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Why is uphill harder than downhill?
- Thread starter tu-f-o
- Start date
Major Tomahawk
Eagle Member
I use blizzard plastic for uphill stuff. My buddy, Isaac Newton, recommended it.
Nenja
Eagle Member
I find downhill harder, at least if it's a tunnel.
Uphill makes the disc fly more stable and downhill less. I usually just go one disc up or down in stability and try to pretend it's a normal shot... Both are tricky to get perfect.
Uphill makes the disc fly more stable and downhill less. I usually just go one disc up or down in stability and try to pretend it's a normal shot... Both are tricky to get perfect.
knettles
Double Eagle Member
Ya, there's not really much to say other than use lighter understable discs and throw them upwards. I'm one of the people that's completely fine with a course not having a single uphill hole. One or two of them and I'll deal with it, but more than that and it gets annoying.
slowplastic
* Ace Member *
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2014
- Messages
- 6,254
It's really hard to throw a flat shot uphill without throwing nose up. If it's uphill without a low ceiling I find it can be easiest to throw an anny with something not too overstable...just throw it with the apex way up there and the disc should fly like it would on a level ground shot, just hit the ground sooner after the apex. Don't go too understable because it can hit the ground on edge and cut roll...won't have as much time to flex out.
It is also good to throw an understable hyzer flip, especially if there are trees and uphill. Go quite understable, let the disc do the work. You'll almost be throwing an angle like you would for a distance line on flat ground, high and with a decent hyzer, but nearly parallel to the slope. But remember to try to hit your height line properly, and keep nose down relative to your line.
If you are throwing uphill and not on a flat teepad, I find it very hard to get decent footing. I also find I lose a lot of power/distance throwing forehands uphill for raw power compared to expectations, but on bad or sloped footing I find the FH way easier to throw consistently and hit my line. Remember everyone is going to lose significant distance.
It is also good to throw an understable hyzer flip, especially if there are trees and uphill. Go quite understable, let the disc do the work. You'll almost be throwing an angle like you would for a distance line on flat ground, high and with a decent hyzer, but nearly parallel to the slope. But remember to try to hit your height line properly, and keep nose down relative to your line.
If you are throwing uphill and not on a flat teepad, I find it very hard to get decent footing. I also find I lose a lot of power/distance throwing forehands uphill for raw power compared to expectations, but on bad or sloped footing I find the FH way easier to throw consistently and hit my line. Remember everyone is going to lose significant distance.
knettles
Double Eagle Member
This. I absolutely HATE having to tee off from an uphill teepad. I find it helps if I put a bit of a hop into my run up.
- Joined
- Dec 19, 2009
- Messages
- 6,840
Uphill throws don't go as far, but they also tend to land in a tighter pattern.
Downhill throws go farther, but less accurately.
The cons outweigh the pros, so any foot of up OR down moderate elevation makes a hole play about as much harder as adding 1.5 feet to the length of the hole.
Downhill throws go farther, but less accurately.
The cons outweigh the pros, so any foot of up OR down moderate elevation makes a hole play about as much harder as adding 1.5 feet to the length of the hole.
lyleoross
* Ace Member *
Uphill is harder than downhill because you have to walk up the hill after your throw.
Albert Einstein
1) Gravity is the same, whether you throw uphill or downhill.
2) Wind might be different, but you can get wind effects from all kinds of things and on flat or downhill throws too.
3) As slowplastic wrote so correctly, discs fly the same, uphill or downhill.
4) With the exception of disc mechanics and flight - if the hill is steep enough you start running into stall problems etc. You can get those same problems if you throw low to high on any throw.
5. Throws uphill are going to be shorter, this should be obvious. That means that the full flight path of the disc is not likely to be achieved. That means the overstable driver you like is gonna dive into the hill. A good player should accommodate those issues.
6. Throws downhill have the opposite problem, the flight path of the disc in hand is going to have longer to play out. You also have longer for wind and other factors to influence the disc's flight. Knowing what that understable driver does after it normally fades at the end of its flight on a flat hole, is a benefit. Pssst, it's gonna dive left (RHBH) cause all discs do when they get slow enough.
The simple fact is that hills are another aspect of the game. Understanding that, and planning for that, means you have an advantage over a player who gets out the same disc he uses on every drive.
Dave Feldberg did a video tutorial several years ago (maybe four?) where he discusses throwing on a hill and putting on a hill.
Albert Einstein
1) Gravity is the same, whether you throw uphill or downhill.
2) Wind might be different, but you can get wind effects from all kinds of things and on flat or downhill throws too.
3) As slowplastic wrote so correctly, discs fly the same, uphill or downhill.
4) With the exception of disc mechanics and flight - if the hill is steep enough you start running into stall problems etc. You can get those same problems if you throw low to high on any throw.
5. Throws uphill are going to be shorter, this should be obvious. That means that the full flight path of the disc is not likely to be achieved. That means the overstable driver you like is gonna dive into the hill. A good player should accommodate those issues.
6. Throws downhill have the opposite problem, the flight path of the disc in hand is going to have longer to play out. You also have longer for wind and other factors to influence the disc's flight. Knowing what that understable driver does after it normally fades at the end of its flight on a flat hole, is a benefit. Pssst, it's gonna dive left (RHBH) cause all discs do when they get slow enough.
The simple fact is that hills are another aspect of the game. Understanding that, and planning for that, means you have an advantage over a player who gets out the same disc he uses on every drive.
Dave Feldberg did a video tutorial several years ago (maybe four?) where he discusses throwing on a hill and putting on a hill.
lyleoross
* Ace Member *
BTW - while fundamentally, what he discusses is good, my hand never goes about the rim of the basket. I use a pop of my wrist to lift the disc over the rim. But, my pop occurs higher or lower depending on the angle.
lyleoross
* Ace Member *
I hadn't watched this video in a while and realized there are issues about weight transfer on a hill that I had forgotten. Good review.
knettles
Double Eagle Member
This may be splitting hairs, but I've never thought nose up had anything to do with the angle of the disc in relation to the earth. I've always thought it had to do with the angle of the disc in relation to its trajectory. For example, if a disc is thrown upwards at a 45 degree angle, but the disc itself is on a 44 degree angle, the disc is being thrown nose down. Even though the nose of the disc is up in relation to the earth.
Also, addressing one of the earlier comments. While gravity is the same for uphill and downhill shots, in one instance you're throwing against gravity, and the other instance you're throwing with gravity. So it does make a big difference between uphill versus downhill.
Also, addressing one of the earlier comments. While gravity is the same for uphill and downhill shots, in one instance you're throwing against gravity, and the other instance you're throwing with gravity. So it does make a big difference between uphill versus downhill.
I don't know that I would say uphill is always harder. Some things are easier, some things are harder.
My advice is that when possible, stand and deliver on shots that are significantly uphill or downhill. At least for me, it's not the throw itself that is more difficult; the stance and run up on a hill throw me out of position and then everything feels wonky. Especially on uphill shots, standstills are much easier.
When putting on a steep uphill, I like to stand completely on my front leg through the whole putt. I feel higher and closer to the basket. I can't do my normal "rocking" motion for uphill putts bc I either end up sitting too far back down the hill towards my rear leg or over compensating, pushing too hard and missing high.
My advice is that when possible, stand and deliver on shots that are significantly uphill or downhill. At least for me, it's not the throw itself that is more difficult; the stance and run up on a hill throw me out of position and then everything feels wonky. Especially on uphill shots, standstills are much easier.
When putting on a steep uphill, I like to stand completely on my front leg through the whole putt. I feel higher and closer to the basket. I can't do my normal "rocking" motion for uphill putts bc I either end up sitting too far back down the hill towards my rear leg or over compensating, pushing too hard and missing high.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2009
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Throwing uphill is harder because that's how course designers plan it. :|
One fact is being left out.
When you throw uphill it's possible your disc will come back down the hill.
When you throw downhill it's highly unlikely your disc will come back up the hill.
When you throw uphill it's possible your disc will come back down the hill.
When you throw downhill it's highly unlikely your disc will come back up the hill.
- Joined
- Nov 2, 2008
- Messages
- 21,995
Agree. Nose is relative to trajectory through the air which has no orientation, nose is not relative to "flat earth", but attitude is. Throw upward with nose down.
While gravity is gravity it does affect different shots differently...
"Flat" throw - gravity doesn't affect the trajectory velocity as the downward acceleration is perpendicular to it.
"Downhill" throw - gravity accelerates the trajectory velocity downward.
"Uphill" throw - gravity accelerates the trajectory velocity downward(decelerates upward velocity). What goes up doesn't come back down in this case, so there's a huge loss of potential energy.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2011
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- 5,731
@knettles yes I was over simplifying with the nose up. However, even at 44 degrees when the hill is 45 like your example, the disc thinks it's flying on flat ground. So even with the technical nose down trajectory you're still throwing "way higher than flat ground" which would cause the disc to stall. We've all thrown a shot too high by accent and watched it not go as far as we intended.
Yeah I'm not sure light and under stable is always the answer to an uphill shot. Although I agree it can be.
Too flippy and it's harder for me to hit my line.
I think you need a specific mix of the two factors for both up and down hill shots.
And there are different types of hill shots too
Need to go to an uphill park and test
Too flippy and it's harder for me to hit my line.
I think you need a specific mix of the two factors for both up and down hill shots.
And there are different types of hill shots too
Need to go to an uphill park and test
