Form Check!

[TeeBirdtill600]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dzCTH59RaU

From what I can gather is that my arm and plant foot are not in sync and I also pull too high. Anything else people can find and what I can do to improve it?

 

[sidewinder22]

You plant open horsestance and flat footed and end up over the top your brace point. Need to plant more backwards on your toes then heel and stay inside your brace point. That should help change your swing plane and balance.

 

[clard]

From what I can gather is that my arm and plant foot are not in sync...

Correct. SW22 always says "shift your weight from behind" which is exactly what you need to do. To clarify, this means your weight needs to have shifted on to your front foot while your back is still turned away from the target and once your weight has shifted on to the front foot your throw should start. The weight shift on to the front foot actually forces your body (which should be turned away at this point) to uncoil.

and I also pull too high.

You don't pull too high by much, but the main issue is that you pull from high to low and put the disc slightly nose up to compensate for that. Whatever plane you pull through on just make sure to keep the disc on plane the whole way through.

You are flat footed. Your back foot needs to be up on the toes so that you can push off from those toes and engage the back leg to get the hips rotating through. As it is your back foot and leg are actually lagging behind and keeping your hips from powering through. You could also plant more on your toes rather than on your whole foot evenly, and your weight should be more on the instep of your plant foot.

I'd strongly consider shortening your final stride as well. This is a hard one for me personally, but I find that my hips get way more engaged if I plant more narrowly.

 

[TeeBirdtill600]

Wow guys, I didn't expect such amazing responses. You're like the driving wizards. It's a lot of information to process but I'll start working on all of it!

When I'm doing field work how should I approach making these changes? One step at a time, or try and work on certain drills to get my mind in the right frame?

 

[PWaggoner]

Pull line is high I'd say as well. One of your steps you landed on your heel first, I'd think stepping on the ball would increase balance. With the angle of the camera it was hard to see the reach back but looked like you go pretty much straight back. Shoulder needs to hinge so it should be lower. Most pros seem wider in the reach back as well. Doesn't look like you drive the elbow from the right pec.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

I think it appears that you're pulling high because your spine is very upright.

Overall, your form is pretty solid. You can certainly shore up the issues discussed above - but good work so far. I wish my form was that balanced when I had started my form work!

One thing at a time during fieldwork - and I'd definitely do it without an x-step.

Good luck and keep us updated

 

[TeeBirdtill600]

I think it appears that you're pulling high because your spine is very upright.

Overall, your form is pretty solid. You can certainly shore up the issues discussed above - but good work so far. I wish my form was that balanced when I had started my form work!

One thing at a time during fieldwork - and I'd definitely do it without an x-step.

Good luck and keep us updated

That means a lot, thanks! I read your blog all the time so you deserve some of the credit! I'm only at ~300 with my Teebirds at the moment and I've disced down in the field in hopes to just get my form a bit cleaner and get my body more used to the motion.

 

[TeeBirdtill600]

So I just got back from doing some field practice to try and execute some of the suggestions and I'm impressed! I was throwing my TeeBird's from 300-340ft and my Champion Valkyrie and G*Tern to 340-360ft. I was focusing on staying really loose into the hit and then gripping and ripping once I hit my right pec. I was also trying to focus on going from toe to hell with my plant foot as Sidewinder22 stated. Hopefully I can take another video sometime soon and keep refining my throws in my effort to get to 400!

 

[clard]

Wow guys, I didn't expect such amazing responses. You're like the driving wizards. It's a lot of information to process but I'll start working on all of it!

When I'm doing field work how should I approach making these changes? One step at a time, or try and work on certain drills to get my mind in the right frame?

Give it a read. All 3 parts of the series are up and I wrote them to address exactly these questions.

 

[wildwing]

Give it a read. All 3 parts of the series are up and I wrote them to address exactly these questions.

Chris, that's a great read. I've tried to do this myself by working on one problem at a time from the ground up (footwork, hips, shoulder then arm). My problem is being impatient so once I start to feel good about my footwork, I start tackling the next one within the same session. I definitely need to work on this until I get to stage 4.

Question: Do you still work on an issue while playing a round? I read Bob Rotella's book where he says that practice is for field work and you have to trust your swing/shots during play. I think it would help muscle memory faster while working on it both times.

I suppose if you're only working on one issue at a time then it wouldn't be so bad during a round.

 

[wildwing]

Edit

 

[clard]

Question: Do you still work on an issue while playing a round? I read Bob Rotella's book where he says that practice is for field work and you have to trust your swing/shots during play. I think it would help muscle memory faster while working on it both times.

I suppose if you're only working on one issue at a time then it wouldn't be so bad during a round.

That's something I try to address in part 3, but yes I do still work on my form during casual play. If you are in the midst of a form change and then you go play a round as usual you are going to undo progress because your body will quickly default back to your normal throw. As long as you stick to one simple "swing thought" you should do okay.

Dr. Rotella is definitely talking about competitive rounds where scoring is the most important thing. Ideally if you are playing competitively your form is at a solid point where you can just trust it.

 

[clard]

That means a lot, thanks! I read your blog all the time so you deserve some of the credit! I'm only at ~300 with my Teebirds at the moment and I've disced down in the field in hopes to just get my form a bit cleaner and get my body more used to the motion.

Based on your distance you are still trying to find the hit. One thing that HUB talks about that didn't get through to me for a long time is that feeling the hit is much easier with putters and mids. Use them during your fieldwork unless you are working on a specific shot with a specific disc.

Good work so far!

 

[TeeBirdtill600]

I went to the field today to work on some putter throws and really trying to find the hit and work on accelerating through it and staying loose up to it. I managed to get my Gateway Magic to 280ft and my standstill drives coming in at around 250ft. I'm not sure if I should be happy with this distance but I guess I will just have to keep working on one thing at a time.

 

[clard]

A 280' putter throw is great! Keep practicing, and when you feel like you've made a change post some video for us to check out.

I guess I will just have to keep working on one thing at a time.

:thmbup:

 

[TeeBirdtill600]

At what point do you think it's safe for me to move on from working on the hit? Should I keep doing the same drill for a week and then move on? Or is there a distance I should be throwing for before I move on?

Once I do move on what is the next step? There is so much information to process!

 

[clard]

At what point do you think it's safe for me to move on from working on the hit? Should I keep doing the same drill for a week and then move on? Or is there a distance I should be throwing for before I move on?

Once I do move on what is the next step? There is so much information to process!

It's time to move on once you have made some sort of improvement in either efficiency or distance and it has become part of the way you now throw a disc. So, for example, if you make a change and now are throwing 20' further on average or you are throwing the same distance with 75% of the effort you previously put in to your throw then it's generally safe to say you have made a positive change. You shouldn't move on until you have made the change a permanent part of your throw. That could be a few days or a few weeks. You just have to get to a place where you can unconsciously repeat your "new" form.

And if you want to know if you have implemented a change correctly and it's something you should continue to build off of then post some video. This is all trial and error and the more changes you make the more easily you will be able to tell if you have made the change permanent and if it is a positive change.

 

[TeeBirdtill600]

It's time to move on once you have made some sort of improvement in either efficiency or distance and it has become part of the way you now throw a disc. So, for example, if you make a change and now are throwing 20' further on average or you are throwing the same distance with 75% of the effort you previously put in to your throw then it's generally safe to say you have made a positive change. You shouldn't move on until you have made the change a permanent part of your throw. That could be a few days or a few weeks. You just have to get to a place where you can unconsciously repeat your "new" form.

And if you want to know if you have implemented a change correctly and it's something you should continue to build off of then post some video. This is all trial and error and the more changes you make the more easily you will be able to tell if you have made the change permanent and if it is a positive change.

You have been an amazing help man! I'll keep working on the hit until it's ingrained and I'll probably post a new form video in a week or so. I'm going to keep updating my progress and keep getting help from this amazing community. I should of made this post a year earlier.