Run-up or walk-up to your mini - avoiding foot faults

[tu-f-o]

This seems to throw off my throw when I think too hard about putting my foot at the proper place of my mini/lie/mark. I can't seem to do it without having to look down. Are there any tips for this? I'm guessing it depends who you play with, but pro's at tournaments are probably picky about these types of foot faults, I would imagine.

To me, getting my footing aim is harder than the actual throw, lol.

 

[anhyzer24]

Watch an NFL kicker line up before he kicks a field goal. Very calculated steps to get to his starting position. Then the footwork naturally brings him to the exact spot he wants to plant his left foot. Takes some time practicing with a mini on the ground before you find that spot for yourself.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I can can see how this can work two ways, and might vary quite a bit from player to player.

a) Never had much of an issue with it, and as soon as you start thinking about it, your game gets thrown off... the old "paralysis by analysis" rears it's ugly head.

b) As anhyzer says, kickers take very deliberate steps to place themselves "just so" relative to the ball prior to a kick, and trying to be as consistent as possible with the placement of their plant foot. I can see practicing this until it becomes 2nd nature. Just developing your routine so your always doing the exact same thing. Problem is that disc golf doesn't allow for the same surface and consistency of situation that placekicking does. Our lies aren't always on even ground, and may involve other factors we just have to "deal with."

I guess I'm just aware of where I placed my mini on the ground and go. I definitely plant my front foot quite solidly, so there's not much debate over my point of support when I throw, but don't think I'm one of those who cuts it that close to my lie... probably several inches behind, but not so close that I've ever been called on it. I'd be surprised if there wasn't a reasonable amount of grass clearly visible in real time between my lead foot and my mini/disc.

IMHO, if you really think another inch or so is going to make a difference on hole that's x-hundered feet long, you need to work on your mental game more than your mechanics.

 

[ThrowBot]

I agree with what was said above, especially Bogey's point about "paralysis by analysis".

For most field shots, I find it pretty easy to get a legal foot location with a 1-step "run up" (FH or BH). Practicing 1-step throws can really help, and those should suffice for most field shots unless you really need to maximize your distance on a par 4/5 or something like that. Most folks are pretty comfortable cranking a max-D drive off a tee pad, so trying to draw parallels between a tee shot and a field shot might help.

Random idea here:
Just to get more confident with foot placement, try putting a mini a few inches in front of a tee pad and throwing some drives. Think of the mini as your "lie" that you need to have your plant foot behind. In general I think that most people have pretty precise placement of their plant foot, but on the tee pad it's not something you think about because there's so much space to work with. You might be surprised at how easy it is to hit a smaller mark when you throw from a tee pad.

When throwing from a mark in the field, imagine a tee pad that ends just behind your mark. It might be easier to line up your steps within that imaginary tee pad. (This serves a similar purpose to the placekicker stepping off their starting position, as mentioned above.)

 

[Aim For The Chains]

Use 2 peices of wood and funnel towards lie while practicing walk ups (run ups are not even needed unless MASHING) it will help you use different angles of approach and stay inline with lie. When you get off its very obvious and no need to think just try and make it routine.

 

[ohtobediscing]

If you're not going to throw the disc that's lying there, leave it instead of placing a mini---its easier to spot in your peripheral vision (though I did once step on my full-sized disc in wet conditions and go down like Xavier Hollander).

And Bogey's right---obsesssing over this will hurt your game, whereas giving yourself(and your sorely over-taxed brain) a few inches relief could certainly help.

 

[BrotherDave]

Tip #1: Use a perfectly clear or appropriately camouflage mini.

Tip #2: Wear clown shoes or maybe even a snowshoe.

Tip #3: For a real rule book semantics chitfest, use a dime or a penny. If someone points out that pocket change doesn't meet the Technical Standards for minis as having "a diameter between 7 and 15 cm and a height not exceeding 3 cm," just point out that:

Emphasis mine:

801.02 A. Discs used in play must meet all of the conditions set forth in the PDGA Technical Standards.

While a marker is defined officially as:

A small disc, not used in play, which may be used to mark the location of the lie.

Therefore minis are exempt from the Tech Standards. If someone throws this mess of ambiguous-ness at you:

801.01 A. These rules have been designed to promote fair play for all disc golfers. In using these rules, players shall apply the rule that most directly addresses the situation at hand. If any point in dispute is not covered by the rules, the decision shall be made in accordance with fairness. Often a logical extension of the closest existing rule or the principles embodied in these rules will provide guidance for determining fairness.

...you just argue that coins are customarily used in ball golf, which most of our game is patterned after, as markers and furthermore "All discs used in play, except mini marker discs, must be uniquely marked. A player shall receive a warning for the first instance of throwing an unmarked disc. Each subsequent throw by the player with an unmarked disc shall incur one penalty throw." So again, another example in the rule book where it explicitly states that minis are not discs used in play.

Never get called for borderline footfaults again! opcorn:

 

[Pbmercil]

One; practice. Throw regular shots, ignoring your foot placement and look down after you throw to see how you did. Adjust as nessicary. Also practice your footwork before throwing any tricky fairway shots where foot placement might be a concern. I'll always practice my footwork once or twice before throwing in tournement play if I have a tricky lie to run up to.

Learn the one step throw. My preferred footwork from the fairway during tournement play is a little foot shuffle which mimics my full run up, then a powerful one stride throw. I find I get 90% of my distance potential with that throw, and it's very accurate. Accuracy is more important than distance anyway.

 

[tu-f-o]

thanks y'all.
I like the part about making a routine walk up. I've been kind of random at that before. Now I'm gonna stick to one specific way for consistency.

 

[Binky Yutz]

Nearly all of the guys I throw with are horrible about foot faults...they either finish up past their lie, or off to one side or the other....since these are casual rounds, no big deal.

Since I play a few tournaments, I am much more conscientious about my plant foot. To avoid foot faulting, I start at my marker and do a backwards X step, then I back up another foot or so...this is where I begin my "run up", so that when I finish I am within a couple of inches of my marker and usually on the center line....I rarely foot fault, although it does happen every now and then.

 

[1978]

Play Masters. Based on the spotting I did for the Tim Selinske, witnessed 20-30 clear foot faults. 10 of them at least gave clear advantage to the thrower by giving them 8-12 inches left or right to get around a tree.

A deaf player tried to question one of them and in another instance, one of the players went up to the offender and made him aware of the fault but did not officially challenge him.

 

[Brodysseus]

I step it off and take a practice walk up. Actually, I've really just been moving to stand and deliver... Less likely to fault, less likely to bust my **** on uneven terrain, and a little more consistent (and I really don't sacrifice too much distance).

 

[tu-f-o]

yeah i agree with the standstill advantages. Also that was a great tip on walking backwards from the lie.

 

[tu-f-o]

https://youtu.be/0h4ZaARe2nE?t=19m16s

this is a great video, and you can see Dave barely foot faults here. He's only like 2ft away from the mini.

 

[DayKid2]

Work backwards. Do your run up from the mini straight backwards in the line you wanna throw(without throwing). Then turn around from there and do your run up and throw. May look goofy but it works.

 

[Mulligan]

https://youtu.be/0h4ZaARe2nE?t=19m16s

this is a great video, and you can see Dave barely foot faults here. He's only like 2ft away from the mini.

I don't know how many times I end up looking at a link like this for 10 seconds of reference... and then just watch the whole damn thing. Man, those two should comment every vid ever.
Great watch.

 

[ThomasOrion]

Watch an NFL kicker line up before he kicks a field goal. Very calculated steps to get to his starting position. Then the footwork naturally brings him to the exact spot he wants to plant his left foot. Takes some time practicing with a mini on the ground before you find that spot for yourself.

I seriously do this, almost exactly. I know the distance/power I need to achieve.
I line up at the mini-mark, visualize the throw....then i take two full steps back and one off to my right (usually) I've stepped it out and As I approach I make sure my first step is on point, then concentrate on the line/angle then little glimpse to make sure the plant foot is on, then DELIVER

 

[paranoid70]

Assuming you are talking an approach shot here, I just take an extra step back. What's one step when you are aiming for a target over 50 feet away. So I typically take one or two shots for an approach and then add one. I find it's much better if I'm not stressing over a silly foot foul.