Sidearm/forehand distance?

[craigd]

Just wondering what the max distance you guys get with the sidearm throw.

 

[billnchristy]

Practice: ~400'
On Course: ~320'

It is my main drive...BH can only get about 200' on a good day.

 

[solomon.trenton]

i forarm for finese shots and can easily get 100' dead straight with my roc.

 

[420discgolf]

Im just learning Sidearm after playing for 4 years. I can throw Backhand about 375ft and Sidearm maybe 300ft on a great (lucky) shot. Some people have told me they have to throw Sidearm due to previous arm injuries but I just want to have it in my arsenal on the course.

 

[Disc Dog]

My 2 cents worth.

My sidearm is good for about 225 feet and my backhand is good for 300 to 325. I can go farther but my accuracy drops off a lot.

 

[wallace]

My forearm is typically more accurate for tunnel shots or get out of trouble shots that require a stationary delivery. On flat ground, calm wind I can forearm 325+ pretty consistently.

BH I can get up to 325ish but more consistently 290ish. Only problem is my technique/lack thereof on my forearm causes me to become fatigued MUCH quicker than BH. I can throw 2 or 3 rounds predominantly BH and not feel PAIN. maybe a little tired in the legs/sloppy form after a long round but not so much pain.

i tend to struggle with fatigue on my overhands as well...a problem linked to poor form i'm sure.

 

[A.Mutt]

I just tried learning forehand again about a week ago. I was pleasantly shocked at the distance I got repeatedly from a Groove. It flew straight for me and went about 290-300 multiple times where as after a lot of practice with backhand I'm just now consistently getting over 250 in practice. These measurements are based off of paces. I really need to get some accurate measurements.

 

[t i m]

I learned to play forehand and played exclusively that way for years, and usually have better distance than almost anyone I run across on a course (playing Adv/pro tournaments). Flat, open field, I can count on a little over 400'... If you give it a little wind and a little downhill elevation, that stretches out to 500... precision distance in trees and punching alleys, it's closer to 350'. All distances given above are with high 160s Star Destroyers.

I don't think I've ever met anyone I'm sure can consistently outdrive me on forehand shots... forehand doesn't have the same potential for distance as a backhand because of body mechanics, and I think the realistic consistent limit for forehand with current discs (no wind, open field) is somewhere around 450'.

My longest throws of all time were with old SE Valks thrown forehand. Thrown perfectly and released nearly vertical hyzer in a big field, those would come out, work a big S-curve, and go 450'... but that was a tricky shot to throw and not consistent enough to use in competitive play (and those stupid discs beat up too quickly)... but they did have the best big-D distance flight path I've ever seen when thrown just right.

 

[simpletwist]

Not a strong thrower either way, but I get much more distance with my sidearm. About 275 with the Groove a little less with the Destroyer. Well over 300 on occasion.

 

[Hamilton]

My longest throws of all time were with old SE Valks thrown forehand. Thrown perfectly and released nearly vertical hyzer in a big field, those would come out, work a big S-curve, and go 450'... but that was a tricky shot to throw and not consistent enough to use in competitive play (and those stupid discs beat up too quickly)... but they did have the best big-D distance flight path I've ever seen when thrown just right.

in my head i'm trying to picture a nearly vertical hyzer FH throw...it seems incredibly difficult, i have to lean WAY over just to put a somewhat decent amount of hyzer on a FH shot...

BTW with a star max i max out around 250-275 FH, can hit close to 400 BH...

 

[sidewinder22]

Star Boss FH 400' flat and open not consistent though. Star Xcal FH 350' consistent and accurate.

 

[t i m]

in my head i'm trying to picture a nearly vertical hyzer FH throw...it seems incredibly difficult, i have to lean WAY over just to put a somewhat decent amount of hyzer on a FH shot...

BTW with a star max i max out around 250-275 FH, can hit close to 400 BH...

I should say that the disc releases at a nearly vertical angle -- not that you throw the disc straight up in the air (though that is a fun shot). Last weekend, I was trying to throw forehand spike hyzers at the basket on hole 1 at Seneca, over the trees from the long tee... probably 80' high trees, completely grown in with spring. Worked pretty well, but not good for the arm.

One of my favorite shots in the repertoire is a huge, high forehand anhyzer. This works especially well with a little bit of tailwind. Throw the disc out at a 45-degree angle tilted up, release for a point 80+' off the ground, out over empty space (great for over trees), with enough torque that the disc will flip up a little. Wind will push it back over stable eventually for a broad helix, but in the meantime you go over stuff that should be unreachable, have a massive right-to-left on the shot to get around stuff, and impress all your friends and opponents. This shot has gotten me out of some crazy places, and can go over 300' forward and probably 150'+ right-to-left distance.

 

[A.Mutt]

^ very interesting. I'm going to have to try that. Sounds like you use that shot where I use my bread and butter thumber shot. But I've been getting some nasty shoulder pain from it so I'm looking to branch out.

 

[ambroze]

Side Arm = 375ft, Backhand = 340ft - I personally get more distance with sidearm but my shoulder is paying the price.

 

[I3ooI3oo]

I have only recently started playing. The first few round I played RHBH for every shot. After playing with someone that play RHFH only I thought it kinda cool. So when I started playing regularly I started throwing both. I can get the same range with the same disc either way, however the fade and turn are very different.

 

[lko102]

I can forehand about 300-325' and backhand in the 250-300'. I started out with a much stronger forehand drive compared to my BH, and it was only this year that the BH started to pull ahead. I will still throw a FH on certain holes that require a tunnel shot, finish right, etc.

 

[giles]

forehand short of 300' but if it is that far I will normally throw a turnover mid backhand

backhand t-bird 380' boss 450'

When I started in the mid 90's nobody tought me to throw so I threw forehand for a few years. I was getting around 360' flexing out a banshee back then.

 

[t i m]

^ very interesting. I'm going to have to try that. Sounds like you use that shot where I use my bread and butter thumber shot. But I've been getting some nasty shoulder pain from it so I'm looking to branch out.

Pretty much... I use a big anhyzer because it doesn't hurt my arm -- it's almost like throwing in a big shot from outfield in baseball... with a thumber, it kills me after a shot or two. I think the difference is that with a thumber, you roll your wrist (and all the attached muscles) inside, which is a lot more torque on them. With a big forehand anhyzer, you finish you rolling your wrist (and attached muscles) outside, which is not nearly as much strain.

Hopefully this makes sense and helps. A big forehand anhyzer doesn't work quite the same route as a thumber, but it does get similar distance and more side-to-side movement.

 

[NovaDiscHead]

I am FH dominant, so I can throw up to about 350-400 FH with a Groove, usually top out at 250-300 feet on BH

 

[roadtripstuff]

I started out throwing RHFH. I can get about 300' pretty consistently. Recently, probably since January, I have switched to RHBH. Up to about 250', and hopefully I will continue to get more distance. Of course there are still holes where the forehand comes in handy and great to have in my arsenal.