I've had some free time and have been studying many of the throwers on Blake's site. One aspect that I have observed is the position of one's center of gravity relative to the plant foot. More specifically, I was looking at their center of gravity as they rotated through the throw.

On the line that they are throwing (if you were looking at them from the side as they throw), some people have their center of gravity over their plant foot as they rotate and some have it behind as they rotate.

On the line perpendicular to the throwing line (looking from the back of the box), some people have their center of gravity rotating over their plant foot and some have it rotate to the right of their plant foot (assuming a right handed person).

Also, some people's right hip drifts to the right as they rotate/open up. Some people's right hip stays pretty stable in space as they rotate.

I am not making any conclusions on the correctness/preferability of any of these distinctions, as most of the people I looked at are top-level golfers. I was just wondering, (specifically aimed at people who think about or know about these things) if there were any comments on this. Any areas of comment are useful.

I was thinking about the effect on the body different styles might have. Knees, shoulder, etc. Of course, I was also interested on how these things would effect flight paths, consistency of flight paths, ease of duplication, etc.

I will throw two cent in, I have found that throwing an ani I tend to stress my right knee (plant foot) laterally. I notice this because it tends to pop out of socket every so often. Is this true for everyone?

No, I don't think the knee popping out is the same for everyone. :cool:

I tend to apply less lateral pressure on my knee on an anhyzer. Maybe that's why I can't throw them very well.

I notice this because it tends to pop out of socket every so often. Is this true for everyone?



Only for old people. :)

I notice this because it tends to pop out of socket every so often. Is this true for everyone?



Only for old people. :)



NOT the knee popping out, I am asking about the lateral pressure.

:)

In office testing (does that count as practice?), I've found I'm over my left foot (throwing lefty) throwing a hyzer, almost over it throwing straight, and behind it throwing anhyzer.

I'll have to actually think about this tonight at league. If I play like #$*&$!, I can blame James.

If office testing counts as practice, I have a full day of disc golf. :p

My advice is that if you are compelled to think about, do not to think about until after your follow through. The follow through tells all. If your non-plant foot (right foot for you lefty freaks) ends up pretty close to equidistant from your plant foot as it was when you first planted, then you most likely rotated over your plant foot in the forward direction. If that foot ends up pretty close to your plant foot in the forward direction, you probably rotated behind your plant foot.

As for the sideway direction, if you end up pretty balanced on the line of the throw, you probably rotated over your plant foot in that plane also. If you are falling off to the side (left for you) at the end of the follow through, then you probably rotated to the side of your plant foot.

I have no idea if any of this means anything, but I read an interesting article on A-Rod's mechanics and have been reading stuff on pitching mechanics and the likelihood of future pitching injuries, and it eventually dovetailed into disc golf. Imagine that. Thus the post.

Dam you James,

My next two days of throws are most assuredly tossed! :mad:

James, you've seen me throw so you know I can get out there pretty good for an old guy (I max out at 400 feet and my average when I'm throwing for distance is around 380). Here is a thought. I put almost no torque at all on my hips, knees or back, not none, but very little. I have started to wonder if the two differenent throwing styles used require different body torque.

I use a full reach back, more so than most reach back players use. I turn completely away from the basket so that my back is face on to the target. My power comes completely from getting max utility out of my snap. My reach back isn't meant to give more power, rather I use it to put the disk into the best path to give maximum snap at release. I don't even pull forward hard (if I do I typically shank or get a weaker throw); it is the path that acheives max snap and distance.

However, on my up shots (long upshots) I have at times used a modified bent elbow technique. In order to get good distance I find I have to combine as much snap as I can get, with a hard body torque. I have wondered for some time if the only way to get an effective snap with the bent elbow technique is to have effective body torque, but that with the reach back you can get away without it, thus preserving your knees, hips, shoulders etc.

So back to your question. On my hard body snaps I rotate straight up and down with my body over a line that is in the middle, and not over either foot. I suspect that players rotate over their leg because it allows better torque, than a center of the body rotation. Rotating over a single leg should allow the following leg to more easily move, thus allowing greater motion or spin. As for the side to side motion, my guess is that it allows the same thing, people are following the path that seems to allow the fastest, most free spin/torque of their body.

What is correct? Probabaly it is different depending on body structure or type, but I recall a discussion about Ken Jarvis' techinque (he seems almost effortless and throws very far), who pivots or torques around a line that goes right down through the center of his body, and that being ideal.

I think about every throw after follow-through....since I don't practice that often, I try to analyze during a round -- a dangerous proposition I know. This is just something else to consider.

As for analysis last night, it would seem that under good footing conditions I do rotate over my plant foot (front to back -- judging by your expanded comments), but have a tendency to fall left of center (side to side) when throwing full strength -- pulling too hard or moving too fast?. Easing up, I get back over center.



As for the likelihood of future pitching injuries, if you are drafted by the Cubs it would be better to saw the arm off immediately.

All this talk about center of rotation and planets.

Pluto is not a planet!!!