Form Check Log

[StupendousMan]

Hey All,

Have lurked here for a hot minute, finally made an account. Grateful for any and all form help. I'm going to attach 5 videos below, 1 old one and 4 current (different camera angles and speeds). The old video is the furthest throw I've ever had. It went ~507. I'd say the form was relatively typical for me at that time with a little longer last step, and hit some random lightning in a bottle launch angle/disc/nose angle/wind moment that pushed it over 5. Realistically, last season my "golf course" distance was around 300 putters, 330 mids, 350-70 fairways, and 380-420 drivers. In the field messing around, add about 30 feet to each of those, but to say they were wildly uncontrollable at the futher distances would be putting it a little too mild . Few outlier throws over 450 now and again.

The battle: I live in Saskatchewan. We have winter. Lots of it, and it's cold as hell. I tried to not play outside much this winter since the cold temperature warps my mechanics too much. (Not even the clothing, my cold tolerance is pretty strong so I'm not exactly all bulked up full of winter clothes, but the temperature just makes it harder to keep things loose and warm) and spent most of it throwing into the garage net. Worked on some things I was pretty sure were wrong, and some other things developed. Now, the hard part, is I don't have a tech disc. (Yet). So, I've got no clue what has been working and what hasn't. We're about 2 weeks from enough snow gone to do field work. My main goal in the off season was to reduce rounding and air bouncing, both problems I had big time a lot last year.

Things I'm aware of:
My internal rotation in my hips is hot garbage. Especially in my left (trail) leg. Like, really, really, really bad. I've tried shortening my x-step a TON and really focusing on rotating my leg internally to keep that foot from rotating so far externally, but it's simply not capable of holding it right now. I'm working on it, among a million other mobility issues, but what you see is what you get right now, it's simply not physically possible to keep it rotated internally beyond standstill throws at the moment. My best guess is we're about 2-3 months away from that being possible.
The launch angle is lower throwing into a net. I've tried recently to target a bit higher on the launch angle
My garage is messy. But, I have plenty of room to throw and lift weights, so I'm happy.

Anyways, I've learned a ton just from reading this place, but would be grateful for any help!

507 2023 Shot

Side View Full Speed Clip

Side View Slow Motion

Rear View Full Speed Clip

Rear View Slow Motion

 

[Brychanus]

I kind of just want to see you run sideways 100 yards down a line.

 

[StupendousMan]

Haha it'd be probably quicker than me trying to do it forwards it these days! Poor left hammy will never be restored to what it was in the sprinting days

 

[Brychanus]

Haha it'd be probably quicker than me trying to do it forwards it these days! Poor left hammy will never be restored to what it was in the sprinting days

You'll be happy to know I am no stranger to left/drive leg injuries my dude.

I tend to ask people about athletic and injury backgrounds first.

What's the injury/status/affect on every day or athletic moves?

 

[StupendousMan]

Here's the main stuff:
Grew up in track and field, one hamstring injury (small tear relatively minor healed great).
Then a second hamstring injury doing an "old timers" race (I was only around 23, but 2 years removed from sprinting and had put on a ton of mass getting into weightlifting). That one healed less great. That was maybe 2011 I can still see evidence of it lifting, like I know it didn't heal right. Both my left/trail leg.
Broke my left foot about 6-7 years ago. Healed pretty much perfect but there's still a weird lump that doesn't seem to affect me.
Tore my left pec a year ago. Healed well, but I still notice it a bit flat benching the odd time I bother to do that.

Have had 3 shoulder impingements in my throwing arm, but I did a ton of work and have actually progressed to a point where my rotational capabilities in my right shoulder are at a lifetime best!

The hamstring is the only one that really effects me doing anything athletic these days, and it's less of a "ow my hamstring hurts" and more of a "my hamstring is useless so other muscles need to compensate and do more".

Past disc golf I still weightlift very actively, but no where near the strength I had when I competed in powerlifting, and I run very recreationally. Fun plyo moments too. So I've very much held onto a good amount of the type 2x and a fibres, but at 35 I'm definitely past my prime lol.

 

[sidewinder22]

Things I'm aware of:
My internal rotation in my hips is hot garbage. Especially in my left (trail) leg. Like, really, really, really bad. I've tried shortening my x-step a TON and really focusing on rotating my leg internally to keep that foot from rotating so far externally, but it's simply not capable of holding it right now. I'm working on it, among a million other mobility issues, but what you see is what you get right now, it's simply not physically possible to keep it rotated internally beyond standstill throws at the moment.

The x-step should be external rotation like a ballerina. Hopping can also help with limited mobility.

 

[Brychanus]

Even when it looks more like I'm "striding" I use a form of hopping now & agree it's a good way to "hop past" some mobility or injury issues.

Also want to emphasize that it's hard to predict exactly, but in general trouble on the drive leg side seems related to form collapse and "jerk" stress somewhere down the chain at the joints, especially as you speed up. It's all a connected system. Maybe related to some shoulder stress for you too. Probably worth fixing for longevity's sake and related to "easy" distance.

It's why I recommend the patience to work on this in standstills. Was easier to get the idea Sidewinder wrote above isolating it in standstill like a pitcher learning to stride down the mound. Then for me, step before the X-step is its own project now. Whether I'm sharing it a lot or not I'm always doing something to improve my standstills.

 

[StupendousMan]

If external rotation is the goal then that should be relatively easy mobility wise. Granted my left leg is still worse than my right in external rotation as well but it's significantly better compared to my internal rotation capabilities. I had it in my head that my x-step was supposed to be essentially neutral, which in my case was requiring me to try to internally rotate my back leg to accomplish that. I can't remember whose video had planted that idea in my head but that's irrelevant.

Point is that ballerina position is actually pretty comfortable for me, it's basically receiving a clean.

 

[Brychanus]

If external rotation is the goal then that should be relatively easy mobility wise. Granted my left leg is still worse than my right in external rotation as well but it's significantly better compared to my internal rotation capabilities. I had it in my head that my x-step was supposed to be essentially neutral, which in my case was requiring me to try to internally rotate my back leg to accomplish that. I can't remember whose video had planted that idea in my head but that's irrelevant.

Point is that ballerina position is actually pretty comfortable for me, it's basically receiving a clean.

There's a KISS aspect to all of this that gets lost in all the
words; I just wanted to share this video where at around 1:30 he gets into the idea of drive leg ER vs. IR.


Dunno where SW would start you in the drill space, but you look like a Hershyzer-> Double Dragon -> Door frame drill/load the bow case to me.

Posture and practice drive with ER in Hershyzer since it will feel weird to you overall. Almost every adult I've ever seen do it also doesn't like to accelerate fully out of it, which takes lots of practice.

DD for "free" gravity effect and leading with your center athletically from the coil.

Door Frame to help tie it all to your reachback.