Getting comfortable throwing my putters with a power grip at full pull (not necessarily full power though) did wonders for my game both on my approaches and on up through my drivers. I push my putters out around 250 comfortably. What really changed it for me was putting more spin on them (hand outside the disc longer into the pocket). I used to have to hyzer flip them but with more spin they can be released flatter and penetrate better. More spin equates to more gyroscopic effect and the disc will hold its angle better.

Played a short course last week with most holes in the 200-280 range. It is a beautiful site watching my judge/marshall track straight at the basket and land softly versus a verdict crashing in hard on hyzer. Bounced my judge off the top of the basket on a 250' hole just missing my first ace and the putt I was left with was no more than 15'. If I would have done that with my emac/verdict I would have had a 30'+ comeback putt.

 

[FlyinO]

If you're throwing with a lot of arm, "strong arming", then these distances aren't surprising to me. When I was really strong arming I was in that 240-250' putters, 270 mids, and any drivers from Leo to Valk were 285-300'. Nose up is part of it too, but honestly the gap there which surprises me most is the only 10' difference between putters and mids. 250' with a putter is good, I would think a mid would go at least 20' more.

When people are capped in that 300' range then anything with a fairway shape or more tends to get stopped at that max range, and putters and mids can creep farther than 250' the more confidence you have throwing them.

I'd look at nose down flights first, and also see if you're really strong arming the disc...like trying to throw real hard from the top of the backswing forward. Rather than letting the body turn and bring the arm forward before you start swinging outward.

For the longest I thought it was a nose up issue, so much so that I over-corrected and started throwing the discs way too nose down.

Thanks for the post. I think it is a timing/strong arming issue as you suggested. So, the trick is don't engage the arm until the disc is "in my chest"?

 

[slowplastic]

Thanks for the post. I think it is a timing/strong arming issue as you suggested. So, the trick is don't engage the arm until the disc is "in my chest"?

It feels to me like I start really engaging the arm once it "wants" to move outward. I don't have my arm tensionless or like a noodle the whole time before though, but the point is to not be pulling/yanking/ripping with your arm from the top of the backswing.

If you have played golf or baseball, you can feel when the club is moving from the backswing forward it is lagging. Your hands and the handle are well ahead of the club or bat head. Then at a certain point the bat starts to feel that rotation/release start, and when that arc starts it feels natural for you to pull on the handle more or give it a bit more power or emphasis through contact. Similar thing, you guide the arm/disc and it bends back the forearm, then you feel the arm/forearm starting to want to unwind and you can really use the arm there.

 

[racer93]

For me, I power grip everything. I find that to be the most comfortable for me but that's not necessarily true for everyone.

In terms of throwing mechanics, I very much focus on generating spin as much as possible. I even cock my wrist a little bit like Seppo does. I can easily get putters (P2s) to 350' dead straight, even in slight headwinds up to 10mph or so. From there, ill disc up. The rest of my mechanics are identical to my fairway shots to 400'+.