As a beginner, playing for 8 months, I just made the move up to MA1 two months ago. I am having trouble on my drives as well as long midrange shots 300-350ft using a Roc/Wasp.

My problem is that I throw from my waist. I have a good enough throw where I am not "soup dipping" i.e. throwing the disc straight into the air, my long drives average 420ft and I have reached 440ft in a distance comp.

I know that using my back instead of just my arm will result in longer distance with less effort. I had a miraculous throw that when using my back went 415ft when I was still only throwing 380ft with my arm. But I have yet to recreate this.

Any tips to help me gain better form? I have a 12 time World Champion and Inagural Hall of Famer, Tom Monroe, that has been teaching me alot of my technique, but as far as getting my arm up, he just tells me that I need to work on it. I am now just trying to farm out more help.

Thanks.

The fact that you are throwing clost to 400 feet and you been playing not that long I would say dont worry about it you are doing just fine. It took me a few years to throw as far as you can just keep with it.

Ya, you punk. I've been playin for about 5 months, going out quite often, and I don't get the disc far past 300ft. 440 in 8 months? My advice is to thank Tom. Also, i obviously don't have as much credibility as people who through 450 or higher regularly, but I'd say just try gradually getting the arm higher and higher. Don't have to bring it up to the chest right away, that'd be like using a new technique. Try just raising it inch by inch so that you are still using your technique that you are used to just a little bit higher until you are comfortable at that height, and then move on.

I can throw 500 ft and i would say that your doing fine. There is really no NEED to throw any more then 400ft. There is also no need to throw Midranges 350-380. If you can thats great but if your drivers are going under the basket or getting you a putt from that distance then there is no need to learn to throw a mid over 350. Id say if you are getting the distance you say you are doing what your doing then i wouldnt change a thing. Take it from someone who can throw over 500. Accuracy and putting are WAY WAY WAY more IMPORTANT then distance. If you cant put your upshot within 30ft of the basket from 200 or make a 30ft putt that 500 ft drive means NOTHING because the guys with good upshots are going to get the same score as you on a 450ft hole. The difference will be you missed a 30 footer and they PARKED an up shot and dropped in for 3. So work on the accuracy and putting and once you can do that then worry about the distance :D

I think it is cool you want to extend your drives. I agree with the other posters to a degree, but I also want to drive further. I was in a distance comp. this year and only threw 411, but it was my best ever! I then saw Coda Hatfield step up and out throw me by over 100 feet! He looks like he hardly is doing anything. Check out some video of good drivers, and then compare it to video of yourself! This is one of the best tools to improve. Watch yourself and copare to others that have a similar style as you! Good luck.

Next year I hope to break 450!!!

Thanks, I do really need to work on my overall game. My putting is really streaky, somedays I will be sinking everything from 25ft in, and other days making a 10ft putt is next to impossible. Side arms and tomahawks I need despartely to work on. My approach game is good enough to keep me at par on a vast majority of courses. UAH in Huntsville still taunts me at 2 over the past 3 times I played it.

I am also ever grateful for Tom M. His wife and mine work together so I had known him almost two years before I even knew he threw a frisbee. Talk about humility. But he has warned be about being upset about shooting par on our course because some locals spend their entire life just trying to get to par.

On a side note, I have been playing Ultimate, an indoor version of GUTS, tricks, and throwing feild goals for distance on our football feild with a lid for over 10 years now. I have to tell people that when they get shocked I have only been playing golf for 8 months.

Anymore advise, or tips on how you got your arms up away from your waist are still apprieciated.

Thanks.

your D sounds fine (quite good) to me. i commend you for trying to extend your midrange D, it's often neglected nowadays.

as for putting your back into it, imo, i wouldn't really think of it in this way. if you are breaking 400' consistently with drivers then it's safe to say you have decent snap and this implies good timing.

the places to really add D are generally the same for most people. i consider there to be about 5 body factors that control power and these are the places where you focus to add D.

1) snap
2) hip explosion
3) shoulder rotation and acceleration of the arm/disc
4) elbow extension
5) grip strength in conjunction with a strong follow through

since you are breaking 400' i'm willing to guess that 1 and 5 are fine.

if you are trying to add D and afraid you are throwing with mostly arm there are ways to try to build up on 2-4.

2) your hips should come through quick, strong, and at the right time. make sure your hips lead the throw and think of your hips being open before your pull even starts. find ways to drive into the pivot (unless you have knee issues).

3) as for where the back comes into play, from my experiences, only the back of the right shoulder needs to ever get turned fully away. it is then in a position to compact/tuck itself a little as it opens, which shortens the shoulder arc and accelerates the arm more quickly. if your shoulder stays fully "extended," the arc it covers when opening from say your back 180 degrees away to facing the target is ~90 degree arc and depending upon the length of your neck to your shoulder, can be upwards of 20" to pull the disc ~18". now if your shoulder tucks in a little and stays lower, you can shorten the arc in both direction and length and reduce the path the shoulder takes over the same rotation to like 12" and still pull the disc ~18". this will accelerate the disc much faster.

4) the theory is, the greater the elbow bend during the throw (if the disc is kept close to the chest this bend happens automatically) the greater the potential extension/snap/distance. techniques that lead more with the elbow generally harness this better, although this process occurs very quickly and it's not really something to manipulate on the fly or you will ruin your timing.

all of these will require timing to make sure everything fires correctly, but hopefully this gives some help.

Isn't there a song about this....You can do it put your back in to it. You can do it put your ***** in to it. Put your back in to it, put your ***** in to it. :D

Yeah I knew this when I posted, I also did the motions from the music video in the parking lot of our course to the amusement of my doubles partner.

April 9-10 San Saba TX, Holmberg/Allen....we will see you there!

Uh!