Looking to clean up my form

[adamdadkins]

Hi all,

I've been playing for years, somewhat off and on, but recently dove back into the sport, coinciding with a renewed push to shed a lot of weight. I'm doing well on both; I missed disc golf.

However, despite reading as much as I can from Heavy Disc and studying YouTube, I can't get my form straightened up. I need y'alls help.

I decided to abandon an x-step and go with the 1-step until I'm closer to 300 feet. Right now, best case scenario with an x-step drive is about 240 with a Leopard.

I've been focusing on:

+ Wider backswing, a la Nate Doss. I worry that I'm pulling in too soon, though, as the disc just about clips my chest.

+ Figuring out a better weight transfer. My size prevents my hips from opening up as well as someone more limber, but I gotta have more power in me than this.

Behind angle: https://youtu.be/DsD04JNjwLw

Side angle: https://youtu.be/e5JI0twcDqM

 

[slowplastic]

I like the way you're swinging the disc/your arm but it is coming out with some wobble and nose up, so I would look at your grip for starters. You should have the palm turned over onto the disc very slightly and keep the disc aligned with your forearm for the most part...if it gets off angle that'll give it some wobble as you pop it through. https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/resources/articles/gripittoripit.shtml

Secondly your stance alignment is a bit off. You should have your stance a little offset-closed in setup...roughly you should be aiming to have your back foot's toes go through your plant foot's heel and down the aim line. Shift your weight and balance between your feet, but trust that the disc will come out down your intended aim line, closed of your stance. If I threw from your stance in the behind view video, I would throw between the right edge of the basketball court and the basketball hoop on the right, kind of at that flag in the distance.

After changing those two setup factors, then balance really comes into play. You are folding into the rear leg instead of being balanced on it for the backswing, and then you're opening up the front leg as you move to your right. You should be moving laterally to the right leg and THEN swinging after catching your weight...it will feel very delayed.

I do like the way you're swinging your arm plane, so adjust the grip and stance and that should hopefully help you release the disc a little later since you'll be more closed, to have a more complete disc sling and nose down flights. Then be a bit more balanced moving between the feet instead of trying to destroy the disc by swinging your arm as hard as possible.

Remember that when you are in balance and you get a good disc sling, it will take what feels like zero effort to throw a Leo to 250'. So try to be efficient, balanced, and with leverage through the disc. Not maximum power or speed with the arm itself.

 

[sidewinder22]

Agree with what SP about your stance. Not sure on the grip. Your hips are restricted from your posture.

1. Your stance is too wide to start from which restricts your hip mobility and ability to shift quicker back and forth. You need to start/setup in narrower stance like a pitcher so you can shift your center already balanced and leveraged to the rear foot in the backswing to make a more powerful move forward, instead of your center staying centered or having to shift it back and falling forward off the rear foot. Then you can stride into a wider stance than you started from and generate more easy momentum. The other way is to throw from One Leg Drill, so your weight doesn't have to shift.

2. You are extending and locking out your rear knee and driving off the heel going forward which also restricts your hip. And looks like you are also fully extending locking out your front knee. Need some flex the knees and plantar flexion to swivel the hips.

 

[adamdadkins]

Thanks guys!

The grip/wrist angle mistake was aggravating. I definitely knew better. Thanks for pointing it out.

The weight transfer stuff is going to take some work. It feels very foreign; it's clear to my uncle (my main playing partner) and I that we've just never done anything but strongarm our throws. Hence, max out around 250 ft and usually average below 230 ft.

I think I'm going to follow SW's advice from the PSA and hold off making big changes until after a tourney in early October. In the meantime, though, got plenty of videos to study and drills to work on.

 

[adamdadkins]

Hey guys. Back almost a year later. About 80 pounds lighter, which is great, but I'm still struggling.

I want to try and focus on one thing at a time to fix, because I'm certain the list here is pretty long.

What would you guys recommend?

https://youtu.be/c_V411WIHIM

 

[UhhNegative]

Video is set to private. Congrats on the weight loss, 80 pounds is a lot!

 

[adamdadkins]

Hey thanks!

And the video should be OK now

 

[UhhNegative]

I like a lot about your throw except for just a couple big things that are going to unlock a ton for you.

1) pushing off your rear heel. This one has plagued me forever, but you want to shift off the ball/toes of your rear foot. It just works better for a number of reasons. Takes some getting used to though. Try going throughout the X-step without letting your rear heel ever touch the ground. It will feel weird but you will feel the quicker weight shift.

2) turning everything back more. Hips and shoulders need to turn further back. Your going to have to let your head turn further to let this happen as well. Trust your body to aim the shot. Fixing your rear leg will also really help with being able to turn back more.

I think you've got the sequence pretty well down, just need to get turned back more and shift off the rear instep/toes.

 

[sidewinder22]

 

[adamdadkins]

Well guys, good news:

I hit 300 ft (tracked by UDisc) with a Leopard. Cool feeling. Definitely working on that back foot; it feels faster!

But I am wondering if I should be throwing mids and putters for now. I've heard before that learning to throw slower discs at distance is a great way to learn better form.

Thoughts?

 

[adamdadkins]

As part of a decision to really focus on improving my game -- practice schedules, etc -- and after studying Heavy Disc's awesome blog (again), I'm going to focus on standstill/1-step shots with mids and putters. I want to figure out how to generate enough oomph to easily throw 300+ with the mids.

As such, any and all feedback here would be great:

https://youtu.be/-a0OELJBO44

 

[sidewinder22]

Turn your rear foot slightly back, so you aren't pigeon toed. You are losing pressure on your rear toes and spinning the foot out. Drive your rear heel forward from the toes/instep.

 

[adamdadkins]

The battle continues with my 1-step. I got a tripod for my phone, so now I can take much, much more video.

Went out for a sesh today at lunch. I'm still struggling to a) transfer my weight and b ) to not round like crazy. I'm focusing on A to start with. I threw for so long with no concern at all for weight and balance that it's like re-learning to walk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzn4caS3A24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRXPFnZeqXk