Breaking Bad Habits and Finding Blind Spots

[DiscTosser]

I wanted to start this thread with a quick explanation of why I think this thread would be neat to have. This thread is not intended for people who just started throwing discs yesterday, but it's meant for us guys and gals that play a lot, but just have a blind spot in their game.

Lately I have really been focusing on shaving off a few strokes, and my first step was to look at my bag. I have always avoided understable discs, because they honestly made me uncomfortable, and I didn't think they flew correctly. Basically, as a RHBH thrower, I believed a disc off the teebox on a straight fairyway should fly and take a smooth hyzer flight. I never really noticed how vital it is to get a good understable shot in my bag of tricks.

Today I noticed that I try to hyzer-flip absolutely every shot that I make. I'm talking EVERYTHING. I have passed up on plenty of discs because they "didn't fly correctly". To try out throwing a disc flat, I grabbed a Fuzion Fugitive and threw it flat. It went dead straight and hit the basket, which was about 280ft away.

What bad habits have you noticed in your game, or what are things you used to un-knowingly struggle with??

 

[GMcAtee]

I don't know!

 

[rampazzo]

For the longest time I took discing down a little too seriously, and I still struggle with it. I often overestimate how far I can throw a putter or midrange and underestimate how much control I have with fairways and distance drivers. While it is true that Putters and mids can be thrown far and that I have a little less control with my drivers, neither of those are as extreme as I tend to think they are on the course.

The effect this has had has been me often looking to a slower disc than would actually be optimal for a hole and missing out on more birdie opportunities. Basically after looking at my game I've realized that the strokes I shave from the extra distance of faster discs would be more than the strokes I would lose by mis-throwing the same disc relative to something slower. This is especially true since I have a strong upshot game and a relatively weaker putting game, so a "bad" drive that puts me 100 feet out is equally likely to end up as par for me as a weaker but in line shot that is 20 feet short of the circle leaving me with a putt I can't consistently make. Right now I'd get the driver within putting range more often than I would hit the longer putt, and I am good enough at upshots that bad driver shots wouldn't really hurt me.

I've definitely tried to work on it and have noticed that in rounds when I throw my drivers more I tend to shoot better, especially on longer holes and with low ceilings which can really limit the range of mids and putters. It is still a struggle though. I have to consciously think about throwing faster discs. If I don't I can easily play a full 18 without throwing anything faster than speed 5.

 

[DiscTosser]

Whoah I never really thought about it like that, Ramp. I feel like I'm too cautious with my bag selection too.

 

[jkirkland5012]

Coming to a course with a pre-defined plan on each hole.

That's a double edged sword. In competition, know what you are going to throw, play the course in your mind ahead of time etc ... But, your game changes as your progress. Upshots are by necessity more creative than drives so you are used to thinking of different approaches. I realized I needed to occasionally review my strategy from the teebox. Developing your flick? Added 50' to your drive this season? Started hitting X% of your putts from Y distance? All of these open up new options. I started consciously visualizing each of my shots for a couple of seconds before I approach the teebox/mark. It hit me pretty quickly that I was always visualizing the same shot from each tee, the same shot I had been using since I started playing. Play with some people that are better than you and watch their lines, see if you can get there with your flick, roller, turnover etc ... Your original idea on the shot is probably the most direct and most comfortable and will still be your go to. But, you might find a gap to hit if a tournament situation dictates a high risk/reward shot.

 

[Puckstopper]

^^ I too have the bad habit of playing/planning shots before a round. I've been developing a plan to combat this, but haven't had an opportunity (solo round) to try it out and see how it works yet. The plan is a backup bag full of discs that almost made the cut, but that I'm not as familiar with. TL instead of Volt, Buzzz SS instead of Theory, Mako instead of Buzzz, and so-on. My hypothesis is that by "resetting" my brain by removing the old comfortable discs, I'll also hopefully force myself to examine every hole on my old, familiar courses with the level of focus I bring to an unfamiliar course. If I find even 1 or 2 different options for attacking the course and potentially saving a stroke the couple of rounds I probably shoot like crap will be worth it in my mind. Plus I might just kick a disc or two out of my regular bag.

 

[grotto]

^^ I too have the bad habit of playing/planning shots before a round. I've been developing a plan to combat this, but haven't had an opportunity (solo round) to try it out and see how it works yet. The plan is a backup bag full of discs that almost made the cut, but that I'm not as familiar with. TL instead of Volt, Buzzz SS instead of Theory, Mako instead of Buzzz, and so-on. My hypothesis is that by "resetting" my brain by removing the old comfortable discs, I'll also hopefully force myself to examine every hole on my old, familiar courses with the level of focus I bring to an unfamiliar course. If I find even 1 or 2 different options for attacking the course and potentially saving a stroke the couple of rounds I probably shoot like crap will be worth it in my mind. Plus I might just kick a disc or two out of my regular bag.

Me too. I was getting too set in my mind what discs I was going to use for every hole and not really seeing other options.

A while ago I found the "How to build a bag" thread and started following the suggestion. It really opened my eyes up to options when you only have a few discs to choose from. I had gotten stuck in the "have a disc for every shot mentality" and really didn't know what my discs were capable of along with seeing where I needed to improve.

Yesterday I played a quick round with four discs in hand, a Judge, Truth, Eagle and a Hellfire. It's actually fun to do and a great way to warm up before playing a regular round if you have the time. Today I'm going to try it with a Yeti, Comet, Teebid and Predator. It brings some fun into learning my discs and changing things up from the rut.

 

[Jax11]

Experimenting with different shots and discs and completely insane lines is something that was pretty natural to me. I started playing on a park course that basically had 9 baskets in a field. My groups of friends and I were always experimenting and testing our shot arsenal just to have some fun. On the big holes we would have putter or mid distance competitions. We would throw gigantic hyzer spikes on 200ft holes over tall trees just because it was fun. I think this type of experimenting definitely help grow my shot arsenal and broaden my creativity when faced with a new hole.

I also think its important to be in tune with your body and the way your throw is working on any given day. If one day you find confidence with a certain disc you should ride it out and keep throwing that disc whenever you feel you need to. There are some days I have extra pop and can comfortably smash overstable discs, then there are some days where I feel tired and sluggish and I tend to reach for flippier plastic on those days. Just because you parked a hole with a given disc last week doesn't mean its the right choice today.

 

[Kidd Mack]

I often find myself not following through like i should and it takes a huge amount of power off my throws. I personally like to throw something that i dont need to put a lot of effort into, however when i throw my destroyers or pd2s i sometimes find they hyzer out early because ive been throwing easy the entire round. keeping an eye on each disc ive planned for each shot fixes that problem. as long as i know how i should throw a certain disc for a certain shot im confident, and that just takes field work and knowing your discs.

 

[UncleSweat]

I've become aware of a few bad habits I have when it comes to putting focus. The first thing I noticed is that I'm not following through with my eyes, meaning, my eyes immediately move off the basket and onto the disc upon release. The other thing is a lot of times I will rush to putt out on a lie which I believe in my brain to be a highly make-able distance. This could involve not taking by bag off, not marking my lie with my mini, and just rushing my routine altogether. I've taken steps to correct these habits lately by marking everything with my mini, no matter how close, not breaking routine, and extending my focus on the basket. I have noticed significant improvement in my putting in just a short time.

 

[tampora]

Coming to a course with a pre-defined plan on each hole

I can't imagine this. You must play in a region of very predicable conditions. The wind swirls so much here, I have to bring multiple discs to most teeboxes just so I have one for whichever wind is present that instant.... and hope it doesn't switch mid-throw. I'm not talking about gusty winds.. I'm talkin about big and total direction changes.

a lot of times I will rush to putt out on a lie which I believe in my brain to be a highly make-able distance. This could involve not taking by bag off, not marking my lie with my mini, and just rushing my routine altogether. I've taken steps to correct these habits lately by marking everything with my mini, no matter how close, not breaking routine, and extending my focus on the basket. I have noticed significant improvement in my putting in just a short time.

The increase in your putting may be due to the fact your routine is getting more practice than before. It shouldn't matter the distance to the basket for practicing your routine.