Prepping for MA40

[isamoor]

Background:

I've played casually for over a decade. It has mostly been an activity I do with my brothers when we get together. During the COVID-19 craziness, I decided to spend time doing fieldwork (and I happen to have a great field only a 100 yards from my house...). Mostly for mental health, but I eventually decided to try to be a little serious about it.

I'm only a few years from MP40. I'm toying with doing a few tournaments at that point, but with a focus on having fun and trying new experiences. Still, I'd like to have a shot at birdie on most holes under 400'. I'm not aiming for perfection, but I do have a desire to do things "right".

Right now I can get neutral speed 10 discs out to 350' with some consistency (i.e. 50/50). I'd like to push them out to 375' and improve consistency. My goal is not to "earn a Destroyer" or anything. I can currently do neutral mids to ~275' and neutral fairways to ~315'.

Current form issues: too numerous to list them all. Right now I'd say I'm most focused on improving balance/bracing. Also still struggling to keep a consistent swim move (likely all related).

Current videos:

A series of side shots of me throwing 175g GStar Leopards ~300':
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WinatBd5_zY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8jERerQVD8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYY0mEXnfWg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTkby4on8Js
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOJksU8NE38

A series of back shots of me throwing 175g Buzzz/Mako3s ~275' (One day later; and I was feeling better about these throws overall):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3G-n7xjURw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP2SxYS34PY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fKIWRiApbQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r4v5WhiNzk

I hadn't filmed the back angle before this, and was quite surprised with how far behind my body I put the disc. Especially because I'd been trying to exaggerate keeping it off to the side. Definitely something to work on.

Thanks for any feedback folks!

 

[isamoor]

I think I just haven't looked at pros driving from behind in slomo enough. It appears I don't necessarily have the disc behind my body too much. So weird.

I definitely have the disc drifting up and down some during the through. And I think I'm walking backwards into the x-step too much. And I don't seem to ever get full extension in my arm (and thus looks like I'm hitting the power pocket too early actually).

At least, that's what I can see.

 

[isamoor]

Hah, just realized I referenced MP40 in the title here. To be clearer, I'm prepping for "Amateur Master 40+". I'm never aiming to actually be competitive in MP40.

 

[UhhNegative]

Not too shabby form, honestly. I think the sequencing looks decent, just have to work on some balance and positioning. I don't think the disc looks like its going behind your body too much.

One thing I'd like to see from you is looking at the target and keeping your body more open to the target longer. You take your eyes off the target even before you start your x-step. Ideally, you can look at the target until approximately when you start striding your plant foot. That's when the hips and shoulders should turn back. There's no need to turn back any earlier and if anything it makes the timing more difficult and certainly the accuracy more difficult.

 

[UhhNegative]

Your weight is going too much right to left and you end up crowding your swing with your body and you can't get as wide of a release.

 

[sidewinder22]

Note how you rise going into the plant. Need to fall into plant and loosen up.

 

[isamoor]

Thank you both very much. I'll work on that advice for the next couple weeks.

Just checking on the "right to left" comment. You meant that I hunch over the disc too much?

I think I need to toss an arbitrary target out in the field just to force myself to aim at something specific during practice as well.

And I'll see if I can swivel down some stairs.

 

[isamoor]

Welp. Managed to break my leg on a slick teepad a few weeks after posting the above. Not old enough for MP40 just yet, so it healed up in a few months. Then had to wait for the snow to melt here enough to get back out. Then had to strengthen and build back up my form some. Anyway, doing some recordings again. Definitely see some stuff I could work on.

These videos are some buzzz and leopards. Throwing into a stiff headwind though, so had to throw them on a pretty steep hyzer. Getting these shots just over 250'. I'm actually getting another 15-20% distance/speed now than last fall. I can clear 300' with fairways fairly comfortably (no wind, flat ground). I can get to 350' on a good rip with a control driver (e.g. undertaker or valkyrie). I'd like to get 350' with control drivers comfortably this summer (and get closer to 300' with a stiff buzzz).

The videos:
https://youtu.be/wdCgaAGjyJo
https://youtu.be/vqjRng1RLlg
https://youtu.be/gdchdBc9Ewc
https://youtu.be/9GlEC0rH2FM


Things I see:
I'm not quite leading with the hips, but my hips don't seem like they're trailing as much any more (back foot is in a much better place when the disc is in my power pocket). Still need to work on fully planting before pulling.

I also think I've stopped leading with my elbow (i.e. closing my elbow below 90deg). I've tried hard to be more trebuchet and less whip.

I still turn away backwards too early. After these videos I've tried cutting out the extra steps I take at the beginning so I can be very mindful of when I turn. (I also line up facing front.)

I also still don't like my off arm. I feel like I need to tuck it against my body better.

I've tried to be better about ending balanced on my plant leg (slipping off a teepad and breaking your leg is a good incentive to fix that). I'm at least sometimes feeling like I'm sitting down into a chair/butt swiping.

Posting to document for myself, but any feedback is always very welcome. Thanks y'all!

 

[sidewinder22]

Let go of your shoulder/arm/disc into the backswing, leaving the disc place behind you as you stride into the plant.

 

[isamoor]

Alright, got the tripod out and got another set of videos with a few months more work:

EDIT: (Called it out in the video description, but forgot to mention it here. These videos are me throwing buzzzes a bit over 300' with a 5-10mph tailwind).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-N5t6o1gKM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChPgUBGvsiw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULm_n1CkjEw


My self-evaluation:

Good changes:
- I shortened my whole throwing process (i.e. removed 1-2 steps from the walkup). I still like to swing my arms back to loosen up, but I do that before I start my actual x-step (i.e. moved it into my pre-throw routine).
- I'm actually walking around the disc during my x-step. The disc stays in one place for much of the process. (Thanks for calling that out last time sidewinder!)
- I'm also keeping the reachback out and not prematurely curling my arm into my body ridiculously early. (Kinda the same thing I realize)

Meh things:
- I'm still only so-so at stopping myself in the brace.
- My back/torso sways a lot from vertical.
- I think I'm still using my upper body too soon. My max reach back is timed around the same as my front toes touching.
- My off arm is still flailing. I concentrate on it sometimes, and can get myself to tuck for a given field session, but just can't get this change to stick.

Things I'm still happy about:
- I do still get my weight onto my front leg. Way back in the oldest videos I have I was totally throwing horse stanced. I can still do better bracing, but I haven't gone backwards.


From the last video to this I've gained a bit of arm speed. I can now get a Z Buzzz 300' pretty regularly (not every shot, but perhaps 50% of shots). Before I had to be using a GStar Teebird/Leopard to get that distance comfortably.

Thanks y'all!

 

[sidewinder22]

Your arm motion in the first second of your vid/setup is a quick little tense wrist jabbity motion facing the target, this should be a relaxed swinging dingle arm motion more facing sideways or diagonal to target. When you do let your arm swing right before you start your x-step, it goes behind you away from the target instead of targetward.
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134167

You are leaving the disc in place too far behind you or too early. A forward pump might help delay the early backswing and help move the disc further forward.

Got to fix your left arm and bring it forward into the heel plant, it's a mega difference maker.
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=124523

 

[isamoor]

Thank you so much for your feedback sir. You are a tireless fountain.

I do a bit better on a proper address position on the course (mostly because I'm getting better at attempting to visualize each throw and learned you need to visualize from the front of the teepad). But I haven't been building that habit of a proper address position into my field work. I'll definitely work at that.

I'll give the forward pump a try. I know I have a bad habit of turning away early still.

And thanks for pointing me back to the swim move. I often try that when I'm working on that darn off arm. Need to give it some better focus.

Thanks again for all the feedback!

 

[isamoor]

Well, it's been a few years. Worked through a few injuries since then. Got a TechDisc over the holidays. Learned I was airbouncing all my drives. Spent a few weeks getting nose and launch angle fixed. Have a good spin rate (relative to speed).

Finally convinced myself it was time to get the camera out again. It's snowy here, so it's some awkward camera angles in the basement throwing into a net.

Some things have changed: I seem to be better at staying behind my brace, but I'm also just moving slower into the throw (a nasty bout of plantar fascistis on your brace foot will make you timid).

I did use a forward pump for almost a year. I don't recall what eventually got me away from using it.

Some things haven't changed: I never really fixed my off arm. The prior feedback seems like it still applies.

I do have techdisc now, so I can also share the average stats of this throwing session:
Speed: 53.99 RPM: 1063.85 Hyzer: 9.75 Nose Angle: -3.23 Launch Angle: 6.84 Wobble: 2.86

My main statistical goal is to get my speed up closer to 60MPH (while maintaining good spin and nose angle). My own evaluation is to do something better with my off arm (it's not as bad as in my earliest videos, but it is still not good).

 

[ru4por]

Good luck with your progress and journey. Your numbers would put you as a solid MA40 around here. But, we don't have a huge MP40 contingent.

 

[sidewinder22]

Your rear hip is moving back and forth too early.

The Hips

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