Releasing Straight

[Vega]

So I'm gonna start by saying that because I cannot provide a video, I'm going to make this a very, very descriptive post about how I throw to provide all details necessary.. Sorry if this gets a bit lengthy.

I started playing about 6 months ago coming off of an ultimate frisbee kick after I watched some YouTube videos of a pro tournament. Up until now every single thing I've learned about the game has come from (90%) YouTube tutorials and (10%) actually playing and learning my own style. However, I have not had the chance to play with anyone better than me who could offer tips or critique in person. I'm a little better than the guys I started playing with, and they haven't really been able to help me out.

I can throw far, 400 ft. on a good throw, 450 on a great one, and I've done 475 a couple times. I accredit this to the great snap I produced from trying to throw an Ultimate disc farther and farther. I've been trying to improve my game as fast as possible to prepare for the upcoming year's tournament season at my (somewhat) local courses, and the method I'd chose is simple: I pick what is currently the worst part of my game and pound on it until I get it down, then move on to the next worst.

Now, the worst part of my game has been the same thing for quite a while... it is a problem that I have not been able to greatly improve despite how much effort I've been putting into it: RELEASING STRAIGHT!

I'm talking about tunnel shots, gaps, just about anything with a tree on the right and a tree on the left and only one way to the hole: between the two. I know enough by now to understand that a lot about throwing straight is disc selection, but that's not the issue. It's the release and the first 50' to 150' of the discs flight.

The most current results are approximately 35-40% of my throws are straight and on the line I want them on. Another 35-40% are wide right by 5-20 degrees, and that's what's really killing my game. 15-20% of my throws are absolute hacks that are 45-75 degrees right, wayyy off (and it does seem to happen 1 out of 10 throws). And finally about 5% get slippy and fall off just slightly left (I am not concerned with this, because it is rare and often fixable). Whenever I do hit those awesome straight shots, I can FEEL that I've done something right. The release and follow through feel pretty crisp, but I can never work backwards off of that to find my problems.

I throw RHBH and my disc varies with the shot (and more often what I need them to do AFTER they beat the dreaded gaps) but since the gaps are often at the same distance range, I use mostly fairway drivers (Champ Teebird is my go to, Champ Leo, and Star Roadrunner) and occasionally a midrange on the shorter finesse ones (KC Pro Roc, beat DX Shark, Millenium QMS). I don't really think the discs matter for this problem, because when I DO beat the gap on the line I wanted, it always seems to go well!

I use a standard power grip (and honestly, I have some problems squeezing too hard, my first few DX discs have some concave tops to prove it).

Finally I guess I should go over my form, what has and hasn't worked for me, and things I still plan to work on.

Things I do that I'm not sure have helped or not!

• Make sure my run up (x-step) has each step land on a straight line towards the line I want to throw on
  
• Point my right shoulder towards my line before I start my run up (I over compensate sometimes just slightly left for the wide right-ness of my shot where I can afford it, although this sometimes hurts my throw when it does go DEAD straight on my shoulder's line)
  
• Keep my eyes on my line until I reach the full reach back stage of my run up (at which my chin comes towards my chest, but never backwards away from my target as I learned in a video)

Things I do that I know HAVE helped! (In order of amount helped, greatest to least)

• I do not start pulling from my full reach back until my pivot foot has hit the ground (I wish I'd known this for every throw whenever I started, Avery J. taught me this and oh boy has it helped)
  
• Feeding off of the success from the tip above, I try to slowww down my rotation (I NEVER, and I mean NEVER have a problem not throwing hard enough, especially not on these gap shots, so any time I can remind to slow it down, it helps) and putting all my focus on the last split second of my throw (the hit)
  
• Drawing my imaginary throwing line in my head (varies between an actual line about 120-150' out or an imaginary gap or ring at 50-100' out that I want to throw through), just another thing I wish I had learned from the beginning

Things I know that do not help...

• Squeezing my power grip too hard... I saw in a video that the pros will flick their hands back and forth with their disc in hand before a throw to prevent this (I feel like this leads to the 1 out of 10 hacks that go wayyy off to the right)
  
• Not focusing on running on my line (as in, when I release in a bad direction, occasionally I'll very clearly notice that it's the direction my shoulders were travelling, and my body did follow through to)

Things I plan to try!

• Really feel and simulate the action of snapping a towel at someone and the hit of my throw, this is a tip I learned from the forums here that some said had helped them!
  
• Focus on pulling through closer to my chest (because I've never been able to see myself drive to know if I'm pulling through out wide or not)
  
• A slower run up, like an abbreviated x-step
  
• Work on only gripping the disc tight at the correct point in my pull through, as I learned in a video just this evening!

Questionable things that I need some professional advice on!

• Do I really need a full reach back to hit these gaps? Especially since power is not a problem?
  
• Feeding off that first question, how about the method I saw Jerm teach about pointing your elbow on your line? Avery Jenkins really gets his elbow in the air (he literally bounces it up in the air) before swinging out a shorter straight shot, surely there has to be some sort of helpful magic behind that?
  
• Since I know someone is going to suggest it, how necessary is it that I learn to throw a stand-still shot? Something about all of my energy and motion going forward into that line feels too good to try a stand-still...

Well if you're still reading at this point (congratulations, firstly) and thank you! I'm accepting any and all advice short or long.

 

[sidewinder22]

Some of it just depends. Ultimate players tend to plant too open and "griplock" hooking shots a bit to the right(RHBH). Hitting straight lines is easiest with a hyzer-flip Roadrunner rather than a flat shot with say a Teebird, your release point has more variance on a flat swing compared to a hyzer swing plane. Some players reachback fully on shorter drives and ease up on the grip or switch to a fan grip. Leading with the elbow during the throw is how all pros throw, some aim with the elbow, others aim the release of momentum of the swing. If you are really struggling to hit your line, standstills are probably the best way to learn. Most people do gain a little help aiming the shot with a little forward momentum though, but there's a fine line to balance how much helps or hurts.
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/dgr/resources/technique/bhproblemsline.shtml#nostraight

 

[TAFL]

I'd try these:

1) use the X-step instead of a long run-up;
2) plant your lead foot a bit left of the line you want;
3) use a control grip until you've developed better accuracy.

You've plenty of power, so losing some distance with the control grip won't be a major problem. Once your accuracy is better, then begin working the power grip again.

Slowing down your run up by using the X-step will likely lead to more consistency.

Closing your stance a bit will take advantage of all that snap. When you're throwing off to the right, you're getting more snap and power, so adjusting the release point to take advantage of that will help in the long run. as you develop a more consistent release, the variation will diminish.

 

[Dan Ensor]

It sounds like you're trying to watch the disc too early. I was going to say "Keep your head down" ... but that's not really where it needs to stay ...