"Most important" pieces of effective form.

[JoshEpoo]

1. Work on a really basic understanding of the planes of a throw. It's easy to understand, even if it takes a long time to master.
2. Before you ever throw a disc, you have to grip it in your hand. Having a cursory understanding of throwing planes can help you develop a comfortable, effective grip.
3. Throw relaxed standstills with a focus on snap/smash factor. Most people give up on this step very quickly.
4. Take video, examine, ask for help, compare to top pros, and go from there. Seeing yourself throw is important.

That's really it. There are a million tips you could give on step 3/4, but you just have to stumble on those as they come up.

 

[Guurn]

1) Grip: most try to throw the disc like a Frisbee (with index finger outside of rim). Get all fingers your fingers under the rim so you can hold onto the disc.
2) Hold onto the disc! Too many beginners try to release the disc or let go at the right time. Hold it tight, but not so much your fingers turn white. Let the disc rip out of your hand.
3) Trajectory. We need to be lined up with our target/flight path. Keep your eyes on the spot as long as you can. If you're grip-locking, try to put your back to the target more.
4) Weight transfer (back to front). Check out the Ken Climo/Feldberg films.
5) Realize where your hit/snap point is. Check out the Dan Beto films.

I would agree with this mostly I would say

1) Get the right grip
2) Work on snap
3) Start weight transfer
4) Accelerate towards the hit
5) Start working on putting things together with "the hit" being found during this process. I should make a video of Dan and I playing a round. It is really clear how consistent he is on the hit compared to me. I get it on every 5th drive or so (more if I am driving with putters) he does it on every drive.

 

[CwAlbino]

1) Proper Grip
Getting nose down and weight transfer to the disc is key to this one that that is often overlooked. Do not stop and say "well my hands are too small I can't throw with this grip", make it comfortable and find your own way to get the strongest grip.
2) Towel Drill
Do from a standstill. This will help work on both shoulder planes, and on keeping the arm close to the right pec. It also can be done during the winter. Don't just do the drill straight, "throw" hyzers and anhyzers to work on where the towel begins and ends in the follow through. On a hyzer it must finish above your head, on an anhyzer- by your feet.
3) Smooth is far
One of the key components and biggest sayings in sports is not one that comes naturally. Accelerate accelerate accelerate. (also work on in towel drill)
4) Balance
Some people are just too big and clunky to find the X-Step comfortable the first few times. Work on getting the body turned while continuing to move forward and then back around. It's almost like when in P.E. you would do the grape vine. I still see better players do this little drill before warm up, it gets the legs loose and the muscle memory held intact. They also often have a towel in hand, make sure it's lined up for a reachback. Do the grape vine for a short distance then on the last one load up the x-step and "throw" the towel.
5) Weight Transfer
My "hammer pound" drill is different than the one often linked too, I've done it before they even came out with it by habit before throws. I grab the disc with only my thumb/index/middle in a 2-finger grip. Like the hammer pound drill, going from my shoulder down, let it pivot around the index finger but kept from going out of your hand by your middle finger. This both helps learn the hammer pound, and also helps the pivot point become more natural. This drill can be done side to side also (I recommend aiming at a couch) while rocking back and forth in an athletic stance. When going forward you can load the hips (more weight transfer) as well as pull the disc slowly across the chest for the pound. Remember to aim at something soft, it can get hard to keep ahold of the disc even at low speeds.

 

[garublador]

1. Grip
2. Hammer pound
3. Build your throw from the hit back
4. Be mindful of weight transfer
5. Throw all discs on all lines

1-3 will get you most of the way there without having to worry about a dozen different things at the same time. 4 is just something that many people struggle with. 5 will help with control and OAT.

 

[captain jack]

1. Grip
2. Hammer pound
3. Build your throw from the hit back
4. Be mindful of weight transfer
5. Throw all discs on all lines

1-3 will get you most of the way there without having to worry about a dozen different things at the same time. 4 is just something that many people struggle with. 5 will help with control and OAT.

Sort of.
Throwing understable for everything will teach you good form and control, but trying to make a fresh Firebird, or XXX, hold a long anny line is only an excersize in futility, and will teach you nothing, except how to make your arm really sore.

It should read " Throw understable discs on all lines " then it would make more sense.

 

[garublador]

Sort of.
Throwing understable for everything will teach you good form and control, but trying to make a fresh Firebird, or XXX, hold a long anny line is only an excersize in futility, and will teach you nothing, except how to make your arm really sore.

It should read " Throw understable discs on all lines " then it would make more sense.

I disagree. It's obvious you won't be able to get a very overstable disc to hold the same line as an understable disc, but seeing what you can do by trying will teach you a lot.

Here's a more in-depth description of what I'm talking about:

https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/forums/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=595

 

[SomeChump]

1) Putting and approaching better is the best way to take strokes off your game. Time spent practicing these is the most valuable time, score-wise, that you can spend.

2) Learn the x-step. Adds 50% more distance to most beginners.

3) Throw the right plastic. It takes some experimentation, but time spent with stable mids like buzzes and rocs and with teebirds is usually a good investment. Also, when trying to get distance use UNDERSTABLE drivers. Roadrunners, leopards, valkyries etc. So many beginners have bags full of T-rexes and X-Cals. Realize that you want to throw the slowest, straightest disc you can reach the basket with. Many times that's a putter or a mid. When you only have to throw your katana once or twice a round you know you've figured it out.

4) Grip. Grip. Grip. There is nothing you can do to make up for the wrong grip.

5) Lawnmower. Straight back, straight forward, brush the nipples. Oh, and you don't have to throw the disc up. It goes up on its own. You only have to throw it straight. And never stop working on your flick.

That should cover this winter.

 

[Bro Montana]

1. Correct grip
2. Elbow up / Elbow chop (Hit Nips, Backslap Midget)
3. Straight back
4. Balance Forward
5. Slow to fast arm speed (Late acceleration)

I'm 7 months new and this is the order I learned my throw in. I am a stand-still thrower though, but a lot of people say they are impressed by the ammount of snap and distance I get out of a stand still throw, especially 7 months in. So I dont really think x-step is necessary.

 

[Amadeus]

1. Don't drop the Shoulder when you throw.
2. Keep the disc level (for a beginner).
3. Keep 4 fingers underneath the rim (powergrip).
4. Be Smooth, not Jerky.
5. Reach back...all the way back.

 

[lxdawg25]

2. Elbow up / Elbow chop (Hit Nips, Backslap Midget)

:hfive: I don't think I'll ever get this step wrong ever again!!!!

 

[Tpro]

letting go

 

[Technohic]

letting go

Not sure if serious. :|

 

[Tpro]

Not sure if serious. :|

Nope opcorn: Man, I can't have any fun! In all seriousness if the disc doesnt leave your hand you could really hurt yourself!

 

[Dsplayname]

letting go

Highly simplified, but I think he's right. Release of the disc is a huge part of effective form. And likewise, griplock is one of the biggest killers of the game.

 

[sidewinding]

1. GRIP - Use a tight power grip (imparts spin to disc) with all fingers under the rim (more tendons = more power) and don't let go of the disc when you want it to come out. It will rip out as long as you do step 3.

2. NOSE ANGLE / WRIST ORIENTATION - Lock wrist so disc has the correct oreintation to your forearm. Put your hand out like you're shaking hands, then cock your wrist down so the life line running through your palm lines up with your forearm. Put the disc on this lifeline when you grip and you will automatically and consistently throw with slight nose down which adds distance. Not doing this is why most newer players throw big stall hyzers for the first few weeks.

3. CONTINUOUSLY ACCELERATE - Don't just accelerate your arm and then stop at the point you want the disc to come out. You want to really focus on trying to keep accelerating into the follow through past the point where the disc rips out of your hand. This adds spin. It also adds consistency and accuracy to your throw because as long as you're still accelerating at the point the disc rips out, it will come out at the same place, in relation to your body and where you are aiming, every time.

4. WEIGHT TRANSFER - Learn the importance of shifting your weight from the back leg to the front leg and realize that the various X-steps, and run ups are nothing more than a way to maximize this weight transfer. The more of this weight transfer you can harness into your throw the more distance potential you have but be careful. The more exagerated your footwork is the harder it will be to get your timing right and the harder it will be to focus on step 3.

5. THROW The best thing you can do is just get out and throw. Find a big open field and just throw, throw, throw using steps 1-4. Nobody learns over night. In this sport you have to pay your dues by throwing discs.

 

[Tpro]

Highly simplified, but I think he's right. Release of the disc is a huge part of effective form. And likewise, griplock is one of the biggest killers of the game.

SEEEE