Am I getting better or just staying consistent with my average?

[phantom51]

I went out this morning to practice my drives before heading into work. I got to the soccer practice field where I usually practice and started emptying my bag, throwing each one RHBH with a short x-step. The wind was slightly breezy giving me a mild tailwind.
On average, my distance was 217.44 ft. I threw a best of 234.61 ft with my Valkyrie, the worst was 204.36 ft with a Leopard. I threw everything, from a Katana, Scythe, Mamba, Jade, Escape, Trespass, Viking, Wraith, and a Beast.
I threw each disc a total of five times. Then, I switched back to throwing from a stand still. After throwing each disc for three more rounds of measuring, I found out that its still consistent with my run up.
So... What's the obvious thing I should do? I've watched run up videos trying to learn. I've played for more than a year, starting May of 2013. I've played in two tournaments, but my inexperience has only netted me a PDGA rating of 633. On here, I have a 833 rating. I hold each score honest and try my hardest to play casual rounds by tournament standards or what I believe should be under those guidelines.
My next problem is, after playing Recreational in those tournaments, I'm seeing that I just want to improve by next year to play competitive at the Rec level. I'm not wanting to get smoked again with scores in the low 100s.
My home course, Shawnee Mission Park in Shawnee, Kansas, I can average +10 on the par 54.
Playing league last summer, I averaged +30. Therefore, am I ever going to get better competitively or stay consistently below average, even in Recreational?
I know this was a long read but I appreciate any advice.

 

[phantom51]

I have noticed that my accuracy is always dead on when I throw from a stand still. Just wanted to add that observation.

 

[Stardoggy]

Try practicing your drives with putters and mids, as opposed to the discs you mentioned above (save the Leopard). Browse the technique threads on here and try to pick up small bits at a time.

Those discs you're throwing are way out of your distance range. If you can find a local pro (or even a good Am player) that can give you a few minutes and some helpful hints, that would be productive as well.

Also, put more time into 100-130' approach shots, and putting. Improving those areas will shave strokes off your rounds faster than anything.

Also, you're concerned about your run-up, but I'd worry more about what you're doing with your shoulders and arm...and try turning your run-up into more of a walk-up. Slow and smooth, man.

 

[stevefolfer]

Yep, what he said. Work on upshots and putts from 100 ft and closer. Get yourself 5 identical putters and practice until you can make all your putts from 15 ft, then 20 ft. Find people who are better than you and ask for tips. If you're a nice guy people will almost always help.

 

[Horsman]

At those distances, a driver should not be in ur hands.

 

[jchoate7]

At those distances, a driver should not be in ur hands.

Not true.

Although I do believe in discing down primarily throwing only mids and putters is not going to help your game in the long run. Not to mention not throwing any drivers at all will not help you get used to, and learn, the grip needed for drivers.

That is why when I teach beginners I always say to use putters, mids, and fairway drivers only. Stay away from distance and even control drivers and stick with the fairways until you think you are ready to 'move up'.

Other than that stick with learning to control your shots rather than throwing for distance. The distance will come with practice. Oh, and practice putting, that will shave more strokes off than anything!

 

[sidewinder22]

Oh, and practice putting, that will shave more strokes off than anything!

Not true.

 

[The Last DJ]

Perhaps make some time for putting practice over the winter. Find an indoor league or tough it out in the cold weather to improve the short game. Consider shots within 50'-150' and make it a goal to chain out within two strokes every time. I also like the idea of "discing down" for the winter months. Odds are, I won't carry anything faster than a Teebird (and I've been playing for about seven years)!

 

[TalbotTrojan]

If you can be accurate, be accurate. Improve the d putting and when you play next year in rec, be the most accurate and the best putter. That should win most times in rec minus any baggers playing. Distance is a longer process. Be patient and really work on the quick twitch muscles in the pull through.

 

[bbwrenn]

I recommend getting a couple of leopards in the low 160s. Get a star, and a dx. The star will stay a straight to hyzer disc, and the dx will beat in where it can turn to the right some. Those will be your drivers until you're easily getting them 250' consistently. Then you could add a TL or Gazelle and keep going. Those are innova suggestions of course, just ask people for anecdotal disc advice and check the flight charts for similar stuff to try when you want to branch out to other manufacturers.

As far as other advice, I agree with the above about putting and upshots, but I would add this: it isn't all just about putting. Yes, putting will save you a good number of strokes, but if you look at the very best players, upshots are their bread and butter on easier courses when they don't make perfect shots. Assuming you're going to be playing mostly easier par 3 courses in tournaments, I feel that working on shots between 75 and 200 feet is where you're going to win or lose your division. EVERYBODY has bad drives, but the best players in the world very rarely take 4's and above on easy, sub 300 foot holes. That's because their approaches from 75 to 200 feet are on point every single time.

 

[HeavyCritters]

Try practicing your drives with putters and mids, as opposed to the discs you mentioned above (save the Leopard). Browse the technique threads on here and try to pick up small bits at a time.

Those discs you're throwing are way out of your distance range. If you can find a local pro (or even a good Am player) that can give you a few minutes and some helpful hints, that would be productive as well.

Also, put more time into 100-130' approach shots, and putting. Improving those areas will shave strokes off your rounds faster than anything.

Also, you're concerned about your run-up, but I'd worry more about what you're doing with your shoulders and arm...and try turning your run-up into more of a walk-up. Slow and smooth, man.

Stardoggy can confirm the fact that I've had a lot of success with going from a run up to a walk-up (from his suggestion to slow down). My distance typically maxes out around 280', but I'm WAY more accurate.

 

[steinkecm]

Not true.

Although I do believe in discing down primarily throwing only mids and putters is not going to help your game in the long run. Not to mention not throwing any drivers at all will not help you get used to, and learn, the grip needed for drivers.

That is why when I teach beginners I always say to use putters, mids, and fairway drivers only. Stay away from distance and even control drivers and stick with the fairways until you think you are ready to 'move up'.

Other than that stick with learning to control your shots rather than throwing for distance. The distance will come with practice. Oh, and practice putting, that will shave more strokes off than anything!

What Horsman likely meant is high speed drivers. You don't need to learn the grip or get used to a high speed driver before you have the power to throw them. It does no good, really.

 

[Dan Ensor]

What Horsman likely meant is high speed drivers. You don't need to learn the grip or get used to a high speed driver before you have the power to throw them. It does no good, really.

That mentality is what keeps me from getting distance on drivers atm. I put mids and putters nearly as far as drivers. My buddy will go throw with me, and put every driver 30' past mine, and I'll put every mid and putter 30' past his.

Also, I feel that my starting by throwing Flicks (I was overhand dominant, so I had more Flicks than anything) is what developed my form into something that I could work forward from. Before the Flick, my backhand maxed at 100'. It taught me nose angle and proper grip clench.

I think the "there's one path to good form, and it's putters and Comets" mentality is misguided. You have to look at the flaws of the individual to give them a helpful practice regimen. I put Comets in the hands of torque-monkeys, but I put faster OS stuff in the noob-hyzerer's hands. They both fix and mask different flaws.

 

[slowplastic]

It sounds like you really want to improve, so ditch the X-step for now. It seems to not be adding distance, and only hurting accuracy. If you are throwing under 300' then there are several major things you can try to correct from a standstill before adding in more motions (the X-step) to confuse things or put you out of position.

 

[kylemoody]

Personally, I used a Leopard for around a year or so as my only driver. Around the time I could consistently throw it 250-275' I started to experiment with bigger, faster drivers. I finally hit the 400' mark just recently (been playing now for around 5 years on and off (and I watched the video below)).
That being said, keep throwing that Leopard until you get your form down. Check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30cUNsWOYSI, it's a great Will Schusterick tutorial on driving. It has completely changed the way I drive and added 40' to 50' automatically. I used to have zero reach and very little follow-through. Reach and follow-through are (in my opinion) the key to driving for more distance. I'm not saying you don't do these things, but I have been playing for years and have just now discovered many of his tips.
If your problem is your reach and follow-through, you will see MUCH more velocity and glide from your discs. I've found that I hyzer-flip most of my discs now (especially my Lace). As your form gets better, release the Leopard with a slight hyzer and let it hyzer-flip. It's a beautiful thing.
Looks like you have a few great understable distance drivers already, see if you can make the Leopard fly a little further and pick up the Wraith and give it a go.
Good luck!

 

[DatRedDude]

As a new player it really is hard to put down the high speed stuff and listen to what the people above are telling you. But in the end it will pay off. I have a couple of destroyers in my bag, but other than that everything is speed 9 or lower. One thing to also work on is release angles. understand definitions also helps as well. Hyzer/anhyzer/hyzerflip/flex shot etc.

This site offers an abundance of information. Sometimes you just have to sift thru the BS and ignore the trolls.

As someone above stated as well, there is not a wrong way or right way to throw, there are many different pros that have many different forms. Find what works for you and run with it.

To end, don't get obsessed with distance, i only throw 300, 350 on a great day, but i can play with players who are drastically longer than me because i have worked on my mid game and putting. Distance is good for pros. Most times what i have found in playing leagues and events is that most long throwers can't putt to save their lives.

 

[phantom51]

I really appreciate all of the tips and have even considered some of them myself. I'll test out the advice to see what works best, but I'm liking the slow down, walk up tip. The run up feels so awkward to me. No wonder I can't dance when my wife asks! Footwork is not my best hobby.

On the tournament and league play, any tips for the mental aspect? I tend to play worse around others, but casual and relaxed, I'm focused and having fun. Just nerves? I know I'll never be beyond good enough, but as someone else noticed, I want to be able to get better and have fun competing, even if forever in Recreational.

So, I'll spend this winter focusing on fairway drivers, approach and putting. I'm wondering if more time spent at 9 hole short technical courses versus the longer 18 I tend to visit more often, will benefit me more.

 

[slowplastic]

Perhaps you have nose angle issues if nearly all of your discs are the same distance? Read this article and make sure the nose is pointed downwards: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/resources/articles/gripittoripit.shtml

If you can see the flight plate of the disc at all after you release the disc, the nose is likely up too much. If your discs climb up and crash to the left when they fade, it is definitely up. This will rob tons of distance. Try to throw low 10' high shots as well and adjust from there.

After that make sure you have a full reach back, into a flowing elbow-forward position with the disc near your right pec/armpit (yes, that far forward!), then start to unwind your elbow and shoulder...in a flowing way.

 

[TAFL]

I just played the Shawnee Mission Park course for the first time this past weekend. I like it quite a bit! I'd be happy to throw some rounds with you.

Now, I'm rebuilding my drive stroke from the ground up, so I'm no expert on the wide rail and such--just learning that. For the short game, though, I can provide a lot of good advice. My short game has always been my forte.

 

[Scottsan]

I'm with the OP, and some others. I started playing about a dozen years ago . . . quickly got to "intermediate," but my form was horrible. Developed an untrained, arbitrary run-up; my throw was all arm/wrist . . . no reach-back, no body. Didn't work on my short game, but my approaches were (and still are) high points. (I have the most awesome max-weight, beaten Shark. I've made some truly amazing shots with that disc.) Anyway, I fell out of playing regularly and am just now getting serious again after rarely playing for five or six years.

I've watched many videos on driving . . . obessessing, really. Going from my s**tshow of a driving style to the X-step was too much, so I'm focusing on full reach-back and using a one-step. My distance has slightly improved (average probably 250), but my accuracy is MUCH better. I know I need to work on follow-through and accessing more body-power.

I think one advantage I have now is I really know the discs in my bag; the only ones I've ever lost have been Stingrays. Even as my drive has changed, the flight characteristics haven't that much . . . some discs flip more than they did before. I couldn't tame the Beast or Reaper in my earlier days of playing, but I recently purchased an X-Cyclone, Hurricane, and Orc . . . knowing that I'd have to "grow" into them. (Although early experimenting with the 'clone has shown it to have lots of long, sweet S-curve potential.)

I know Leopards are touted as great discs to hone driving skills, and I found that to be true, even before I read it a dozen times on message boards. Now my rarely used Glo Leopard has turned into my go-to stability driver.