AHH! Someone help me with my grip. I went out today and practiced some of the technique stuff I read about on here, and instantly got straighter flights and about 100 more feet on my distance--pretty phenominal. (sp?) I also improved my score by 15 or 20 shots.

My biggest problem is my grip, and the most obvious thing I can point out is that I still tend to automatically use my forefinger to hold the disc, but I can't release well doing that...it pops off into a different direction. When I try to use the four fingers under and thumb on top, without locking the forefinger, I can't control the release point very well.

I'm still trying to get away from the old way of throwing a frisbee, and this is the weakest part of my technique right now...I can even get the X-step down 80% of the time.

Thanks in advance, folks.

-jms

PS--seems I posted this in the wrong forum, apologies. A moderator is welcome to move it. Beginner to disc golf, beginner to the forums, etc, etc...

I had that problem when I started, too. I just couldn't imagine the disc "ripping" out of my hand like everyone described with any sort of accuracy. I forced myself to use the power grip (all four fingers under the rim) and eventually got better at it. It takes a good arm swing and good snap to get a clean release with that type of grip. I started off with a release similar to what I used when I had my index finger on the rim and slowly migrated to the point where I actually grip the disc tightest at the point of release.

For me, it's easiest to fix one thing with my technique at a time. Once you can get to the point where you're releasing the discs a little nose down and they aren't stalling out anymore you can start adjusting your arm and wrist motion to add "snap" and the grip and release will come easier.

Just find a field where you can rip a few and not worry about what direction the discs goes. When I get the opportunity to do that is when I improve the most. Also, if you haven't yet, check out www.discgolfreview.com. (http://www.discgolfreview.com.) There's a ton of well organized information in there and Blake (the webmaster) is very helpful and accessible.

Jefferson,

as for your question on which forum, this would probably be best suited for the throwing techniques section, but it's no biggie :)

as for your grip question, the index finger shouldn't really "lock." the way i usually teach grip is to start with a control grip (index finger on the outside of the rim) and then curl the index finger around the disc from that position. the outter edge of the disc will probably be in the middle joint of the index finger. you will want to get as much pad of the finger on the inner rim as you can while having as little air as possible between the middle segment of your finger and the disc. unless you have very large hands, on most wide rimmed drivers you probably won't be able to "lock down" the end segment of your index finger with any amount of great strength, which in turn, should result with the ability for the disc to rip out of your hand simply by overpowering the strength of your index finger pad's pressure.

someone may be able to explain this better.

i have very small hands (i can fit my entire palm, fingers extended, inside the bottom of a teebird) so my experiences with grip may be a bit different than most people's. with the newer discs, i often find that i cannot get any pad on the inner rim while still achieving "proper" grip and i must rely on the force i can get along the bead (bottom of the rim) with the side of my index finger's last segment. while this feels incredibly weak for me, i still get a good rip and find i very rarely griplock due to the index finger with these types of discs.

i am also working on a grip article for my website but i'm doing some fact checking before i finalize it.

also, if you are already doing what i described above... if you are recently making the transition from throwing lids to golf discs it's very likely that you are just experiencing irregular amounts of snap per throw and once that evens out a bit more you should get more regular, predictable releases.

hope this helps,

Keep working with the power grip and combine it with th x step, A tip for Maaaad Distance do the step slow rotate your body back and then put all your power into twisting back around Fast. Just about any disc you throw will fly far

I had this same problem, as I have big hands with fat fingers. It is uncomfortable getting all four fingers underneath and feel cramped. What I did was I would not curl my pinkie and grip it. I would just use my first three fingers, and let my pinkie just lay underneath. Give this a try and see if it helps, it did with me.

You may want to start out with a 3 finger power grip because it is more comfortable. Once you are used to having all your fingers under the disc, then you can experiment with different variations to find which one suits your hand and game best. I've used almost every grip out there and now I use the 4 fingered birdie grip. This gives me great control and more than enough distance. At some point, you will have to get used to it, so start now.

Go to the site in my signature and look at my grip page if you need suggestions.

Will do, but I have tried the four finger, and its just seems cramped, I tend to get death grip when using the four finger, thus resulting in a late release and it sailing way right. I will check your page though and see what this birdie grip you speak of is, and give it a try.

I've heard of a variation of the power grip in which your fingers act like they are gripping a fork. My pinkie and ring finger stay on the rim but my middle and index finger are just barely on the bottom of the flight plate. My thumb squeezes tightly onto my middle finger. I try to keep the disc out of my palm and more near my fingertips. This grip along with increased attention to quick hip and shoulder rotation have significantly increased my D.

Different grips work well with different hand types. I have long, slender fingers that are probably not all that strong on their own. When I started playing I used the fan grip and then moved on to the four finger power grip. The thing about the power grip is that it is only as powerful as your index finger because this is the rip finger and single point of resistance upon release. I reached a point where my arm speed or snap was too strong for my index finger to oppose, and so the basic four finger power grip was limiting my potential.

After reading some of Dave D's posts on the old "Distance Secrets" thread I learned of the stack grip that both Dave and Ken Climo use variations of. With Ken's grip he has his index finger curled under the rim. His pinky is the only other finger in contact with the inside rim. His ring finger is stacked on top of his pinky and his middle stacked on top of his ring finger. His reinforced pinky is then his rip finger. Dave does the opposite, stacking his pinky and ring finger on his middle finger, with that being the rip point. Both these grips transfer the power of 3 fingers onto a single point on the disc rim. This creates a much more powerful rip point than a single finger. I tried out both these grips and the Climo variation seemed more comfortable, so I started working on it. Immediately I was getting much more powerful rips (though they were in the wrong direction since changing your rip point requires aiming compensation due to disc orientation upon release). I have been using this grip all season and it has helped me power up my whole game. The more powerful rip not only gave me more max D, but it allowed me to do things like huge over the top hyzers that I would never have been able to execute with my old grip.

As I mentioned, I have long and skinny fingers which stack easily under the rim of any disc and have little opposition strength individually. If you have thinker fingers it is very hard to execute the stack grip (I have shown it to friends who found it absolutely impossible), but since thicker fingers are stronger individually, the standard power grip usually works fine for this hand type.

All this makes sense; thanks for the advice. My problem, I've realized as I've figured out how to grip the disc, is that my index finger causes my aim to be way off...I still can't get the aim down. Less index finger means better control, but more index finger means more spin. Very fustrating.

Thanks again!

-jms

Jefferson:

two things to keep in mind,

first, if your grip is too strong for the amount of armspeed/snap that you get, it will be hard to be consistent with.

second, if your index finger catches during the rip point, it may either be the first reason, or the finger/disc orientation interaction may be in a position that is not conducive to a clean rip... that is to say, there's too much finger to slide off of, or it's at an angle where the disc force is too low to unbend it and rip out.

also, which may be a factor (i'm not sure, but you mentioned in your first post about throwing lids and this is a common problem amongst players making the transition) is trying to release the disc vs. having it rip out.

Yes! I've never gotten comfortable with it "ripping" out of my hand. I'm trying to release it, and it ain't working. I've taken a look at some of the grip pics on one of the sites listed above (thanks!), and I have high hopes for the next round I play with those--they feel less "locked". But, my arm's tired and I need a day to recover. Just as well, since all of Tallahassee is currently mush...go figure.

Thanks!

-jms

Jefferson:

ah, sounds like you found the culprit. i would recommend at first using a firm, but not overly tight grip (think "strong enough to keep the disc oriented the way that i want it" strength) until you are comfortable with the feel of the disc ripping out. as you gain power you will find yourself in a position ready to grip more strongly.

Different grips work well with different hand types. I have long, slender fingers that are probably not all that strong on their own. When I started playing I used the fan grip and then moved on to the four finger power grip. The thing about the power grip is that it is only as powerful as your index finger because this is the rip finger and single point of resistance upon release. I reached a point where my arm speed or snap was too strong for my index finger to oppose, and so the basic four finger power grip was limiting my potential.

After reading some of Dave D's posts on the old "Distance Secrets" thread I learned of the stack grip that both Dave and Ken Climo use variations of. With Ken's grip he has his index finger curled under the rim. His pinky is the only other finger in contact with the inside rim. His ring finger is stacked on top of his pinky and his middle stacked on top of his ring finger. His reinforced pinky is then his rip finger. Dave does the opposite, stacking his pinky and ring finger on his middle finger, with that being the rip point. Both these grips transfer the power of 3 fingers onto a single point on the disc rim. This creates a much more powerful rip point than a single finger. I tried out both these grips and the Climo variation seemed more comfortable, so I started working on it. Immediately I was getting much more powerful rips (though they were in the wrong direction since changing your rip point requires aiming compensation due to disc orientation upon release). I have been using this grip all season and it has helped me power up my whole game. The more powerful rip not only gave me more max D, but it allowed me to do things like huge over the top hyzers that I would never have been able to execute with my old grip.

As I mentioned, I have long and skinny fingers which stack easily under the rim of any disc and have little opposition strength individually. If you have thinker fingers it is very hard to execute the stack grip (I have shown it to friends who found it absolutely impossible), but since thicker fingers are stronger individually, the standard power grip usually works fine for this hand type.



Do you have a link to this thread by chance or a link to where he talks of this stacked grip ?