Nick Pacific
Eagle Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2013
- Messages
- 989
That's person specific though, I figured it out pretty quick learning lefty at age 38. Just gotta go slow take it easy.
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Playing injured—playing with your off hand
- Thread starter txmxer
- Start date
That's person specific though, I figured it out pretty quick learning lefty at age 38. Just gotta go slow take it easy.
I think most stories have been about backhand - I picked up lefty forehand much easier. I injured my shoulder, just slightly, in spring of 2009 and had to take a couple of weeks off but didn't want to - so I spent that time fiddling with lefty throwing and realized that I could get massive use on the course with the extra reach a lefty forehand gave me in the woods. Compared to a step-over stance ("patent pending") a lefty forehand could get me about two extra feet of reach. Plus right away I was getting a bit shy of 365' (the longest hole I got with it) on a high flex.
After I went back to throwing competitively a few weeks later, starting with 60' throws, I slowly increased the reliable range over time until in the right (very bad) situations I could use it out to the low to mid 200s. I think the highlight in competition was that fall using it on a snaking shot through the woods to park and save a 3 on a 260' approach that fall (that was big helping save cash in a tournament that otherwise fell apart lol).
I took to it well because although I'm a natural right-handed person I hurt my right arm and had it in a cast at the age my Dad was starting to toss balls to me and get me to toss it back, like somewhere around age 2? So I was doing all that lefty, and I wound up playing baseball as a kid lefty as a result (I hit righty). Though I didn't learn to, like, throw footballs or shoot basketballs til I was older, so all other types of throwing I do righty. Lots of lil stuff you learn at that age that I do lefty... hold a pencil, toothbrush, food utensils, etc. So thats all lefty stuff for me.
Throwing a baseball though has shifted over to righty since I started high school, I guess eventually tossing everything else that way overtook the baseball years.
After I went back to throwing competitively a few weeks later, starting with 60' throws, I slowly increased the reliable range over time until in the right (very bad) situations I could use it out to the low to mid 200s. I think the highlight in competition was that fall using it on a snaking shot through the woods to park and save a 3 on a 260' approach that fall (that was big helping save cash in a tournament that otherwise fell apart lol).
I took to it well because although I'm a natural right-handed person I hurt my right arm and had it in a cast at the age my Dad was starting to toss balls to me and get me to toss it back, like somewhere around age 2? So I was doing all that lefty, and I wound up playing baseball as a kid lefty as a result (I hit righty). Though I didn't learn to, like, throw footballs or shoot basketballs til I was older, so all other types of throwing I do righty. Lots of lil stuff you learn at that age that I do lefty... hold a pencil, toothbrush, food utensils, etc. So thats all lefty stuff for me.
Throwing a baseball though has shifted over to righty since I started high school, I guess eventually tossing everything else that way overtook the baseball years.
Dthunderchicken
Double Eagle Member
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2009
- Messages
- 1,963
In my defense, I am a klutz. Ambidextrous but still a klutz.
My strategy was to mimic the motion and grip for a moment.
So I started out with short throws, like 60'ers reaching out of the deep woods so all I had the space to do was work with my forearm forward anyway. I would grip the disc with my FH grip on my right hand, kinda apply pressure and feel the disc resisting a wrist snap... And then I'd mimic the grip and mimic the wrist snap a few times til it felt right.
Then I'd get my arm all the way out, find its (very short for those throws) arm swing, and just pop the disc forward with a quick hit, a quick crack of the whip.
Over time I got that to 100'+ accurately. And then started incorporating more of the arm. Slowly build out up the arm and using more body. I mean I was using some body, bracing and driving force through the brace, even for the 60'ers to some extent.... But you know what I mean.
Really how I figured it out falls in line with how I teach people to throw now. I start with grip and work back through the body.
#1, I hate you.
#2, I think Mythbusters tested the myth "girls can't throw". They started off by grabbing a randomish sample of people and did some throwing skill tests. The women did significantly worse on average than the men… Then they made everyone throw with their off hand and lo and behold the differences disappeared. Then they compared women on high level softball teams who crushed the random sample of men.
I also have a friend who had his kid hitting and throwing both ways from as soon as he could hold a ball or plastic bat. He is right handed but is currently in the Blue Jays organization as a lefty reliever.
Shockingly, practice matters.
Bottom line on all this is simply that you can learn to throw off handed just so long as you stick with it. Heck, you might even end up with better form if you start with the idea of "form first" since you won't have bad muscle memory that need be unlearned.
Yes in form.
Because I lack the fine motor skills with my left, I also cannot power through bad form—which is how I played righty.
Like most people, i picked up a disc and every now and then I had a decent throw. I improved my accuracy and I began to throw harder to try for distance. Strong arming. My form was wrong. I developed pain in my hip and shoulder and was working on correcting my form so I wouldn't cause damage/pain.
Then I got injured.
But, my left still works. But I can't just throw harder because it doesn't work. I have to go with slow and smooth to get better results. It's a work in progress.
Thanks for all the feedback.
Because I lack the fine motor skills with my left, I also cannot power through bad form—which is how I played righty.
Like most people, i picked up a disc and every now and then I had a decent throw. I improved my accuracy and I began to throw harder to try for distance. Strong arming. My form was wrong. I developed pain in my hip and shoulder and was working on correcting my form so I wouldn't cause damage/pain.
Then I got injured.
But, my left still works. But I can't just throw harder because it doesn't work. I have to go with slow and smooth to get better results. It's a work in progress.
Thanks for all the feedback.
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