super sekret teqniques

[matchu]

i use a full reach back technique like stokely. It is a porn star thing! I went and threw today and freakng pulled a muscled trying to throw a forehand too hard or something. man it sux... I was able to use the technique to really throw some longer backhand throws even with the injury.

 

[JR]

Interesting stuff.

I bet Bradley or Beto could make a really great video from even just the incomplete technique.

And waiting for videos a write up from everyone would be nice :-D

 

[jw34]

Yes, videos would be nice.

 

[krik72]

If anyone wants a guinea pig Im willing to do several hours of field work every day for the near future and I could also help with videos and write ups etc. I throw about 300'-320 golf D RHBH so I think Im a perfect candidate.

 

[emiller3]

I went from "half hitting it" to "not hitting it" in the last week, and I know it's because the disc is slipping out completely. The better my late acceleration, the worse my distance gets, or at least stays the same, and I'm just shocked when it comes out so slow after I thought I hit it well...I can only assume that the increased acceleration is causing the disc to slip even earlier. Yesterday, when I suspected what was happening, I could feel the disc falling out of my hand...no palm ejection, no disc pivot, nothing. I am only occasionally reaching 400' with distance drivers right now, although I'm still at a good 360-375' with the Eagles, and 350' with Rocs, so I'm thinking that the smaller rims are enabling my weak grip to hold on a little better. I'm working on gripping better, had some success yesterday on the course and got back up to 450' with a Monarch, but I want that extra D back for good, so someone explain what the drills are! The rest of my fundamentals are solid, disc pivot/wrist extension/all this stuff is the last part of my throw that I want to work on, I've had periods where I was hitting 450' consistently and I know I was half hitting it, but I know it's the reason I only consider myself a 400' Destroyer thrower at the moment. And I've never had big snap.

 

[jubuttib]

I'm starting to think that it's mainly irrelevant how I throw, if I can't get the death grip going on at the end. If I get that, I can do pretty much whatever and it'll still fly faaar. If I can't get it, doesn't matter what I do, it always ends up around somewhere around 350-380'.

 

[emiller3]

I'm starting to think that it's mainly irrelevant how I throw, if I can't get the death grip going on at the end. If I get that, I can do pretty much whatever and it'll still fly faaar. If I can't get it, doesn't matter what I do, it always ends up around somewhere around 350-380'.

I believe you are right. If I posted vids for some of the local bombers we'd all call them liars and say there's no way they're throwing 450'+. I wish it were that natural for me. But I think if you increase your grip/wrist extension control a little, you can get to 400' with really good form and just mediocre grip.

Having good form overall has really helped with my accuracy, though, which has proven to be a lot more important than distance. Although I think increasing awareness/control of my grip would probably help me get even more accurate.

 

[JHern]

On grip: I think there are two sides to this equation (as usual). On the one hand you have grip strength, and on the other and you have the mechanics of your throw to generate enough snap to rip the disc from your grip (from the body, shoulder, and arm/wrist positions, as well as timing). You need both to throw to your greatest potential. If you have a vice-like grip but poor mechanics, then by gripping harder you just end up grip-locking and shanking your throws. If you have good mechanics, but a weak grip, the disc will slip out before you are able to accelerate/fling the disc rapidly and violently forward.

Blake's drills will only teach you the mechanics part. Its your responsibility to build grip strength. I have heard of so many pros who do professional work with their hands (e.g., roofing for Ken Climo, massage therapy for Jim Oates, etc.), and it is clear that the kind of strength you build off the field will have a huge impact on your ability to throw. Blake suggests we can try carpentry, for example, to build up strength, and I agree this is ideal. Another pro buddy of mine is a professional painter, and gets a work-out that way.

 

[Blake_T1]

99% of usable disc golf grip strength is timing.

you can put yourself into positions where the disc inertia/momentum is simply too much to hang onto. you can put yourself into positions where everything is primed to hang onto it even though the force is greater than you could hang onto if you weren't in that position.

basically, if you are correctly manipulating the weight shift of the disc slips shouldn't happen unless the rim is too wide for you to have any leverage.

 

[emiller3]

I don't correctly manipulate the weight shift of the disc. Is that what your drills will teach me?

I have good grip strength in general, I just don't seem to apply it when I throw.

 

[racer93]

99% of usable disc golf grip strength is timing.

you can put yourself into positions where the disc inertia/momentum is simply too much to hang onto. you can put yourself into positions where everything is primed to hang onto it even though the force is greater than you could hang onto if you weren't in that position.

basically, if you are correctly manipulating the weight shift of the disc slips shouldn't happen unless the rim is too wide for you to have any leverage.

You are right. I have found this to be true.

Now, stuff like the dynaflex powerball help, but timing is critical. It "feels" like you need to increase grip strength (I felt like that this spring), but when you get timing down, slip magically disappears. >Poof<

 

[jubuttib]

I was mainly talking about timing the grip. If I grip as hard as I can from the start everything falls apart. I have more than enough (I believe) grip strength to throw around 440' (since I've done it), but timing it is a tad hard. When I was first focusing on this part of the throw it worked very well for 3 days straight, but then I lost it again. At least I know what I'm looking for.

 

[emiller3]

99% of usable disc golf grip strength is timing.

you can put yourself into positions where the disc inertia/momentum is simply too much to hang onto. you can put yourself into positions where everything is primed to hang onto it even though the force is greater than you could hang onto if you weren't in that position.

basically, if you are correctly manipulating the weight shift of the disc slips shouldn't happen unless the rim is too wide for you to have any leverage.

You are right. I have found this to be true.

Now, stuff like the dynaflex powerball help, but timing is critical. It "feels" like you need to increase grip strength (I felt like that this spring), but when you get timing down, slip magically disappears. >Poof<

So what did you do to fix it?

 

[racer93]

All I did was to translate what I did to really snap (loudly) a towel using my form. Relax, reach back FAR, stay really loose, and accelerate your hand ONLY after it passes your sternum. Everything that has been said before. That, and using the order of turning the hips which turn the shoulders which accelerates the arm, and then the arm (hand) accelerates the disc.

This got me to around 500'. When I focused on accelerating my hand as fast as I possibly could, it got me to 550' and my TBs to 480'. Again, that accel only starts as the disc reaches your sternum.

I can tell when I'm strongarming it when the disc starts to slip. I can tell because the disc doesn't go where I snap it and that it has no zing on it. It is really strange in that way, that when you have snap, the disc goes in the direction you snap it. Nowhere else. Predictably, every time. Actually, it's kinda fun!

Daniel

 

[racer93]

I was mainly talking about timing the grip. If I grip as hard as I can from the start everything falls apart.

This is why things fall apart--you're too tense. Just put the disc in your hand so that it's not going to fall out as you do your run up. Then, as you start to hit the right pec, grip it! Don't think about it. Just stay loose. It's almost a subconscious thing, as your body will not want to let it slip out, so it will progressively grip harder the faster your arm goes.

Make sure and stay loose! This is THE most important thing. Imagine your arm as a wet noodle. That's the way you want to be, NOT flexed or tense. Think fluid.

Daniel

 

[emiller3]

I can snap a towel, it was fleeting for a while but I got to the point a couple months ago where I was snapping it at least 75% of the time. I got there by doing a shoulder pull with a noddle arm, then chop hard as late as I could...all the stuff that everyone has been saying. I was also hitting 450' once every time out on the course back then. That was only with my more controlled throw, though. I've only snapped it once with a full reach back...maybe I need to work on that more. That could also be why my Roc/Eagle shots are going farther with less effort, because I don't throw them the same way I throw my Destroyers.

 

[racer93]

Bingo. When you try to throw hard, you won't.

 

[DsmDisc]

Finally got the towel to snap! I don't know why i've had so much trouble with that, but it seems i wasn't going Hips>Shoulders>Arm. It was more like I'd open my hips, then pause (momentarily), then strong arm. Now that I tried to work backwords (twisted my shoulders instead of my hips, which moved my arm naturally along with it), it started to make sense. Then went back to doing hips first, let that flow into my shoulders and arm, and SNAP! Can't wait till it gets below 100 to give this a try some day soon!

 

[jubuttib]

This is why things fall apart--you're too tense. Just put the disc in your hand so that it's not going to fall out as you do your run up. Then, as you start to hit the right pec, grip it! Don't think about it. Just stay loose. It's almost a subconscious thing, as your body will not want to let it slip out, so it will progressively grip harder the faster your arm goes.

Make sure and stay loose! This is THE most important thing. Imagine your arm as a wet noodle. That's the way you want to be, NOT flexed or tense. Think fluid.

Daniel

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I STOPPED DOING THAT SOME TIME AGO. That's why I was talking about getting the death grip at the end. =)

But yeah, I spent three days on the field (averaging around 4-5 hours a day) some time ago when visiting my folks, and those three days were pretty pivotal. First day I learned to loosen up properly. No distance increase, but back to where I had been before my slump, and with more consistency and accuracy. Second day I focused on the grip at the end. About 30' distance increase on average, control and aim suffered because my timing was adjusted to the slip I had before. Third day I adjusted the timing and fiddled with other things, fingers start to hurt from the snap, another 30+ feet of max D (average went up also) and now the discs were flying right where I wanted them to, on very nice, low lines (450' @ about 8-10' high at apex when I hit it right). Since then I've lost it again, but I do know that I can do it, I just have to practice more on the field.

 

[TheLastBoyScout]

Hey Blake! Have you heard from Dan today?

I think some "relatives" of his came and visited him the other night.

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S1690956.shtml?cat=1

It would explain some things...