Hididdely.

I'm new to the sport (4 months). I've read everything I could find to help me along but still have problems getting anything behind a throw.
I have OK form (I can tell because I don't hurt anymore), I've learned how to throw angles, my short & mid games are coming along, it's the drive is where I lose a lot of strokes.

I guess the only real question I had is on release. I've read the "how to get distance" articles around but still have a question.


Your grip should be firm and the disc should rip out of your hand rather than slip out. If you are trying to let go of the disc, a consistent release is near impossible. Your grip should be loose enough to let your forearm and wrist move freely before the disc rips out

(discgolfreview)

So.....by them saying that, is the disc supposed to actually force itself from your grip? If so then I'd say that's where my problem is. I don't think I'm getting the power to let it.

One question about "snap". I've read where you're not supposed to curl the wrist, but if not, then how do you get it to snap? Any good articles regarding this?

Thanks for your help & reading. I'd say these two issues are what's keeping me from good drives.

My two cents:

I would recommend practicing snapping a towel (both backhand and forehand) to get a jump on the technique.

As for the release, I still don't get the "don't let go" idea. When I release my thumb comes up and to me that's a release technique. the disc does fly out though pretty much from momentum and maybe my thumb release is unnecessary :confused:

Also, as an aside, don't buy into the idea you have to use a power grip unless it feels right. I came from a frisbee/lid/ultimate background and prefer the modified FU grip. I threw 495 feet in an informal distance contest (5 throws for $5) on flat ground with no real wind (range finder measured). The power grip may be the best choice for disc golf driver distance, but it isn't necessarily the only choice -- go with what works for you. I feel like i get much better control/accuracy with the modifed FU grip.

Blake T's site (http://www.discgolfreview.com/resources/articles.shtml) is a great resource and I also hear this site (http://hem.bredband.net/area46/) is very good

Ok guys, I am having this issue when I snap the holy hell outa my disc. Any disc will do this. I usually throw with very little snap cause with the torque of my arm, putting alot of snap on it just makes it turn completely over. I can get some D now 400, but I feel if I utilized this extra wrist pop the disc could go at least 50% further.

The problem is the trajectory of the disc is so wild that consistancy is just not a subject to spoken. Has anyone ever harnessed the full potential of snapping the heck outa your disc. I snap it so hard I can feel it in my wrist. Its not a good feeling but it sure does unleash this super fling that has so much speed that you know this thing is gonna Gooooooooo.

I am thinking if I find the right disc and throw it high enough so that it has the room to S out, it could actually scream into some Distance compititions.

The part about the disc ripping out of your hand was difficult for me to get at first, too. I think that when people say it rips out of your hand from the force you're putting on the disc and while that, in a way, is true, I think it's also misleading to someone who doesn't know how to get it to work. I spent quite a bit of time just trying to throw harder to get it to work, but as it turns out, it's more about getting your arm, hand and wrist to go through the correct motions to get the disc to rip out of your hand like that.

I'd recommend concentrating on your arm motion and overall form in a field where you don't have to worry about shanking drives in all sorts of wrong directions. I found that if I didn't have to worry about the disc going off somewhere where it wasn't supposed to be then I was much more confident and was able to work on my form more. Read all the different articles about how to throw distance shots before and after you practice in a field. Eventually it will just "click" and you'll understand the rip much better. Of course at that point a whole new set of problems will probably come up, but isn't that really part of the fun of learning a new sport? ;)

Thanks Rob.
I've been through Blakes site many many (many) times already.
I think I read about trying to snap a towel to simulate what the wrist should be doing but it never sunk in where I tried it (think I was still working on the form thing)
But it does make sense now..... with my technique now I'd say I have no/little snap & may be the reason for my weak drives.

I will also try to use a few other grips too . For drives I've been using a 3 finger control grip but think I"ll give the others a try.
I just tried a few of the ones shown in dgr's "the ins & outs of grip" and found the fan grip really comfortable.

Either way. Thanks for the help.

Thanks to the other posters too. Two posts while I was writing my reply. Wow! :D

I do practice my drives on hole 10 at my local course. 228 feet. Flat line. No chance of losing a disc. I know I need a lot of work because at 228 feet I rarely reach the pin.
Practice practice practice :D

I am not throwing any harder, just using the full sweaping potential of my wrist. My form is fine while not doing this extra snap. When I apply full snap in the release I can hear the disc cutting through the air while I am releasing. This extra wrist motion will put some much fling into the disc that it just turns over but the speed is just insane. I want to harness this speed and keep it airborne. I usaully only put 50% of the snap on it so I stay away from this issue. I really dont need the extra D but it would be nice to harness this potential. Does anyone else have this kind of super snap?

why are you so concerned about distanc? concentrate on your short game!! its much easier to improve and thats what counnts anyway!!! :eek:

Re-read my last post. If I can't hit 228 feet then I have a problem.
My short & mid game are pretty good. (lots of practice because of my weak drive)
So I'd say driving distance (to me) is where my game is lacking.

You have not seen my game in awhile Efrain. My short game is comparible to yours from what I can remember. If you dont have the super snap then why are you clogging my effort to try and harness this potential. Why keep burying my post with this. How many threads do you want. Should I start automating and pissing everyone off?

you can do it!! btw , i was refering to grunion!!! i suppose i should have clarified that!! :D

I am not throwing any harder, just using the full sweaping potential of my wrist. My form is fine while not doing this extra snap. When I apply full snap in the release I can hear the disc cutting through the air while I am releasing. This extra wrist motion will put some much fling into the disc that it just turns over but the speed is just insane. I want to harness this speed and keep it airborne. I usaully only put 50% of the snap on it so I stay away from this issue. I really dont need the extra D but it would be nice to harness this potential. Does anyone else have this kind of super snap?



I was talking to the original poster. Your post wasn't even there when I started typing. ;)

I'm not sure I'm much help for someone who's anything but a novice, but I don't normally believe that someone who's asking for advice on a message board is really throwing so hard that any disc they toss will turn over.

I'm not doubting your distances, I just think that the symptom you're seeing, the disc turning over, is because of something other than your massive power. Perhaps when you excecute this "super snap" you're rolling your wrist over more or concentrating on what your wrist is doing so much is throwing off your timing. It could be that the extra speed you're putting on the disc is from some change in your technique that's also causing the disc to turn over rather than just the speed itself causing the disc to turn. Perhaps by rolling over your wrist you're able to get some extra speed, but at the cost of also turing the disc over. In other words, you could be barking up the wrong tree.

Anytime the disc starts doing something unintnetional I assume it's because I'm doing something wrong. For example, a couple of months ago I couldn't throw a putter using a power grip if my life depended on it. All they would do is flip over and crash into the ground. At first, I had thought that maybe I was putting too much snap on them and needed to find a way to back off a little. All that did was cause them to flutter, flip and crash. After realizing that there was probably more to it than taming my massive cannon of an arm I was able to work out the problem and overthrew a slightly uphill, 270' hole into a headwind last weekend, which is huge for me. I'm actually throwing harder now than I was when I was flipping them over.

I just reread this and I don't mean to come off like I'm doubting you or looking for a fight, I'm just giving you an opinion to consider and letting you know what has helped me.

Re-read my last post. If I can't hit 228 feet then I have a problem.
My short & mid game are pretty good. (lots of practice because of my weak drive)
So I'd say driving distance (to me) is where my game is lacking.



I would be curious what type of route your drives are taking. Are they going way too high for instance...do they turn over hard left.

It really does seem backwards, but the easiest way to get a bit more distance at this point in your game is to concentrate on keeping the disc low. As they fly upwards, the speed is lost to gravity, and the disc will stall out and fall back hard left. If you keep it flat and fast, the discs own aerodynamics will keep it in the air, and all of the speed is used for forward motion.

Concentrate on your footwork, and a smooth delivery. keep the disc flat from pullback to release... no more than 12-15 feet high, and it will run towards the basket every step of the way.

i have a huge snap article in the works... haven't had time to finish it... it will be done before september though probably. the pictures are done for the most part as well as the first 4 pages of text.

My drives don't go too high. I tend to throw to the right & naturally at the end they turn back left, most of the time getting to the middle of the fairway. My problem is just not getting anything behind a disc to give it the speed to fly very far.
I am a RHBH thrower & have (I believe) a good x-step & pullback, I'm just getting the momemtum to my arm & disc.
Tommorow I'll re-read the articles & go out & practice driving. See what happens.

Thanks again for all the help.

Looking forward to your article Blake. Like I said earlier, your site is my "Bible" on learning the game. Thanks for your efforts.

I was reading something yesterday. I believe it was Innovas site. They said if discs have a tendency to be missing the glide portion of flight that maybe the discs I'm throwing are too heavy. I'd say I have very little glide when throwing.
I hate to highjack this thread to an equipment related question but could that be my problem. My discs range from 170-175. Should I go get a 150 class? I was thinking Archangel.

First I would practice getting the nose down. Nose up throws stall/fade without gliding very far. hold your wrist like you would to shake hands and then rotate your hand down -- thumb towards pinky. throw so the back end of the disc is higher than the front. Lighter discs may also help. First go to mid or low 160's before moving all the way to 150 class. I'm thinking Orc, Pro Starfire, Valk, or Sidewinder...

I hate to highjack this thread to an equipment related question but could that be my problem. My discs range from 170-175. Should I go get a 150 class? I was thinking Archangel.



imo, it is in this way discs are directly related to technique (as many technique "problems" are directly related to discs).

i would recommend dropping down to the 163-168g range with drivers, especially if you are throwing champion/z type plastic (but probably more 165-168g for dx/d plastics). rob is correct about nose down. without nose down, you won't get any glide.

the other thing that will affect glide is the speed you can generate on the disc. if you are throwing discs that are too fast, they will run out of gas and fall out of the air without appearing to glide at all. in actuality, many of these discs are difficult to differentiate from when the penetration stops and the glide begins since they have a very high relative speed.

my own personal recommendation you are not throwing > 350', if you want to "see glide" is to move to slower stable to understable drivers in lighter weights (165-168) and standard plastics. discs that come to mind: dx cheetah, dx gazelle, d cyclone, dx leopard, dx teebird, elite x xl, dx eagle, dx valkyrie, dx raven, polaris ls, jls, voyager.

my opinion on the archangel is that it's too understable to really be a disc you want to adjust to, unless you really want to learn to throw with a lot of finesse :)

I'm still learning, but I'll throw in my 2 cents (I just hit the 300 ft mark) :D. I was throwing short as well, practing I think was the biggest help. I recently started to turn my back with the X step and try to rotate my hips and shoulders level and let 'er fly. My distance has been increasing with practice with this technique. Shameless plug for my fav disc - the sidewinder has added some D and a whole lote of accuracy for me.

Good Luck - keep practicing

Thanks Blake. I have had 2 cheetahs. The first was 174. I loved that disc, but lost in woods. So I went with another. 170g. I still was having problems getting that to glide.
Should I drop to a 163-163. Do you think dropping 5 grams will see a noticeable difference.?

assuming they are DX cheetahs, then i am going to wager it is more of a nose angle issue.

5 grams usually makes a noticeable difference with most (but not all) discs in glide and stability, but they are also less predictable.

what weights you "should" be throwing depend upon your level of physical strength. ideally you will find a weight range (and molds to go along with them) that will give you the maximum combination of control, distance, and predictability. my advice is, if you haven't explored discs in the mid-160's, they may be worth giving a try.

also of note, discs will glide more when they are broken in, as their overstable tendencies get delayed.

Thanks Blake & Tenacious D.
Before buying any new discs I'm going out tonight & practice driving.. Concentrating on form & release. I didn't think I was throwing nose up, but all signs seem to point to it being the problem.
I know I can get my Cheetah some good distance. I've probably thrown it 400 feet but it was steep downhill hole (and a fluke :D)




Ok. Back from practicing. While I did a bit better, not much to write home about. Concentrated on a flat release & was doing a lot better. But I still don't think I'm getting full momentum on release. I'll work on it.
Also found out I can throw a sidearm pretty well :D

This is actually JacksWeather speaking:

I really want to emphasize a couple of the cliche pieces of advice on this forum. First, distance is achieved by technique not muscle. In the end distance is going to be generated by using all your muscles in your body well, but you can use all your muscles as hard as possible and the disc could go straight into the ground or up in the air. Technique is what makes the muscles' energy/effort/work/force result in the disc traveling at a high speed in an orientation favorable to long distance. Which leads to the most common piece of advice.

PRACTICE. Of course everyone knows they're not going to improve without practice, and us with common sense know we're going to improve faster while practicing if we have an understanding of how we should be throwing. But keep in mind "you can't think the disc to do what you want it to do" the thinking has to help you find the FEEL. All knowledge people provide for getting distance is to help others find the nuances of the feel of the throw.

So my advice is to not concentrate on doing things differently to get power differently from different muscles, but rather have good balance with your throw, find comfort with your throw, find rythm and timing. I think for the people who have trouble getting to 300, they are probably trying too hard with throwing the disc hard and not trying to find the feel of the weight of the disc during the pull and how it is coming out of their hand. Dissect your throw starting at the hit. Try to be aware of the movement of all the levers and joints involved in the throw. I start at the disc ripping off the index finger, because it is the last time I have an influence on the disc, and work my way back from there. I think this mentality will help people get decent distance with little physical work, and will also help people get the larger distances when they put more work into the throw correctly.

It's amazing how much your throw and strategies will change as you get better. I remember when reaching 250 was a pain. Now I am over throwing 250, so it's time to re-adjust and learn to throw a disc that is less club. Before, I use to use a driver to reach 250, now I'm using a mid range.

It's amazing how much your throw and strategies will change as you get better. I remember when reaching 250 was a pain. Now I am over throwing 250, so it's time to re-adjust and learn to throw a disc that is less club. Before, I use to use a driver to reach 250, now I'm using a mid range.



I spent three weeks practicing to keep my drives flat and nose down.

After that, I had to re-learn all of my discs. when they are flat and nose down, the turn is smaller, the fade is less, and the distance is greater.

All of a sudden the disc I'd been using for that particular hole was now too long and too straight.

I don't mean to rain on your parade, and i do believe D is more technique then anything, but . . . muscle really helps. What do you think "pratice" is doing to your body . . . breaking down your muscles so they can be rebuilt in larger quantity. Hence the bowling, pitching, Discgolf arm/shoulder/back build. Muscle isn't everything, but it really does help.

That is why my right side is slightly more developed than my left. Need to start throwing left handed.

Whats the best way to release the quarter K? I have not had a chance to throw it yet but I thought I would pick your brains. :)

It flies like a Starfire X for me. I throw it as a hyzer flip disc. Just a little hyzer on release and let it flip up flat in flight. I'm not a very accomplished distance anhyzer thrower, but if you are comfortable with that throw, it is just overstable enough that it should work well.

best Quarter K throw is towards the "old used disc to give away bin" otherwise a throw that doesn't allow it to hit the gound. The plastic quality is terrible. I do understand that they are introducing new plastic though

best Quarter K throw is towards the "old used disc to give away bin" otherwise a throw that doesn't allow it to hit the gound. The plastic quality is terrible. I do understand that they are introducing new plastic though



Wow...........sounds like you don't recommend them currently ?

JacksWeather:

There was no parade so don't worry 'bout me. It goes without saying that the organs pulling your limbs around are muscles. And I have also noticed that my right upper arm is more developed than my left, from playing discgolf. But I see very very few people who seem to have smaller muscles than me playing discgolf. I am currently maxing out golf D around 400ft and am confident I could throw farther with better technique. I'm not trying to power the shot with muscle, I could be trying to throw harder contracting muscles harder, but that would be no use if I did so without the proper technique. I'm sure once people get up to 450-500ish, every bit of properly developed muscle mass will help.

My main point was not that muscle doesn't help, but that it doesn't matter how much burst you get out of them if you throw incorrectly.

http://themooneysuzuki.com/media/common/emoticons/eek.gif

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Sounds reasonable...............Good technique is key.

Not that this is any tribute to my ability, i threw a Quater K into brush on a local hole, spent 30 minutes looking for it, almost gave up, then realized that the reason i couldn't find it is because it was wedged around a smaller tree. The tree branch had actually split the rim and 3 inches of the flight plane. their plastic is worse then ching. My second Quater K was a "field only" disc. just throwing in grass destroy it. Its so beat up it looks like i took a lighter to it. but not to give up on discwing, they just got started, and as i said they have new plastic in the works...hopefully that will work out for them.

So............The plastic is not acceptable ?