Roller Or Not To Roller...

[PhattD]

I think to say that we must use a variety of shots is just a wrong statement. Its not up to the player to try to use as many variety of shots as possible. To me this discussion is more about course design than shot selection. If a guy can play a whole round with just rollers then that is one lame course and the designer should be ashamed.

The players job is to navigate the course with as few throws as possible period. The course designers job is to test the players shot making ability by making him throw in as many different ways and situations as possible. Thats just my $.02

Wouldn't your gripe then be with the course designer and not the guy throwing rollers? And it's not like the roller crowd is criticizing people for not throwing rollers. It's just one of many legal shots. The guy that throws all rollers isn't much different than the guy that can only throw hyzers.

 

[discinator]

Wouldn't your gripe then be with the course designer and not the guy throwing rollers? And it's not like the roller crowd is criticizing people for not throwing rollers. It's just one of many legal shots. The guy that throws all rollers isn't much different than the guy that can only throw hyzers.

Maybe you misunderstood me. My gripe is with the course designer and that is what I was saying.I really don't have a complaint at all. I'm trying to say that, to me, we should not criticize the players for using only one shot on the course. I think you should use whatever you think will get you there the best.
If there needs to be any criticizing we should turn it to the course designers who made a course that could be exploited with a roller on every hole.

 

[PhattD]

Maybe you misunderstood me. My gripe is with the course designer and that is what I was saying.I really don't have a complaint at all. I'm trying to say that, to me, we should not criticize the players for using only one shot on the course. I think you should use whatever you think will get you there the best.
If there needs to be any criticizing we should turn it to the course designers who made a course that could be exploited with a roller on every hole.

Gotcha I was confused but I'm better now.

 

[DiscGolfMagician]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdlxdSWCMKU

i think he does a good job of explaining it

 

[Scoot_er]

One of my DG goals for the year included making a short instructional and I think the roller may be the perfect topic.

 

[CoachQ]

I love the roller when thrown properly. I have only needed to throw two rollers from the tee in tournaments and fortunately they both worked out well. I have thrown a few as rescue shots but they are not as pretty. A good roller is a thing of beauty and is a great piece of ammo to have in your arsenal.

 

[steven2361]

One of my DG goals for the year included making a short instructional and I think the roller may be the perfect topic.

Instructional vids from you would be great :hfive:

 

[roc-chucker]

To answer your question there isn't a top pro i can think of that doesn't have a roller in there game so if you are striving to great then learn to roll. I am 28 and can through 400' but I get whooped on in league by guys twice my age because they can through premo rollers when needed and I can't.

 

[ssjfewp]

To answer your question there isn't a top pro i can think of that doesn't have a roller in there game so if you are striving to great then learn to roll. I am 28 and can through 400' but I get whooped on in league by guys twice my age because they can through premo rollers when needed and I can't.

Cale doesn't.

Matt- Come to CT for our A Tier and make a video with Bard. I'll film.

 

[DrJim]

Disc Golf Diversity...

I'm actually having trouble believing there are folks who have issues with rollers - or any other type of "specialty" throw. Used to be that disc golf was less about "power" and more about finesse and creativity. I definitely think a course should challenge a player to pull out every conceivable throw in order to play well - especially when one's in trouble and has to pull it out of one's butt... The use of forehands, rollers, upside-downers, scoobers, thumbers, skippers, etc. etc. etc. is what makes the game cool. When one can master all these AND the backhand, power, heiser, then one REALLY knows how to play the game. I just wish more courses were designed to reward diversity than just power backhands.

 

[jtbingster]

Rollers are useful and hard to learn to throw well. Those who call them cheating are just jealous that I can park a curvy 400' hole with a roller and they can't.

 

[notBOB]

for me the backhand roller started off as a shanked drive to the ground with an understable, completely by accident. i then put a little more anhy on it and a little more flight on the disc, and they took off from there. i have been throwing forehand rollers for a year or so before i learned the bh roller. extremely useful imo.

 

[Jivecody]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdlxdSWCMKU

i think he does a good job of explaining it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5joRhBOjDM

way better tutorial

 

[beeftrout]

Not that it adds to the thread or anything, but I just had to chime in on the "You can't ace with a roller" comment. I definitely got an intentional ace with an intentional roller. Hole that plays slightly uphill, fairway a crapshoot of trees with a very tight anhyzer line. As a developing player I would play around with the best way to get to the basket. BH rollers turned right quick enough to hit the line nearly every time. It was only a matter of time before I developed the skill to aim them toward the basket, which happened to be surrounded by a circle of large rocks which created a ramp like effect. Eventually, bam, roller ace.

 

[Guru10]

@jivecody- that's the best video on the subject imo. He explains that the disc follows a similar path as it would in the air. Briliant.

Personally, I love them. Perfect for when you're stuck deep off the fair, heavy overhead coverage and there's an opening wide enough for a disc. I use a champ glo whippet for my LHFH roller. I adjust the angle, just as I would with a regular BH, just like the guy in jivecodys video. Straight up for shorter "P" shape or more like 11 o'clock (LHFH) for a more wider, longer curve. Can't throw a BH very well though.

I really think that every shot is technically flying through the air, at some point. It has to leave your hand, travel through air then eventually land. Rollers are more immediate and its more of a manipulation of the landing. Air shots are delayed, as they are manipulations of the flight path. I feel my argument is both valid and sound.

 

[tarel]

A "Roller" is a perfectly legal shot per all current PDGA rules. If you choose not to use rollers you are only limiting the potential of your own game.

Thisopcorn:

 

[HybridZombiw]

i love throwing rollers, mainly with mids only. I love to throw a backhand roller with my buzz and watch it go on and on. Some find it cheating and unfair, i find it amusing and entertaining to watch where it goes and what it does. I've thrown rollers on sidewalks and watched it act like it was a car doing a burn out on pavement before it rolls a good 200-250' They are just one of those throws are not only fun to watch, but really hard to learn to control them properly.

 

[jmitch]

i love throwing rollers, mainly with mids only. I love to throw a backhand roller with my buzz and watch it go on and on. Some find it cheating and unfair, i find it amusing and entertaining to watch where it goes and what it does. I've thrown rollers on sidewalks and watched it act like it was a car doing a burn out on pavement before it rolls a good 200-250' They are just one of those throws are not only fun to watch, but really hard to learn to control them properly.

I love it when people think its like cheating. Much like yourself I love a backhand roller with a mid and its a very very high risk high reward shot. If its not released well or if a gust of wind comes up it turns into a very poor shot. The roller is apart of the game just as the tomahawk and thumber are.

 

[yearofrolling]

I totally expected more roller love in here and am pretty surprised at the number of people not throwing them or having minimal experience with them.
Some one should make a Rollers Poll.
I'm not good at them but I don't hesitate to execute them, well, try to pull um off half way at least.

 

[Tee1]

Rollers are a must have shot for certain courses.Whenever I play Paw Paw I throw at least 6 to 8 rollers FH and BH, and learning them has helped my game tremendously and made me a more well rounded player.Hate on it all you want but it helps lower my score.