My buddy Mike just recently started playing. He can only throw about 100' backhanded. But he has started throwing overhanded (like you throw a football) and is hitting 200' that way. It is a wild looking throw LOL. The disc does all kinds of flips and spins.

It seems to me though that this style can never go as far as a backhand thrown well because a backhanded throw glides. The way Mike is throwing everything is dependent on how much muscle he can put into it. It never glides. It's just a missile.

What do you all think?

Will

you wouldnt happen do be somewhat new to the sport would ya?

Yep. I played a little back in the early 80's and just started playing again this summer.

Will

Have him try a thumber with a Dragon...I watched a newbie who had NO distance with a backhand throwing a thumber with a Dragon that helixed twice, flattened out and hyzered about 350'

First. Welcome back. Things have changed a little.

Your friend. Don't bug him on his tomahawk. Sounds pretty good. If it gets him down the fairway (and he knows where it is going), then leave it be.
His backhand. Sounds to me like a Frisbee throw. Kinda just stands there and flicks it out in front of his body. Gotta get that straightend out sooner or later and it might as well be sooner. Blakes web site (www.discgolfreview.com) is a great place to start. He gets a decent grip on the disc (say a Cobra, a Leopard or a Teebird) with a decent (flat) pull going and his backhands will be sailing by his tomy's soon enough.

It's all good.

I've found that a lot of beginners can tommy farther than a backhand. We took a guy to play for the first time in Moab last weekend he could only drive 150 and was frustrated. He is a baseball player and I mentioned that a lot of ball players like the tomahawk since it has a familiar motion. He tried the tommy and was getting 300 almost instantly. Yes a backhand will go farther in the long run (except for maybe not an Epic, but thats a whole nother topic of inconsistancy) but it certainly doesn't hurt to have both types of throws in your arsenal.

Monster. Monster. MonsermonstermonstermonsteristheOnster.

If your friend is just out messing around every once and while then let him do whatever. If wants to learn and start playing a lot more then he should throw back hand more because eventualy he will be able to throw farther.

Never try to munch grapefruits.

Good skill to have but dont let him rely on it. A good backhand or sidearm will be a much beTTer tool to have.

Dont let him forget about the overhand though. I used to have a great thumber that would get out to about 350 and once I started to learn a good backhand I forgot about the thumber and now im lucky if I can get one out to 300 :mad:

this has happened to me as well, except the distances are not quiet the same, but I cannot throw a thumber to save the life of me. I have hit atleast three in tournaments for a birdie, or a circle 3 at the pymwymi, but that is another story to tell.