Grip Strength Question

[heldveld]

I am wondering how hard people grip the disc through the throwing motion. Do you grip it the same all the way through or do you tighten as you get to the hit/release.

I'm asking because when I try to stay lose and whip my arm typically the disc comes out very early because I am also relaxing my grip. If I grip tighter I have a harder time 'whipping'.

 

[RowingBoats]

I am wondering how hard people grip the disc through the throwing motion. Do you grip it the same all the way through or do you tighten as you get to the hit/release.

I'm asking because when I try to stay lose and whip my arm typically the disc comes out very early because I am also relaxing my grip. If I grip tighter I have a harder time 'whipping'.

It has to be a progression from quite loose to clamped. Remember that the whip has to start slow and accelerate. Think about swinging a hammer, you control it with a loose grip, and tighten when you know to do it. Or a quick jab punch. The act of clenching your fist is part of generating that whipping effect, not something you set and maintain statically.

 

[drk_evns]

I feel like my grip is pretty normal but my brother pointed out that I warp the flight plate on everything because I'm squeezing so hard. I never think much about it once I get a comfortable spot.

 

[heldveld]

Rowing - Thanks for that explanation. It helps point me in the right direction. I've seen a lot of tutorials on how to grip (power, fan etc.) and that it is supposed to rip out as well as about whipping the arm and staying loose. Trying to put things together to improve my form/distance/accuracy.

drk_evns - Do you find that you can stay loose even with the strong grip?

 

[Brychanus]

Rowing - Thanks for that explanation. It helps point me in the right direction. I've seen a lot of tutorials on how to grip (power, fan etc.) and that it is supposed to rip out as well as about whipping the arm and staying loose. Trying to put things together to improve my form/distance/accuracy.

drk_evns - Do you find that you can stay loose even with the strong grip?

This is still my favorite video on how the grip relates to the arm, the rest of the body, and the goal. If you work on how they relate to each other it makes figuring out your own grip easier:



I think people can get there different ways; leveraging things to slash or hit or throw always helps me a lot.

 

[RowingBoats]

I feel like my grip is pretty normal but my brother pointed out that I warp the flight plate on everything because I'm squeezing so hard. I never think much about it once I get a comfortable spot.

Do you feel like your grip is fairly static for the entire swing? That seems like an odd concept to me now! I'm sure it can work, but the Josh Anton thumb-lift got me to do things in a different way than I had been.

 

[Sheep]

While I never focus on grip strength with ball golf or baseball, swinging anything with 2 hands really.
I do focus on it with disc golf more.

But the most realistic answer I would always tell people is to keep your grip as loose as possible while obtaining enough grip to allow the disc to do what it needs to do.

Because were looking to accelerate the disc with so much leverage into the rotation of the disc that it RIPS from our hands.
To loose and well, you cannot obtain this, to much and you're going to have way other problems.

 

[RowingBoats]

While I never focus on grip strength with ball golf or baseball, swinging anything with 2 hands really.
I do focus on it with disc golf more.

But the most realistic answer I would always tell people is to keep your grip as loose as possible while obtaining enough grip to allow the disc to do what it needs to do.

Because were looking to accelerate the disc with so much leverage into the rotation of the disc that it RIPS from our hands.
To loose and well, you cannot obtain this, to much and you're going to have way other problems.

I agree with this. One thing I had to get through was accelerating WAY, WAY too early. Like, full blown, pedal to the metal from the backswing early. This made me think that you had to have god-like grip. You really don't though. Timing the 'boom' requires a reasonably clenched grip, but only for a very short period of time.

Or I'm way off base with feel not being real and talking nonsense, which is possible

 

[blayed]

Timing the 'boom' requires a reasonably clenched grip, but only for a very short period of time.

Or I'm way off base with feel not being real and talking nonsense, which is possible

You're not off base at all! I came here to say almost exactly what you were going to say. I also agree with sheep above. Not loose not too hard but it feels like the hand automatically grips hard when it needs to.

 

[Sheep]

You're not off base at all! I came here to say almost exactly what you were going to say. I also agree with sheep above. Not loose not too hard but it feels like the hand automatically grips hard when it needs to.

It does in a way. This was something I learned with ball golf. You dont need to death grip the club, if you do, it cannot flow and swing. you'll automatically bite down on the club when it hits peak acceleration automatically.


it's like the punching thing, i forget who came up with the idea, but you dont actually clench your fist until youre just about to hit the person, because when you try and clench any muscle group, it doesn't move fast anymore, it moves slow.

 

[Brychanus]

Do you feel like your grip is fairly static for the entire swing? That seems like an odd concept to me now! I'm sure it can work, but the Josh Anton thumb-lift got me to do things in a different way than I had been.

Just wanted to add I started with the Anton thumb lift, but tended to get TOO floppy in the wrist and arm for other reasons. At some point I tried out what Drake is saying, but then I tended to get too muscled & tense in the backswing. I do think some people can kind of isolate a very firm grip in the backswing but stay loose elsewhere and still pull off a death grip.

I ended up probably closer to what RB is saying here - my best swings still feel leveraged at the wrist with a firm but not super tight grip. On good swings I tend to stay loose enough to throw, but not so loose that the pocket crumples. FWIW I just switched back to a pendulum/windmill pump and noticed it was a little easier to stay on the firmer side of gripping without getting too muscled, probably due to a lot of work on other stuff.

My hand definitely feels like it clamps down hard entering the hit & I can see it happening on camera. But I still think it's better to learn that as reflex against the disc redirecting & accelerating than trying to time or force it.

 

[drk_evns]

I'll focus on it when I play later to see if I can tell what's happening.

I think I have a death grip and it loosens a bit in my backswing, but I'm DEFINITELY not getting Anthon-loose. I always looked at that as the most extreme example as opposed to one I'm trying to emulate.

 

[timothy42b]

At one of Stokely's clinics someone asked about how tight the grip should be. I don't remember his exact words but this is what I took from his reply. He said the harder you throw the tighter you have to hold it. You want it to rip out so if you're throwing short you have to hold it much looser.

 

[gooberau]

I am wondering how hard people grip the disc through the throwing motion. Do you grip it the same all the way through or do you tighten as you get to the hit/release.

I'm asking because when I try to stay lose and whip my arm typically the disc comes out very early because I am also relaxing my grip. If I grip tighter I have a harder time 'whipping'.

I was told during a clinic the amount of pressure is similar to squeezing a tube of toothpaste to the point that the toothpaste is about to come out

 

[RowingBoats]

Just wanted to add I started with the Anton thumb lift, but tended to get TOO floppy in the wrist and arm for other reasons. At some point I tried out what Drake is saying, but then I tended to get too muscled & tense in the backswing. I do think some people can kind of isolate a very firm grip in the backswing but stay loose elsewhere and still pull off a death grip.

I ended up probably closer to what RB is saying here - my best swings still feel leveraged at the wrist with a firm but not super tight grip. On good swings I tend to stay loose enough to throw, but not so loose that the pocket crumples. FWIW I just switched back to a pendulum/windmill pump and noticed it was a little easier to stay on the firmer side of gripping without getting too muscled, probably due to a lot of work on other stuff.

My hand definitely feels like it clamps down hard entering the hit & I can see it happening on camera. But I still think it's better to learn that as reflex against the disc redirecting & accelerating than trying to time or force it.

I don't literally do the thumb lift, but seeing it caused me to rethink quite a bit.