when my driving game is doing well, a lot of it has to do with just feeling the shots before i throw them; visualizing a line and knowing (feeling) how to hit it.

when my game is off i start losing this intuitive feel. i think one of the main factors is timing... and sort of losing track of what pace my run up and throw should occur, and the rest is down hill; i lose the feel and then the confidence. this happens only on drives. i was wondering what people's theories were to feeling their own timing... does anyone sort of dance or jog in place before they throw? do you agree that losing the feel of your shots is often linked to the pace of the run up and throw?

i'm still fairly new to dg and driving is by far the weakest part of my game... i'm determined!

Develop a pre-shot routine. Do it everytime you throw, from practice shots to tourny shots.

Make your pre-shot routine whatever you feel comfy with.

I walk to the end of the pad, extend my arm on the line I plan to throw, then take 3 steps back, a couple of practice swings, then grip it and rip it.

does anyone sort of dance or jog in place before they throw?



There is some unnamed golfer from Austin that performs a little dance shuffle before each drive. Not only does it appear to help him as he is a really good player, but it also provides entertainment for everyone in the group. ;)

Have you tried counting out your steps in rhythm? Use a count matching your preferred tempo. It might help.

synchro:

i go through the exact same thing you described when i "go cold." i do think that a lot of it has to do with the pace of the run up, which is often linked to leg fatigue. also, i find it not so much to be the pace, but more about the muscle exertion you get from your legs, especially if you have a lot of burst power. i would say 99% of the timing issues i get are from either trying to throw too hard or getting lazy/tired and not getting enough leg into it.

my recovery process from a mid-round slump is kind of entertaining:
1) lose feel
2) start analyzing why the feel is gone
3) get frustrated/angry
4) throw too hard and make feel/timing worse
5) pfft, i don't care anymore
6) relax
7) throw rocs/putters off the tee for the next hole or two completely relaxed
8) timing/feel returns.

i really noticed this timing problem this past weekend when i was playing in the steady ed birthday memorial at lakeport. it was my first tourney ever. super super fun!!!

the first round i played a good game. the second round (later that day) i was off, and shot 8 strokes worse. man, it was frustrating... but i tried to handle it gracefully and not play stupid. it was hot and sunny and i was getting a headache... i think my legs were definitely a bit tired. on the second day, my second round was the better one because i started driving sidearm and that's what i was feeling that afternoon (thank god something was working).

i suppose what you're saying, blake, is to keep stretching those legs and stay limber and loose as the day progresses. i suppose what james is saying is to go ahead and develop a pre-shot routine that involves rhythm and getting the muscles ready for some quick action. i think i'll bounce around on my feet, swing my arms around, and sing a little tune to myself before i drive now. maybe chewing gum will help?

thanks for the advice guys. i'm happy my problem makes sense to others.

There is some unnamed golfer from Austin that performs a little dance shuffle before each drive. Not only does it appear to help him as he is a really good player, but it also provides entertainment for everyone in the group. ;)




Sounds like someone I've seen in Columbus, Ohio

Practice makes perfect. You basically just described fatigue and tournament stress.

For me, to practice tournament stress. I practice throwing every shot like it is about to win me the world championships on the last hole. That way, I get used to feeling like every shot counts. To get/stay in condition, on weekends I play no less then 54 holes a day. Some people do not have time for this, but when it comes to tourney time, 36 holes in one day is nothing. The only time I have gotten fatigued is when the TD tried to cram a B-tier in one day. 57 holes for a one day tournament, that was not fun. They were 4 hour rounds!

Tournaments are tough, mentally and physically, get yourself a tripod stool, it will help your legs from getting tired.

And to try to maintain my timing, as repeated in other words. Focus on staying smooth, throwing too hard to compensate or worrying about the timing is what will mess you up further. And like Blake said, throw midranges to help yourself refind your groove. Mine seems to go on putting more often then drives and approaches. But when I am putting smooth, I can nail just about anything inside 30ft. It is finding that smoothness in a tournament that has held me back. I go through a pre putt routine that makes me look like the karate kid, but it works even though I get made fun of I still beat the people making fun of me.

Losing "Feel" is the perfect wording for my problem.
I'm also pretty new to DG and especially Tourney's.
My last Tourney, I went thru both rounds where I just didn't have a good feel of the disc. I think alot had to do with pressing on my part. When I do my best, I'm relaxed and just playing the game. But, this time it was just like I couldn't get comfortable in any aspect of my game.
The whole day it was almost as if the disc kept slipping out of my hand.
So, I went out in a field the next day to figure out what went wrong. I believe it was totally a mental thing. I took my time and concentrated on my form and presto, I'm throwing like I'm capable of.
I guess it's just a learning experience. It was pretty miserable going thru it. But, I guess everyone has to if they are going to improve.

I'm totally new to disc golf and was wondering if it's normal to kind of skip/hop before a long drive. It seems to help with the lengths of my drives. With this method I can't really line up my drives like when I stand in one spot to drive. I just don't want to get into bad habits from the start and if this is not the way to drive then I can still correct it pretty easily at this point in my game. Thanks.

a skip or hop isn't bad at all.. THat's what got me into throwing with an x-step for my drives... Mike moser Skips when he drives and steve brinster has a bit of a bounce/hop instead of an x-step as well..
Whatever works for you and makes you play as well as you think you can.

-Scott Lewis

With this method I can't really line up my drives like when I stand in one spot to drive. I just don't want to get into bad habits from the start and if this is not the way to drive then I can still correct it pretty easily at this point in my game. Thanks.



well, assuming your skip/hop occurs during an x-step approach, it's not really detrimental unless you kill all of your forward momentum by shifting it upwards.

as for your problem with not being able to line up as well, that's often a common problem. i find with most players, they build their run up/x-step from the first step rather than from the last one, and in some cases, i have met players that got more hip thrust/drive when they were from a stationary position vs. their x-step. if you have a good, accurate, powerful throw from a stationary position or 1-step throw that disintigrates as you add a run-up, my advice is to build your steps from the finish to the start. that is to say, make sure the last step of your run up mirrors the hip motion during the stationary throw... then make sure your cross step primes your hips for the hip thrust similar to your stationary throw, etc.

the key is to stay under control in order to harness/focus power. i would say the most common problem with player's runups is that they get off balance (which is often, but not always caused by taking too large of a last step).

great advice parkn2putt!

i never knew that throwing midranges was a good way to get back in the groove... but that makes sense since they are less sensitive to nose angles that aren't perfect. i tend to throw midranges with a different mentallity than drivers, too.

i think i was definitely feeling tournament stress. in my second round i was grouped with all of these people with the same score as me and i could really feel the compitition kicking in since we were in the top 1/3 or so (i think it was a bummer group to be vibing like that with eachother). the second day, sitting nearer the bottom of our division, everyone in my group was just playing good golf and having fun... no competitive vibes at all.

i best be picking up a tripod stool as well... that does seem key.

yesterday i was playing... i started my swing with my disc already in the disc back position and this seemed to help with my rhythm as well since i only had to uncoil. i think having to bring my disc back during my throw can actually throw my rhythm off... funny enough.