Background
I'm 40 and I've been playing for about 8 months. I am completely obsessed. I played golf for the last 15 years and when I discovered disc golf I found a hobby that scratched all the same itches as regular golf but offered its own unique experience that I love.
I consider myself a 350' barrier thrower. The max distance I have 100% accurately measured is 360' on a football field. Its has been several months since I have been on a football field but I would guess my max is now probably closer to 380'+, maybe even some getting out to 400', but I still think my consistently thrown distance is closer to 350'.
I generally carry a lot of putters (because they are the best), a couple mids, several 7 speeds, 11 speeds, and utility discs. I stopped carrying/throwing mids for the most part because I can throw a 3 speed putters about 300' which is about where my mids go. For whatever reason I find 5 speed discs to be the least comfortable, most touchy, and nose angle sensitive.
In my journey to get here I have used a lot of info on this forum, particularly from sidewinder, slowplastic, HUB and a ton of others and I really appreciate all the work people put in to share their insights. I wanted to share some of my aha moments moving from the 300' barrier to the 350' barrier which might help others new to the sport but also open them up for critique to see if others further along than myself can offer some insight and improvement for me too.
Please keep in mind these are things that have worked for me and I'm open to any debate and know I am still learning.
Feeling the whip and overcoming the mental hurdle of strong-arming
I am not necessarily a proponent of this as a throwing style, but it helped me feel the whip for the first time and the power that could be generated from that so I could get over the mental hurdle of strong-arming.
My first few times playing, I was probably throwing 200'. After learning about some form basics, I was able to improve, but for the first 3 months of playing, my primary drivers were a leo3 and a star beast where 300' was an absolute crush, but I was more consistently throwing around 250'. I was trying to follow the form tips I was reading but knew I was still strong arming. Finally, one day I was in the field and frustrated with my lack of progress and I said screw it I'm going to try something different.
What I did was force myself into an extended standstill position. I started feet together, shoulders and hips aligned at the target. I stepped out with my right foot toward the target (rhbh) to about shoulder width and so that my right heel would be just in front of or even with my left toe. I had my right foot/ toe point in about 45 ish degrees, which also naturally turned my hips and shoulders away from the target. I let my hips do what they naturally did from this footing, but I made sure my shoulders/chest turned close to perpendicular to the target line. I extended my right arm out perpendicular to my chest and locked my elbow. So now my right arm is parallel to or on the target line. I extended my right shoulder out – kind of pushing my arm further away from the target and from my chest. This had me feel like my arm and shoulder are really extended. I think this part is important not because you need to do it when you normally throw but just to really get into a position where strong arming will be useless if you try for the purposes of this exercise.
My weight was mostly on my left foot. For my right foot, my toe/ball is on the ground and the heel is in the air, ready to crush the can. My legs aren't extended a lot but comfortable and balanced. My right arm and shoulder feel very extended and pushed away from the target. I have the disc pointed more down than flat which felt natural and helps get my elbow in a good position. My arm isn't tense but is locked and reaching away with the shoulder extended. From this position I said to myself, how are you going to throw the disc as far as you can. I literally just closed my eyes and let the disc fly trying to do it without thinking.
Because my arm/shoulder were so extended, strong arming didn't really seem like an option that would propel the disc far, so my mind kind of naturally overrode that tendency. What naturally happened was that my hips fired and my right heel crushed the can, my shoulders followed, my arm felt/went completely loose with my elbow collapsing bringing the disc close to my body, coming through and being flung out. I felt my hips/core drive the throw and my arm being a much more passive whip. I was almost instantly throwing my champ leopard3 300'+ from a standstill which was a big deal for me. Just from this, I was throwing 50' further than my friends who had started at the same time as me.
Basics that have worked for me to start getting out closer to 400'
1) Footwork, Hips, & Bracing?
This starts with what I explained in the feeling the whip section. Letting my feet/hips/core start the throw was the first key toward generating some power.
Another thing that helped was a video (I think sidewinder linked) on posting/bracing on your right side. It was a pitcher working on mechanics and showing how they straightened the lead leg and sank into the lead hip as they turned into the throw. I started trying to do this as part of my hip turn.
I could feel my right hip raise up a little higher and right knee straighten up and I would naturally apply my weight to my heel. This is how I started turning on my heel. At one point I was actively thinking about and trying to get onto my right heel and this was not working. Now, as my right hip and glute go back, my leg straightens and my weight naturally shifts onto the heel more than the front of the foot. This reminds me of a ball golf move where you post up on the front side transferring power from hips/core to swing.
I still tend to do this a little too early in the throw which saps some of the power. I think if I can delay the posting until the disc is closer to the power pocket, it would be more optimal but the timing isn't natural yet. My hips start the throw but I think they need to start slower with the big push coming later in the throw, timed with the power pocket.
I think this is what slowplastic means when he says:
"Problems:
-starting the throw by crushing the can with the plant foot (dragging the body into the throw), rather than shifting into the can crush
I still haven't figured this out but know I need to do better getting off my back foot, transferring weight, and following through.
2) Grip
There are several great videos/posts on grip but what I was really failing to get was the pressure and pivot point. The first breakthrough I had in grip was moving to a fork grip (Climo grip?) for everything 7 speed and lower. This just worked so much better for me. Even when I am power gripping an 11 speed driver, I start by putting it in a fork grip and then fold the 2 fingers in.
More importantly for me was figuring out pressure points. For a long time, I was gripping too hard and really locking my fingers in against the rim. I would occasionally have throws that would catch my pointer finger and really tug on it causing pain and swelling. I was focused on applying pressure up against the bottom corner edge of the rim with the first knuckle of my finger while my finger tip pushed against the inside of the rim. This was not working well.
I kept seeing pros play with their disc very loosely on the tee pad pivoting/rolling the disc (just their thumb and pointer finger holding it) before taking their full grip and starting their run up. That got me to thinking that there is no way they are gipping like I am or with the pressure I am.
I started doing what they were doing and realized what felt right and seemed to matter most is the pressure point between your pointer finger and thumb. I started to really focus on that and let the other fingers go where they wanted naturally. This had 2 affects. First, pressure was primarily applied at the pivot point and second, I was holding the disc much more in my fingers rather than in my palm. My thumb pad was no longer pushed down on the flight plate of the disc. For slower discs, the thumb pressure point is closer to the thumb tip and for distance drivers its more on the first knuckle of the thumb. I also started focusing on keeping my wrist loose and springy. Since working with the bouncy wrist and pivot point focus, I noticed immediate gains, I think possibly maxing out closer to 380-400' on a perfect toss.
I think this also makes you "feel" more like you are leveraging the outside of the disc. I can also feel the "wrist bounce" in the throw. The bounce is not something I try to do. My thought is just keep it loose, but when I feel it bounce I know it loaded and is going far for me.
I was much more inclined to throw this way when throwing putters for whatever reason and now that I am actively incorporating it into all throws, I am seeing improvements.
3) Shoulder Turn & Angle
Just like in ball golf, I think shoulder turn is key. In both sports you want to maintain the angle of your lead arm relative to your chest and not let it collapse (hugging yourself). In ball golf this leads to getting "stuck" and usually hitting a huge push about 20 degrees right of your target. Both sports rely on the hands staying in front of the chest and not collapsing against it. This is something called the "arm swing illusion" in ball golf where what you think you see when you watch a swing is the arm collapsing into the chest but the reality is the club is kept in front of the chest.
In disc golf, I also get stuck and either "round" (I turned my shoulder but hugged myself collapsing the angle) or I just pull the disc (hugged myself and shoulder never turned and has nowhere to go when you start the throw except out to the right). In both cases, the disc usually is pulled to the right.
Two things helped me here. One was the picture of hugging yourself vs hugging someone else. The concept of feeling like you are dancing with someone helps me. Second, during my throw, I focus on turning my right shoulder away from the target, not moving my arm. I generally think of my shoulder/arm angle as not changing much which has been discussed in these forums and my arm just kind of follows where my shoulder goes.
My biggest issue now is pulling the disc right which I can usually attribute to the following:
o Getting lazy with my shoulder turn
o Collapsing the angle between arm and shoulder
o Not staggering my feet
o Trying to throw hard and standing up opening my chest early
If you got this far, wow you are a masochist.
I'm 40 and I've been playing for about 8 months. I am completely obsessed. I played golf for the last 15 years and when I discovered disc golf I found a hobby that scratched all the same itches as regular golf but offered its own unique experience that I love.
I consider myself a 350' barrier thrower. The max distance I have 100% accurately measured is 360' on a football field. Its has been several months since I have been on a football field but I would guess my max is now probably closer to 380'+, maybe even some getting out to 400', but I still think my consistently thrown distance is closer to 350'.
I generally carry a lot of putters (because they are the best), a couple mids, several 7 speeds, 11 speeds, and utility discs. I stopped carrying/throwing mids for the most part because I can throw a 3 speed putters about 300' which is about where my mids go. For whatever reason I find 5 speed discs to be the least comfortable, most touchy, and nose angle sensitive.
In my journey to get here I have used a lot of info on this forum, particularly from sidewinder, slowplastic, HUB and a ton of others and I really appreciate all the work people put in to share their insights. I wanted to share some of my aha moments moving from the 300' barrier to the 350' barrier which might help others new to the sport but also open them up for critique to see if others further along than myself can offer some insight and improvement for me too.
Please keep in mind these are things that have worked for me and I'm open to any debate and know I am still learning.
Feeling the whip and overcoming the mental hurdle of strong-arming
I am not necessarily a proponent of this as a throwing style, but it helped me feel the whip for the first time and the power that could be generated from that so I could get over the mental hurdle of strong-arming.
My first few times playing, I was probably throwing 200'. After learning about some form basics, I was able to improve, but for the first 3 months of playing, my primary drivers were a leo3 and a star beast where 300' was an absolute crush, but I was more consistently throwing around 250'. I was trying to follow the form tips I was reading but knew I was still strong arming. Finally, one day I was in the field and frustrated with my lack of progress and I said screw it I'm going to try something different.
What I did was force myself into an extended standstill position. I started feet together, shoulders and hips aligned at the target. I stepped out with my right foot toward the target (rhbh) to about shoulder width and so that my right heel would be just in front of or even with my left toe. I had my right foot/ toe point in about 45 ish degrees, which also naturally turned my hips and shoulders away from the target. I let my hips do what they naturally did from this footing, but I made sure my shoulders/chest turned close to perpendicular to the target line. I extended my right arm out perpendicular to my chest and locked my elbow. So now my right arm is parallel to or on the target line. I extended my right shoulder out – kind of pushing my arm further away from the target and from my chest. This had me feel like my arm and shoulder are really extended. I think this part is important not because you need to do it when you normally throw but just to really get into a position where strong arming will be useless if you try for the purposes of this exercise.
My weight was mostly on my left foot. For my right foot, my toe/ball is on the ground and the heel is in the air, ready to crush the can. My legs aren't extended a lot but comfortable and balanced. My right arm and shoulder feel very extended and pushed away from the target. I have the disc pointed more down than flat which felt natural and helps get my elbow in a good position. My arm isn't tense but is locked and reaching away with the shoulder extended. From this position I said to myself, how are you going to throw the disc as far as you can. I literally just closed my eyes and let the disc fly trying to do it without thinking.
Because my arm/shoulder were so extended, strong arming didn't really seem like an option that would propel the disc far, so my mind kind of naturally overrode that tendency. What naturally happened was that my hips fired and my right heel crushed the can, my shoulders followed, my arm felt/went completely loose with my elbow collapsing bringing the disc close to my body, coming through and being flung out. I felt my hips/core drive the throw and my arm being a much more passive whip. I was almost instantly throwing my champ leopard3 300'+ from a standstill which was a big deal for me. Just from this, I was throwing 50' further than my friends who had started at the same time as me.
Basics that have worked for me to start getting out closer to 400'
1) Footwork, Hips, & Bracing?
This starts with what I explained in the feeling the whip section. Letting my feet/hips/core start the throw was the first key toward generating some power.
Another thing that helped was a video (I think sidewinder linked) on posting/bracing on your right side. It was a pitcher working on mechanics and showing how they straightened the lead leg and sank into the lead hip as they turned into the throw. I started trying to do this as part of my hip turn.
I could feel my right hip raise up a little higher and right knee straighten up and I would naturally apply my weight to my heel. This is how I started turning on my heel. At one point I was actively thinking about and trying to get onto my right heel and this was not working. Now, as my right hip and glute go back, my leg straightens and my weight naturally shifts onto the heel more than the front of the foot. This reminds me of a ball golf move where you post up on the front side transferring power from hips/core to swing.
I still tend to do this a little too early in the throw which saps some of the power. I think if I can delay the posting until the disc is closer to the power pocket, it would be more optimal but the timing isn't natural yet. My hips start the throw but I think they need to start slower with the big push coming later in the throw, timed with the power pocket.
I think this is what slowplastic means when he says:
"Problems:
-starting the throw by crushing the can with the plant foot (dragging the body into the throw), rather than shifting into the can crush
I still haven't figured this out but know I need to do better getting off my back foot, transferring weight, and following through.
2) Grip
There are several great videos/posts on grip but what I was really failing to get was the pressure and pivot point. The first breakthrough I had in grip was moving to a fork grip (Climo grip?) for everything 7 speed and lower. This just worked so much better for me. Even when I am power gripping an 11 speed driver, I start by putting it in a fork grip and then fold the 2 fingers in.
More importantly for me was figuring out pressure points. For a long time, I was gripping too hard and really locking my fingers in against the rim. I would occasionally have throws that would catch my pointer finger and really tug on it causing pain and swelling. I was focused on applying pressure up against the bottom corner edge of the rim with the first knuckle of my finger while my finger tip pushed against the inside of the rim. This was not working well.
I kept seeing pros play with their disc very loosely on the tee pad pivoting/rolling the disc (just their thumb and pointer finger holding it) before taking their full grip and starting their run up. That got me to thinking that there is no way they are gipping like I am or with the pressure I am.
I started doing what they were doing and realized what felt right and seemed to matter most is the pressure point between your pointer finger and thumb. I started to really focus on that and let the other fingers go where they wanted naturally. This had 2 affects. First, pressure was primarily applied at the pivot point and second, I was holding the disc much more in my fingers rather than in my palm. My thumb pad was no longer pushed down on the flight plate of the disc. For slower discs, the thumb pressure point is closer to the thumb tip and for distance drivers its more on the first knuckle of the thumb. I also started focusing on keeping my wrist loose and springy. Since working with the bouncy wrist and pivot point focus, I noticed immediate gains, I think possibly maxing out closer to 380-400' on a perfect toss.
I think this also makes you "feel" more like you are leveraging the outside of the disc. I can also feel the "wrist bounce" in the throw. The bounce is not something I try to do. My thought is just keep it loose, but when I feel it bounce I know it loaded and is going far for me.
I was much more inclined to throw this way when throwing putters for whatever reason and now that I am actively incorporating it into all throws, I am seeing improvements.
3) Shoulder Turn & Angle
Just like in ball golf, I think shoulder turn is key. In both sports you want to maintain the angle of your lead arm relative to your chest and not let it collapse (hugging yourself). In ball golf this leads to getting "stuck" and usually hitting a huge push about 20 degrees right of your target. Both sports rely on the hands staying in front of the chest and not collapsing against it. This is something called the "arm swing illusion" in ball golf where what you think you see when you watch a swing is the arm collapsing into the chest but the reality is the club is kept in front of the chest.
In disc golf, I also get stuck and either "round" (I turned my shoulder but hugged myself collapsing the angle) or I just pull the disc (hugged myself and shoulder never turned and has nowhere to go when you start the throw except out to the right). In both cases, the disc usually is pulled to the right.
Two things helped me here. One was the picture of hugging yourself vs hugging someone else. The concept of feeling like you are dancing with someone helps me. Second, during my throw, I focus on turning my right shoulder away from the target, not moving my arm. I generally think of my shoulder/arm angle as not changing much which has been discussed in these forums and my arm just kind of follows where my shoulder goes.
My biggest issue now is pulling the disc right which I can usually attribute to the following:
o Getting lazy with my shoulder turn
o Collapsing the angle between arm and shoulder
o Not staggering my feet
o Trying to throw hard and standing up opening my chest early
If you got this far, wow you are a masochist.
.
