I suck in the woods - HELP!

[Chizult]

I've been playing for a year; my home course is wide open and my game has evolved accordingly. On that course I shoot at the better end of the advanced range. On closed courses, I shoot on the poor end of the intermediate players.

I know it has all to do with driving and upshot accuracy. My problem is powering down properly. I end up doing the same run-up that I would on my open course, slowing my arm speed and leaving my wrist completely collapsed (unsnapped) on the release. This makes all my discs extremely overstable to the point they can't hold a line even if I happen to hit it (which rarely happens). My upshot, which is accurate, is similar to this...it's almost as if I'm trying to do a longer version of my upshot off the tee. Also, I do a full body turn and take my eye off the target. So...should I open up my chest more to the target so I can see it before my release? Should I be snapping my wrist even in the woods?

I know my technique is completely wrong. Any pointers or pointing our threads or articles would be appreciated.

 

[dmbrun2]

Try and disc down, use more mid ranges and putters, helped me a lot

 

[dmbrun2]

Do you tend to throw a lot of flex shots in the open course

 

[bradharris]

Playing in the woods and playing in the open are two totally different skills.

On open courses, what matters is the destination, not the journey. It doesn't matter how you get it there, as long as it lands where you want it to. In the woods, it's the complete opposite. The line is what matters more than the final destination.

You're accustomed to just ripping it and not caring about minute details of the release that may affect where the disc goes. Once you get into the woods, those minute details are hugely important.

The best way to learn to throw in the woods is really to start over from the beginning. Don't worry about how far you're throwing. It sounds like you're still trying to crush big drives, stop that. Disc down, take out your run-up and just try to hit lines. You'll find that staying in the fairway 100' short of your target is far better than crushing it into a tree and kicking into no-man's land. As your line-shaping skills develop, you can start focusing on hitting those lines for better distance, but take it one step at a time.

 

[garublador]

The Dan Beto video from the sticky indirectly shows a great way to power down. The whole thing is showing you how to build your throw from the hit back, but it also teaches you how to take a lot off your throw. Instead of doing your whole run up and throwing slower, which you found doesn't work that well, you instead get rid of the run up and possibly some of your reach back, but then perform the last bit of your throw the same. It lets you keep your timing the same but also takes some off your throw.

 

[bcr123psu]

Behold...my first post on DGCR:

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9182

 

[Dthunderchicken]

Try and disc down, use more mid ranges and putters, helped me a lot

This. ^

My most productive woods discs have all been control discs. Right now I like the ESP Impact and Sirius Aurora MS. They're both slow and the come in premium plastic for when you do hit the trees.

 

[Discwrangler]

Follow through on your line instead of trying to aim. When you aim you slow down to the hit when you ALWAYS want to accelerate through the hit.

Hyzer release angles are easier to throw in tight areas too...so less stable discs on hyzer release helps.

 

[keltik]

Get a Fuse (or a Comet) and a Polecat. and don't throw as hard.

 

[wkelly42]

The best way to learn to throw in the woods is really to start over from the beginning. Don't worry about how far you're throwing. It sounds like you're still trying to crush big drives, stop that. Disc down, take out your run-up and just try to hit lines. You'll find that staying in the fairway 100' short of your target is far better than crushing it into a tree and kicking into no-man's land. As your line-shaping skills develop, you can start focusing on hitting those lines for better distance, but take it one step at a time.

This. I had a really hard time in the woods, but once I took my run up out, I played a lot better. I still don't have as much of a run up as I used to, but I tend to do better in the woods. I actually have the opposite problem -- I don't have the distance to score well on open courses, because I've focused so much on playing well in the woods.

 

[kevinmzane]

As a player who learned and spent the first 3 years in Kansas, I can relate. I moved to GA and the wheels fell off. Having a secondary putting stance helped most of all. Getting down a heavily wooded fairway is mostly mental, but also requires the right physical approach. I still use a short run up because it is helpful for my timing but I also tend to stay away from very stable discs and try not to get greedy. Picking landing zones and visualizing the line helped me develop a more consistent game in the woods. Over time, your comfort zone will grow and you can stretch out those landing zones to start stringing together birdies. Learn to spot, and take the higher percentage shots rather than try to punch through gaps that you are unlikely to hit.... Even the best players hit trees, or get bad tree kicks often. Suck it up, make a recovery shot that won't put you in more trouble, then forget about it on the next hole. Until you are comfortable in the woods, you can't just force yourself to make strokes up: you just have to take what the course is willing to give up.

I am almost more comfortable in the woods now. It's the wide open that gets in my head from time to time.

... Oh, and a nice flippy, comfortable midrange might help but you'll need to learn it and have absolute faith in your disc.

 

[_MTL_]

play the first 1/3 of the hole - that is where people get in trouble in the woods - messing up the first part of the hole.

Here is something I wrote about shot selection a few years ago and it touches on the idea of the first 1/3 of the hole.

http://mtlscienfiticdiscgolf.blogspot.com/2008/08/execution-before-shot.html

 

[kerplunk]

Learn a forehand! Not only will it help with those darn lefty holes, but throwing FH allows you to look at the target during your throw instead of turning away. Also, there is nothing like FH to escape nasty lies. And, I think FH shots are a bit easier to "carve" through the woods, maybe because of the decreased rate of spin.

As far as your BH goes, the original post almost makes me think you are trolling. What you are doing is almost the opposite of what you should, at least according to the DGCR consensus. You should be keeping your arm speed, but getting rid of the run-up and some reachback.

 

[swed]

Ok this is basic but, aim for an area you want your disc to land. Find a tree and try to hit the tree. Chances are you'll miss the tree but your disc will go where it needs to. As you improve (years later) don't aim at trees anymore cause you'll probably you target at this point.

 

[Chizult]

Learn a forehand! Not only will it help with those darn lefty holes, but throwing FH allows you to look at the target during your throw instead of turning away. Also, there is nothing like FH to escape nasty lies. And, I think FH shots are a bit easier to "carve" through the woods, maybe because of the decreased rate of spin.

As far as your BH goes, the original post almost makes me think you are trolling. What you are doing is almost the opposite of what you should, at least according to the DGCR consensus. You should be keeping your arm speed, but getting rid of the run-up and some reachback.

Haha! It was a revelation I had when I was sucking it up in the woods a week ago. I realized I'm doing everything wrong! And yes, the FH has become a mainstay in the woods just 'cause my backhand sucks so bad.

 

[Chizult]

Follow through on your line instead of trying to aim. When you aim you slow down to the hit when you ALWAYS want to accelerate through the hit.

Hyzer release angles are easier to throw in tight areas too...so less stable discs on hyzer release helps.

Good advice...that is exactly my problem.

So should your hit always be the same, both in the woods and in the open? Should you always have the same amount of snap despite your surrounds, the only difference being what leads up to it?

ETA: Oh, and I've been shopping around for some woods discs. My mids are MVPs and my go to fairway driver is a star Leopard...none of which like being powered down particularly well.

 

[ForTheGlory]

I select my shot but I've never really focused on the first 1/3 before. Something to practice tomorrow!!

Thanks for the link. _MTL_

 

[Chizult]

Do you tend to throw a lot of flex shots in the open course

Actually most of my shots are slight hyzers. I think it developed into that because I don't have to worry on the rip point too much: a little early or a little late, it all lands on the same line.

Someone nailed it earlier...I'm really good at hitting my target, it's the path the disc takes to get there that's questionable.

 

[Matt O]

My mental approach to tightly wooded fairways: don't aim for the opening, aim for something beyond the opening.

 

[Alcuin]

Good advice...that is exactly my problem.

So should your hit always be the same, both in the woods and in the open? Should you always have the same amount of snap despite your surrounds, the only difference being what leads up to it?

ETA: Oh, and I've been shopping around for some woods discs. My mids are MVPs and my go to fairway driver is a star Leopard...none of which like being powered down particularly well.

If you're having trouble powering down, just use a putter. They respond to powering down better, and on some of the longer holes you won't have to power down as much.

I'm not a big fan of powering down, so I throw my putters a lot. I use an Anode and sometimes an old Ion. When I'm on a deeply wooded hole, I'm almost always either throwing my Comet or Anode. I vastly prefer playing in the woods because I don't have a huge arm (it's tough for me to birdie 400' holes on flat ground), but I've got the accuracy.

I also often don't use a run up on holes 225' and under with my putter. When I do use a run up for my drives though, it is very short (I use about half the teepad), but that's because I learned to throw backhand from a standstill first. I definitely recommend working without a runup, and shortening your reachback to focus on accuracy in the woods.