Reid's Journey to Backhand Mastery

[UhhNegative]

Damn! Now that is some power from the front leg!

It can do wonders for confidence when you know you're not throwing it over the basket. A couple of those that you hear hit the ground just bounced off center pole because it's only a portable basket and I was 15' away throwing like it was 40'.

I'm really thinking that it can be easier to show someone how to putt in balance and then learn to throw better from that as a base.

Your vertical line comparison on your throw setup vs. follow through with my putt a few posts up also really helped me feel more leverage. I have to feel like I squat more into my plant, and it helps my lower body counter the torso better as it swings forward and I can have balance more similar to in my putt. Haven't got to try it yet with a disc but it feels very powerful and easy to balance, while being easier to create space for the swing.

I was wondering how I could transfer this new balance feeling to my throw? I've been having some better luck focusing on pushing my left hip targetward with my rear elbow. I'm definitely still coming "over the top" a lot.

I'm feeling good about a 2020' tournament season now. I can at least compete in rec/int now most likely. A lot of work to still do though.

 

[slowplastic]

I was wondering how I could transfer this new balance feeling to my throw? I've been having some better luck focusing on pushing my left hip targetward with my rear elbow. I'm definitely still coming "over the top" a lot.

Go like 80-100' away from a basket/target. Think you'll putt-throw...like start at your putting aim but then instead of loading the disc straight down to your legs, turn back a bit so that the disc can backswing slightly to your rear hip. This will turn your lead shoulder back/down slightly instead of a normal putt, and then you can get a little rotation forward into the same putting release point and swing through it.

Basically add a little backswing into your putt, and swing through it so that you feel the disc eject.

This way you won't have to think about power or distance, but you'll hopefully throw 100'+ so easily that you'll start seeing the disc carry way more than you expected, and you can go from there.

 

[Putt for D'oh]

This has become such a great putting info thread. Really appreciate the input.
I've taken some but still... this is helping anyway.

I'm feeling good about a 2020' tournament season now. I can at least compete in rec/int now most likely. A lot of work to still do though.

this is sarcasm right? From your form vids I gotta believe they would be yelling Bagger at you for playing INT let alone rec.

 

[UhhNegative]

this is sarcasm right? From your form vids I gotta believe they would be yelling Bagger at you for playing INT let alone rec.

You've never seen me putt or upshot during a round! When I was lefty I won one C-tier intermediate tourney by a few strokes but typically I would finish in the middle, and I started going downhill after that. My last tournament was the 2018 Music City Open where I played advanced and I think I got last. Like I was shooting +18 rounds... I just completely fell apart. I think I'm getting closer to being back to my peak lefty skill, but I'm hoping to break through to the next level. A lot of it is the mental game for me, which I have also been working hard on.

 

[UhhNegative]

Go like 80-100' away from a basket/target. Think you'll putt-throw...like start at your putting aim but then instead of loading the disc straight down to your legs, turn back a bit so that the disc can backswing slightly to your rear hip. This will turn your lead shoulder back/down slightly instead of a normal putt, and then you can get a little rotation forward into the same putting release point and swing through it.

Basically add a little backswing into your putt, and swing through it so that you feel the disc eject.

This way you won't have to think about power or distance, but you'll hopefully throw 100'+ so easily that you'll start seeing the disc carry way more than you expected, and you can go from there.

This is making more sense. I see how the battering ram drill applies now too. It just "feels" like my balance is too far forward. I'll try this out today if I get the chance.

 

[UhhNegative]

No one told me putting could be this easy. I see how it's 90% mental now. This is going to save me probably 5+ strokes a round on average. All I have to do is make sure my weight is up on the front foot with nose over toes and extend my hand towards the basket. Still get some inconsistent releases out of the fingers but overall, much, much better even after only two days of practice.

 

[slowplastic]

Still get some inconsistent releases out of the fingers but overall, much, much better even after only two days of practice.

If you feel the back edge of the disc want to swing forward and continue along the path that your arm started it on...then your fingers can't really mess you up unless you really mess up. Once you can feel that disc sling/pop work easily, it will feel very effortless to go along with the solid balance base that the rest of your body is set up on.

You're right it's all mental after that. Which is good or bad depending on the day haha

 

[UhhNegative]

If you feel the back edge of the disc want to swing forward and continue along the path that your arm started it on...then your fingers can't really mess you up unless you really mess up. Once you can feel that disc sling/pop work easily, it will feel very effortless to go along with the solid balance base that the rest of your body is set up on.

You're right it's all mental after that. Which is good or bad depending on the day haha

Yeah I do get the finger spring on occasion, just not always. Might be a consequence of not committing to the putt sometimes.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Yeah I do get the finger spring on occasion, just not always. Might be a consequence of not committing to the putt sometimes.

Pre swing your putt until you can feel the spring firing and you're gonna have an easier time committing.

 

[UhhNegative]

New putting stance paid off for the first time in my 9 hole round yesterday. Had a below average driving/upshot day, but still managed to tie my best at the course because I could hit 20-25 footers a lot more reliably. Feels good. Also my ~150'-175' putter standstills are feeling better and better. Getting all my weight on the front foot, "wiping my butt", and making sure my arm extends/pushes and I'm accidentally throwing too far a lot. Sorry neighbor's car!

 

[slowplastic]

New putting stance paid off for the first time in my 9 hole round yesterday. Had a below average driving/upshot day, but still managed to tie my best at the course because I could hit 20-25 footers a lot more reliably. Feels good. Also my ~150'-175' putter standstills are feeling better and better. Getting all my weight on the front foot, "wiping my butt", and making sure my arm extends/pushes and I'm accidentally throwing too far a lot. Sorry neighbor's car!

That's exactly the track to take I think. Add like 10-20' to that comfortable range at a time and soon you'll be throwing 250'+ putter shots with no effort and all leverage.

Awesome that the putting is working out for you too.

 

[UhhNegative]

That's exactly the track to take I think. Add like 10-20' to that comfortable range at a time and soon you'll be throwing 250'+ putter shots with no effort and all leverage.

Awesome that the putting is working out for you too.

Yeah I def have no trouble getting putters out to 250'. But when I get more hip turn incorporated it should be even easier.

Played a tags round this morning and shot my best round right handed at the course by 4-5 strokes. Hit one outside the circle putt and only missed 2-3 inside. Driving started out well but had some bumps along the way. I know I was starting to come over the top a little because my hip and back are hurting. So my focus will be leading with the hips more and getting them turned back further. I'm starting to feel like a right handed person.

 

[UhhNegative]

So on the topic of putting. I'm still not sure where I need to be in terms of grip pressure. When I see Paul McBeth putt it looks like he is holding his putter like a bird, but then it comes out with a lot of power. So he must be tightening down on the grip a little bit either during the backswing or right before the forward swing right? I find that I'm sometimes not holding it firm enough which leads to some flubbed releases.

 

[UhhNegative]

I am a physics god (watch until the end)



But it really looks like its coming out super nose down and I'm not letting the wrist be loose so I end up with my hand on the back of the disc. I swear when its flying its slight hyzer and only slightly nose down. Feeling WAY more confident though.

 

[slowplastic]

In this picture I added earlier in the thread, look at where the disc is in my "aiming" position. It's completely forward and basically what it feels like to me is the back edge of the disc is the front. It almost feels like I'm holding on that late or slinging the disc forward so that my hand helps spring the back edge forward, to add to its momentum. I don't push on the side edge of the disc or the flight plate at all. I used to kind of push at the 9 o'clock position and give it a little finger spring, but now I'm really feeling like the disc swings along a continual path and that sets the nose down, a flat wing angle, and gives it a lot more pop naturally rather than me trying to get my hand spring perfect. https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3494797&postcount=370

And it's not my hand being so loose that my wrist feels like it opens fully, but that the disc wants to sling around or through.

 

[UhhNegative]

So more of a push with the palm on the back of the disc rather than a push with the fingers?

 

[slowplastic]

No it's a feel thing with the disc's weight itself...where I don't actually have to feel my hand action anymore. I used to have to think of finger spring or if I'd push with the palm or anything like that, and that would make my putting consistency vary a lot day to day depending on if I was "feeling it" that day or not.

It's more that the back edge of the disc is my focus. As I start the putting motion the back edge is moving toward the basket at a smooth and increasing pace, and then as I start to extend I just keep the back edge of the disc moving toward the basket continually, until it is the front of the disc. It basically never gets redirected or tugged or anything...I just keep the back edge continuing forward until it is the front of the disc.

The simplest way I can explain the feel, is to pinch the disc between thumb and index and let it dangle below your hand vertically, and feel the disc's weight sway a bit. Now pop the disc straight upward so that the disc flies straight up to the sky. It should feel like the dangling edge of the disc that was below your hand just wants to shoot straight up. It feels pretty natural to fling the disc straight up after a few times, if you don't try to overspin it or anything then you shouldn't get any angles to the pop upward. It's the same thing, I just feel like the disc wants to spring or sling at the basket so I help it get there.

 

[UhhNegative]

I do understand the "feeling" aspect and its impossible to explain. I just need to make sure I'm holding it in a way that allows me to feel that pop/weight shifting and from there its just refining it.

So I just got back from the putting lab and I tried actually using my fingers to push the disc into the palm and it got me a lot more consistent releases. Not sure if it will be evident on video, but I was able to keep longer putts a lot lower and just felt more crisp out of the hand.

 

[slowplastic]

Crisp is the right description of how it feels to me. I would try to get far less hyzer though, I find those can be prone to weird reaction to the wind more, and can cut through the chains more often than flat puts.

 

[UhhNegative]

Crisp is the right description of how it feels to me. I would try to get far less hyzer though, I find those can be prone to weird reaction to the wind more, and can cut through the chains more often than flat puts.

Yeah... definitely something I need to work on. Just feels weird having my wrist bent to hold the left side of the disc up. Honestly, the worst part is when I miss I end up with lots of rollaways that then cause me to 3 putt.