Swinging the Hammer – for Putts!

[drk_evns]

I use a hammer all the time just to feel the pendulum and the timing of the motion. It's incredibly useful for me as it has been for many. Throwing a hammer really taught me how to close the shoulder and treat the disc as a heavy object.

I just recently started putting with hammers, and it's equally as useful in my opinion. It teaches you how to connect your arm to your lower body in a way that isn't intuitive with a light disc.

It took me a long time to learn this feeling naturally, but it becomes immediately apparent where your power comes from when you putt with a hammer.

It'll force you to push and pendulum more, but just like with the throw, the timing you learn from the hammer can be applied to a style with more elbow action.

Experiment with different "loading" types... for example, do some where you load downwards like McBeth, and then some where you rock from back foot to front foot like Rick. It'll teach you a lot about the motion.

Try it with a jump putt too... don't kill anyone.

 

[Sheep]

down with jump putts!

but interesting.

 

[RowingBoats]

Yep, this is definitely a thing to think about.

Took me a while to find my preferred way to feel some lag on the putting stroke. Right now, I do a rock back and forth thing, making the disc feel heavy, then settle, then go.

I also have experimented with a more dynamic downswing to make my arm/disc feel heavier, but I have gotten away from doing this one so literally lately. The purpose was what you are talking about though. I do believe that generating the figure-8 feeling can help grasp this concept; however, a lot of good putters leave that behind and just find the feeling from a more static down-swing.

 

[rhatton1]

Used to do it with a telephone directory (are these a thing anymore? it;s hard to throw google...) But for the exact same reasons, it really helps you to work on the balance and posture required to get maximum output for minimal in.

The bit I don't like about a hammer as much is you lose the finger spring feel (not totally but it is different) which the telephone directory really helped with and is the connecting point that all the body positions need to work through/towards.

Maybe we should make and market a really heavy disc for this purpose. hmm.

 

[drk_evns]

Used to do it with a telephone directory (are these a thing anymore? it;s hard to throw google...) But for the exact same reasons, it really helps you to work on the balance and posture required to get maximum output for minimal in.

The bit I don't like about a hammer as much is you lose the finger spring feel (not totally but it is different) which the telephone directory really helped with and is the connecting point that all the body positions need to work through/towards.

Maybe we should make and market a really heavy disc for this purpose. hmm.

Yeah it would probably be better with a 5lb plate! I had a similar thought... I just always have a hammer nearby for swings lol.

Putting with something heavy really emphasizes the moment the power hits your arm. I also like the way the hammer will sort of flip your entire hand, it seems to mimic the feeling I use in my putt.

I've always found it interesting how often people talk about finger pop. I've never really focused on anything my fingers are doing. I focus on finishing (whipping?) my hand towards the target/pole of the basket (this is the feeling the hammer mimics—and also keeps me from opening my wrist to much)... but I've never focused on my fingers outside of the grip.

Is the "finger pop" just the action of your fingers as the disc is wanting to pull out? Are you consciously doing something there? What benefit is there?

Once I get my grip, the release is sort of "thoughtless."

 

[seedlings]

A 2.5# steel plate bar weight is great too.

 

[azplaya25]

Yeah it would probably be better with a 5lb plate! I had a similar thought... I just always have a hammer nearby for swings lol.

Putting with something heavy really emphasizes the moment the power hits your arm. I also like the way the hammer will sort of flip your entire hand, it seems to mimic the feeling I use in my putt.

I've always found it interesting how often people talk about finger pop. I've never really focused on anything my fingers are doing. I focus on finishing (whipping?) my hand towards the target/pole of the basket (this is the feeling the hammer mimics—and also keeps me from opening my wrist to much)... but I've never focused on my fingers outside of the grip.

Is the "finger pop" just the action of your fingers as the disc is wanting to pull out? Are you consciously doing something there? What benefit is there?

Once I get my grip, the release is sort of "thoughtless."

Finger spring is what Cam is showing here at 6:52.

https://youtu.be/JfXiw2Gew6I

I don't like to think about actively springing my fingers. Finger spring happens if you grip the disc correctly and basically trap the weight of the other side if the disc between your thumb and fingers. Then if you whip your hand at the pole, the disc springs out. Holding something heavy between your thumb and fingers (hammer, phone book) then replicating that feeling with a disc, you should feel the disc springing or bouncing off of your fingers. Your probably doing it, but if using a hammer, I feel the thumb push more than the finger spring. With a heavy book or a plate, I feel the fingers more.

 

[rhatton1]

Yeah it would probably be better with a 5lb plate! I had a similar thought... I just always have a hammer nearby for swings lol.

Putting with something heavy really emphasizes the moment the power hits your arm. I also like the way the hammer will sort of flip your entire hand, it seems to mimic the feeling I use in my putt.

I've always found it interesting how often people talk about finger pop. I've never really focused on anything my fingers are doing. I focus on finishing (whipping?) my hand towards the target/pole of the basket (this is the feeling the hammer mimics—and also keeps me from opening my wrist to much)... but I've never focused on my fingers outside of the grip.

Is the "finger pop" just the action of your fingers as the disc is wanting to pull out? Are you consciously doing something there? What benefit is there?

Once I get my grip, the release is sort of "thoughtless."

Finger spring/pop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17zVyYaxp4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17zVyYaxp4

I've got to refilm this one, it really bugs me as there are lots where I'm not doing it right including the very first one - It was really cold out and I had just grabbed a camera and set it up to answer a question someone had.

The idea of the drill is to isolate all arm, wrist, shoulder motion and use just leg motion to then spring the fingers open to the target, starting small and working back. I shouldn't be swinging the disc back towards me using any wrist, that's me not warming up properly and being lazy.

I can take this out to about 6/7 meters with the elbow locked to the hip and just popping the disc out at the end of the weight shift.

It's the basis of any push/spush putt that can then be added to and it can be used to help with a spin putt too.

 

[rhatton1]

Finger spring/pop:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17zVyYaxp4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17zVyYaxp4

and it can be used to help with a spin putt too.

The ones where I am doing it wrong in the video would work for the spin putt where you break the wrist as well to add some more oomph to it. This drill was not meant to have any wrist break in it though.

 

[Nick Pacific]

Is the "finger pop" just the action of your fingers as the disc is wanting to pull out? Are you consciously doing something there? What benefit is there?

Once I get my grip, the release is sort of "thoughtless."

For me it's basically what everyone is posting above, so no need to reiterate. But this is only something I think about when I practice. I think about the mechanics, the weight shift, pushing off back foot, aiming and then finger springing the disc towards the pole.

However when it's go time and I'm playing a round, I don't think about any mechanics whatsoever. I swing free, think free and just get absorbed in the moment and let my natural athletic motions take over. Confidence doesn't even register, I just go. If I'm nervous, good, I hope I am, I like those jittery feelings. The more nervous the better.