Technique tips and hints

[BOF]

and furthermore:

anyone who dares practise finger-spring near me... I swear I'll do time!

You have been warned again.

Regards


BOF


Big Putt



Confucius say:

"Man have only finite amount of time on this planet and finite number of disc golf throws in him. Foolish is the one who wastes even a single one in practice - for it may be needed in the next tournament"

[Village]

Confucius say:

"Man have only finite amount of time on this planet and finite number of disc golf throws in him. Foolish is the one who wastes even a single one in practice - for it may be needed in the next tournament"

And everyone knows that Confuncius was a mean mutha fluffa on the DG course!

[Del]

Here's my theory (and what I practise)

1. In general, throw straight and use a putter if you can reach with a putter.
2. For putts and short range, fan the fingers out, as you can more easily control the moment of release and also the attitude of the disc. (range up to say 25m)
3. For approach between 25m and say 55m tuck the fingers in the rim, except for the middle finger, which forms a cross with the thumb.
4. Above 55m tuck all but the middle finger into the rim, so that finger tips are touching rim, then nestle the middle finger against the ring finger.

Re 3: Having the middle finger on the flight plate gives me more control over the attitude of the disc and the timing of release. In that 25-55m range I will typically be putting a slight "air-bounce" on the disc, i.e. the leading edge will be tilted up pointing above the basket, although my arm is probably pulling the disc in line with the basket, the effect being to stall the disc so that it has very low speed by the time it reaches the basket. The bounce involves pushing down with the thumb, and that helps with releasing at the right time.

Re 4: I feel that this gives me a little bit more control over attitude and release than having all finger tips in the rim. Unlike 3 where I tilt the front edge up to give a slight air bounce, I feel this grip actually gives me a very slight negative air bounce.

I would strongly recommend working on something along the lines of 3, and Paul is spot on in identifying that this a skill which you naturally develop by playing catch with people. I don't know that you need to use a different disc (although J-Star and Sky Pro are available from QP ) because at the end of the day you need to do this with a putter.

With (4) I realise that I am going against advice of some recent World Champions, and there is maybe a small sacrifice of power, but try it out.

Have Fun!
Del

[Jester]

A sad talking-shop about the merits of throwing the reverse-fade-double-decaff-anhyzer-air-bomb-grenade-thumber as opposed to finessing a slightly-beat-up-Ken-Climo-roc-(9-Times-World-Champion-print)-power-gripped-and-ribbed-for-extra-pleasure!?

Awsome!!

Classic BOF

Indeed, classic, however so as not to dissuade anyone from actually posting a technique question in a Forum section called Technique tips and hints could we keep the good-humoured sledging elsewhere please?

I think it's fantastic that some players are so keen to improve they'll ask detailed questions about their game and technique on an open forum and i thoroughly encourage it. Of course it won't interest everyone, and for such people there are plenty of other sub-boards to read and comment where boring things such as weight transfer and finger spring won't be discussed.

Now I'm no angel when it comes to a bit of sledging, but let's keep it off this one place please, aye?

So, beginners and improvers, what is it about your game that frustrates you and that you'd like to improve? Driving? Approaching? Putting? Distance? Accuracy? Tournament preparation? Shot selection? How to save 'silly shots' in every round? Please make use of the fact that there are players who will gladly try and help.

[West]

*puts beginner hat on as, well lets face it, plays like one*

I would like to learn how to get further distance on my drive?

With whitcombe coming I know that a bit more distance could be useful with some acuracy.

Base line info background:

At Qp with a good drive I can get up to hole 2 from the pro tee with a driver. I can get onto the bank with a Buzzz on hole 5. Can get level with pin on hole 7 with a Flash. Can get get level with the pin on hole 10 with a Buzzz.

Any advice?

[rhatton1]

Bring your camera along sunday and we'll film a bit. Really helped me, just seeing my own drive from a few different angles, and having it picked apart by better players as to what I was doing wrong.

[Paul Holden]

Would love to play ultimate, but unfortunately I know what I'm like, I'd start playing, get addicted and then spend every weekend touring the country to play that as well, with everything else I do unfortuantely there jsut isn't the time to add another sport.

I would like to think the old fitness isn't too bad at the moment, however after 3 days at Whitcombe i'm not sure that will be the case.

Just for fun, Wed evenings, indoors, in Leamington, what more could you ask for...

Wednesdays - 8.00 to 10.00 - Myton School (Myton Road, Warwick, CV34 6PJ).

http://www.leamingtonlemmings.co.uk/

[Paul Holden]

*At Qp with a good drive I can get up to hole 2 from the pro tee with a driver. I can get onto the bank with a Buzzz on hole 5. Can get level with pin on hole 7 with a Flash. Can get get level with the pin on hole 10 with a Buzzz.

Any advice?

Coach me? I can't do any of those things!!!

[TreeCracker]

Now I'm no angel when it comes to a bit of sledging, but let's keep it off this one place please, aye?

For what it's worth, I'm terrible at the game so I read this particular thread in detail!

[West]

Learnt something today, not to wrap my wrist around my driver when I'm about to drive. Keep the wrist straight and launch the disc more. It will fly by itself if you just launch it correctly!

Tried the whole "if you can reach it with a putter than use a putter" today, it worked ok some of the time. Still a bit more practice required

[bruce]

Quite a common mistake that one, the only wrist bend you need is what you get from keeping your wrist loose; it will naturally flex as you pull the arm through.

[Jester]

Yesterday, for the first time in 10 weeks, I got out to the park to blow away the cobwebs and boy did I need it. I had packed my bag with plenty of drivers, but in the end I just spent 2 hours throwing Rocs trying to remember what a throw felt like!

There have been questions on the thread recently about approaching, so I thought I'd share what drills I did on this. I began 30 yards away from target (in this case a tree) and threw all 9 Rocs at it aiming to get everything inside a 5 yard radius.

After doing this between two trees 4 times I moved back to 50yards and did the same thing, then finally 70 yards (by this time I wasn't being so strict about the 5yard radius!). To finish off I came back to 30 yards and did one more set which felt a lot easier than it did during the first sets. The targets were on different levels so I was also getting practice as throwing up and downhill.

I still feel out of practice but am glad to be finding this out now when I can do something about it rather than in two week's time at Whitcombe.

--

On a different note, something I realised about the way I practice, whether in the field or on a course warming up for a round, is to always line up the pile of discs I'm throwing in the same order from most overstable to most understable. I think it was Johnny Burden who gave me this tip over 10 years ago at my first tournament and it's stuck ever since.

I find it incredibly useful to throw from overstable to understable as it means the first aiming point (for a right hand, back hand throw) will be way out to the right. The next throw will have to be aimed a little left of the first to get the same result, and so on and so on with each discs until I'm either aiming straight at the target or have even gone past it to the left in the case of understable discs.

[dunc]

On a different note, something I realised about the way I practice, whether in the field or on a course warming up for a round, is to always line up the pile of discs I'm throwing in the same order from most overstable to most understable. I think it was Johnny Burden who gave me this tip over 10 years ago at my first tournament and it's stuck ever since.

I find it incredibly useful to throw from overstable to understable as it means the first aiming point (for a right hand, back hand throw) will be way out to the right. The next throw will have to be aimed a little left of the first to get the same result, and so on and so on with each discs until I'm either aiming straight at the target or have even gone past it to the left in the case of understable discs.

Like it..... makes sense.... good tip!

[bruce]

Thought I'd share a couple of practice methods I've used:

1) Take a skillshot or similar out into a wide open field. Starting from around 30m throw four approaches; 1 hyzer, 1 straight, 1 anhyzer, 1 sidearm. Go putt them all out. If there's any significant wind, I'll do this from a few different directions. Then move out to 40m, repeat, 50m repeat, out to around 70m. Aiming obviously to get up and down with every approach.
Pros: you get to practice all your approaching skills, plus you get some varied putting practice
Cons: you need a basket and a wide open space

2) An open field again, and a small collection of cones/sticks/anything that will be visible from distance. Find somewhere throw from, then pace out and mark 10m intervals from 30m to 100m away from you. Throw a hyzer to each of the markers, starting from 30 and working out. It doesn't have to be a pure hyzer, just keep the whole flight to the right-hand side of the line (if you're a righty). After collecting the discs, walk 30m past the 100m marker, and repeat, heading back to your original position. The repeat the whole exercise throwing anhyzers (or at least throws that start out down the left).
Pros: You rapidly learn distance control and how your discs react to certain lines.
Cons: It's only really practical to practice two wind directions in any session

[bdga30]

Hi,

If anyone else knows of tips I may have given in the past, can you forward them to me - I appear to have forgotten them (all)

Jonnie (tipless) B

[rhatton1]

After doing this between two trees 4 times I moved back to 50yards and did the same thing, then finally 70 yards (by this time I wasn't being so strict about the 5yard radius!). To finish off I came back to 30 yards and did one more set which felt a lot easier than it did during the first sets. The targets were on different levels so I was also getting practice as throwing up and downhill.

I still feel out of practice but am glad to be finding this out now when I can do something about it rather than in two week's time at Whitcombe.

--

On a different note, something I realised about the way I practice, whether in the field or on a course warming up for a round, is to always line up the pile of discs I'm throwing in the same order from most overstable to most understable. I think it was Johnny Burden who gave me this tip over 10 years ago at my first tournament and it's stuck ever since.

I find it incredibly useful to throw from overstable to understable as it means the first aiming point (for a right hand, back hand throw) will be way out to the right. The next throw will have to be aimed a little left of the first to get the same result, and so on and so on with each discs until I'm either aiming straight at the target or have even gone past it to the left in the case of understable discs.

Great tips from both you and Bruce. I especially like your approach tip of going back to 30 meters at the end as the pyschologial benefit of finishing the practice with 5 shots from 30 that you nail is much greater than 5 from 70 that you don't.

Its how I now practice putting, getting a number in from close range has been a lot better than getting some in from further out. all I then remember is how to put the disc in the chains, not how to miss. Accentuate the positives and all that.

[rhatton1]

Hi,

If anyone else knows of tips I may have given in the past, can you forward them to me - I appear to have forgotten them (all)

Jonnie (tipless) B

Buy a whole bag of new discs just before a tournament and throw them for the first time in the first round? I liked that one (Johnny Potts probably did too.)

[dunc]

Buy a whole bag of new discs just before a tournament and throw them for the first time in the first round? I liked that one (Johnny Potts probably did too.)

Si Luard once did this.... he turned up at whitcombe without his bag... so he bought three discs (couldn't afford anymore) ....xl, roc, putter.... and then came second!!

[rhatton1]

In fairness, Si probably knew what he was doing with an Xl Roc etc. I'm pretty sure Johnny wasn't too sure what the whole Discwing catalogue he boughts did!

[rhatton1]

Great footage of some of the top pros driving, using different lines as well, Hyzer/Anhyzer staright shots etc. You can see marked differences in style but there are still the same basics in each throw.

http://www.discgolfreview.com/forums/vi ... 17&t=16116