A few years back, probably the 4th or 5th time i'd ever played disc golf, i was standing at tee #2 at Richmond Hills (NC) preparing for my usual sucky backhand attempt. I wound up, tossed, and popped my shoulder straight out of socket. I was forced to play the remainder of the game sidearmed (which I'd never done), and played the best game of my life to that point. Since then, I never went back to trying to use a backhand (rh). Until this morning...
I went out for some field practice and decided to try the rhbh again, as I've really been making an attempt to improve from par lately. I tossed a few reasonably well, and then 'pop'. Actually, more like a grinding crunch this time, but similar. I don't know if this problem is technique or just my musculature/ligaments, but it makes life difficult, and I hear if it happens once, it's more likely to happen over and over. Anyone ever had the same problem?

I've never heard of anyone with that problem.

I myself have very loose shoulders but have never even come close to popping my shoulder on a throw (although it does rattle around the socket a lot). I also wonder if there is some sort of exercising I can do to stabilize my shoulder better, but haven't hurt my shoulder ever, so I'm not motivated to do the research.

I'm guessing that, with practice, you'll be able to find a change in technique will prevent your arm-popping from happening. Get out on a football field, throw very softly, and experiment with techniques with the goal of being able to throw with your shoulder staying stable throughout the swing. And gradually working up to a decent yardage.

Gradual means that it might take many months (hopefully not years) of practice and patience.

But I think that it's not a good idea to rely solely on a sidearm, because that will probably tear your arm up as you get older.

You might want to try slowly throwing with the other arm and see if that arm pops the same way, and if not, why not.

It's weird. I've done it playing regular golf too. I feel certain that with time i can find a more comfortable, technically sound form that would stop it, but it seems every time I think i've found something, I'll try to toss it one good time and *pop*, i'm done for a couple of days. Tends to hinder one's ability to practice. I'll just have to blind myself to distance for a while i suppose.

I think a doctor would be better able to diagnose the problem, muscular or tendon or whatever, and advice you on healing times. I'm a golf freek and not qualified to give medical advice.

I get a pop (more of a crunch) every once in a while when I try throwing really hard and don't get a good follow through. Although, I used to be into BMX and dislocated my shoulder more times than I can remember.

Stabilizing the shoulder is crucial for throwing/swinging sports. If your shoulder is loose I would advise doing exercises specific to the four rotator cuff muscles. I slacked off on these exercises and am now sidelined for awhile.
I do five rotator cuff exercises to rehab my shoulder(very light weights and high reps, slow pace). It would take too long to explain them here but anyone who has shoulder instability can find the info readily on most health/sports medicine sites on the internet.

a few question:
1)are you sure you shoulder was out of socket, because out of socket with shoulder (speaking as a dirty weight room rat) generally means your not going to do anything with that arm for about a week
2) do you tend to throw with high velocity? aka projectile
3)what style do you throw with (long arm rotation, bent arm, ripcord, etc?.
4) how long did the pain last, and what particular motions would cause the most pain?

It didn't come all the way out this time. The first time, I had to hold onto a tree branch and twist my body until it made a weird sucking, slipping noise (mostly in my brain) and fell back into place. Everyone else standing with me when it happened heard an audible crunch when i threw. I was able to forehand for the rest of the round and piddle a bit, but with no shoulder movement.

Yesterday was more of a pop/crunch thing. Didn't go all the way out, but i was left with a similar dead arm feeling.
I played a round today to see how it was doing, and I had to stop after 15. My accuracy was crap, my putting was deflated, and my arm just hurts, though mostly in my elbow because i had to put so much extra force on it to keep my shoulder out of the mix.

I can't really describe my backhand technique because I haven't had time to develop one. I start with wrist bent, down by my left hip, and have had most slow-mo luck with little arm bend/big rotation. I think my follow through might be too high, and bending at the elbow would certainly help.

As for where it hurts, it's mostly a dull, constant pain, but it speaks a bit louder when i bring my arm behind my body at all, like if i were to point my elbow at a person behind me. When it really hurts is when i point the elbow back and then roatate out to my right.

My sister and brother-in-law are both physical therapists, and I'll be headed down to see the fam this weekend, so I'll have to chat with them about it. I think the lightweight exercises mentioned above would help a lot. I'm new to the board, so i'd never heard it phrased before, but "instability" certainly sounds like an apt description of my problem.

shoulder socket problemslike the one you have mentioned, and taking into account the degree of pain involved with back and forward motion i would think that you could very well have put your shoulder out of joint. that is stretched/pulled/strained the surrounding ligaments and muscle groups. With respect to the dic throwing motion (bh) and your comment about too high of a follow through, i would say that you are probably excerting a good deal of force through muscle groups that are not used to this motion, and are therefor not nesescarily able to withstand the strain. unless you spend a great deal of time specifically training (lifting) in your shoulder area, you pectoral and lateral muscle groups will be much stronger, strong enough to force/strain the muscle group and fibers holding your shoulder in its proper place. The light weight excercise mention might not be such a bad idea, after some recovery time taken on your part.
P.S.: oh yeah, ice, ibprofen, protien. three best things for muscle injuries

Thanks for the advice, M'less. Just for the record, what's the difference between dislocating something and popping it out of joint?

out of joint is where tendons and ligements and muscles are strain/stretched to a point where the joint they're supporting is no longer in the position the it should be. (very common with finger/toes, and Shoulders, hips and knees. Some pain and discomfort.
Disloction is the when the socketed joint is actually out of place permanently (until reset) and usually involves severe damage to ligaments or such a strech that the joint is unable to reset itself.

OK, I'll try. I dislocated my left shoulder (I'm a lefty) while mountain biking about 10 years ago. I was messing with my computer with my left hand (computer was mounted on right side of the handlebar) and a car came aroud the corner, I tapped the front brake and quickly rolled endo. I was unharmed except for a dull pain... Oh crap. Dislocated shoulder. I proceeded to pop it back in, the best way I can describe that is, hold the arm in an L formation with your hand pointed forward, and turn your arm across your body as your elbow goes out. Popped back in. Rode my bike, on roads and trails, 4 miles back to the car. Popped it out again that night trying to take my shirt off. Then I did it a couple times that week while telling people about the experience (both were at bars, nothing will make people ill like disjointed limbs in bars. :cool:I was pretty weak with it for a long time. But this was about the time I started playing disc golf. I don't think it bothered me then, I took it easy for a while, plus I was pretty strong from a lot of mountain biking. Now, about 8 years later, I take up disc golf after a 5 or 6 year exercise slump. I am out of shape, but drivers and a willingness to improve along with unemployment, give me the fervor to get better, I start throwing discs, first weakly, then stronger, absorbing lots of info on getting better. I go out to fields to practice. A lot. One day, I released a little late, had a great drive, but the shoulder went loosey. I got really close to popping it out. I IMMEDIATELY stopped throwing, went home and iced it, then bought glucosamine, and doubled the dose for at least a month. Lay off the arm for a while. sidearms can be ok, but I would have wuit for the day right away, frustrating as it may be. When it is stronger, get a powerball and use it daily to build strength in the entire arm and intothe shoulder. it is best to stretch before every round now. throw some light midrange shots, nothing full power until you get in a groove. Basically, that first big drive is the one that will be a problem. It's the one with the most amount of slop, before your body regains that muscle memory to allow for a smooth release.

Follow through, Follow through, Follow through. You should see mine. Sometimes it's just a spin off the pad, but sometimes, when I'm more planted it's a big silly arm corkscrew to keep my arm from just STOPPING. people who know me probably think I'm a freak. But it works. I've been shoulder problem free for more than 2 years. And I am now throwing better than ever.

Try some glucosamine and try the Powerball. do some light arm strengthening at first. and "clench" your shoulder in sets. sounds weird, until you try it. But lay off the disc golf until you have a better handle on if it is healing. The more you injure it, the longer it will take to regain full use again.

And no push ups, unless you weigh 98 pounds...

Thanks, Matt.

I went home for the weekend and spoke to the aforementioned physical therapists in the family and got a big rubber band and an exercise list. (Go here http://www.sandersclinic.net/shlder_instability.html# scroll down and click on "shoulder exercises with a thera-band"). He recommended that I tie a knot in one end of the band and close it in a door for resistance, rather than holding it with the other hand as shown in the link above.

Focus mostly on motions that are the opposite of your throw, ie starting at the release point and bringing your hand back down to your hip. The internal rotations help retrain the muscles that stop your arm at the end of your swing.

I only got the thing yesterday, but I can already tell it's much more effective than what I was trying before (light weights, same motions).

I start with wrist bent, down by my left hip, and have had most slow-mo luck with little arm bend/big rotation.

This describes an Ultimate throw (vs a disc golf throw). Don't bend your wrist and start with the disc at shoulder level. You should also be bending your elbow (so the disc is pulled across your chest vs. swinging in a wide arc).

I believe it. Like I said, I've never had time to even try to do it well or tune the mechanics of the throw. Always get overzealous and try to launch one off.

But interestingly, I've found that using the band for rehabbing the shoulder is a pretty good way of working on form as well. Imagine having the band tied to a wall in front of you, directly where you'd want the disc to hit. Hold your arm out at the release point and stretch the band taught. Then, reverse through your throwing motion. Once you release, the band snaps your arm back to the release as efficiently as possible. It's sort of like the track training equipment that sprinters tie themselves to; the cord that reels them in, if you've ever seen it.

Remember to Breath !!!!!!