Putting test results: not touching disc w/ pinky at all helped me with clean releases, pop, wobble

[disc-golf-neil]

Interesting, I can see how the fingers become more powerful and active in that grip. I prefer to keep the power adjustments in my lower body so I can maintain as much consistency as possible in the arm and upper body. I wonder if that grip would better compliment a more spin-focused putt—although it could be harder to maintain timing.

I like that you mentioned maintaining focus on your aiming point for an extended period. I think this is almost as significant as the motion itself—the difference it makes is hard to believe. Sometimes I'll do putting practice sessions where I maintain eye contact with a single link until I've putted 20 times. For the setup and everything. It helps train that focus and your ability to apply it when you need it. Quiet eye.

Yeah, lol, the tunnel vision on the aim point cannot be over done it seems, it's incredible how much it helps. I have 6 duplicate putters and I started practicing never breaking eye contact with that aim point until I've putted all 6 discs, never trying to watch them fly, just rapid fire and maintaining the eye contact. If you can maintain eye contact that long then it's a lot easier on the course to do it for 1 putt at a time and not accidentally let your eye wander.

 

[Brychanus]

Some of the most dramatic improvements in putting I had were from what RB seems like he's describing (I am enjoying this weird mind meld).

The putt is a different stance using a similar chain to the backhand. It is the "same" throw for me otherwise. I had the fastest mechanical improvements throwing textbooks and weights.

For discs, the grips tend to be somewhat variable and personal as long as they allow leverage. Involvement of fingers and "pop" or spin seem to vary. I tried throwing books and weights with different grips until it started to work more consistently with my whole body and felt more like my developing backhand chain. I think mine involves more leverage through the thumb similar to my backhand, and I had similar success with and without the pinky. Some people seem to really like the pinky leverage who have good putt rates.

I am close with a guy who switched from stagger to straddle putter and his C1 rate soon went up dramatically and he just won a local putting tournament. No way to predict that other than trying it out.

I'm a believer in the whole body insights RB is talking about because it was the single biggest improvement in my putting and when I'm practicing enough my C1 rate gets respectable, but going to bow out because I have no business offering putting advice otherwise.

 

[drk_evns]

I tried throwing books and weights with different grips until it started to work more consistently with my whole body and felt more like my developing backhand chain

+1

I know we're talking about holistic movements, but purposefully delaying my upper body and firing my legs "first" really helped me find the timing that best takes advantage of the power generated with the legs.

 

[RowingBoats]

Some of the most dramatic improvements in putting I had were from what RB seems like he's describing (I am enjoying this weird mind meld).

The putt is a different stance using a similar chain to the backhand. It is the "same" throw for me otherwise. I had the fastest mechanical improvements throwing textbooks and weights.

For discs, the grips tend to be somewhat variable and personal as long as they allow leverage. Involvement of fingers and "pop" or spin seem to vary. I tried throwing books and weights with different grips until it started to work more consistently with my whole body and felt more like my developing backhand chain. I think mine involves more leverage through the thumb similar to my backhand, and I had similar success with and without the pinky. Some people seem to really like the pinky leverage who have good putt rates.

I am close with a guy who switched from stagger to straddle putter and his C1 rate soon went up dramatically and he just won a local putting tournament. No way to predict that other than trying it out.

I'm a believer in the whole body insights RB is talking about because it was the single biggest improvement in my putting and when I'm practicing enough my C1 rate gets respectable, but going to bow out because I have no business offering putting advice otherwise.

Yep. I think if you practice ground up putting, at least in some capacity, it helps a lot. Another component that I see inconsistent putters do is a lack of finishing position. People literally like jerk their arms every which way after they release.

I'm not a perfect putter by any means, but when I miss left/right, my finishing position tells me that I did. I putt best when I do not think about form AT ALL, but if I am off base, one of the anchor points I return to is visualizing the finishing position or follow-through, though I do not really feel like you follow through in the same way as a harder swing.

 

[drk_evns]

Yep. I think if you practice ground up putting, at least in some capacity, it helps a lot. Another component that I see inconsistent putters do is a lack of finishing position. People literally like jerk their arms every which way after they release.

I'm not a perfect putter by any means, but when I miss left/right, my finishing position tells me that I did. I putt best when I do not think about form AT ALL, but if I am off base, one of the anchor points I return to is visualizing the finishing position or follow-through, though I do not really feel like you follow through in the same way as a harder swing.

Yup. Body in a line, balanced on the front foot, and eyes on the target until the disc comes to rest.

 

[RowingBoats]

I've always thought the 'aim for a link' was a weird way to aim! I suppose it makes sense if its just the way you dial things in and you let your body account for distance.

I have a bit of up/down in my stroke, so to me it makes a lot more sense to aim for a 'slot' in the air way closer to my lie, I don't look at the chains directly.

 

[RowingBoats]

Yup. Body in a line, balanced on the front foot, and eyes on the target until the disc comes to rest.
View attachment 331748

I think you are almost literally describing how I putt

 

[drk_evns]

I've always thought the 'aim for a link' was a weird way to aim! I suppose it makes sense if its just the way you dial things in and you let your body account for distance.

I have a bit of up/down in my stroke, so to me it makes a lot more sense to aim for a 'slot' in the air way closer to my lie, I don't look at the chains directly.

I also have a lot of up and down in the putt*, and I recommend it to everyone—I think you're exactly right about why it's helpful. I'm an intuitive player, so focusing on the basket I think helps my body naturally tune the form for the correct distance. Once you learn to trust it, it can feel like magic.

 

[drk_evns]

I think you are almost literally describing how I putt

I'm all for people developing what works for them—but this is the right way (joking, mostly.)

 

[RowingBoats]

I also have a lot of up and down in the slot, and I recommend it to everyone—I think you're exactly right about why it's helpful. I'm an intuitive player, so focusing on the basket I think helps my body naturally tune the form for the correct distance. Once you learn to trust it, it can feel like magic.

I read it enough to believe it. My guess is that we are all doing basically the same thing in that regard, just with different points of focus that we tune into.

 

[disc-golf-neil]

+1

I know we're talking about holistic movements, but purposefully delaying my upper body and firing my legs "first" really helped me find the timing that best takes advantage of the power generated with the legs.

That's one of the other things I mentioned in the vid! I haven't heard it before from the handful of putting vids I watched, but I started noticing it when going frame by frame in some good putters and when trying it I noticed how weightless my arm felt and how much smoother it made it feel.

I think about it as the body carrying the arm up (since the arm is attached) breaks the inertia so that when the arm starts moving it has much less resistance to overcome so it can focus on a smoother, more controlled acceleration.

 

[disc-golf-neil]

I've always thought the 'aim for a link' was a weird way to aim! I suppose it makes sense if its just the way you dial things in and you let your body account for distance.

I have a bit of up/down in my stroke, so to me it makes a lot more sense to aim for a 'slot' in the air way closer to my lie, I don't look at the chains directly.

It's just a lot harder to focus on a slot in the air since there's less of a noticeable feature. With drives too, I find it much easier if there's a tree / object in the distance I can use to pick an aim point instead of just emptiness. Of course a gap is easy to focus on X-axis-wise b/c it is literally framed for you, but then choosing a Y-axis aim point is easier if there's something through the gap to focus on at a particular height rather than just the sky.

When I'm further away from the basket I have to do this though, because aiming at the band is too low to make it to the basket at further distances. But that's not until somewhere deeper in C2 and I usually pick a spot in the air that's where I want the apex of the flight to be.

 

[drk_evns]

That's one of the other things I mentioned in the vid! I haven't heard it before from the handful of putting vids I watched, but I started noticing it when going frame by frame in some good putters and when trying it I noticed how weightless my arm felt and how much smoother it made it feel.

I think about it as the body carrying the arm up (since the arm is attached) breaks the inertia so that when the arm starts moving it has much less resistance to overcome so it can focus on a smoother, more controlled acceleration.

Exactly.

Sometimes I'll let my arm go limp and fire my legs just to emphasize this feeling.