Finally broke 500 feet!!!

[Noahlearner]

I'm writing this post to say thanks to people who really helped me learn how to throw farther, particularly Sidewinder22, Hyzerunibomber, Blake from dgreview, and zj1002. It took me ...gulp... 4 years, but I finally did it. In yesterday's fieldwork I threw a 155g Opto Air Havoc 518 feet. I have been working on bracing, slow easy start I pull and hitting as late as possible. I am overjoyed that I achieved one of my life disc golf goals and will now really focus on improving my short game.

If you are throwing 300 feet, expect it to take time to smooth out your swing. It took me 2 years to get to 400feet. Another year to get to 465 and another year to break 500.

If you're not there yet, keep going, keep practicing. The best thing that has helped me throw farther is to learn how to throw putters cleanly. And then to throw putters 300 feet. And then to throw fairways 400 feet.

Also focus on throwing clean at 85%. This will help you speed up and get cleaner faster spin on the disc. Smooth easy loose reach back and don't really pull until disc is at right pec.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Rad! Going to have to try this disc, I know you've suggested it before. I haven't dipped below 163g yet, but I definitely see longer flight down there in the right conditions.

 

[Puckstopper]

Nice work man, I'm happy for you. I'm still working to hit 400' on anything other than a freak shot with perfect form. I'm in that disconcerting stage where 75-80% of my shots go the distance I expect, but I'm occasionally leaving something way short due to a screw up, and occasionally doing things just right and ripping a mid past a pin that I threw driver to last year. So I know there's more distance in my old arm, I just need the consistency. Good to be reminded it won't happen overnight.

 

[PWaggoner]

How are your putters flying? I can throw putters about 310-320. But that's with a lot of height. How about you?

 

[Noahlearner]

Puckstopper, do you get to throw in open fields to work on technique? Throwing in fields is what helped me gain consistency. Having a stack of plastic and throwing in a field can allow you to throw a round's worth of throws in 35 minutes. It is consequence free too, so you don't have to worry about losing discs in the woods etc, and you can really focus on just one of two things per session.

PWaggoner, I can throw them 280 between 8-15 feet off the ground. If I want to go farther, I also throw them high. One of my favorite roc shots ever was at a hole that was wide open about 350 feet away from pin and I threw a super high shot, but straight at basket, the disc just glided in. Most people don't seem to use that shot, but I find it fun / useful to have in the bag.

 

[art_vandelay]

Great accomplishment. Kudos to you for putting in the hard work to make that happen. It's impressive. But, can you keep those long bombs in the fairway consistently on the course? If you can, I'm even more impressed. I've got a buddy that can absolutely bomb, but we spend half our rounds looking for his errant shots in the woods in places where no man has gone before. :wall:

In everyone's opinion, what distance is "far enough" on the course, assuming almost perfect accuracy? Is it 400 ft? 500? Maybe that question is like asking how many angels can dance on the end of a pin? I know I'll never throw 500 feet period let along with accuracy so I always wonder how far is far enough.

 

[zj1002]

Awesome dude. keep it up! Throwing far isn't natural, it takes a ton of hard work. Good to see it paying off for you.

 

[Six Card Charlie]

Good job!!!

 

[skizzle34]

Just here to support the statement it takes time to add distance. I have been playing for 3 years and it took me 1.5 to get to 400 consistently and another year to get mid 500. The 650' was a freak roller on a golf course disc golf course.

 

[thatdirtykid]

We had a distance comp at a memorial yesterday. I had held the long drive until Colten Montgomery showed up and put one 20' past mine. That said Udisc let me down yesterday, the best accuracy I could get was +-12' and we measured my longest twice and got 545 and 580... I measured on google earth this morning and got 525'. The trees were in the way of the more favorable line, but we still got some crushes out there.

Distance came easy for me, I was throwing orcs 400' within a few months of starting playing. It did take a few years before I was throwing even occasional drives over 500'. Then it took me an entire year after some time away to get that distance back.

 

[DiscFifty]

In everyone's opinion, what distance is "far enough" on the course, assuming almost perfect accuracy? Is it 400 ft? 500? Maybe that question is like asking how many angels can dance on the end of a pin? I know I'll never throw 500 feet period let along with accuracy so I always wonder how far is far enough.

I've researched this over and over and I still come back to the 300/300 rule. Being able to drive and approach with accuracy from 300ft will usually give you a good chance of shooting par or slightly better on just about any course. Add another 50ft and it opens up alot more birdie ops.

So....to answer your question...what is far enough? imo....

In wide open holes: 350-400.
In tight, low ceiling holes: 300-350.

I think those numbers are going to give you realistic chances of doing ok against all but the elite players. To compete against McBeth & company (I've walked rounds with McBeth, Wysocki, Schusterick, Lizotte recently) You definitely need a 400ft low ceiling shot and a 500ft wide open sky anny flex shot. It's amazing how low and how much glide their tunnel shots have. wow...

 

[thatdirtykid]

I've researched this over and over and I still come back to the 300/300 rule. Being able to drive and approach with accuracy from 300ft will usually give you a good chance of shooting par or slightly better on just about any course. Add another 50ft and it opens up alot more birdie ops.

So....to answer your question...what is far enough? imo....

In wide open holes: 350-400.
In tight, low ceiling holes: 300-350.

I think those numbers are going to give you realistic chances of doing ok against all but the elite players. To compete against McBeth & company (I've walked rounds with McBeth, Wysocki, Schusterick, Lizotte recently) You definitely need a 400ft low ceiling shot and a 500ft wide open sky anny flex shot. It's amazing how low and how much glide their tunnel shots have. wow...

I agree with everything you said. I have played tourneys with a couple holes that I could reach that very few others were trying to reach. And often wanting that exclusive bird has gotten me in trouble running it too hard. There is not often practical benefit to being able to throw 450+

When this topic comes up, the real benefit usually brought up is its marginally easier for big arms to be accurate at 350' (throwing fairways, or mids) but thats not to say you have to be able to throw a mid 350' to throw 350' accurately.

 

[art_vandelay]

I've researched this over and over and I still come back to the 300/300 rule. Being able to drive and approach with accuracy from 300ft will usually give you a good chance of shooting par or slightly better on just about any course. Add another 50ft and it opens up alot more birdie ops.

So....to answer your question...what is far enough? imo....

In wide open holes: 350-400.
In tight, low ceiling holes: 300-350.

I think those numbers are going to give you realistic chances of doing ok against all but the elite players. To compete against McBeth & company (I've walked rounds with McBeth, Wysocki, Schusterick, Lizotte recently) You definitely need a 400ft low ceiling shot and a 500ft wide open sky anny flex shot. It's amazing how low and how much glide their tunnel shots have. wow...

One of the longest holes on my home course is around 600 ft par four and it's mostly open, curving gently to the right. Willmore hole 11. It has brick markers embedded in the fairway at 200, 300 and I believe 400 ft. Rarely do I see anyone land significantly past the 300 ft brick. Does that surprise anyone given all the folks who claim to throw 400, 500, even 600 ft? St. Louis people must have some weak azz arms relative to the rest of the country. I obviously don't believe that, but it does show you that golf lines and pure distance lines are not the same thing and I'm not sure that there is much correlation between the two.

OP, I promise you I'm not trying to poo on your accomplishment. But when I see all of these distance discussions, I wonder if I should be happy with the distances I can accurately throw or keep trying for that extra 20 feet? Should I stop obsessing about how far I can throw in a field? For me, I think the answer is yes. I should be working on developing a serviceable forehand or a more consistent turnover shot. And putting.

 

[skizzle34]

It seems many you with weaker arms get the impression that someone with 500'+ power can't play actual disc golf. I can throw a PD 400'+ with accuracy and consistency. I will agree with the fact that being able to throw 500'+ on a max distance huge s curve does not necessarily transfer directly to the course.

 

[art_vandelay]

It seems many you with weaker arms get the impression that someone with 500'+ power can't play actual disc golf. I can throw a PD 400'+ with accuracy and consistency. I will agree with the fact that being able to throw 500'+ on a max distance huge s curve does not necessarily transfer directly to the course.

I don't think that. I don't think anybody said that. I know exactly 2 guys that can pretty much throw 500 ft on command. Both friends. One is always ahead of everyone else on the card and set up well for his next shot. I have never, nor will I probably ever beat this guy at disc golf. But I love to watch him throw perfectly placed bombs so I don't mind losing every time.

The other guy can actually throw a bit further than the first guy. But he is always going for lines he can only hit sometimes. The most dreaded words out of his mouth. "Ok guys, watch this...". Sometimes we're just "wow did he really do that shot?". But most of time we out getting poison ivy or collecting ticks while helping look for this discs. But daaaaang can he throw far. Me and my friends are going to be talking about both of these guys on the way home from the round. It's all good though.

 

[DiscFifty]

It seems many you with weaker arms get the impression that someone with 500'+ power can't play actual disc golf. I can throw a PD 400'+ with accuracy and consistency. I will agree with the fact that being able to throw 500'+ on a max distance huge s curve does not necessarily transfer directly to the course.

Depends on the player. I've seen players who can throw 500ft and can't for the life of them approach or putt. Then again...I play against local players who can throw 450+ and approach and putt, and well...when their game is on, no one really stands a chance. lol...

 

[art_vandelay]

It's raining here in STL so I'm bored and have been thinking about this. It seems to me that the disc golf holy grail is having highly developed arm speed, assuming a full hit. With that comes the added benefit of distance. To me the main benefit of increasing your arm speed and snap is the added control it gives you. Once a player learns to get the spin and forward momentum required to unleash a disc's full potential, now he can learn to shape lines. Shaping lines lets you actually use strategy to attack a given hole. That's way more fun and satisfying to me then trying to throw for distance only.

 

[TruthHurts]

With 500' consistently you're out driving EVERYBODY in PA. Including all the sponsored pros...

 

[DiscJunkie]

There is not often practical benefit to being able to throw 450+

When this topic comes up, the real benefit usually brought up is its marginally easier for big arms to be accurate at 350' (throwing fairways, or mids) but thats not to say you have to be able to throw a mid 350' to throw 350' accurately.

THIS is why I am working so hard on distance. It's not that I want to throw 400' or even need to throw 400'.
When I am throwing drivers 400', that means I'n throwing putters 300' and mids to 350'
OR, it means I can throw these distances with less effort and, logically, with more accuracy and consistency.
The ability to throw 400' means an easier 350" or 300'.

 

[anrew18]

If you're not there yet, keep going, keep practicing. The best thing that has helped me throw farther is to learn how to throw putters cleanly. And then to throw putters 300 feet. And then to throw fairways 400 feet.

I'd like to see a picture or two of your driving putter grip. Particularly with your pure (Noticed you use those from your sig.) I have an opto Pure I drive with and I am not consistent with my grip. I have'tn measured but I know I can get around 200 with it on a straight line.

Thanks