Back Hand Distance

I have only been playing for a little over 1 year, and I can not seem to get any consistant distance on my back hand throw. When I thow forehand, I am throwing around 325'-350' but I want my back hand up around 400'. Any sugestions?

Play longer! Thats great for only 1 year. (probably MBD)

[dannyreeves]

You said your forehand is 325-350. How far can you throw backhand?

Right now I throw backhand around 250-275 with my XL... that is the best I can get backhand

[dannyreeves]

While that is probably average for someone that has only played 1 year, I can understand how you can get frustrated (comparing that to the extra 50-100' you can get sidearm).

I've probably played for just about as long as you have and while I can't throw 400' yet, I can consistently drive 300-325 backhand. Here's some things that have helped me along the way (I've probaly added about 50-75' since last summer with these techniques).

1) Use a firm to hard power grip with my thumb as close to the rim as possible (still on the flight plate but right up against the thick portion of the rim). Also, I try not to hold the disc close into my palm but more just with my fingers.

2) Develop a quick, light, rhythmic X-Step. Go to www.discgolfreview.com (http://www.discgolfreview.com) and click the throwing analysis link. It will take you to some vids that will show you what I mean.

3) Keep the nose down. Moving your thumb closer to the rim will help here but pulling the disc straight forward during your throw will help more. I try to concentrate on keeping my elbow up during the throw. I find that when it dips down it pulls my shoulder down with it and my throw goes WAY too high asd way off to the left.

I'm currently working on putting more anhyzer on the disc, trying to get a long, S-curve drive out of it. I'm nowhere near consistent with it but I've hit 350-375' with it a couple of times.

Keep workin! Practice in open fields and check out that website. Those vids really helped out my game and exposed a lot of mistakes I was making.

[Znash]

Here I go
1) Stand strait when your throwing
2) Think nipple to nipple (this means pull your disc from in a strait line across your chest).
3) I use the fork grip kind of like Ken C. put the disc in the palm of your hand just below your fingers then close your hand and pinch the disc with your thump and middle finger just like your holding a fork.
4) Check out Ken Climo (http://www.kenclimo.com/) how to then distance.

I don't see how you guys throw farther forehand then backhand. Why is this? My farthest backhand is about 430' but forehand is prolly 325'. Whats the trick to forehand or should I not even worry about it?

I don't see how you guys throw farther forehand then backhand. Why is this? My farthest backhand is about 430' but forehand is prolly 325'. Whats the trick to forehand or should I not even worry about it?



Being a new player, I find that forehand it's easier to get a little more snap than backhand right off the bat and that can give a little extra distance. After practicing some and improving my backhand technique I've found that my backhand does have the potential to go the farthest, though.

[boru]

I don't see how you guys throw farther forehand then backhand. Why is this? My farthest backhand is about 430' but forehand is prolly 325'. Whats the trick to forehand or should I not even worry about it?



First, develop a crappy backhand. This will force you to rely a lot more on your forehand, so you'll practice it more and it will improve.

Seriously, though, there's no "trick" to forehand any more than there is for backhand. It's all about speed, snap, and release angle. And lots of practice.

Should you bother? If you're throwing your backhand 430, you'll have a hard time beating that forehand. I've gotten a few out around 400, but most of the time I max out closer to 350. But there are plenty of uses for a 350 forehand.

[cantrell]

I wish I knew. One of the longest throwers on my home course throws forehand and I've seen him throw over 425' with what looks like little effort. He's **** accurate with it too (seen him on numerous occasions slam it into the basket from 200' +). I've never seen him throw backhand so I don't know if he's longer that way or not. I think you'll find that people use widely varying grips for a flick shot. Find one that works for you until you can throw a flat shot say 150'. Distance, just as in a backhand shot, comes with time after you learn controll.

[bigchiz]

The distance of the back of my hand is about 7.5 inches. :)

[spartan]

have you tried the scott stokely video? I am sure there has to be some tips on it.

[specialk]

My advice is to start playing longer courses. Carroll Marty DGC is a bit on the short side. Like a goldfish in a fishbowl, you only grow as large as your environment allows you.

My prescription is to head down to Des Moines and play those courses. Or wait until the ISU course is built. There will be some way long holes on that course. Otherwise, start practicing at the IM fields by Towers. Also, start playing a league, where you get to play with people who've been around and throw well.

[dannyreeves]

have you tried the scott stokely video? I am sure there has to be some tips on it.



Great video.

My advice is to start playing longer courses. Carroll Marty DGC is a bit on the short side. Like a goldfish in a fishbowl, you only grow as large as your environment allows you.

My prescription is to head down to Des Moines and play those courses. Or wait until the ISU course is built. There will be some way long holes on that course. Otherwise, start practicing at the IM fields by Towers. Also, start playing a league, where you get to play with people who've been around and throw well.



You obviously know Iowa courses well. I am from Minnesota so I used to play Kaposia 4 days of the week. Once I get back up there I hope my distance will increase. What is the best course in Des Moines? I am going there tomorrow and want to play the best. I usually am outside of Larch in the fields throwing for a couple hours a day... but **** it gets windy.

You obviously know Iowa courses well. I am from Minnesota so I used to play Kaposia 4 days of the week. Once I get back up there I hope my distance will increase. What is the best course in Des Moines? I am going there tomorrow and want to play the best. I usually am outside of Larch in the fields throwing for a couple hours a day... but **** it gets windy.

Ewing, southwoods, my firends really like grandview, getting off hte ames course will really help your d, i know playing some of hte short holes in cedar falls are killing my d, but it only takes a couple of rounds on the longer courses to stretch my d

Yeah my roommate and I are sick of playing Ames, but it is hard to get to Des Moines sometimes with school and all. We normally play the long tees, so it makes it a little longer. Plan on going to Walnut on Wednesday, hope it is open.

Wallnut? Course in Des Moines, Ames? Sounds interesting

Southwoods in WDM has a couple of pretty long, open holes, especally from the pro tees. There are some pretty short ones too but it is nice to have the variety.

i average around 260, topping out around 310.

Again, practice, practice, practice!!! Since I last posted on this thread I've probably pushed my avg distance drive to 350'-375'. Keep that X-step light and rhythmic. Whip the disc with the larger muscles in your back, legs and hips, making sure to keep the disc tight to your chest. Try to keep you motion compact too. Stretching your plant foot out too far or keeping your off arm too far away from you body only help to slow you down. Think about a figure skater...the tighter you can keep your body, the faster you will rotate and the farther your disc should go! Good luck and keep practicing!

Again, practice, practice, practice!!! Since I last posted on this thread I've probably pushed my avg distance drive to 350'-375'. Keep that X-step light and rhythmic. Whip the disc with the larger muscles in your back, legs and hips, making sure to keep the disc tight to your chest. Try to keep you motion compact too. Stretching your plant foot out too far or keeping your off arm too far away from you body only help to slow you down. Think about a figure skater...the tighter you can keep your body, the faster you will rotate and the farther your disc should go! Good luck and keep practicing!



This is so true! I used to use really jerky slow steps and I could only get out to about 320'. Then when I made my throw smoother, and more compact, and made my footwork lighter, My distance jupmed up to about 350'.

Now I can throw about 370' all day, and 400' if I have too. I could have thrown 400' with my old jerky step but it took a lot of work and I could only do it about 5 times before I was worn out. It was also very inconsistant. It was also the limit of that style. Now with my smooth step, I can throw a consistant 370' and 400' is alot easier. I also feel that the smooth throw has alot more distance potential!

i average around 260, topping out around 310.


update.
played grass valley today. hole 14, i chucked about 325-330 slightly to the right.
HUZZAH!

[MTL21676]

This can be answered in one word.



Orc

This can be answered in one word.



Orc



Mmmm orc is nice especially my 160g...but Valk is so nice. Throw with a bit of hyzer release and it'll flatten out and fly 375' dead straight.

[dannyreeves]

This can be answered in one word.



Orc



Mmmm orc is nice especially my 160g...but Valk is so nice. Throw with a bit of hyzer release and it'll flatten out and fly 375' dead straight.



F#%@ the Orc!!!!! ;)

^^^ Yeah, what he said.

If the disc is so great, how come it hasn't broken a distance record yet? Honestly, I think people use discs liek these to mask bad, or lack of, technique.

While some may use any number of discs to mask poor technique, I am of the opinion that any disc will fly better if thrown by an accomplished player. Therfore, to say that the Orc, Crush, Spirit or anything else is not a quality disc is pretty shortsighted, especially when the best players in the world are using them with great results.

Orc added about 50' to my drive. I was using an Xpress before. I suppose when I hit enough trees to necessitate a replacement for the Orc, I'll pick up the next latest and greatest disc, and maybe that one will add another 50'.

I hope disc development hits a plateau, and that people can't just keep adding distance simply by picking up whatever's newest on the market. If mediocre players routinely drive 400', some courses could become obsolete.

[dannyreeves]

At least I never slept with Lumbergh!!! :D

If mediocre players routinely drive 400', some courses could become obsolete.



Any course that becomes obsolete just because people are able to throw far probably needs to be redesigned anyway. As a myself I'm finding that a lack of a 400' throw really isn't where my high scores are coming from. Actually, the fact that I can't throw 400' makes a lot of the 250'-300' holes easier because I'm not worried about overdriving them. A parking lot, steep hill or body of water right after a 300' hole can be a lot harder for a mediocre player (like myself) to deal with than a straight up 400' hole, especally if you're able to throw 400'.

[discgolfreview]

lumbergh,

keep in mind the xpress to an orc is a jump of about 3 years along the dg timeline. :D

upon its inception in late 2000/early 2001, there were about a dozen longer discs on the market. each "upgrade" in the past used to only yield an extra 10-20' of D. i consider the orc about 3 steps beyond the xpress, so imo, the transition isn't that drastic if you think ~16-17' per new disc which is less than 5% increase for most players.

[boru]

If the disc is so great, how come it hasn't broken a distance record yet? Honestly, I think people use discs liek these to mask bad, or lack of, technique.



If your technique is so great, how come you haven't broken a distance record yet?

The mark of a great long driver is not whether it holds the world distance record. In fact, I'd say there's very little connection between the two. For one thing, the guys who set records are, by all accounts, physical specimens. They can just throw a disc faster, and snap it harder, than most of us will ever be able to. Distance competitions are also unique events, with very different conditions than you typically find on the course. With the ability to throw in any direction, without regard to where the disc will land, competitors choose discs that will stay in the air a long time and then try to play the wind. It would be interesting to see what discs they'd use if the throw had to land in a certain area, like in discus or javelin.

The bottom line is that the Orc allows many normal players to get more usable golf distance than they otherwise could. It still takes technique to throw it properly - I'm guessing anyone who can reliably throw an Orc 400' has decent mechanics. From everything I've observed, the Orc and the Flash are great distance drivers whether or not either of them ever set a distance record.

The bottom line is that the Orc allows many normal players to get more usable golf distance than they otherwise could. It still takes technique to throw it properly - I'm guessing anyone who can reliably throw an Orc 400' has decent mechanics. From everything I've observed, the Orc and the Flash are great distance drivers whether or not either of them ever set a distance record.



I am a normal (to subnormal...) player who has found the Flash in particular to be a nice improvement in distance drivers. I have picked up around 20 feet in my drives using this disc, going from an average of maybe 250 to around 270, with good pops flying over 300, and with pretty good accuracy. For me, that has been a real benefit. I did not have as much luck with the Orc -- it seems more overstable than the Flash (even my Orc is 166 gm and my Flash is 171 gm). Still, I agree with boru that for the normal DGer, these new designs are nice. (But I still love my 160-gm CE Valk, which is great for straight/slightly anhyzer distance drives).

BTW, I have also recently tried the Speed Demon, the Spirit, the Wildcat, the Beast -- but only the Flash offered me a real improvement in controllable distance. What a nice disc!

BTW, on tight holes where control is more important than distance, I have found nothing better than the H Apache, which feels great in my hand and has a nice, slow, straight flight with nice glide.

If mediocre players routinely drive 400', some courses could become obsolete.



Any course that becomes obsolete just because people are able to throw far probably needs to be redesigned anyway. As a myself I'm finding that a lack of a 400' throw really isn't where my high scores are coming from. Actually, the fact that I can't throw 400' makes a lot of the 250'-300' holes easier because I'm not worried about overdriving them. A parking lot, steep hill or body of water right after a 300' hole can be a lot harder for a mediocre player (like myself) to deal with than a straight up 400' hole, especally if you're able to throw 400'.



I wish I had the type of D to worry about overdriving a 300' hole. But on some courses in my area, I have to worry about 200-225' holes. In that case, I just tee off with a Roc.

I wish I had the type of D to worry about overdriving a 300' hole. But on some courses in my area, I have to worry about 200-225' holes. In that case, I just tee off with a Roc.



But you wouldn't call those hole "obsolete," would you?

[dannyreeves]

I wish I had the type of D to worry about overdriving a 300' hole. But on some courses in my area, I have to worry about 200-225' holes. In that case, I just tee off with a Roc.



But you wouldn't call those hole "obsolete," would you?



Not if they have some sort of challenge to them. Obstacles, ob, etc...

I wish I had the type of D to worry about overdriving a 300' hole. But on some courses in my area, I have to worry about 200-225' holes. In that case, I just tee off with a Roc.



But you wouldn't call those hole "obsolete," would you?



Not if they have some sort of challenge to them. Obstacles, ob, etc...



And the obstacles, ob, etc make the Roc an even more solid choice.

If mediocre players routinely drive 400', some courses could become obsolete.



Any course that becomes obsolete just because people are able to throw far probably needs to be redesigned anyway. As a myself I'm finding that a lack of a 400' throw really isn't where my high scores are coming from. Actually, the fact that I can't throw 400' makes a lot of the 250'-300' holes easier because I'm not worried about overdriving them. A parking lot, steep hill or body of water right after a 300' hole can be a lot harder for a mediocre player (like myself) to deal with than a straight up 400' hole, especally if you're able to throw 400'.


What a lot of people that can throw 400' do is use a different disc for a 300" hole.
:)

[/QUOTE]
What a lot of people that can throw 400' do is use a different disc for a 300" hole.
:)

[/QUOTE]

Oh...that's why I deep buying new discs.

[Blarg]

There is no disc that will add 50 feet to 'most players'' distance.
Only improving your technique and fitness can do such a thing.

[mmaclay]

Two thoughts of mine on this backhand distance thing. I learened forehand first and then realized everyone who could throw farther than me threw backhand so I taught myself backhand. Threw backhand no matter what for two months and I had better accuracy (especially on shorter shots) and about similar distance by the end of it.

My big epiphany was when I ripped an XS father than any throw previously by about 75 feet...about 45 degrees off to the right. it was a case of griplock but I learned something. I started winding up more so the back of my right shoulder was pointing at the target while doing my X-step. This allowed me to pull the disc through farther (nipple-to-nipple) and get more snap at the end. It was very inconsistant at first but with practice it's gotten a lot more accurate. Watch a distance thrower or a baseball pitcher and the windup usually end up with their back facing the target (or close to it) before throwing.

The second thing that has helped my distance and accuracy after the above was throwing midrangers and putters more. I've played rounds with just a Roc and a putter. Learning to throw midrangers for distance will increase your distance and accuracy with your drivers. That's because a roc/buzz/wasp will go where you throw it and you can't rely on the disc to come back at the end to save a mediocre/bad throw. I am very confident throwing my Roc for accuracy up to abouut 325 feet. After that, I get inconsistant. because it's a bigger pull. The nice thing is on most long holes (500-700 feet) , after a decent drive, I can say to myself, "Hey, it's just a Rock-shot and a putt for an easy par".

So grip-lock those discs a few times and then change your run-up to accommodate for it and throw those midrangers a lot. Lots of practice. I like to try and throw from goalpost to goalpost on a football field (360ft) for distance and accuracy practice. Once you feel really hue with distance, try those 120-yard field goals!

Max

If mediocre players routinely drive 400', some courses could become obsolete.



Any course that becomes obsolete just because people are able to throw far probably needs to be redesigned anyway. As a myself I'm finding that a lack of a 400' throw really isn't where my high scores are coming from. Actually, the fact that I can't throw 400' makes a lot of the 250'-300' holes easier because I'm not worried about overdriving them. A parking lot, steep hill or body of water right after a 300' hole can be a lot harder for a mediocre player (like myself) to deal with than a straight up 400' hole, especally if you're able to throw 400'.


What a lot of people that can throw 400' do is use a different disc for a 300" hole.
:)



Would you consider them mediocre players, though? The argument is that if a certain disc could extend a mediocre player's throwing distance to 400' then some courses would be obsolete. I'm saying that even if that were true, a mediocre player would probably have trouble throwing anything different than their maximum distance with that driver, even if they used a different disc. Being a mediocre player myself, I know this is true. ;)

Basically, I'm saying that a good course shouldn't just rely on distance for difficulty and it takes more than just good equipment to be a good player.

[Chris Hysell]

If I never attain 400ft, I will never even be mediocre. That's scary.

don't feel bad, Chris. I still think of you as mediocre.

[Chris Hysell]

Gee thanks F.Luke.

the other day I was ripping my banshee and my monster almost goalpost to goalpost. that's a crush for me. i can surpass that with a tee or an orc but i'm just getting my overstable drivers to flip on me. boy i was eating that up.

Before it used to take everything I had to get a 300-320' drive. I'm talking quick run up, quick X-step, and a really forcefull throw. Now I just relax, take my X-Step in a tight, rhythmic, and controlled motion and rather than trying to forcefully throw the disc I concentrate on forcefully whipping my hips and shoulders. The disc will follow and with little effort I can sail my Valks dead straight for 320-350'. Now when I apply strong force I'm throwing 375'-400' with my max at 410-420' or so. So the key is to relax and let your bigger muscles do the work. Quick rotation is the key.

OK...

I havent heard any "bad" news on the Flash yet from anyone. I guess I'll have to try one out. How is it's stability compared to a Champion Beast(current driver of choice)?

the Flashes I have thrown are fairly similar in stability to a Champion Beast, but not quite as squirrely. They also seem to be a tad longer.

my findings is that they throw like a crush which can be flippy for the big snappers, but they compensate for the high speed understability with alot more low speed overstability. Basically an Orc.

Great tips guys.... thanks!