Finally broke 500 feet!!!

[art_vandelay]

Question. How far do you think a 54 year old should be able to throw effortlessly? Does age even matter. Maybe I'm limiting myself with the mind set I have.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Depending on the base skill, flexibility, strength and athleticism :
250-280' putter
275-300' mids
That's a rough benchmark for what should be just smooth 1-step distance.

 

[rhatton1]

I am always confused with all of the "yeah you can throw far but in what direction?" stuff that goes on in these threads. This one has been civil, but in the past it seems like lots of jealousy. I don't see lots of people who can throw far but have zero accuracy. Drivers don't go that much further than fairway drivers when thrown on a line drive (like 30-60' for most people?). If you can line drive a high speed disc 400+ you can do that like 12' off the ground and you'll have great accuracy. If you're throwing it that far you are getting it up to its cruising speed pretty easily and you likely aren't hucking 110%. That also means you can back off on a Teebird and get it 350' even more accurately.

Do people think that a 400' shot needs a 40' high flex shot from a pretty neutral disc that who knows where it will end up? If you can throw 350' actual line drives then maybe...but throwing 400' line drives isn't much less accurate than 350' line drives for the most part I find. I bet guys who throw 475'+ on line drives also throw those in a pretty consistent landing zone too, relative to how far they are throwing it (no the grouping won't be the same as a 250' putter shot, but they won't be in opposite corners of the field or halfway up the tree 30 degrees to your right).

This. To eek out extra distance a big thrower uses specific distance flight lines that very often fail. To throw far on the course they use good technique and one of the beauties of good technique on a flat line drive or a hyzer is it's a self correcting beast. The more consistent distance you can get the more consistent accuracy to go with it.

Why?

In order to throw far so many variables have to come together at the same time. In order to throw accurately you have to be able to control these variables that if firing at other times are likely to mess up your drive. If you consistently throw long line drives you are going to be consistently more accurate with it unless you have absolutely no understanding of wind or terrain and how this may effect your shot. I don't think I have even seen anyone with 400' of line drive power be less accurate than someone with 300' of line drive power when both are throwing a 300' shot.

 

[rhatton1]

The vast majority of us, that are toiling away at field work to develop a clean/powerful form - see big long term benefits. Why? Because the same process that makes a disc fly far, makes it fly on the exact angles you want it to fly - and with much less effort.

The number of people who repeat this specific phrase is key: effortless.

When you're throwing a 300'-400' shot and it's truly effortless because you're not strong arming or over-engaging all your muscles or using a big jarring x-step... then you can play 18 holes, 21+ and roll back to the car feeling like you didn't remotely break a sweat. Your neck isn't sore, your back doesn't ache.

And at least in my personal case, I spend maybe 1 day a week working on distance. The other days, it's 100', 150', 200', 250' - hyzer / flat / anhyzer / from a knee / behind an obstruction. And then putting as much as humanly possible.

Talking about the mechanics/motions/functions that get more distance IMO does make us better discers. It's how we learn to throw clean flat discs on whatever angles we want - and put them in the spots we want to - with the power coming from the right places, not the wrong ones.

How many times have you found crossovers between your distance work and other aspects of you game as well? Working on backhand distance over the years has switched on many lightbulbs for me for putting/approaching/forehanding etc. Your putting video recently was all about throwing the other side of the disc, this transfers directly over from your understanding of leverage which came from distance work. It is so annoying seeing the same responses to driving threads over and over - work on your putting, blah di blah. Why do people not get that the two are not mutually exclusive!!

 

[art_vandelay]

So you don't know anyone who is constantly trying to hit stupid lines that are actually pretty low percentage shots for most people, but they try because they did it that one time? I just saw this, this past weekend. We're at Logan Collage, hole 18. You are throwing uphill and a lake is on the right, not really in play if you are going up the hill. But, you can either go up the hill and turn right, around the corner, or you can try to clear the lake with a big hyzer bomb through the back door. My big arm chucker friend threw 3 discs into the lake. One was just short, but the other two were knocked down by guardian trees right at the edge of the lake. The line is actually there if you can throw far enough. 2 of his 3 shots had the distance to land safely, but not the accuracy to do so. These type of people make bad golf decisions based on the fact that they can throw far. Ya, I know, I'm just jealous because I don't have the arm to try that shot.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

You guys are giving me a great idea for a heavydisc article!

Let's be honest: playing a strategic game is understanding that there's a time & place for pushing the distance into the lower accuracy levels. This means that developed power of 70% eventually becomes the 400' accurate shot.

If you are throwing ob 3 times trying to hit a maximum distance for yourself, you clearly are not playing a strategy game.

 

[UCF_Knight]

So you don't know anyone who is constantly trying to hit stupid lines that are actually pretty low percentage shots for most people, but they try because they did it that one time? I just saw this, this past weekend. We're at Logan Collage, hole 18. You are throwing uphill and a lake is on the right, not really in play if you are going up the hill. But, you can either go up the hill and turn right, around the corner, or you can try to clear the lake with a big hyzer bomb through the back door. My big arm chucker friend threw 3 discs into the lake. One was just short, but the other two were knocked down by guardian trees right at the edge of the lake. The line is actually there if you can throw far enough. 2 of his 3 shots had the distance to land safely, but not the accuracy to do so. These type of people make bad golf decisions based on the fact that they can throw far. Ya, I know, I'm just jealous because I don't have the arm to try that shot.

Was this just a casual round?

 

[art_vandelay]

Was this just a casual round?

Yes, just a casual round. We were able to get 2 of the 3 back since they landed right on the edge. I think the moral of the story is that my big armed chucker friend (and I say that gently, he is a good friend) really does not have a big arm. He thinks he does, he has the potential to...but he has not put in the time like the OP...relying instead on pure athletic ability. Once he figures out that DG is as much about strategy as throwing hella far, he will be a force to reckon with. He is young....I want to call him grasshopper.

 

[anrew18]

Question. How far do you think a 54 year old should be able to throw effortlessly? Does age even matter. Maybe I'm limiting myself with the mind set I have.

I haven't played on his card but there is a guy Mid-late fifties, that drops bombs around 400. my brother has played with him and was getting frustrated at how he would land a 350 ft drive, only to be out drove by 50 feet by someone as old as our dad.

From what I hear he throws very smooth and with little effort. :thmbup:

 

[Timeetyo]

You guys are giving me a great idea for a heavydisc article!

Let's be honest: playing a strategic game is understanding that there's a time & place for pushing the distance into the lower accuracy levels. This means that developed power of 70% eventually becomes the 400' accurate shot.

If you are throwing ob 3 times trying to hit a maximum distance for yourself, you clearly are not playing a strategy game.

This revelation was definitely huge in my last tournament. Deciding where pushing for that extra 25' was worth the risk (higher chance of getting a 2 vs. screwing up and stuck at 4). This lead to me playing the safe shot short and taking a lot of 3s where my competition was going big...failing...and taking 4s. 3/3/3 beats 4/2/4 at the end of the day.

 

[UCF_Knight]

Yes, just a casual round. We were able to get 2 of the 3 back since they landed right on the edge. I think the moral of the story is that my big armed chucker friend (and I say that gently, he is a good friend) really does not have a big arm. He thinks he does, he has the potential to...but he has not put in the time like the OP...relying instead on pure athletic ability. Once he figures out that DG is as much about strategy as throwing hella far, he will be a force to reckon with. He is young....I want to call him grasshopper.

Haha I see. I am probably just as guilty of this during casual rounds as anyone. My favorite part of disc golf is watching a disc do something entertaining. Now don't get me wrong playing well and competing are both important to me but I think my love for the game still boils down to a love of watching things fly. So, I can't personally fault him as I try stupid low percentage shots in casual rounds all the time. But on the other hand I also spend quite a bit of time practicing the boring stuff that scores well haha

 

[art_vandelay]

Haha I see. I am probably just as guilty of this during casual rounds as anyone. My favorite part of disc golf is watching a disc do something entertaining. Now don't get me wrong playing well and competing are both important to me but I think my love for the game still boils down to a love of watching things fly. So, I can't personally fault him as I try stupid low percentage shots in casual rounds all the time. But on the other hand I also spend quite a bit of time practicing the boring stuff that scores well haha

I hate to admit it, but I've pointed out stupid lines to him just to see if he'll try it. Isn't that what friends are for? Because fun. Groups of guys have been getting together for thousands of years chucking things at other things...seems built into our DNA...I'm picturing our group in cave man outfits, and I've just asked Ug if he thinks he can hit the wooly mammoth with his hand held ax rather than his long range spear. And he does it, just to see if he can.

 

[UCF_Knight]

I hate to admit it, but I've pointed out stupid lines to him just to see if he'll try it. Isn't that what friends are for? Because fun. Groups of guys have been getting together for thousands of years chucking things at other things...seems built into our DNA...I'm picturing our group in cave man outfits, and I've just asked Ug if he thinks he can hit the wooly mammoth with his hand held ax rather than his long range spear. And he does it, just to see if he can.

Sounds like my last tournament lol I planted myself firmly on the bottom card after shooting one of the worst rounds of my career in the 2nd round. By the end of the 4th round, a friend on my card told me to throw a huge 360 anny drive over the top of the trees on a looong par 3 with a pretty strong left to right wind, I said no thats crazy, then did it anyways . . . I was the only one in bounds on the card and took the only par