Get Out of Trouble Shots

[COLODISCR]

Everyone seems to spend so much time working on driving BH/FH and putting but there is little talk about get out of trouble shots. I'm trying to round out my game a little bit and work a little on the out of the ordinary techniques that can help shave off strokes when you get into trouble.

One of my new favorites that I'm working on now is the touch overhand roller shot as it totally saved par twice in my last tournament. It works great when you are in the trees unable to go up and over but no direct path to the basket as its protected by those trees. I've been trying to work on my overhand thumbers and tomahawk throws to get up and over but I have not had luck with accuracy lately.

What else do you guys use to get out of trouble and any advice to help learn them? Overhands like tomahawks, thumbers, overhand rollers, sidearm flick putts, half lids and anything else you can think of is up for discussion. Talk about the shot and when and why you use it.

Hopefully we can get enough discussion going that it can help a lot of people find some shots they never even thought about to work on to save strokes when that drive or approach shot doesn't go right where you wanted it to. Thanks!

 

[slowplastic]

Putter flicks on flat/anny/hyzer from <100'. I feel if I can do those angles with that disc, then I can use an OS mid or utility disc to hit the different lines on the same power/angle and not ever worry about it. Really good for getting out from behind something and it either has to hold the line (putter) or S-out (Firebird or the like). For example you want a short sweep hyzer backhand, but the tree is in your way, so reach out and do the putter anny flick to follow the same line all the way to the ground.

I like the "half power thumber" type shot to pitch out from 40-80' over a bush/through a high opening where it pops out, flips onto its back, and lands on its top without any crazy bounces or distance. An OS slow disc is great for this (Verdict for me) that you don't have to kill with speed, but still turns slow enough that it only gets onto its top.

I need to work on FH rollers, those are the best line in the worst of situations. I have never had one save me yet though, even though I can see the line it should take.

 

[MichaelWebster]

Short forehand rollers and forehand putter air shots are both indispensable. I also use grenades occasionally, where you throw a driver with spike hyzer form but the disc is upside-down.

 

[dontBLAMEtheDISC]

Also practice throwing the disc under obstacles upside down comes in handy every once in awhile.

 

[DavidSauls]

Any forehand/flick counts for me. Mine is so bad that I only use it in desperation.

But, yeah, forehand rollers are the big one.

Nobody practices them, but fortunately, and unfortunately, I get a lot of opportunity to work on my get-out-of-trouble shots during the round. I hate to admit that my forehand is getting better because my backhand is getting worse.

 

[PWaggoner]

I throw alot of grenades. If there is a straight line to the basket in the canopy its a great shot. Hit and stick, easy to range.

I cant throw a tomahawk besides a "pancake". Throwing it so it slides on its face. Dont use it frequently. Need to practice throwing a air tomahawk, seems like they go further OH then thumbers, plus end left instead.

I like throwing rollers.. Alot of problems can be solved with a nice sidearm or bh roller.

You can do some magic with a sonic to get out of trouble. I havent bought one yet, just see a friend use it.

Also a super duper beat to crap disc that you can hyzer flip to turnover from a awkward stance.

Thumbers. I use em, usually for a skip shot, but sometimes in the air. Im not to bad at them.. Prolly throw it about 250 so pretty useful.

Having a 50 ft turbo putt is pretty useful in the rough around a basket. To make a putt or even just to layup. Also not a skill i have but have seen. Im practicing it though.

 

[MichaelWebster]

Also, learning to putt from a knee can shave strokes in wooded courses with greenery about the basket.

 

[Pbmercil]

I think get out of trouble shots are really hard to practice or quantify. You never know what you might need to try, when, or how that will come up in competitive play. The only real way to practice getting out of trouble is to get into a lot of trouble and see what works.

I use thumbers, tomahawks, pancakes, scoobies, forehand rollers, backhand cut rollers, step out sidearms, spike hyzers with stupid flippy discs, and probably more. I think the more you play in heavy woods the more shots you learn.

I love my tomahawk putt. It basically works the same way as a turbo putt, but I suck at those. I can, and have, canned some pretty crazy blind over the top 30-40 footers with a putter tomahawk.

 

[gogo]

I've used turbo putts to get over obstacles. Sliding a viper or putter upside down when I'm under a tree. Skip a viper or hydra to get around trees. All kinds of forehand shots to get the disc to move to the right. I'll try just about anything when a backhand isn't the best shot. Also sometimes its better to take your lumps and get back to the fairway than add more strokes by trying and missing an experimental shot.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

I find I can be way more accurate with a thumber than I can any other shot. I think that is a combination of knowing my disc really well and having thrown a bunch of thumbers. It is just like throwing a baseball.

 

[Questatement]

It's best to avoid trouble and here's how.

Make goal 1 avoiding the first (set of) obstical(s).

Goal 2, second one/set.

Goal 3, if present, third one/set.

IOW, choose a line that threads the very center of all those gaps and never shave an obstical intentionally or think that just because it's a small obstical and 250' out you 'probably' wont hit it anyway. When that fails, all of the above advice is great.

 

[COLODISCR]

I agree it's best to stay out of trouble but sometimes you just end up having some bad luck no matter how perfect your plan to get around the obstacles is . Sometimes you're short, sometimes your long sometimes you get a bad release and sometimes you just find that iron leaf or stray branch to end up in a very bad spot. I watch most of the tournament coverage and even top pros can't always be perfect.

The grenade shot is a new one I didn't know about before and may have to try. I am horrible at turbo putts but might have to revisit them again. Yesterday I was at the local course for about 3 1/2 hours and made sure to intentionally throw to the sides with low ceilings or went and dropped in the worst spots I could find after ending up in a few tight trees last Sunday. I really think the practice was really helpful to have an idea of what I can do to get out of trouble when it happens. That way I'm not standing there lost in a tournament when I have a bad shot.

 

[PWaggoner]

Courses are usually better at sticking me in some crazy looks then I am, but i also practice at home as you said.

On the course sometimes i play a game where i throw really aggressive a couple times and play my bad lies and just pick up the good shots. Im practicing percentages (which shot to throw in the biggest gap) basically.

The difference is when i practice at home i usually choose a spot thats good for a fh roller etc and go. Sometimes i just do random but i think throwing the same shot over and over to build muscle memory is more worthwhile time spent then the mental decision to throw a certain shot over another shot. Every decision is going to be different and made on the spot. Usually it doesn't matter what is chosen, long as the player focuses on execution.

When landing in a spot where three different shots all have equal success to save par, and you are equally skilled at all three shots, then the only thing that matters is actually throwing the shot right. Which comes from practice and confidence in that shot.

 

[Questatement]

I watch most of the tournament coverage and even top pros can't always be perfect.

I remember the Beast last year making a crazy putt at Delaveaga (hole 13?) from behind a series of tall bushes/small trees and the commentator showed video of him practicing that shot during the prior days since when he ran it from the teepad, ending up behind that row of obsticals was one of the main risks for him.

 

[kerplunk]

The #1 think you obviously need is a usable FH, as FH requires so much less room to work with in tight spots than BH. Other than FH roller, which has been covered plenty, I find the pancake very useful (tomahawk that lands upside-down and slides). Also, I think it is well worth it to learn a turbo putt. Besides getting over obstacles, a turbo also can allow you to reach through tree branches or buses when they are right in your face. I would say my turbo putt saves me a stroke every 4 rounds or so.

Edit: One more thing. Just throwing the disc as a normal backhand but upside down to get under low-lying stuff. I think I read Elaine King say this once and I have been using it with great success since. Except at my last tournament, where I forgot about that shot to cost myself a stroke on the last hole.

 

[DiscJunkie]

I've been trying to work on my overhand thumbers and tomahawk throws to get up and over but I have not had luck with accuracy lately.

OP,
In order to gain accuracy with an overhand shot, aim and lead and throw with your elbow instead of your shoulder. And for goodness sake, don't throw with 100%.
Make it more like a tennis serve than a baseball throw.

Throw leading with your elbow at about 75% power to improve your accuracy.

 

[chevis]

when all you have is the non-dominate fh throw is the hardest get out of trouble shot. it feels awkward, and i never practice it, but i have had to use it in a few rounds. it's more of a chip out then a useful throw.

 

[josephreese]

I'm still learning proper form. All too often I end up left of where I want to be, and all to often these shots end up behind an obstacle. I little forehand flick with my Buzzz has been a score saver on several occasions.

My uncle is pretty good with discs, and taught me an overhand shot that he called the "hammer" back in the day. I don't know what folks call it now, but I'd like to know. I hold it like a forehand shot, with my first two fingers inside the rim. I throw it overhand like a baseball throw, with the angle of the disc usually between 10 and 11 o'clock. If I throw it properly, it turns upside-down, glides left-to-right, and then either skips or slides on its top. When I throw it wrong, it turns upside down, glides left-to-right, and then over-corrects right-to-left before reaching the ground. When thrown correctly, this shot has gotten me out of more trouble than I would have thought possible.

 

[Tjamesd]

I've got a SUPER beat up 170 X-comet that I will throw hyzer-flip forehands with... if I'm stuck behind some nasty stuff, but can straddle WAAAY to the right to an open window. Seems to happen a fair amount, for some reason.

 

[rickles]

I'm still learning proper form. All too often I end up left of where I want to be, and all to often these shots end up behind an obstacle. I little forehand flick with my Buzzz has been a score saver on several occasions.

My uncle is pretty good with discs, and taught me an overhand shot that he called the "hammer" back in the day. I don't know what folks call it now, but I'd like to know. I hold it like a forehand shot, with my first two fingers inside the rim. I throw it overhand like a baseball throw, with the angle of the disc usually between 10 and 11 o'clock. If I throw it properly, it turns upside-down, glides left-to-right, and then either skips or slides on its top. When I throw it wrong, it turns upside down, glides left-to-right, and then over-corrects right-to-left before reaching the ground. When thrown correctly, this shot has gotten me out of more trouble than I would have thought possible.

Tomahawk, and flip it around its a thumber. The thumber "rolls" the opposite direction...useful to know then trying to land/fly through to a spot.