The Checklist

[HyzerUniBomber]

http://heavydisc.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-distance-check-list.html

Some stuff that'll likely be familiar to all the technique forum readers. I have been trying to use a basic checklist for self-diagnosing myself when I start losing distance.

 

[wr758]

Very intresting check list. i personally find it helpful everyone should read it a few times. Def going into the Disc Golf Bible i am creating

 

[justinf67]

great post

 

[GripEnemy]

Hate to be a negative Nancy but the #4 squeeze I disagree with to an extent.

It should be natural - not something you think about/intentionally do while throwing that will take your focus away from accuracy. If it's intentional, you'll more than likely monkeypaw the **** out of your disc.

 

[ohtobediscing]

Checkleest!? We don' need no steenking checkleest!

At least, I don't. I was throwing FHs, annys and 300' BHs with lids long before golf discs existed.
Eh, they're fine for your personal practice. Just don't inflict them on those of us trying to play a timely round.

And I agree with GripEnemy. If you're thinkin' about squeezing, you've already lost.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Hate to be a negative Nancy but the #4 squeeze I disagree with to an extent.

It should be natural - not something you think about/intentionally do while throwing that will take your focus away from accuracy. If it's intentional, you'll more than likely monkeypaw the **** out of your disc.

I tried to point out that I am throwing the best, by far, when I am not trying to do any thing specifically. I try to incorporate the key points without losing the looseness. I think you're right though, over squeezed grip is not good, but at least for me - going into the release - I get the best results by increasing the pressure. And for all my flaws, griplock hasn't been an issue.

And I don't think you're a negative Nancy.

 

[moorent]

Hate to be a negative Nancy but the #4 squeeze I disagree with to an extent.

It should be natural - not something you think about/intentionally do while throwing that will take your focus away from accuracy. If it's intentional, you'll more than likely monkeypaw the **** out of your disc.

Feldberg disagrees with you. Not that he is the be-all-end-all, but I remember him saying that he squeezes pretty hard at the end of his whip.

I'll see if I can find the link.

 

[namar]

it goes without saying, but this is the internet so I'll go ahead an say it: like any sport/game/other pursuit involving skill, different methods work for different folks. Case in point, 2 of my discin buddies have radically different styles. One is very methodical with every throw, regardless if he's threading a needle on a wooded par 5 or holing out with a tap-in. Takes breaths, couple of practice arm swings, etc., then throws. Other buddy has no "rituals" at all, just walks up to the pad or a lie and, after a quick look down the flight line, lets it fly. Both would likely suffer lower scores if they tried to adopt the other style, but they are both 950+ players with their own styles.

Good blog post for sure, helpful info for all types of throwers.

 

[chadair]

Drag may be least in a nose low angle, but lift will not likely be adequate to counteract gravity, and the disc will fall to the ground.

 

[Kodachrome]

Drag may be least in a nose low angle, but lift will not likely be adequate to counteract gravity, and the disc will fall to the ground.

not sure what you mean. all discs fall to the ground eventually, of course. he (and the source) are absolutely correct - typically you want to throw nose down through the apex of the flight. from there physics and the disc do the rest of the work gliding out.

 

[chadair]

Hey I can do a better job explaining my point...

Selecting the disc angle of attack (nose up/down relative to the air flowing over it) is more than just finding the angle with the lowest drag. There has to be adequate lift to keep the disc in the air. Drag is lowest at a 4 degree nose down angle because there is zero lift at that angle... but that's not all a disc needs, it also needs lift. The forces of lift and drag should be balanced over the course of the entire flight to maximize distance.

The master's thesis referenced in the blog has a good discussion about how angle of attack changes throughout a disc's flight, resulting in more lift as the disc slows down and settles to the ground, thereby extending flight. A perfect throw has all these aerodynamic forces working just right.

The paper studied an ultimate disc- basically a large putter, where there isn't the same advantage to throwing nose-down. With high speed disc golf drivers, the aerodynamics are such that a slight nose-down angle still has a positive lift coefficient. Even though the lift coefficient is very small, the forward velocity is very high, resulting in adequate lift to counteract gravity.

Interesting scientific rabbit trail here.