Do You Pivot on the Heel? Or the Ball of the Foot?

TooNA · Dec 22 2012, 08:25 AM

I pivot on the ball of my foot. My friend Zeke is shown here pivoting off of the heel of his supporting foot.
Zeke throws 50+ feet farther than me all the time.
What do you think?

ddevine · Dec 25 2012, 06:52 PM

If I am using correct form (for me) then I pivot on the balls of my feet as a natural part of the follow-through. It reduces stress on the knee and improves accuracy. The hardest part (for me) is to put down the doughnuts and get my fat ***** in shape, as it requires good leg strength and balance. DD

wsfaplau · Dec 25 2012, 07:47 PM

Check out the disc mania video on youtube where Avery talks about backhands.
Near the end he suggests pivoting off the heel then demonstrates it clearly on the video.

Amusingly however, in every drive up to that point in the video he is pivoting on the ball of his foot.

It is a very good video though. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCs5u9ecVis

JenniferB · Dec 27 2012, 11:51 AM

At a recent clinic, Feldberg talked about this issue and said he noticed that pros throwing for distance are really pivoting on the blades of their feet, like baseball players when they hit. I had already noticed that, in some slow motion videos of mine, the pros are really putting the pivot foot down perpendicular to the line of play and pivoting on the whole foot, and not just the toe or heel. So I think Feldberg has it right.

TooNA · Jan 02 2013, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JenniferB

At a recent clinic, Feldberg talked about this issue and said he noticed that pros throwing for distance are really pivoting on the blades of their feet, like baseball players when they hit. I had already noticed that, in some slow motion videos of mine, the pros are really putting the pivot foot down perpendicular to the line of play and pivoting on the whole foot, and not just the toe or heel. So I think Feldberg has it right.

Would that be THIS clinic? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sxw8ix0CYs
Double G (Garret Gurthie) is throwing at about 17:30 into the video and the subject of heel to toe comes up.
I have watched GG throw since 2005 and he is fun to watch at long drives - my favorite being at the The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park before the course was installed.
Coincidentally Zeke, the guy pictured throwing, knows GG and that may explain why he throws off of his heel.

Sylvester Voigt · Feb 06 2013, 06:23 PM

I will have have to concentrate my weight onto the blade of my foot with this good advice.
It will be subject to my approach in the Tee Box which I am borrowing from my old Tennis Days of the Chip & Charge; When you slice through the Ball, it involves the same sort of Shuttle Stepping to get our Bodies rotating around for the Throw.

Dec 25 2012, 07:47 PM	#3
wsfaplau PDGA Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 457	Check out the disc mania video on youtube where Avery talks about backhands. Near the end he suggests pivoting off the heel then demonstrates it clearly on the video. Amusingly however, in every drive up to that point in the video he is pivoting on the ball of his foot. It is a very good video though. Check it out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCs5u9ecVis __________________ Pete Kenny Learn a new shot every year

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Dec 25 2012, 06:52 PM	#2
ddevine PDGA Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 177	If I am using correct form (for me) then I pivot on the balls of my feet as a natural part of the follow-through. It reduces stress on the knee and improves accuracy. The hardest part (for me) is to put down the doughnuts and get my fat ***** in shape, as it requires good leg strength and balance. DD

Dec 27 2012, 11:51 AM	#4
JenniferB PDGA Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 231	At a recent clinic, Feldberg talked about this issue and said he noticed that pros throwing for distance are really pivoting on the blades of their feet, like baseball players when they hit. I had already noticed that, in some slow motion videos of mine, the pros are really putting the pivot foot down perpendicular to the line of play and pivoting on the whole foot, and not just the toe or heel. So I think Feldberg has it right.

Feb 06 2013, 06:23 PM	#6
Sylvester Voigt PDGA Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Stanhope, New Jersey Posts: 1	I will have have to concentrate my weight onto the blade of my foot with this good advice. It will be subject to my approach in the Tee Box which I am borrowing from my old Tennis Days of the Chip & Charge; When you slice through the Ball, it involves the same sort of Shuttle Stepping to get our Bodies rotating around for the Throw.