"Disability" Throwing

[Flyguy46]

I have returned to disc golf after about 15 years. Partly personal, partly work related.

Anyway, I am using disc as a form of physical therapy. Long story short, I had two ankle surgeries between 2020 and 2021. My surgeon and physical therapist have limited me to my true passion of fly fishing until March of 2022. I am loving throwing discs when I can. But there are a few issues I am "running" into. Hopefully you all can help me out.

Here is the thing! Because of the injury to my right ankle, I am unable to utilize the X-Step due to the flex and pressure put on the outside of my ankle on the foot plant. Also, I suffer from major nerve issues in my toes so hard impacts to my right foot very uncomfortable. :thmbdown:

So, my question is, What would you suggest to still get a maximum distance drive off the pad without using the X-Step? I am willing to try anything to get better distance.

I do have other things I need to work on in my game but want to find a way to throw comfortably first in terms of footwork and once I have that dialed or at least getting better I will then work on throw consistency, distance and accuracy. I am working on my putting in the back yard and at the park with a mobile practice basket.

My hope would be that I can upload some video of my form after a few suggestions come in.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

 

[SocraDeez]

Hey man, there is nothing wrong with ditching the x-step and one-legging it, especially while you work on re-building strength/ flex in that ankle. There seem to be a variety of ways of practicing the One Leg Drill - should you still shift your weight? is it really a One Step drill? etc. - but I'd say the distilled lesson is something along the lines of: the feeling of throwing the disc from a position of nice, anchored balance on the lead plant leg. The feeling this drill emphasizes is important for any and all who want to throw far and well with ease.



Here's a couple forum threads that discuss value of One Leg Drill to help you get started:

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126344

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=127403

The tough part with your specific injury is that One Leg Drill throwing still asks that you push into the ground with/ put weight on that still-coming-along lead foot ankle. However, with One Leg Drill, you can practice putting weight on your lead plant foot much more deliberately and slowly (vs. a quick weight shift in an x-step) and hopefully still get to that feeling of firm, anchored balance (and in a way that does not cause you discomfort/ pain).

For example, if putting pressure on your toes causes discomfort, then try to create a balanced position to throw from with just the heel of the lead plant foot pushing into the ground (so no toe-to-heel pressure shift movement similar to the walking step). If you're experiencing ankle discomfort when your weight transitions to the outside of the lead foot (I'm using it to mean target side/ pinky toe of plant foot) during the x-step, try with One Leg Drill to create good firm ground push/ balance with the lead foot using the inside of the foot (big Toe side). So you are pushing into the ground at an angle away from your center of gravity and toward the target.

Some choice words from SW22 on this specific issue:

When I was learning BH back in the DGR era, I fractured my tibia/ankle doing the Right Pec Drill and I know a couple other players that also fractured their tibia doing the same thing. When I came back from that injury 6 months later I had great fear planting on my front foot again. While I was injured and rehabbing I wisely spent most of that time doing biomechanics research into why I fractured it and how to not do that again and what was proper.

The One Leg drill was fundamental in getting my form down without fear of re-injury. I never experienced any pain with the One Leg drill and surprisingly I was throwing almost as far on just one leg vs before on two legs even with a run-up. I really don't think you are likely to hurt yourself doing the One Leg drill, you will just fall over off balance before you are able to reach a torque big enough to do any damage. You are more likely to hurt yourself when you have two feet planted/weighted into the ground as you have another source of energy. There's no forward momentum you have to worry about torquing your leg, it's basically just your normal standing gravity. If you turn your upper body in the One Leg drill, that turn starts from the ground in your foot, so your foot is naturally going to roll or spin with the rest of your body provided you were able to generate enough momentum and transfer it through your body. As that torque that started in the foot transfers up the body, it gives you a weightlessness in the foot or ground reaction force which helps alleviate any torque pressure in the leg and makes it easy to just pivot on it naturally. You are probably more likely to break your wrist from falling than injuring your leg. My friend recently shattered both his ankles completely, and he has been throwing from the One Leg drill exclusively since he got out of the wheel chair about three months ago and amazingly playing a round almost everyday. He experiences more pain just walking down the fairway than throwing in the One Leg drill.

 

[elmexdela]

standstill shots

flippy discs

average ultimate players can flick or bh a beat dx aviar usually about 250ft ish

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Work on your FH and forget about putting too much weight on your right ankle.

I utilize an X step walk up... and I don't plant hard. I have a host of knee injuries on my plant leg but I use a very slow x step, just enough to swivel my hips into the right position and help with my timing. No jammy jammy, just fluid with a follow through step. Not ideal but if you are used to that motion....

Lighter flippy discs like what elmex said. Might be a weird blessing to iron out your form without complicating it with body movement. Yeah that's it, just tell yourself that

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

Use the hyzer flip pendulum motion as well...

 

[drk_evns]

You can certainly generate a decent amount of power without putting too much stress on your body... however, if you're not allowed to fish I'd assume disc golf would only be MORE stressful... right?

Just be safe! Stop if it causes pain. You'll always regret delaying your recovery.

 

[Dcinmd]

There is at least two successful seniors in Virginia competing in PDGA events that use nothing more than a standstill for all of their shots. And another that use a one step flick, who just coming off knee replacement surgery.

 

[SocraDeez]

if you're not allowed to fish I'd assume disc golf would only be MORE stressful... right?

Although there's a factious forum thread here - Slippery Teepads: The Solution? - that might disagree, Tee Pad surfaces fortunately provide more certain footing than slippery, rocky river bottoms.

Definitely take it slow & sure during the recovery. Depending on how accessible your PT is, maybe demonstrate some of the motions for them & get some professional feedback. I'd wager they'd have some interesting things to say about the Talus relative to the disc golf throw.

To sum up the collected advice here for throwing given some physical limitations:

• Standstill/ One Leg Throwing
• Forehand
• Understable (& maybe lightweight) discs

Good luck, man!

 

[BillFleming]

Use a standstill. Don't worry about distance....work on accuracy. If you want to do a walk-up, do it slowly and try bringing your following foot up to your lead foot instead of crossing it behind the lead.

 

[Flyguy46]

Makes sense

Use a standstill. Don't worry about distance....work on accuracy. If you want to do a walk-up, do it slowly and try bringing your following foot up to your lead foot instead of crossing it behind the lead.

That totally makes sense. I guess one thing I will need to remember is that it is not about the speed of the approach. I have recently been focusing on accuracy and am seeing improvements there.

I am still throwing in the 150-180 range but every day I see better accuracy.

My plan is to work on the One-Leg Drill and see where that takes me. Thank you again for your help on this.

Keep throwing and drink a good beer every day.

 

[ray1970]

Previously mentioned but lighter, more understable discs will be your friend.

Any time I find myself in a bad spot on the course where I have to throw from a stand still but still need to cover a lot of distance I'm usually reaching for a light, fairly understable fairway driver.

Good luck and hopefully you get healed up.

 

[BillFleming]

That totally makes sense. I guess one thing I will need to remember is that it is not about the speed of the approach. I have recently been focusing on accuracy and am seeing improvements there.

I am still throwing in the 150-180 range but every day I see better accuracy.

My plan is to work on the One-Leg Drill and see where that takes me. Thank you again for your help on this.

Keep throwing and drink a good beer every day.

Tequila!

Besides that.....what speed disc are you working with? Maybe your arm speed isn't up to it. For example, I'm 61 and my arm speed has been clocked at 42 mph...which basically equates to a 7 speed disc. Once I quit throwing 8+ speed discs, I was able to focus better on my form and am getting my 7 speed discs farther than my 9 speeds ever went (hit 260ish the other day as measured by uDisc - commonly around 240ish by range finder).

 

[scooby snack]

Long story short, I had two ankle surgeries between 2020 and 2021. My surgeon and physical therapist have limited me to my true passion of fly fishing until March of 2022.

Stick with fishing until 3/2022, like your physician and PT recommend. It's not that far away.

 

[Flyguy46]

Stick with fishing until 3/2022, like your physician and PT recommend. It's not that far away.

I wish I could be fishing. But they want me on more stable surfaces, thus the disc golf. So no fishing for me.

 

[Flyguy46]

Stick with fishing until 3/2022, like your physician and PT recommend. It's not that far away.

Tequila!

Besides that.....what speed disc are you working with? Maybe your arm speed isn't up to it. For example, I'm 61 and my arm speed has been clocked at 42 mph...which basically equates to a 7 speed disc. Once I quit throwing 8+ speed discs, I was able to focus better on my form and am getting my 7 speed discs farther than my 9 speeds ever went (hit 260ish the other day as measured by uDisc - commonly around 240ish by range finder).

Throwing 5-7 speed discs. I know my form is not great but I am getting better each time I go out. I am working more with UDisc every day and doing accuracy throwing and mixing in distance. I mean I was throwing 90 to start the season so I just need to keep working and the distance will come. I am also switching most discs into the Dynamic Discs Lucid Air plastic and this lighter discs, 154-166. Although I am also throwing Dynamic Discs in the 171-175 and getting about the same distance. I have been working on flattening my throw and adding distance that way as well.

Thank you for your assistance in this. I really do appreciate it all!

 

[jakebake91]

Is it just the x step that gives you troubles? Or is it the plant/rotate/follow thru? If it's just the x step, watch Eric Oakley. I don't think he has crossover step and throws pretty darn far.

 

[Flyguy46]

Is it just the x step that gives you troubles? Or is it the plant/rotate/follow thru? If it's just the x step, watch Eric Oakley. I don't think he has crossover step and throws pretty darn far.

Jake,

It is the plant that gets me every time! I suffered permanent nerve damge to my toes. With the plant I get really bad shocks in my toes which negatively affects both my rotation and follow as a result. It sucks because the plant does this.

Now, when I stand stationary and try to pivot on my heel, I am able to throw relatively well. My distance may not be as good, but my accuracy is pretty much spot on. With decent accuracy I am able to make up for the distance by getting my discs to be parked 90% of the time below the basket. So that helps quite a bit.

I don't currently have plans to play the MPO but I would like to get myself to the point where I can at least throw for Par on most of my favorite courses. From the beginning of the summer to now I have dropped over 40 strokes off my game and am no consistently +5 - +10 on most of my rounds. So, all in all, not bad for my first year back. I was shooting par or better when I was much younger and it was easier with heavier discs.

Really, I am playing for fun more than score. But as part of that, lower scores do show me that I am improving. UDisc has been a lot of help as well as doing rounds with more experienced players when I can. And every time I throw, I am learning my mistakes and trying to improve on my common mistakes.

One of the reasons that I am on DGCR currently and using UDisc. DGCR has been a lot of help up to this point and I know that it will continue to be.

Go Pack Go! F*ck Da Bears! :clap:

 

[BillFleming]

Throwing 5-7 speed discs. I know my form is not great but I am getting better each time I go out. I am working more with UDisc every day and doing accuracy throwing and mixing in distance. I mean I was throwing 90 to start the season so I just need to keep working and the distance will come. I am also switching most discs into the Dynamic Discs Lucid Air plastic and this lighter discs, 154-166. Although I am also throwing Dynamic Discs in the 171-175 and getting about the same distance. I have been working on flattening my throw and adding distance that way as well.

Thank you for your assistance in this. I really do appreciate it all!

If you can....I really recommend videoing your throws. It has helped improve both my forehand and backhand.

Forehand, I found my bad throws were when I brought the disc back below the plane (like a pendulum) and my good ones were when I brought it back slightly above the plane (like a windmill).

Backhand, I found if my feet were lined up "correctly" - toes of back foot on line with ankle of front foot....I threw badly/off line. If my front foot was more forward (about a foot space between the toes of my back foot and the ankle of my front foot) my throws were really accurate.

But I wouldn't have caught any of that if I hadn't recorded my throws.