What's the single most important technique tip for beginners

[Boneman]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the sport and learning every day. I've watched videos, read these forums, researched, practiced and played, all in an attempt to enjoy the game and try to get better in the process. I have many of the recommended beginner-friendly discs, i.e. the Buzzz, Leopard, Stingray, and so on. And yet for all of this, I still struggle to throw a disc 200 feet.

One of the things that I've found is just how much goes into proper technique. The grip, the stance, the pull, the follow through, the angle, the release... and on and on. For a beginner, it's a lot to remember and you can't master it all at once, obviously.

So my question is this: while a decent throw is the sum of many parts, is there one thing that you would recommend concentrating on first to give the most immediate and encouraging results for someone who is new to the game?

Thanks.

 

[twmccoy1]

Practice more than anything. You have to develop arm speed to gain distance, and the only way to do that is to work at it. Just go out to a big grassy area with a bunch of discs and work on throwing. You'll eventually start figuring some stuff out on your own and distance will start to come.

 

[PMantle1]

is there one thing that you would recommend concentrating on first to give the most immediate and encouraging results for someone who is new to the game?

Thanks.

I can't give you 1, but I can give you two since I was a beginner not long ago. When my distance starts to suffer, whether in a round or just during a bad stretch, I can get immediate results from paying more attention to: getting right shoulder spun around counter clockwise as fast as possible and trying to imbed the disc into my right pec. Of course, you can never actually do 2 if you're doing 1. I don't worry about my arm at all. Zoom!

 

[Stringbean]

I think the most important thing is getting a feel for the hit and then building around that feeling. Brad Walker's closed shoulder snap drill is probably a good starting point (it's a nine minute explanation of what Pmantle mentioned above and features a lazy dog and an errant throw over the fences of several neighboring yards).

If you get a feel for the hit, you should be able to throw putters well over 200 feet from a stand still. Have you done the hammer pound drills yet? If not, do those. Then watch Brad Walker's closed shoulder drill and practice that. Then Beto's right pec drills (to learn how to add a reach back, one step, two step, x-step)

After you have done all of that, if you are still struggling to hit 300 feet, take a video, watch it, and fix the obvious flaws. If you don't see any obvious flaws, post it here or on DGCR.

 

[PMantle1]

It's amazing what us not so beginner beginners have been able to do with raw beginners in person. So hard with the written word. Unfortunately, most of our newest players locally refuse to put in the time with backhand, and just go all forehand. Holds them back on many holes.

 

[Widdershins]

Start competing now. Don't wait until you think you are "good" enough, do it now. Join leagues and play tournaments, which will expose you to good players and many different styles.

How is this advice a "technique" tip? Directly it is not. Between beginner and whatever your ultimate skill level becomes, there are many techniques and shots for you to become proficient at and eventually (perhaps) master. You won't gain those skills until you become exposed to them and start working on them. As much as videos and online advice can help, nothing replaces observing good shots live and then trying to copy them. If you can get one on one coaching from good players this may be invaluable. But again, that won't happen until you meet and play with good players.

 

[JR]

Welcome. Number one advice is to ask for help on your technique. So you made a good start It is not good to pick up bad habits then learn how it really should be done and then try to break the improper muscle memory first so that you can even begin doing things right.

 

[PMantle1]

Between beginner and whatever your ultimate skill level becomes, there are many techniques and shots for you to become proficient at and eventually (perhaps) master. You won't gain those skills until you become exposed to them and start working on them. As much as videos and online advice can help, nothing replaces observing good shots live and then trying to copy them. If you can get one on one coaching from good players this may be invaluable. But again, that won't happen until you meet and play with good players.

I would never have made the progress I did without finding better players to watch.

 

[Widdershins]

Welcome. Number one advice is to ask for help on your technique. So you made a good start It is not good to pick up bad habits then learn how it really should be done and then try to break the improper muscle memory first so that you can even begin doing things right.

I am torn how much bad habits are a danger. I used to be very much in the JR camp but am less so now.

A common bad habit is the Hyzer Swoop throwing form (how most beginners start throwing, an exaggerated "release low, follow through high" arm angle on every shot which forces the disc to hyzer immediately out of the hand. Because of this form the only way to get a disc to go straight is a hyzer flip with an understable disc and the only way to throw an anhyzer is to use an incredibly flippy disc for a hyzer flipover).

I played with a guy at league this week who has been playing on and off since the early 80's (when all the drivers were flippy and the only way to get distance was with a hyzer flip). He had an exaggerated swoop throwing motion. The problem with this form is it reduces the margin of error on shots. Still, with adequate skill and/or practice you can throw good shots with this or darn near any form. Heck, I am forehand dominant and forehand shots have a smaller margin of error. When injury took my backhand drive away I didn't give up the game. I started the slow process of teaching myself forehand.

There seem to be two categories of players: players who find a form and stick to it forever (and therefore quickly reach their level and don't get better) and those who keep working on their games and continually evolve and improve. The players I have seen who evolve do so because of two factors: They compete with good players and they have the motivation to improve. Part of that motivation is the internal belief that they have the potential to become good.

I know players who had the long-term ingrained Hyzer Swoop and overcame it. I'm not referring to run of the mill players but good players, competing and winning in the Pros. Today they have classic form. Would they have been better off to start with classic form? Of course. Did it hold them back from their maximum potential? I don't think so (we can never know since we can't rewind life and try again). Does it matter if a journey takes longer to complete? I guess only if it is a race.

So to any beginner I would say don't worry too much about developing bad habits. Play with abandon, have fun, experiment. Find out what what works best for you at the level where you are at but keep watching what good players do and try to replicate what you see. The only thing you can't replicate is snap and power beyond your capacity. Even those can be improved over time.

Good players got where they are at by evolving. So view your game as one which must evolve in order to continue getting better.

 

[JR]

http://youtube.com/results?q=frisbeegolf%20sm%202013&sm=1

I cast doubt on that logic with the example of current Finnish fpo champ age 14 winning in her second year of disc golf a sport that is secondary to her. She is a member of the Finnish national swimming team and a national medalist in swimming. We filmed competition drives from her during the Finnish disc golf championships 2013 that Ville Piippo estimated were between 135-140 meters. I would say 135 at least. In her first year! How many bad ideas she got before that i ask? Having been given advice from the start. She is the first thrower in these videos. I hope they work, because i am using my phone to type this. And the stupid thing keeps pasting to the top of the message instead where the cursor is on the later filmed throw sorry.

http://youtube.com/results?q=lcgm8%20sm&sm=1