I am just learning Rollers recently. In my forehand Roller I have been throwing immediately at the ground and rolling it from the gitgo.
And also I have been throwing it in the air about 50ft. or so and then let it roll.
I have had better luck with the latter.

Which technique of these two do some of the others here recommend ??

I ahve never even tried a forehand roller. When do you use them?

I've been throwing a forehand roller most of the summer using a 174g champ monster. because we all know it's overstable to begin with, i throw it like this: / with two fingers under the flight plate. my approach is sort of like an nfl kicker's, i set up slightly left of the tee pad/marker, and i use a step, hop, step approach (just like throwing a normal forehand - just with a lot more hip turn). also, and maybe more importantly, i make a concerted effort to "snap" my wrist straight down. using the monster, i can throw it out right and be absolutely positive that it will come back left. for shorter distances and more accuracy, use a slower disc and less wrist at the release point. i've rolled a soft wizard up a small hill through some small saplings to a guarded basket.

as for your initial question... i do give it some air time, but too much and i feel like the disc spins out quicker to the left. and just remember that unlike a backhand roller that goes right-left-right, a forehand roller just goes right to left. hope this helps :D

I can get my better ones to 350'; they remain in the air more like 100'.

...this is my favorite shot; it's like obverse bowling. :)

Pushing it out to 75-100' before ground contact is about the max for me. Any farther and you're better off with a BH roller, IMO. I'll get a FH roller out to 400'+ consistantly (max is about 550' with favorable ground and wind).

It's the same as a BH roller to a point, the further in the air you can push it, the better off you are. Air has less friction than the ground. Now, if terrain and trees won't let you, then drop it down quicker.

The only time I use a FH roller is when there are canopy issues. Easier to roll under trees than throw over them sometimes. So I never throw FH rollers in the air for more than about 30-50 feet.

The only time I use a FH roller is when there are canopy issues. Easier to roll under trees than throw over them sometimes. So I never throw FH rollers in the air for more than about 30-50 feet.



Exactly. A few months ago I played the Monkey Paw Classic at Tinicum Park (a Worlds course) which has nicely mowed fairways throughout, but a few holes that have canopy issues. I watched the other guys in my group throw normal backhand drives that rose up into the trees for early disaster. Meanwhile, I threw a forehand roller on these holes, outdriving their distances almost 3:1. Regardless, the forehand roller is much easier to control than a backhand roller, and easier to get on the ground because you don't need an understable disc (or one that you can make understable) to turnover and land.

I don't want to address hitting a gap being easier with "x"-type of stability, but as for the aiming aspect, I find overhands' "always facing" orientation superior to backhands' "facing>>x-stepping>>re-facing" attitudes. /msgboard/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

It depends what kind of shot you need. If you are going for accuracy you will want to the throw the disc in the air anywhere between 30 to 70 feet before it hits the ground. The disc should start off at about a 45 degree angle in the air and then straighten itself out as it hits the ground and starts rolling. If you are going for distance you will want the disc to be in the air longer, but it will become much harder to control. To throw this kind of shot you are going to want to use a stable/overstable disc. Most people would use a monster, however I have found that an orc will work just as well as long as you throw with a sharp angle (30 degrees). Really, a forehand roller is not the ideal distance shot - a backhand roller works better for distance (imo).

The best use for a forehand roller is low-ceiling shots, downhill shots, or as an out shot - throwing through thick trees/foliage. Also, you can master this shot with a midrange or putter for shorter approaches. Putters will roll on a very straight line when thrown correctly.