Newb- is sidearm worth learning yet?

[Venom93corba]

So me, my son and my nephew have been playing for close to a month... and we are obsessed! My son (14 years old), picked up side arm like a damn prodigy and is throwing a good 50-80 ft further then me (backhand). I might throw 200 on a good day but hes closer to 250. Ive watched about every side arm video I could watch but I'm just not getting it. Comes out like a wounded duck, I'm assuming I'm not getting enough spin on it. My question is should I even be working on this yet? He dominates on the longer open courses but I take over on the shorter technical courses. Thoughts?

 

[SaROCaM]

It is worth it, IMO. You may be able to get by and play pretty well with a turnover backhand, but sometimes having a sidearm just makes things easier.

I didn't start working on it until I was hitting 300' backhand, but once I started incorporating sidearm throws into my game, it really opened up a lot of shots.

Same approach as learning backhand. Start out with some short approach shots; 50-75 feet or so. Focus on being smooth and in the right plane with your throw; don't worry about distance. That will take care of the flutter (though grip plays a part also.) Gradually build distance upon that foundation.

A lot of people recommend using overstable discs for sidearm. This will yield better results, but may teach/ingrain bad habits. With good form, any disc can be thrown sidearm. Just watching Ultimate players throwing shows that you can sidearm something relatively awkward and unstable, at least compared to most disc golf discs.

 

[ILUVSMGS18]

I would definitely say that you should be working on sidearm as well as backhand. The sooner you learn both the further that you can take advantage on the more technical courses and start to gain a bit on the more open courses. Basically slow down and work on one element of the throw at a time. Beware of the young one though, I started when I was 14 and can throw 400'+ BH and 350'+ FH at the age of 18. I typically will prevail on courses that are more open but on the more technical courses I usually get beat. At one point I was throwing 350 and my dad was throwing about 250 but he was still beating me because he can putt much better than I could and still better than me now. As I have found out BH has a much greater distance potential than FH but the advantage to FH is in the variety of lines that can be hit as well as having a natural hyzer in both directions.

 

[MarkDSM]

Side arm is always worth working on. Not necessarily bomb drives, but it is Absolutely essential for having a well-rounded approach game. Even just for confidence getting out of trouble spots.

if nothing else it's good mix some SideArm throws playing catch with a buddy. One of the immediate advantages ultimate players have one they take up disc golf is a smooth forehand approach range.

 

[Venom93corba]

Thanks guys. I can definitely see it opening up more shots. Man I wish I would have started this 20 years ago. Anybody near Toledo, Ohio?

 

[Keller]

Yes it's worth it!

I avoided it in my first few years because, well, I couldn't do it! Pathetic reason to not try.

The best thing that helped me was watching this video and playing catch with a Zephyr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgUyW5aGC2U

Then I remembered I used to skip stones all the time and little by little everything fell into place.

#1 tip, avoid throwing overstable discs if you really want to get better. A Comet is just as good a forehand teacher as it is for backhand

 

[mark996]

I put it off for the longest unless it was my only option get out of trouble shot, then it was a one finger forehand shot. I'm now forcing myself with a proper grip to throw FH, and like Keller said if you start and really work with less overstable discs it'll help get the form in check. I tend to turn over (with my hand) more overstable discs because I feel I have to crank on them harder, so a more touchy disc makes me smooth and really focus on what I'm doing.

 

[esc1]

Might as well learn from one of the best: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f20__DyaElY

If you don't have field practice you can at least practice throwing forehand after you hole out.. I like to throw from the basket to the next teepad if no one is around. I might as well throw a disc and learn something from it if I'm walking that way. I've come to learn to flick putters doing this and can now approach the basket cleanly. I get some funny double take looks.. "was that a putter flick you just parked"?? ..yep I've been working on my forehand game.

 

[deyo7]

It is worth it, IMO. You may be able to get by and play pretty well with a turnover backhand, but sometimes having a sidearm just makes things easier.

I didn't start working on it until I was hitting 300' backhand, but once I started incorporating sidearm throws into my game, it really opened up a lot of shots.

Same approach as learning backhand. Start out with some short approach shots; 50-75 feet or so. Focus on being smooth and in the right plane with your throw; don't worry about distance. That will take care of the flutter (though grip plays a part also.) Gradually build distance upon that foundation.

A lot of people recommend using overstable discs for sidearm. This will yield better results, but may teach/ingrain bad habits. With good form, any disc can be thrown sidearm. Just watching Ultimate players throwing shows that you can sidearm something relatively awkward and unstable, at least compared to most disc golf discs.

Re wounded duck side arm:

My dad threw that same wounded duck and I just taught him how to throw sidearm recently. He learned pretty darn quickly by simply playing catch with a regular Frisbee. We stood maybe 20ft apart (not sure but not far) and would throw what ultimate players call an inside out pattern. So front your point of view throwing to your son throw on hyzer angle out to left and fade in to right to him (if you are right handed). He will do same throwing back to you. Will help you develop clean snap and just a better understanding how to flick an understable disc IMO. I bet about anything that you'll be amazed at what 15-20 minutes of catch like this will do for you.

This is how I first learned to flick a Frisbee too.

You can also practice by throwing a regular putter at a basket from a short range with that same inside out pattern / throw to left and hyzer in to the basket.

Watch this before throwing Frisbee with your son:

 

[deyo7]

Ha, I see Keller already posted this video. Great minds think alike.

 

[Venom93corba]

Deyo7, that's a great simplified video. I'm definitely trying that today thanks.

 

[slowplastic]

Yeah that Brodie Smith video is what helped me too. I played catch with an Ultrastar after watching that video, and tried doing 50-80' putter upshots before rounds with the same feel. Over time when you feel like you have a clean snap every time, then you can start to add in the "disc golf technique" with more hips and reachback.

Unlike backhand, it's very easy to add power to a forehand once you have that snap. Focus on the short upshots like that, it will help your game the most initially, and once you're confident you can push the disc to 250'+ pretty quickly.

 

[Shamis]

My forehand sucks, but the best players I know can do both forehand and backhand well. At the very least I think it's important to work on forehand upshots for when trees/bushes make your backhand release impossible.

 

[armiller]

I echo the others. It's absolutely worth learning forehand! But you obviously haven't maxed out your backhand either, so keep working on it.

An easy way to practice, since your son is your partner in crime, would be to play catch. Anywhere from 50' to 200', work on throwing a putter (or ultimate disc, if you have one) back and forth. If you can do that forehand, backhand, and even overhand, it helps tremendously.

 

[waltny]

Yes it's worth it!

I avoided it in my first few years because, well, I couldn't do it! Pathetic reason to not try.

The best thing that helped me was watching this video and playing catch with a Zephyr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgUyW5aGC2U

Then I remembered I used to skip stones all the time and little by little everything fell into place.

#1 tip, avoid throwing overstable discs if you really want to get better. A Comet is just as good a forehand teacher as it is for backhand

This is a great video for teaching the forehand. My 9 year old son showed it too me and quotes it often when we are out in the yard. I still can not flick a frisbee, but it helped me develop a nice smooth one with discs from a mercy to destroyer for that matter...
My son who has no bad habits or muscle memory can float a frisbee or disc like a pro.

 

[SethL]

I am a beginner who plays Ultimate. I hardly used a forehand in ultimate but was decent at it. In DG I only use FH as a get out of trouble shot, or on drives that need to go right. It is very valuable though.

 

[Alexplz]

I recommend two things - one, throw an overstable utility disc in your bag so you're at least able to execute a simple flick approach/flex shot when you need it, cause why not? Keep in mind that this is bad for your form...

To work on your form, do what others have suggested and start flicking a slow, stable/understable disc as smooth as you can. Throw only as hard as you can without the flutter, I'm talking 30 ft if that's what it takes, just throw it smooth with no flutter and let it glide.

Do this and your effective "smooth, no flutter" range will extend by 5 ft here and there. If you start to notice sloppiness in your practice, with the flutter rearing its ugly head, just slow down and throw shorter. Once you iron the flutter out, start flicking farther again.

Eventually you will develop a decent forehand for when you need it and you can start looking at really increasing distance. For reference, I did exactly this, playing fetch with my dog with (literally) a 138g DX cobra. My FH is not powerful today, but it is buttery smooth. :thmbup: