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Your hips have to get to 90 degrees either way (you have to face the basket)...so as long as starting sideways doesn't close you too much/jam you up to get the proper rotation it likely doesn't matter. I'm sure there's differences, but Stokely walks forward to the aim point and can blast FH's. The main thing is if you start sideways you still have to end up facing forward before releasing.
If you can get the snap right with putters/mids/mellow fairway drivers out to 200'+ that's a good way to start I think. Boosting a smooth 200' forehand to 300' isn't that tough to do if you have the snap and clean release.
Think Scott's baseball analogy was best. You don't see baseball infielders or pitchers throwing from the side.. not unless an infielder has to. If you can throw from a simple walk up like Scott facing the basket, then why not.. practice throwing into a soccer net until it feels good and comes out smooth.
I throw in both FH starting positions depending on the line. I'm definitely more accurate when I start sideways which makes complete sense, because my left shoulder is already aligned with the target. I can throw further starting facing the basket due to more hip rotation.
I think you're confusing arm angle and body position. Sidearm and submarine pitchers still throw with their leading shoulder out in front with the trailing shoulder behind, not to the side.
OP- you should throw with your leading shoulder facing the target, with trailing directly behind instead of to the side. Only exception should be if you have an obstacle that forces you to have your back leg/ shoulder out to the side.
I'm a little confused, I was thinking more as the OP was asking about setup or pre-throw alignment. Some people stand with their feet sideways to the target, and others face it and walk forwards. Baseball pitchers start either way (the 3-step windup, or the stretch), but in either situation they end up in the exact same position...back foot 90 degrees to the plate and against the rubber, and their hips open towards home plate.
I'm not a FH dominant player...kevdiv48 are you meaning how far your shoulders rotate before you release the disc? Is this more related to torso lean or starting alignment? I would think the finish would be the same no matter if you start facing the target or sideways to it?
Ideally, you throw by pointing your lead foot at your target. Baseball, football, whatever.
I'm not a FH dominant disc golfer yet so I'm not sure how well that would correlate, especially not throwing over the top or 3/4. My assumption is you'd still follow the same principle.
Let's say your throwing RHFH. You want to need up facing your target with your lead foot on release. You may start your run up with your left shoulder facing the target but as you run up you should be eventually opening up your body to face the target. That little bit of turn of your core is where you are able to get all your power.
I throw either way depending on the shot but that's because for me each run up affects my body posture and mechanics differently. The Stokley run up gives me a lot of freedom of movement and forward momentum that I want for strong anny, flat to turn over or high right off the tee spike hyzers but I feel turning 90° to the target and x-stepping or hopping is the easiest way to get your body back into the ideal standstill position with that added momentum behind it. I have much more control or ease of mind when I turned from the target and I especially like it when throwing understable discs on hyzer flips.
I actually sat in on a lesson from Scott Stokeley and heard/saw his FH in person. I tried it and it did not feel natural at all. I went back to the way Wysocki throws them pretty quickly and have gotten better with what feels like a more natural way to throw a FH to me. Probably depends on the thrower as much as anything.
I don't know which is technically more correct but I know that after watching Stokleys video lesson and trying and practicing that method I have become more confident and better at forehand. To me it Stokley explained it well, it's easy to replicate time after time. Like many things in DG it's what you feel comfortable with.
I have never attempted forehand facing the basket before, but when I watched Stokeley's video it seemed like that motion could be more natural for me. Wysocki is so good I have a hard time thinking that whatever he's doing isn't the best way to do it, but at the same time, I think some of the top pros get by on their natural talent, and Ricky doesn't seem like a very good teacher. Schlubs like me have to develop motor control after a lot of study and repetition.
Unfortunately, I'm in Texas and we've had serious rain for the last week, so I haven't been able to even get out and try this, but I think I'll be able to get some fieldwork in today.
If you ever talk to a pitching coach they will tell you that on delivery, the toe must point towards the target. It doesn't matter where you start, as long as you finish with your toe pointing at your target. I suspect Ricky turns his body into the throw to get power out of the hip rotation. That is, if you're 90 degrees oof and turn your hips into the throw as you plant, you're staring low and building high, like the backhand.
There is a notable exception, at least one; Steve Rico's forehand leaves him off center. It's weird but he never rotates fully around to face the target. Now some industrious poster is going to find video of him doing just that.
Well, I tried Stokeley's method of facing the basket today, and this is definitely how I'm going to be throwing forehand from now on. Even with very little practice, I'm already throwing forehands smoother and with less wobble than I ever have. Got me out of a couple of tight spots in my round today.
stokely sidearm drive has the three step method which starts with you squaring up towards the basket/shot line then doing the reach back/side turn/wrist cock/whip-snap
you can see there's no x-step/cro-hop to generate momentum into the brace, but rather he uses the three steps/coil/then foot plant/stomp/whip to get his massive FH distance. its similar to a pitcher in baseball.
with wysoki he uses a almost 45º stance and incoporates a cro-hop/x-step into his sidearm drives to generate momentum into the same position of the reach back/wrist cock/foot plant/whip-snap. its similar to an outfielder in baseball incorporating a cro-hop/x-step to get more momentum into leverage for a throw to home plate.
in my opinion the take away lesson is the final position of all the pros is similar, front foot planted/braced pointing toward shot line, momentum generated by either taking some steps or cro-hop/x-step into the plant, side coil and wrist snap/whip + forward momentum and foot plant/brace that generates the power.
you can see in the super slow-mo that Jerm, McBeth, and Ricky generate so much whip that even when in super duper slow mo - the whip looks so fast - when timed right that looks to actually decrease any pressure on the elbow and utilize the wrist/forearm/fingers muscle/tendon flex/elasticity to create leverage in their huge sidearms:
I actually sit my lead foot at closer to a 33° when going for striaght/small anny/late fade. Years of baseball side arm flips it feels more natural to me. If at shortstop you try to quickly flip to second you can't have your lead foot point right at second or your throw has nothing on it. Likewise if you open all the way you lose accuracy.
Honestly, I don't think it really matters. Or at least matters very little. Wrist snap, grip strength, and arm speed are where it's at.
