Small break through....maybe

[rjaco]

The other day doing field work, I realized I wasn't pinching the disc with my thumb and index finger. After a few throws, I could really feel where the disc was ripping off my finger and don't think I had felt that before. I've only played a couple of rounds but it seems to have added at least 30' to my max distance with out sacrificing accuracy. The disc seemed to fly flatter and come out of my had a lot faster. I'm also working on keeping my elbow straight and that seems to have helped some, too. I usually can hit 300 or maybe a little more. I had one drive that was pushing 400'. I did have about a 15 mph tailwind to help.

How hard to you usually pinch the disc? Has anyone else experienced this? Sure was nice to have something positive. Seems like I have been stuck in a rut.

 

[sidewinder22]

Pretty hard at the hit. Grip goes from fairly loose/firm to hard during the throw.

 

[slowplastic]

I like the pinch through the flight plate, fairly hard at the end especially. Lets me focus on clamping down on that point hard, rather than meat fisting the whole rim into my palm with all of my fingers.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Meat Fisting?!

 

[threevok]

Talk about ham fisting a cliche.

 

[slowplastic]

Sometimes you gotta change stuff up, it's da internetz

 

[hook_nuts]

The tighter the grip the better.

 

[rjaco]

Makes me feel like Jr. High but I think I have been "meat fisting" the disc. I'll keep working on pinching as hard as possible. Now, if I could just get my footwork and balance figured out. At least, I have something to work on.

 

[Hippy]

Hold it like a 15yr old boy does on a saturday night!!!!!

 

[epkade]

Not to hijack the thread, but related question. I have thrown my farthest distances when pinching very hard between my index and thumb during the entire run-up. I have also read that grip should be relaxed until the hit. Watching videos that mention grip people often mention that they grip hard or that someone should not be able to just take the disc out of your hand (and in these instances they often seem to imply that such a firm grip should be used throughout the entire run-up). Can anyone clarify these differing messages?

Additionally, since I have had success with pinching hard through the entire run-up, should I continue to do this (it definitely tires my hand out when practicing in the field) or should I work on timing my pinch? Is there a secret to timing your pinch?

 

[slowplastic]

I like having the pinch point because I can direct more force at that part of my grip, than the remaining fingers pulling the rim into my palm. If I were to just put all 4 fingers on the inner part of the rim, my brain would be telling all of them to grip hard with almost the same pressure, and that would tense up my forearm more.

I think my grip is "firm" but not hard during reach back, then clamps down fairly hard towards the hit. But I do direct most of it at the pinch point. I feel like if I put too much into all of my fingers on the inner rim, my forearm would tense up and likely slow down my throw/whip (if I did that during the entire throw and run up).

Play around with it, timing it should be natural since you know there's going to be an impact/rip and see if it leads to less soreness.

 

[sidewinder22]

If you are gripping hard early then you can't move as fast and grip as hard at the end. It can also lead to tendonitis from being tense too long. You can be relaxed and still have control. Loose is fast and on the verge of out of control. Timing the pinch comes down to practice and feel. I feel like it's progressively building to the end like the acceleration.

Look ma, no thumb or index finger in the backswing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayyQItY5KMs#t=1m15s

 

[epkade]

Great. Looks like my next endeavor is to get the pinch point timing conscious so that I can incorporate that into muscle memory. I bet it'll even up my distance. Right now I think I "think" about pinching just a tad too late and feel the disc leaving before I really get to clamp down. This feels like a good direction to improve on though. Thanks!

 

[sillybizz]

One of the local pros in the Seattle area said that the vast majority of the pressure in his grip was on the pinky and ring fingers, he also used a modified stack grip though. He said the same thing as Sidewinder22, he had a loose grip until the hit and then tightened up. I tried it, couldn't get it to work for me (other than grip locking it three fairways away) but he unleashed drives past 400 feet. Might not work for everyone but it's something interesting to try at least.

 

[discRabbit]

^ should try fan grip

 

[sidewinder22]

^ should try fan grip

Agree. , or a 2 finger.

 

[Dan Ensor]

2-finger grip is as magical as SW says. Easy feedback.

 

[sillybizz]

^ should try fan grip

^ Should move back to Seattle

 

[discRabbit]

^ Should move back to Seattle

truth!

 

[TheBeardedFatGuy]

I just discovered today that I get better snap and distance if I pinch the disc between my thumb and forefinger. This makes sense since this is the last pivot point for the disc before it rips out. Being farthest along the rim of the disc, the index finger has the greatest potential for this pivot that adds spin. I'm amazed very few of the instructional videos discuss this aspect of the drive. They usually just mention the thumb being 1/2 to 1 inch from the rim and leave it at that. My middle and ring fingers are longer than my index finger, so when they're hooked under the rim, the index finger falls short. By squeezing down with the index and thumb until I'm pinching the disc between them, better snap and definitely more distance. Cool beans.