Rocking the Hips

[drk_evns]

We all know the hips are the core of our throw and power everything... but the way they do so is not so obvious. I feel like I've finally come to understand what's happening and I want to share what I've found and see if you guys agree. I've been practicing and experimenting the past month or so after having some discussion in my form thread with SW22 HUB and SP. They helped me come to this conclusion.

The hips ROCK back and forth. There is no twisting. Yes, you eventually rotate, but that is a symptom not a cause. SW has been saying the "move is lateral" for a long time, and I think I finally get it.

Below is an image of Paul rocking the hips. Notice how the hips tip back (hip closest to target is higher than back hip) in the "pump," then tip forward in the back swing (stacked on the back foot) and then tip back again to begin the pull.

The last piece (#3) is hardest to see because our hips begin to pivot out of the way as our momentum comes through. You can see the hips tip back more dramatically in the follow through from a front or back view (last part of the image).

As you can see, the right side (the "higher" hip) pivots out to the right as your swing comes through center. YOU SHOULD NOT BE THINKING ABOUT PIVOTING. Just focus on rocking those hips forward in the pump, back in the backswing, and forward again to brace.

After you're braced up against your front side with the hips there, you can now swing. For timing the swing itself, I recommend playing with SW22's elephant walk. Really helped me.

I think if you nail this movement, other parts of the throw sort of just fall into place (ie - balance). I haven't done a lot of field work with this (it's been bad weather so mostly dry swings indoors) but I think it's clear now that this is the piece I've been missing. It feels so right and gets me into all the "correct" positions almost with no effort. THIS feels like the core of the throw, and it couldn't be more simple. I want to know if you guys agree.

_

And for the more abstract thinkers...

I like to think about my hips as a balance board for a ball. In the pump, the ball is rolling towards my backside. At the backswing, it's beginning to move forward again, thanks to the tilt. As I move into the power pocket, I'm catching that forward roll of the ball and stopping it by tilting my hips back again. Catching that momentum IS bracing. Now that we've stopped it, it is released through the swing.

Lost yet?

Discuss.

 

[deyo7]

Yeah, totally think I track with you. Related: I really think that thinking about the positioning of your belly button in secret compound video SW posted helps for a simplification (both videos helpful and related though):

[/QUOTE]

Man SW, nice work with this video coupling. After watching these, it seems like if you re-center accordingly you could almost just think about throwing the disc completely with your belly button. I'm talking backswing, forward swing, bh, and fh. Is it that easy?!

To explain further if anyone cares, I had been trying to maintain a targetward tilt / during the backswing and realign or reorient the spine \ during forward swing, but doing correctly wasn't intuitive for me. But focusing on leading with the belly, as shown in vids, seems to take care of the spine orientation for you and fixes any tilting back or over the top issues. Less to focus on.

….I understand we aren't just throwing the navel rapido. This is just a helpful visual or tool that I believe allows me to have better spine alignment and orientation in both the backswing and forward swing. Like I was explaining above, helps to not tip over in the backswing if leading with navel and not come over the top in forward swing. Seems like an automatic fix to such issues and therefore something I'll have to think about less.

 

[lyleoross]

When I log into my favorite disc golf site and the title of a thread is, "Rocking the Hips," it makes me think I've gone to the wrong site...

 

[drk_evns]

When I log into my favorite disc golf site and the title of a thread is, "Rocking the Hips," it makes me think I've gone to the wrong site...

Sex sells.

 

[RFrance]

HUB talked about this a little in his "salsa" video starting at 1:10 and at 3:21 he mentions rocking into the plant.

 

[drk_evns]

HUB talked about this a little in his "salsa" video starting at 1:10 and at 3:21 he mentions rocking into the plant.

That's funny, this morning I contemplated mentioning the salsa in my post because if you're standing up straight and just do the hip movements it makes you feel like dancing.

I know it's been described before, but it apparently never clicked with me until now. I feel like it's so simple and easy to apply to the throw.

Paul's my favorite example of it because of how clearly he rocks his hips forward in the "pump." It's a lot less identifiable in a lot of other pros and while the motion is very obvious once you feel it correctly, it isn't always so straightforward when looking at another person doing it. At least it wasn't for me. The x-step kind of hides the motion inherently... which makes sense because it's the motion that best allows for it to happen.

 

[Tepi]

Nice, at one point was thinking about this but I couldn't understand how it should happend. I remember seeing that elephant walk drill, but can't remember in which video it was. Mind linking it please?

 

[drk_evns]

Elephant Walk Drill

https://youtu.be/Y-KVWfUkQ3s?t=280

The idea is to walk forward and ONLY allow your arm to swing once your weight is completely stacked over the foot taking the step.

 

[sidewinder22]

 

[RFrance]

I know it's been described before, but it apparently never clicked with me until now. I feel like it's so simple and easy to apply to the throw.

I know what you mean. Sidewinders gif above (post #9) makes a lot more sense now. I'm glad you brought this up again. :thmbup:

 

[Consult20]

Sidewinder invented flossing?

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Sidewinder invented flossing?

He just made it accessible to old disc golfers!

 

[Frodo]

They say is that "Lesson 3 - The Secret Compound Pivot" you want the belly button to always lead the swing and be in front of your head. I'm having a hard time finding video of a DG throw where that is evident. In every throw I watch it just looks like the belly button is directly below the head. I'm just struggling to figure out how to implement that into an actual throw.

 

[deyo7]

They say is that "Lesson 3 - The Secret Compound Pivot" you want the belly button to always lead the swing and be in front of your head. I'm having a hard time finding video of a DG throw where that is evident. In every throw I watch it just looks like the belly button is directly below the head. I'm just struggling to figure out how to implement that into an actual throw.

It's subtle and a small shift. In reality it might be right below the head. For a pic reference, you can look at last pic on OP's original post. Most AM's in contrast come over the top with belly button behind the upper body & with upper arm hugging themselves. For me, it's just sort of a mind trick that I during pre-shot routine to get body understand proper spots it needs to be in during throw.

 

[axion]

I think this is essentially what Feldburg was trying to communicate in the video i cant seem to find, where he is talkin about your lead hip going 'to the sky'.

 

[Disc Golf Doctor]

"As you can see, the right side (the "higher" hip) pivots out to the right as your swing comes through center. YOU SHOULD NOT BE THINKING ABOUT PIVOTING. Just focus on rocking those hips forward in the pump, back in the backswing, and forward again to brace."

Do people actually think about pivoting?

 

[scoopa]

I think this is essentially what Feldburg was trying to communicate in the video i cant seem to find, where he is talkin about your lead hip going 'to the sky'.

https://vimeo.com/64171158

 

[drk_evns]

I think this is essentially what Feldburg was trying to communicate in the video i cant seem to find, where he is talkin about your lead hip going 'to the sky'.

YES YES YES YES. I thought he was crazy when I first saw that. Like "no one is shoving their hip forward DAVE." I was very wrong. It's just difficult to see in the throw, but it's absolutely what is happening. I am more careful about refuting things immediately like that now.

"As you can see, the right side (the "higher" hip) pivots out to the right as your swing comes through center. YOU SHOULD NOT BE THINKING ABOUT PIVOTING. Just focus on rocking those hips forward in the pump, back in the backswing, and forward again to brace."

Do people actually think about pivoting?

I think LOTS of people focus on the move being rotational and not linear. It becomes a focus and causes lots of issues.

https://vimeo.com/64171158

That's the one!

 

[drk_evns]

Sorry, double post... But after watching Dave's video again it aligns exactly with what I'm talking about. He's focusing on step 3 of what I'm saying in the original post, and it's super important... probably the most important... but step 2 is what REALLY helped me with keeping my balance in the backswing!

 

[rhatton1]

I think LOTS of people focus on the move being rotational and not linear. It becomes a focus and causes lots of issues.

More and more of them every day if you look on the Disc golf Form Check facebook group.... The spinning out cult is growing quickly, taking their 250' throws to 300' and glorifying in the super secret technique that's made them throw as far as McBeth..... there may or may not be some frustrated sarcasm in that post.....