Form Help - 275 ft Max

[Johlecaster]

Hi everyone,

Hoping to get some help on my form. I'm currently only getting 275 ft max, but mostly throwing like 200-ish, and I'm getting a bit frustrated after trying to follow advice from YouTube videos.

I've attached a couple of videos here for your review. One is a full speed compilation of several drives with my best efforts, and the other is a few slow motion of a few.

From my own review of myself, it looks like my x-step is too wide, I'm leaning back when I'm throwing, my left leg swing through looks extremely slow, and even when I'm intending to throw nose down, I end up throwing nose up.

All that said, I'm not sure how to resolve these issues. I've been trying really hard not to lean back when I throw, but I guess I just don't understand how not to do that. Same with my left leg swing. When I watch pros and some novice players, they look so fast. I can't figure out how to move any quicker to sling the disc out. I want to increase my distance to at least like 350-400, and I think most of my issues are in my lower body.

I'd appreciate any advice you can offer!

https://youtu.be/I3j7mD0hGus

https://youtu.be/Uj2nWauwIbg

Thanks!

 

[Cowabungapizzabomb]

Looks like youre really reaching and poking the disc back. Thats not really the goal, its more to let the disc hang back naturally as you turn and shift weight targetward. I think if you try a few standstills with more of a relaxed pendulum style windup it might assist in eliminating the lean. On the runups your x step is too big and turned backwards which is helping you get off balance leaned back. You want to keep your weight center ahead of your x step, which is easier of you shrink it down. But honestly i would eliminate runups for a while and work standstills.

 

[Johlecaster]

Thanks!

That does make a lot of sense. However, aren't you supposed to get a lot of your power from kicking off your back leg? If I modify my stance so I'm leaning less and focusing on the pendulum windup, my initial thought is that I'll have trouble with my weight shifting to get enough power from my lower body. Do you have any further advice on that?

Again, appreciate your time!

 

[RistoS]

Consistent distance of 200 feet already suggested me you're getting nothing from your lower body. Zero. Vast majority of the power should come from down there so your form is basically backwards.

However, aren't you supposed to get a lot of your power from kicking off your back leg? If I modify my stance so I'm leaning less and focusing on the pendulum windup, my initial thought is that I'll have trouble with my weight shifting to get enough power from my lower body. Do you have any further advice on that?

Brian Earhart's explanation from exactly 6:00 onwards in this video is perfect (even the thumbnail is very fitting, haha). Leaning back like that messes up the timing completely. I'd say hinking about kicking off the back leg is a bit nitty-gritty compared to where you're at right now.

 

[Cowabungapizzabomb]

The Earhart explanation is solid!

I'm not getting how the pendulum windup would decrease power from your lower body. The aim is to relax and take a more natural windup to see if it will help you keep upright shifting targetward and stop leaning away. You might be a little mixed up on how the power is generated. Think of it like a slingshot. Right now youre pulling the rock back while tipping the stick back, and then trying to tip the stick towards the target as the rock is released. The rock doesn't go anywhere. To get a good shot, you gotta hold the stick firm and upright, and let the rock sling past it.

 

[sidewinder22]

 

[Johlecaster]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to come back on here sooner but it's been rainy so I haven't been able to try any new stuff out until yesterday.

So I recorded some new videos, but I'm still having trouble. I was trying to focus on the pendulum swing and working my body around the disc rather than poking it back really far. That all made sense to me, and when I try it out, it does feel better. I'm throwing straighter, which is cool, but I'm still not seeing any distance.
I was also trying to work on engaging my hips more to really be sure I'm powering from my lower body rather than my upper body. The first time I tried this, I was all legs and my arm threw out at all sorts of angles because of centrifugal force. I modified this and started working on keeping my arm more in front and my elbow out, rather than stuck to my armpit like in previous videos. I feel like my form is keeping me more forward rather than leaning back like before, but maybe you guys will see something I don't.

Lastly, I'm throwing nose up on every single drive, and I don't understand why. I'm gripping the disc with the base of my first finger on top (as recommended in all the tip videos), I'm trying to keep my wrist down like the coffee pouring position, and I'm trying to throw evenly across my chest—but when I watch myself after all that, the disc is ALWAYS nose up at release.

Getting super frustrated not being able to make my body do what it needs to do.

So here are a few new videos for your review.

Thanks again for all the advice everyone!

 

[Johlecaster]

New videos here:

https://youtu.be/s-BxRhN5Rwg

https://youtu.be/k1lareukz70

 

[Skydogg]

Well, I'm no expert at all; just like you I'm working on it. We actually have similar issues going on. One thing I have been doing that might help you is to really focus on the standstill or even one-leg drills. Watch and really work on sidewinder's door frame drills. All three of them. What you/we tend to do is start our swing with the arm way way too early resulting in everything just spinning together. We need to plant/brace/shift weight/ and finally turn the torso pulling the heavy disc through as late as possible. I keep telling myself "Plant - swing! Plant - Swing!".

You're still leaning back which is probably the reason for the nose up. But not sure on that bit.

 

[sidewinder22]

You are doing the funky chicken wing dance with your elbows retracted behind your shoulders/back and spine extended/butt sticking out. Your front leg/hip is collapsed with your spine going over top. You need to get into a good athletic posture/position to hit something on the front leg.

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140159
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132910

Sounds about right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogonOY1DoHU#t=40m