Elephant Walk Drill

[klodkrawler05]

From another beginners perspective, some people learn differently than others. I've been working on my form "seriously" in the last 4 months and have had a bunch of drills recommended to me, it wasn't until I got to the elephant walk drill that it suddenly clicked what it should feel like when there is that "pause" at the top of the backswing before pulling into the shot. By taking all of the arm mechanics out of the drill and simply feeling the timing between planting my leg and swinging my arm I was able to finally get the lightbulb moment. I don't practice the elephant drill for hours at a time and I don't think anyone is suggesting that. But after a few minutes I could understand what that "lag" felt like and began to incorporate it into my actual throwing motion. This is simply another way to potentially feel a timing issue that many novices struggled with. It may not work for you like it did for me.
Given that you're already throwing any disc further than me I can get why this drill seems pointless to you, but it was very helpful to me.

 

[sidewinder22]

I'm not really seeing any bad information in those videos and diagrams. We were talking of the elephant drill. I think the weight transition part of it is great. Adding the disc to it in the motion maybe not so great. I think one could make one small change to the drill and have it work awesome.

BTW, a submarine pitcher is more analogous to a forehand throw.

When you go to throw in elephant drill, it's the same forward swing motion as a hyzer throw. You are assuming I'm doing something different. That throw in the elephant walk vid also happens to be the longest drive I've seen on that hole.

I used to pitch submarine. BH hyzer is basically submarine mirror or one-handed bat. BH anhyzer/roller is overhand mirror.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxnhM5amro0#t=23s

 

[drk_evns]

Woah, i swing way to fast when comparing to this. Its like you plant and take a breather and then swing.

Think about it like allowing your weight to "settle" on the front foot/brace.

Okay, so I've seen this elephant drill a bit now and I'm confused on what it's supposed to teach? It appears to me that it sort of teaches weight transfer but the overall arc of the arm with throwing the disc appears counterproductive.

It teaches you to begin the swing with the weight shift and not your arm and/or upper body. It was what really made it click for me. Took me from ~380max to 500+.

I'm not going to go and do windmill drills and throw looking like a clock. And I think it's bad teaching to instruct others to do such.

You're the idiot here. The windmill and elephant drills are super valuable. Just because you don't understand the value doesn't make them bad drills... it means you need them MORE!

I'm not really seeing any bad information in those videos and diagrams. We were talking of the elephant drill. I think the weight transition part of it is great. Adding the disc to it in the motion maybe not so great. I think one could make one small change to the drill and have it work awesome.

You're so confident in your tiny amount of information Rodeo, it's ridiculous.

There are and always have been at least two very distinct styles of throw. Many people (like me) refer to the different styles as American and Swedish. American style takes a higher swing plane and has a lot of elbow bend. This is probably what you think is "right" and why you're arguing the Elephant Drill is bad.

Swedish style uses more of a pendulum type swing with very little elbow hinge. Dave Feldberg (a world champion) and Garret Gurthie (one of the furthest throwers ever) both use more of a Swedish or pendulum style swing.

Both styles use very similar mechanics across the board. Take a look at the Simon and GG comparison Sidewinder posted the other day. it's almost identical despite the very distinct approaches. Both are valid and could benefit from doing the Elephant Drill regularly. Maybe stop trying to argue that it's not valuable and use that time to understand why it is.

Still haven't seen that video. If you really want to improve, that's the best way for us to help you.

 

[RoDeO]

Yeah, I will stick to my own skill agenda. Wanna throw farther? Practice throwing farther. It's doubled my distance in 3 weeks. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[texasissouth]

Woah, i swing way to fast when comparing to this. Its like you plant and take a breather and then swing.

Also it varies a lot by person. If you watch Kevin Jones or Fish in slow mo they actually start rotating their hips before they plant their right foot. Obviously you're leaking a bit of power that way but especially Kevin does not want for power.

 

[adamgservo]

Learning disc golf technique is the perfect verification that humans are not machines. Introducing a lot of different drills that are all intended to do the same thing is a good thing because different people will latch onto different drills that work for them.

For me, I think the elephant walk drill was the most instrumental in progressing from 350ft to 400ft max distance. The drill helped me understand that you aren't really throwing the disc, but you are slamming the disc into the air (as if it were a tennis racket or something similar), and it just happens to fly from your hand.

For others, the elephant walk drill may not click, and some other drill will accomplish the same learning experience.

 

[texasissouth]

Yeah, I will stick to my own skill agenda. Wanna throw farther? Practice throwing farther. It's doubled my distance in 3 weeks. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Eventually you'll hit a cap with your current form. Think of it as minimizing the inefficiencies in an inherently inefficient system.

I'd say bad form with a lot of practice will get you to 400-450'. I mean I can throw that far and I come way over the top. If you have dreams of 500' and you don't have the innate good proprioception, at some point you will need a mix of slow mo, drills for what you're lacking, and some adjustments.

 

[RoDeO]

My big moment was going from right hand dominant to throwing left handed. Thought of it just like swinging a bat. Now throwing 75 feet further than I was right. I'm in TBE camp of trial and error and watching what pros do and try over and over again to replicate what they do. It's how we learned to walk, ride a bike, speak, etc.

 

[Monocacy]

. . . So going into backswing plant rear leg and then swing back, then as swing transitions/pauses slightly at the top, plant front leg and then swing forward.

Hey I just wanted to say thanks for this, it helped me out in several ways. Mostly timing - getting my plant foot set before starting the swing - but also using my lats more in the throw (former swimmer lol).

Also helped with getting nose down and height on the throw, when I get it right.

I'm a creaky old guy so I'm not likely to suddenly start throwing 400' but every little bit helps, both for distance and accuracy.

 

[Rastnav]

Hey I just wanted to say thanks for this, it helped me out in several ways. Mostly timing - getting my plant foot set before starting the swing - but also using my lats more in the throw (former swimmer lol).

Also helped with getting nose down and height on the throw, when I get it right.

I'm a creaky old guy so I'm not likely to suddenly start throwing 400' but every little bit helps, both for distance and accuracy.

I've seen this sentiment come across the board several times recently and I have to laugh, because I am doing everything I can to get my lats out of the throw. Someday, I hope I can add them back in, but for now, lats = early pull = early release.

Not sure why I felt I needed to add that here, but maybe some other noob will find it helpful. I'm sure I'm using my lats when I throw well, but it's not what I feel.

 

[sidewinder22]

I've seen this sentiment come across the board several times recently and I have to laugh, because I am doing everything I can to get my lats out of the throw. Someday, I hope I can add them back in, but for now, lats = early pull = early release.

Not sure why I felt I needed to add that here, but maybe some other noob will find it helpful. I'm sure I'm using my lats when I throw well, but it's not what I feel.

It's a stretch reflex - automated sling shot.

 

[Rastnav]

It's a stretch reflex - automated sling shot.

Which raises the question, what does it even mean to get your lats into the throw? Presumably this happens automatically by getting to the proper position on the backswing?

Maybe that's the whole point of this thread, and my question is redundant. But sometimes asking redundant questions can be helpful.

 

[RowingBoats]

Yeah, I will stick to my own skill agenda. Wanna throw farther? Practice throwing farther. It's doubled my distance in 3 weeks. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Man, you really rode that Dunning-Kruger coaster off the first ramp into the rings of Saturn, eh?

 

[seedlings]

Thanks for pointing me back to this thread. How does the elephant walk drill help with throwing on a hill? Are you saying to literally do this drill on the hill behind the lie to find the proper rhythm? When the lie is such that shifting weight is very difficult, what's a good way to compensate for the incline?

Example, throwing on a 15* downhill fairway, or putting a 30* uphill-left-to-right lie with the basket several feet above?

Don't hear me wrong, that drill is crucial to timing, and it certainly helped me.

 

[RoDeO]

Man, you really rode that Dunning-Kruger coaster off the first ramp into the rings of Saturn, eh?

Hardly. Sometimes, often times really, we tend to overanalyze everything and get so caught up in all these special drills, techniques and rules. Before smart phone technology people were throwing just as well then as they do so now. Just go out there and figure out how to throw. It's not rocket science. Wanna throw farther? Then practice throwing farther.

 

[sidewinder22]

Which raises the question, what does it even mean to get your lats into the throw? Presumably this happens automatically by getting to the proper position on the backswing?

Maybe that's the whole point of this thread, and my question is redundant. But sometimes asking redundant questions can be helpful.

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132496

 

[sidewinder22]

Thanks for pointing me back to this thread. How does the elephant walk drill help with throwing on a hill? Are you saying to literally do this drill on the hill behind the lie to find the proper rhythm? When the lie is such that shifting weight is very difficult, what's a good way to compensate for the incline?

Example, throwing on a 15* downhill fairway, or putting a 30* uphill-left-to-right lie with the basket several feet above?

Don't hear me wrong, that drill is crucial to timing, and it certainly helped me.

Going uphill it is much harder to drive your CoG up onto the front leg, so walking sideways keeps your feet closer together and much easier to shift balance onto front leg.

Downhill lies I usually standstill on front leg and move my rear foot around to a spring position.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ4pxndBpJ4#t=2m20s

 

[lucasgg]

Is this drill functionally the same as the dandelion/grass whip drill that Sean Clement covers here?

https://youtu.be/Q6Oylh4t8G8?t=377

 

[timothy42b]

I've done a lot of elephant walk drills with various amount of weight, and I remain confused. Probably I've done it wrong. And yes I've thrown a lot of hammers too.

The elephant walk drill encourages a very late pull. Settle all the way on the front heel with the arm still in backswing. That's what I try to do.

But watching those videos of Paige and McBeth that have been posted recently, they look like they show the elbow already forward as the heel comes down.

 

[sidewinder22]

I've done a lot of elephant walk drills with various amount of weight, and I remain confused. Probably I've done it wrong. And yes I've thrown a lot of hammers too.

The elephant walk drill encourages a very late pull. Settle all the way on the front heel with the arm still in backswing. That's what I try to do.

But watching those videos of Paige and McBeth that have been posted recently, they look like they show the elbow already forward as the heel comes down.

I'd love to see your elephant walk.

There may be some variance, I think Paige starts bracing harder on the toes which breaks the elbow a little earlier/quicker. I don't see Paul's elbow start breaking until his heel plants at least on longer shots.

Swing don't Pull. You should get pulled by the swing. The "elbow is always forward" unless you let your upper arm/shoulder collapse. The arm may start dropping before the plant as long as there is no effort before.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1pkfJtVq-8#t=4m6s

This is difference between a lot of ams and pros going toe to heel: