Backhand: Reach Back vs "Moving Around the Disc" (McBeth Style)

[bfowler]

There are a few things I fooled around with that I got from this thread and the link someone put on here to a Will Schusterick video which I broke down and tried to replicate.

Whomever said getting their arm out of the way on the reach back was dead on. I'd been pinning my to my hip but it works much better if I just get that sucker out of the way and use it as a counter balance.

The other big thing is about using your lower body. I noticed Will and then other disc golfers in their videos as to when their trail foot swings around. With Will it wasn't until his disc hand had already thrown the disc and was almost completely rotated around 360 degrees.

I tried that and suddenly threw my volt farther than I ever had by an easy 25-50 feet or more and it was easy.

The big difference is before I was planting on my pivot foot and swinging my whole torso around. My hips would start the pull but my shoulders and arm would move faster and overtake my hips and disrupt the buildup and continuation of power. When I dragged or stopped my trail foot from coming around I was suddenly opening up my hips instead of swinging my leg around. My hips/torso pull my shoulder which pulls my arm and whoossssh.

It's also much easier to load because my body feels more like I'm loading a spring from the feet up. I've always had a problem with rolling my wrist or I suspense tilting my shoulder trying to add power. So on my pull I'd drop my front shoulder and raise my back one. This cause a lot of my throws to go farther right or anhyzer. I would then add a lot of OAT to end up coming out flat. That worked but wasn't consistent.

Leaving that trail foot keeps my shoulder and the pull and thus the disc on the same plan and my accuracy was much improved. I only pulled 2 or3 shots out of 15 with my Volt, Tangent, and Axis. And now my Vector actually goes straight with a very good left fade instead of rolling out right and fading back to center.

I can't wait to practice this some more and to see how it translated on the course. If I can just go from a 300-325 thrower to a 325-350 foot throwing there are so many holes on some many of my home courses that I'll be able to birdie (possibly) instead of settling for par all the time.

 

[teemkey]

Feldberg talks about the trailing leg first coming in behind the leading leg as an effect of shifting your hips forward so the disc can continue in a straight line and the hips can then rotate on the axis established by the leading leg ... or something like that. See Video Tip #1 on his (sadly unmaintained) website.

 

[sidewinder22]

Watch the body turn back and the arm either unfolds back or swings back, the disc for the most part stays in the same horizontal frame from the bottom of the backswing to the top of the backswing. These guys are almost identical from the bottom of the backswing through the finish.

 

[notapro]

That's eerie.... their pull does look identical when looking at all four at the same time, especially since they are all throwing yellow discs.

 

[Frolfington]

Anyone else want to provide some insight into this topic?

 

[illuminatefreak]

Ok, I seriously just sat here and read 7 pages of posts on this topic. Probably the best clinic style post on throwing I've seen. It's blowing my mind in the best way possible. So much good stuff to concentrate on and work out to see improvements. Can't wait to test some out on Friday!

 

[teemkey]

Love to see that four-panel with the camera behind the tee pad.

 

[HiFi]

I have been using this technique for a few weeks. While I was doing it somewhat already on my own, I've started concentrating on leaving the disc behind me as I come through instead of reaching back slightly as I come forward.

I have not seen a huge increase in distance (although I get slightly more with slightly less effort now), but I have felt an increase in consistency and accuracy with my fairways and distance drivers.

 

[Kenny53691]

Watch the body turn back and the arm either unfolds back or swings back, the disc for the most part stays in the same horizontal frame from the bottom of the backswing to the top of the backswing. These guys are almost identical from the bottom of the backswing through the finish.

I can't quit watching this video! I love watching the comparisons!

 

[Titan037]

Will practicing with your off arm held behind your back be an effective way to keep it out if the way during the "reach back" part of the throw?

 

[alex513ninja]

After reading this I had to go to do some towel drill to see if I reached back or moved around the disc. I would say that I feel like I move around the disc more so than even these guys. Granted they are way better than I am (and most likely will ever be) but I have almost doubled my distance just this year by changing my form. I put the disc out in front of me with a straight arm and literally rotate my body around the disc, keeping my arm straight the whole time. The disc stays in about the middle of the tee the entire time until my forward swing. When done with a towel, man does that thing snap loud lol.

 

[alex513ninja]

Also my off arm floats freely and honestly does go near the disc but I have never had an issue with interference. Possibly due to the disc position not really changing until the forward motion.

 

[Vorpaljesus]

Dave's style looks way different. A much lower pull IMO

 

[sidewinder22]

Dave's style looks way different. A much lower pull IMO

 

[Vorpaljesus]

Lol I like this, dude.

 

[zj1002]

Will practicing with your off arm held behind your back be an effective way to keep it out if the way during the "reach back" part of the throw?

Don't focus on the reachback. The "reachback" will happen as a result of turning your shoulders back during the throw. Turning your shoulder will keep that trail arm out of the way. If you trail arm is still hitting the disc it is because you are keeping the disc on your back shoulder which will create rounding

 

[zj1002]

Watch the body turn back and the arm either unfolds back or swings back, the disc for the most part stays in the same horizontal frame from the bottom of the backswing to the top of the backswing. These guys are almost identical from the bottom of the backswing through the finish.

great video

I think a lot of people just don't quite understand, mainly from a lack of information, that everything at the end is nearly identical in every touring pro or big bomber. The difference in styles is really all about how they use their bodys in the beginning to setup the the end.

 

[joshuajames]

Feldbeard's "style" is the only one that considerably different than the rest. Much lower pull through, big arm pump on the step up, head down further and longer, less bend in the arm, and his wrist is cocked differently.

Very cool video...would love to see more of these!

 

[DustinRobirtis]

all you gotta do man is do what works the best for you, there is a reason no 2 disc golfers are 100% alike, they do what works for them! if you really want to model yourself off someone who throws bombs look at avery jenkins, will schusterick and nikko locastro, they all get their full bodies involved in their throw

 

[BrotherDave]

I started doing this naturally just to prevent the strong-arming that gave me bad tendinitis, must be why most people think my throw looks so effortless (even though I don't throw all that far). It's really not that tough to start doing; you basically focus on getting a good hit and use your body/leverage to achieve it. I think that's kind of an implied takeaway if you emulate the Dan Beto "From the Hit Back" video correctly.

To be more concise, if you're blown away by this revelation of "move around the disc" you've probably been thinking about throwing the disc with your arm too much instead of using your body/footwork and the leverage it creates to launch the disc.