distance secrets to tomahawks?

[Technohic]

It's not literally all technique. Case in point: SI recently did a cover story on Mariano Rivera. They cited his unusually "supple" wrists and long fingers as important ingredients in his pitching ability. I think there's quite a bit of innate talent invovled that we're not giving its due credit.

well one thing I notice with some of the skinny guys is it gives them a bit more flexibility and they are lighter on their feet than I so, I guess it isnt all technique but the technique comes a lot easier for them.

 

[CwAlbino]

This is from a post in the quipment forum that I just did talking about the Epic, but it might help you in telling what I have observed from moving from the Epic to a Flick.



Yeah, it got to be to where I think I would really need to test the tuning on it for a while and throw multiple tommys/thumbers in a row to get it right. I actually think after a couple tunings for understable that it got worse so I went ahead and got a Flick to use and keep the Epic to screw around with.

Epic out of the box, I would get 5 or 6 flips, which really kills your distance. The Flick, I get 2-3 flips and that disc is about as overstable as they come, and fast as hell.

The trick is on that last flip, to get it to stop flipping when it is falt paralell to the ground; then you can get some huge distance. I just havent found that sweet spot for a while.

END

SO I believe in fast overstable discs. I played center field as a kid in baseball so a lot of times, I go for the thumber, step into my left foot (RH) and follow through. Im not pro, because really I think the OH throws take a lot out of you to do it a lot, but hope it helps.

I would say you are doing something majorly wrong if your flick is flipping 2-3 times, or I don't get what you are saying. By 2-3 flips you mean barrel rolls? If you mean it swings back and forth like a kid on a swing 2-3 times then you are not getting enough rotation or snap. I haven't thrown OH for quite a while but I know I used to be able to get 300' with a gateway illusion, and even an Innova Teerex. I've never thrown my flick OH for distance yet but I can bet I can put it 300 quite easily, 200 comes without even trying on that damn thing. I'm not a big guy either, 6'0" and 145 pounds, no fat whatsoever. I played outfield as well in baseball and also was a pitcher for a while, throwing sidearm. When I throw the flick it just makes one U shape and spikes straight to the ground without flattening out.

 

[Technohic]

I would say you are doing something majorly wrong if your flick is flipping 2-3 times, or I don't get what you are saying. By 2-3 flips you mean barrel rolls? If you mean it swings back and forth like a kid on a swing 2-3 times then you are not getting enough rotation or snap. I haven't thrown OH for quite a while but I know I used to be able to get 300' with a gateway illusion, and even an Innova Teerex. I've never thrown my flick OH for distance yet but I can bet I can put it 300 quite easily, 200 comes without even trying on that damn thing. I'm not a big guy either, 6'0" and 145 pounds, no fat whatsoever. I played outfield as well in baseball and also was a pitcher for a while, throwing sidearm. When I throw the flick it just makes one U shape and spikes straight to the ground without flattening out.

Im talking barrel rolls. 300 hasnt been a problem OH, I meant more regular BH that I have to really push to get.

 

[dukdukgolf]

I would say you are doing something majorly wrong if your flick is flipping 2-3 times, or I don't get what you are saying. By 2-3 flips you mean barrel rolls? If you mean it swings back and forth like a kid on a swing 2-3 times then you are not getting enough rotation or snap. I haven't thrown OH for quite a while but I know I used to be able to get 300' with a gateway illusion, and even an Innova Teerex. I've never thrown my flick OH for distance yet but I can bet I can put it 300 quite easily, 200 comes without even trying on that damn thing. I'm not a big guy either, 6'0" and 145 pounds, no fat whatsoever. I played outfield as well in baseball and also was a pitcher for a while, throwing sidearm. When I throw the flick it just makes one U shape and spikes straight to the ground without flattening out.

mine almost always flattens out then spikes down. once in awhile mine will just do the big "U" like your describe but i honestly dont know what causes that. From my understanding tomahawk should flatten out at the peak of its flight.

working on my follow through,,spent about 2 hrs this morning. think its helping.

 

[dr.chainslove]

You're gripping it with a forehand grip and throwing it from over your head, right? This doesn't sound like a thumber at all. It sounds like your standard "hammer" throw, or what I always thought was called the "tomahawk" in disc golf.

that's what I'm getting at. sorry for the confusion. Its obvious I never got the terminologies down! I always thought it was a tomahawk but some buddies told me otherwise. anywho, most people I've seen keep their middle and index together on that toss and I've found that its harder to get a good snap that way. It really is all on your middle finger.

As others have said, the more turns the disc makes, the less distance you'll get. experiment with ways to get that nice u shaped inverted glide. I really dont think you can get as far with a thumber (bottom of disc facing your body with your thumb on the underside lip, right??) because the nature of that throw will cause more turning sooner in flight.

 

[richardmmill]

Firm grip with a precise release is key to keep it from wobbling which will kill the throw. I also feel that overhand throws, thumbers and tomahawks are much more "muscle" shots as compared to backhand and forehand which are more "fineness" type shots, so I think hitting the gym helps out a lot. I can get 350-360 with a tomahawk pretty consistently, and I know weight lifting for the last 3 1/2 years has helped that out a lot.

 

[Noill]

Enlighten me... why would you want to use a tomahawk or thumber for 300'+ shots?

I lead off with my opposite shoulder and point it at the target. Take a left side step, then a right side step that goes a little to the left of my left foot and then another left...at that step I pivot on that left foot and as I throw my right shoulder comes around and I finish with right shoulder pointing at the target. I throw usually at about 2 o'clock and the disc is straight up and down. You can experiment with throwing at angles and different positions on the clock... follow-through is important just like any throw.

 

[craftsman]

Further you can throw any shot, more controlled you can be at shorter distances.

 

[Noill]

I lead off with my opposite shoulder and point it at the target. Take a left side step, then a right side step that goes a little to the left of my left foot and then another left...at that step I pivot on that left foot and as I throw my right shoulder comes around and I finish with right shoulder pointing at the target. I throw usually at about 2 o'clock and the disc is straight up and down. You can experiment with throwing at angles and different positions on the clock... follow-through is important just like any throw.

I read quickly, but I think you said you one-step up to the throw. I adapted this from a Discraft video tutorial. Check out Mike Raley who comes in at about 5:43. The only difference is that he is showing his forehand which really is similar to a Tomahawk/Thumber with a different angle of release.

http://www.discraft.com/vid/html/dg01.html