Wrist flexibility and snap

[Cashley56]

Is having a more flexible wrist better for getting more snap (and thus more distance and spin)? The whip analogy suggests it should be. I consider my wrist pretty inflexible - ie, when I whip my wrist, my hand only opens up to between 1 and 2 o'clock. Trying to decide if that is something worth working on.

 

[sidewinder22]

I don't think wrist flexibility is as important as wrist tendon strength and elasticity - ability to bounce. You only need a small movement of your wrist to transfer the energy to the disc. Lot of pros talk about locking the wrist straight and it's your acceleration that bends the wrist, but you resist the bend to load and create the snap.

Spin can be increased by using your elbow more or deeper power pocket.

You can still create more than enough spin without bending the elbow or wrist much a la Dave Feldberg who basically just uses a longer moment arm.

 

[Cashley56]

I don't think wrist flexibility is as important as wrist tendon strength and elasticity - ability to bounce. You only need a small movement of your wrist to transfer the energy to the disc. Lot of pros talk about locking the wrist straight and it's your acceleration that bends the wrist, but you resist the bend to load and create the snap.

Spin can be increased by using your elbow more or deeper power pocket.

You can still create more than enough spin without bending the elbow or wrist much a la Dave Feldberg who basically just uses a longer moment arm.

I was thinking more of wrist extension flexibility rather than wrist flexion flexibility. With poor wrist extension flexibility, it's like your follow-through gets stopped short.

 

[gwsmallwood]

I was thinking more of wrist extension flexibility rather than wrist flexion flexibility. With poor wrist extension flexibility, it's like your follow-through gets stopped short.

I don't think extension is nearly as important as flexion. You absolutely want to resist extension before the hit, regardless of whether you pre-cock the wrist (flexion), or allow it to happen naturally as described by @sidewinder22 and the 'bounce'. Josh from Overthrow talked about that and fixing it definitely improved my snap and spin. One problem with extension will be late or right releases if you're RHBH. The other is that during that portion of the hit, you need a stationary pivot point for the disc to generate lots of spin. If that pivot point is moving while the disc is ripping out of the grip, then there's less pivot and less spin.

 

[itlnstln]

As gwsmallwood mentioned, wrist extension can prevent stopping the wrist at the hit and potentially pull the disc off-line. In these pics of Simon, GG, and Paul, their wrists are straight at and past the hit.

 

[timothy42b]

I was thinking more of wrist extension flexibility rather than wrist flexion flexibility. With poor wrist extension flexibility, it's like your follow-through gets stopped short.

I think maybe the disk is gone by that point though. I'm not an expert, but doesn't it seem like after all the levers get straight in line, nothing more can be done? Look at a ball golfer, his club wrist angle bends only after impact. At the hit, I think the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and disc are all in line. Look at the dingle arm animations.

Over on the forehand thead I shared a video from Tread Athletics that said there is no wrist snap in baseball, that's a myth. (even though beginners still warmup that way) For forehand, flex is the opposite of the backhand extend.

I've been looking at other pitching videos, and found an interesting take from Top Velocity. He showed some video of high level throwers where the ball is gone before the wrist straighens out. It remains cocked back (extended) until after release. But, he also said in slower throwers the wrist does straighten and then flex, if the arm is moving slow enough. My interpretation is that inertia gets ahead of the arm and pulls the wrist forward.

 

[HyzerRoc]

Lot of pros talk about locking the wrist straight and it's your acceleration that bends the wrist, but you resist the bend to load and create the snap.

Is that part of what the Incomplete Secret Technique is about? The "Incomplete" Secret Technique At first I thought the drills were about flicking the wrist, but I think they are more about feeling the wrist load which then causes it to snap around. Stiffening the wrist postpones the snapping around which lets it build a bit more power.

One problem with extension will be late or right releases if you're RHBH. The other is that during that portion of the hit, you need a stationary pivot point for the disc to generate lots of spin. If that pivot point is moving while the disc is ripping out of the grip, then there's less pivot and less spin.

Never thought about it in that way, but thats a good way to put it.

To the original question: I suspect a stiff joint might have increased risk for injury. So regardless of the distance potential it might be a good idea to work on your wrist mobility.

 

[Sheep]

Wrist pop is an old school thing.

The only person I know who teaches it is Philo.

There is some stuff to it though, but you're always better off trying to "not" pop the wrist in a power throw, but keep it solid to transfer the kinetic chain.

Watch Paul and Simon in shorter shots though, its a lot of wrist pop.

I mean, Simon half throws putters 300 feet... it's. frustrating.

But its building a short and powerful kinetic chain with a lot of spin.

 

[Brychanus]

Is having a more flexible wrist better for getting more snap (and thus more distance and spin)? The whip analogy suggests it should be. I consider my wrist pretty inflexible - ie, when I whip my wrist, my hand only opens up to between 1 and 2 o'clock. Trying to decide if that is something worth working on.

I used to have what I call "floppy wrist syndrome."

The tendon strength & elasticity seems to be more important to most forceful movements across sports that involve grip and leverage, and since I had such a deficient wrist, I spent and still spend a lot of time swinging, hitting, and throwing with weighted levers. Over time it has clearly significantly improved the force chain & transfer to the disc. I didn't realize how long it would take due to body & motor adaptation and there was no way to just cheat and "rush to the finish" on that issue. I could also re-roof my shed without fatiguing, so that's cool.

Some of the follow through images above contain hints there.

I do think the flexion question is interesting and you might have Seppo or someone come to mind, but on the other hand you have instances of Wiggins, Klein, etc. that have very little initial flexion (though you may have something else in mind).