Here is a question. Getting to the point where either throw can achieve a nice amount of distance and accuracy. However I have noticed some differences in flight characteristics. {to simplify this is just a straight to left for backhand and straight to right forehand} To get good distance forehand I am using overstable discs (firebird, crush) and backhand the same discs will plummit left. Good distance backhand with a teebird, pro starfire. Forehand they tend to turn over too much. My question is what is the difference, spin to disc speed?

You are putting way more torque on a disc when you throw a forehand and usually THe wrong kind of torque. I guess it could be comparable to spin, but i think it's more of the speed. YOu are throwing a disc almost the same speed as with a backhand while Starting your throw and releasing the disc on a much smaller area.

With a backhand the disc is traveling much further before it's released and that seems to help keep the disc on a decent angle/axis.

you should learn to throw the same discs for Backhands and forehands(teebirds, starfire, etc). That will really test your Forehand and you will be able to throw your forehands further too.

Although Forehands are easier to learn(IMO) Backhands become more controllable once you get all the silly mechanics down. The disc takes a greater line before release which I guess would make it release flatter?

hope that helped in some weird way.

-Scott Lewis

I believe it is a great advantage to use overstable discs for the forehand. Wind direction is much less important. I began using stable and understable discs, but quickly switched to the overstable discs as the release angle was way too critical. Also, almost every forehand thrower I have talked to uses overstable discs. Maybe we are all wrong, but I doubt it.

I think throwing the same discs for both forehand and backhand is only an advantage if one is short on cash.

All of my forehand shots are with a banshee/firebird, while I primarily use an orc or valk for backhand throws. I'd agree with the torque issue with forehand throws, and the longer I've been playing, the less I've relied on forehand shots and gotten the longer annie lines down better. Not to knock the forehand at all...there's still a few situations when it's a great shot to throw, and can definitely save you a few strokes. Like anything else, it's just a matter of how much you practice it.

I also will tend to get more flip/turnover with a forehand, but I just assume I have less skill with a forehand. Are you saying that the nature of the forehand throw lends itself to flip (whatever the cause)? In other words, do you think that given the same disc, the flight patterns of the forehand vs. backhand will inevitably be different or is it simply that most people are more adept at backhands?

I can throw about 350 either way, even getting some flutter/off axis torque on my forehand. I think that is what greatzky is talking about. If you get any of that bad torque, a stable to understable disc will just dig into the ground (maybe similar to rolling your wrist on a backhand?). That's why most people (including myself) use overstable discs for forehand. They will fight their way out of that dig/roller a lot better and eventually straighten out. But if you learn to finesse a forehand w/ a less stable disc, your throw will be better in the long run. My opinon is to use what works during a round, but do some experimenting on a soccer field.

I can throw about 350 either way, even getting some flutter/off axis torque on my forehand. I think that is what greatzky is talking about. If you get any of that bad torque, a stable to understable disc will just dig into the ground (maybe similar to rolling your wrist on a backhand?). That's why most people (including myself) use overstable discs for forehand. They will fight their way out of that dig/roller a lot better and eventually straighten out. But if you learn to finesse a forehand w/ a less stable disc, your throw will be better in the long run. My opinon is to use what works during a round, but do some experimenting on a soccer field.

I concure, using a disc to correct your errors will only hinder your results and in fact ingrain a bad habit into your form and be harder to correct in the long run.

Unless I have a tournament within a week and a half I will practice using a different bag and setup instead of my tournament discs. The discs I practice with are understable. The most stable discs I carry is an Orc and an Element. XL's and Roc's are the other things in that bag. While the tournament bag has 23 discs, the practice bag has 7. Playing with understable discs forces me (a person who throws very hard 60-70 mph) to learn to control the release angles much more then with an overstable disc. My game has improved ten-fold in the last 4 months I have been doing this.

Practice what is harder for you to do. Tournament golf should be easy golf, because then you will be prepared for anything.

the best sidearm throwers i know generally throw about 60% of the their drives backhand and 40% of their drives sidearm and use very little disc adjustment when switching to sidearm (if any). many of them will step up maybe 1 disc in stability but will generally throw hyzers using both techniques but where they will say, throw a flash backhand, they would throw a crush sidearm on the mirrored line fading the opposite direction.

you will find a lot more variance in sidearm disc selection amongst players that use any 1 technique for 90% or more of their drives. generally (but not always) these lie on the extreme ends of it: lot of finesse, not a lot of power, throw stable to understable discs sidearm vs. lot of power, not a lot of finesse, lot of torque, throw overstable to very overstable discs.

Depending on the shot either will work. My forehand is nicely developed and I think i need to clearify what exactly the question was. When I throw a buzz backhand and a little high and flat there is considerably less fade at the end then the same shot with the forehand. More spin with the backhand = straighter flight?

Hoppes, most likely what you are seeing is resulting from a nose attitude difference. Try an experiment yourself. Throw nose down vs. nose up shots and watch the difference. Even a slight difference in nose attitude can produce a noticeable difference in speed, glide, and low speed flight characteristic. If you want your shot to go straighter and longer, you need to throw nose flat/down. If you want your disc to hyzer and fade quickly (stall), you need to throw nose up. This applies to backhand or forehand.

Interesting, I do notice the forehand orientation does show me the top of the disk and backhand the bottum when thrown. I will try changing the orientation and observe in my next round. I had assumed that the diffence was mostly comming from the backhand having a higher spin rate compaired to speed and therefor less fade.

All I know is that I can get 450+ backhand and around 300' forehand. :confused: :confused: The only good thing is that I throw the sidearm leftie but then again they both fade left. I know a guy down here that thrown a 350' backhand but a crazy 440 sidearm. /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I like them both. 450 BH and 375-400 Side arm. ;)

Maybe it is just an issue of personal strengths/weaknesses, but I seem to be more consistent with my stationary forehand shots than with backhand. I am much more skilled at backhand, but when standing still and rotating my shoulders I am more likely to miss left/right than if I throw forehand and isolate my arm/focus on the target.

Or you could be like Scott Slater and backhand drive BOTH left and right handed :eek:

Or you could be like Scott Slater and backhand drive BOTH left and right handed :eek:



I can throw lids and putters equally well left and right handed.

Or you can just do what I do and carry a lot of turnover discs and learn to get them to sit well. Look at the "what's in your bag thread" for what I throw.

I like backhand more for 3 reasons. 1) The physics of rotation, the x step, etc allow for much more power in the bachand, 2) it is natually more accurate. Most forehand players putt backhand, and if you've ever played ultimate before, you know the accuracy advantage of throwing backhand to a cutter. These are examples of the accuracy of the backhand. 3) Backhand throwers tend to learn the physics of the disc better, meaning most backhand throwers have more dialed in uses for their discs than forehand players.

Out of the people I know, the ones that have a good backhand and sidearm, will use a sidearm for a tight tunnel shot, I'd say sidearm is more accurate cause you're looking at the tunnel the entire time, and the disc isn't going over as big an area during the pull. This is only the case for someone who has a good sidearm though.

I've been playing disc golf for a little over a year and when I began playing I threw nothing but sidearm shots. I started out throwing valkyries, but after I got the technique down I switched to more overstable discs like the Orc/Beast. I can get about 400 feet with a good sidearm drive, but I almost always throw backhand for distance. Throwing sidearm for distance will wear your arm out quickly - trust me.

I agree about sidearm shots being good for tunnel shots. With enough spin, a disc like the orc will fly perfectly straight for 300 feet+ before turning. The sidearm shot is also good for low-ceiling shots and uphill shots.

Aside from drives, sidearm is great for upshots - the technique is different though - there is a lot less arm motion and more wrist flick. Once you get the motion down it is an extremely accurate shot.

Hmmmmmmmmmm...............

Last time I was backhanded by my ex friend , I started laughing , until she punched me below the belt with her Forehand. :eek:

That just goes to show that you should never let someone who is determined to hurt know that they haven't succeeded yet. :cool:

Probably didn't think of that at the time.
Lovely Backhand though !!!!!! :eek:

Thank god , her Forehand needs work !!!!! :eek:

Probably didn't think of that at the time.

Like I care.............

Lovely Backhand though !!!!!! :eek:

Thank god , her Forehand needs work !!!!! :eek:



Hmmmmmmmmmm...............

Last time I was backhanded by my ex friend , I started laughing , until she punched me below the belt with her Forehand.

Dang..........I won't mess with her Turn -around though !!!!!! :eek: