Tell me what looks wrong.

[WillACarpenter]

So if I get more weight towards my pivot foot I could get more D? Its weird because I don't feel like I am strong arming it. When I do strong arm it I can tell immediately.

There are degrees of strong arming, that's for sure.

For example have you ever thrown softer Vibram discs? You kind of HAVE to strong arm them just a LITTLE bit, or they won't get enough goddamn snap, they'll just fold.

I think he says it looks like you're strong arming it because the way your arm is on pull through, and the way your body is turned it doesn't appear that you're rotating your hips through shoulders very much for a distance throw.

If you were throwing a Mid for 250' I wouldn't think you were strong arming at all, but if you're going for a tee shot with a driver, the power is ALL in the reach back and the .05 seconds before release.

You, like most people, don't appear to be doing TOO much SO HORRIBLY that you won't make improvements by just keeping it simple and working from the hit back.

I know for a FACT that I need to get back to that again. Every year, or every six months or so, I need to relearn the basics.

Keep it up man, it's fun as hell to progress.

\/\/

 

[sidewinder22]

How can you tell? That would help more then just you are strong arming it.

Now looka here son, pics #3, 8, and 13 tell most the story although a vid would be able tell more. Weight back, head behind the knee at hit. Disc is high in the power zone, and finish relatively low, typically meaning you torque over the disc. Pic #3 your shoulders should be more square to the target at the release. Pic #13 the disc should be out of frame or farther out with good snap in relation to your finish position.

 

[jrawk]

The eyes thing is a little trick I have taught myself if I am pulling my drives. I look left so that my hips follow through the same time as my arm which makes me throw straighter. I know its weird but it works.

In your original post you asked for things we see that can be fixed. I saw the eyes. Typically players throw more accurately if the player can maximize the available time to look at the basket.

but whatever works.

 

[AirMcNair]

So what I am hearing is that I need to get a better weight shift to my pivot foot, focus more on the basket, and square up my shoulders more on release? Is that about the sum of things?

 

[BrotherDave]

So what I am hearing is that I need to get a better weight shift to my pivot foot, focus more on the basket, and square up my shoulders more on release? Is that about the sum of things?

Almost. I think strong-arming isn't the correct term for what you appear to be doing, which is more like "all-arming." To me strong-arming is when you've tensed all the muscles in your arm from trying to physically throw the disc. I don't think you're doing that. What you're doing is not transferring your momentum or energy from your legs/core/body into your throw. You're just slinging the disc but there's no body in it all, partly b/c your weight isn't forward enough and partly b/c you aren't turning your body back to the basket enough.

This last part is very evident, I'm surprised nobody mentioned it yet. You need to close your hips on the reachback to where your back is almost completely to the target and then pivot and open those hips to get your body into the throw. Try to get your off-arm to swing around with you on your follow through to help get your weight forward, it's acting as a counter weight on you right now I think.

 

[AirMcNair]

This last part is very evident, I'm surprised nobody mentioned it yet. You need to close your hips on the reachback to where your back is almost completely to the target and then pivot and open those hips to get your body into the throw. Try to get your off-arm to swing around with you on your follow through to help get your weight forward, it's acting as a counter weight on you right now I think.

I don't see where you are seeing my left arm is not following me. It appears in all my pics its coming around with me.

Ok I will try these new things out today.

 

[AirMcNair]

So I tried out putting more weight forward, keeping my arm close, and then using it to swing me around. I liked everything I tried out. The distance was the same. Just kept the disc lower. Any suggestions?

 

[sidewinder22]

Aim higher son, reach back low and finish high like starting the lawn mower. Keep everything smooth and relaxed and then accelerate and grip as hard as you can in the power zone.

 

[Bacon Grease]

How far are you throwing?

 

[AirMcNair]

400-420 with my Augustas
375 with my pd
350-365 with my teebird
300 with my cro (no glide)
250-300 with my Classic Roc

 

[garublador]

So I tried out putting more weight forward, keeping my arm close, and then using it to swing me around. I liked everything I tried out. The distance was the same. Just kept the disc lower. Any suggestions?

400-420 with my Augustas
375 with my pd
350-365 with my teebird
300 with my cro (no glide)
250-300 with my Classic Roc

Incorporating the fixes others have given will probably make throwing that far easier and you might have more control, but I would be surprised if they got you more distance alone.

The key to getting more distance is in what happens in the last 12" before the hit. The fixes others have given will help you be ready to fix that part of the throw, but they usually don't fix it by themselves. The "hammer pound" drills are designed to teach what you need to do in that last 12". The drills tend to be really successful at teaching half of what you need (the "in" which will probably get you a little jump in D) and if you're able to get one of the parts of the drill that teaches the "out" part you'll be bombing them. Unfortunately, the statistics are against you on getting that one right, but I still find it fun to try.

 

[AirMcNair]

I am actually pretty happy with my distance. Would I like 50 more feet on my Wraith yes but 400 is good on most courses.

I was hoping to get better form so maybe I could squeak out a little bit more for the WOW factor.

 

[billnchristy]

You don't seem to have a whole lot of hip twist either.

 

[JoshEpoo]

At those distances you need to work on snap...that's the bottom line. Worrying about your body positions is a great way to waste effort and lose focus on your wrist. Your grip looks weird too, but it's difficult to tell what exactly is going on there.

 

[AirMcNair]

Can you elaborate on working on snap?

My grip is a 3 finger power grip. I can't get my pinky under there because it was broken and never fixed. I can't make it straight and doesn't bend all the way. Other then that its a normal power stacked grip.

 

[JoshEpoo]

3 finger power grip is fine however it was difficult to tell how you were gripping because your index finger comes off the disc in every picture right before you throw. That lock point between your thumb and index finger is EXTREMELY important and I'd suggest you really want to look towards working on wrist extension and getting a good clean rip around your lock point.

Snap is basically just waiting until the last possible second where you wrist naturally starts to go from closed to neutral and then forcing the wirst another 20-30 degrees past neutral. Then the disc rotates around your lock point, imparting a ton of spin on the disc, and a ludicrous amount of acceleration and rips out. This is what your need good grip strength for. Most people let the disc slip out way before the disc rotates around the lock point and get no snap/spin as a result.

There are a lot of other weird things going on in that shot but to go past 450 you need to develop better snap and spin.

 

[AirMcNair]

I think do move my index finger on my Cro and Classic Roc if I am trying to let off of it and not throw full power.

I will try the tighter grip on my mids. I mean I have a callous on my palm from how hard I grip my drivers. I really don't think snap is the issue. I think the first few guys had it right when I wasn't using my body enough.

 

[JoshEpoo]

The relevant grip strength is between the thumb and index finger.....your palm callous points to more grip issues. The main point was timing the explosive power and wrist extension. People with good snap can throw 400'+ from a standstill, so while you definitely have some issues going on with your hips/core, snap is always an issue. Best of luck though.

 

[AirMcNair]

I really appreciate the help. I will work on my grip and those main points and see what happens.

 

[slowRoll]

You knew this was coming.
The problem is you are throwing discs that look like this:

When you should be throwing discs that look like this:

Hope you are doing well my friend. Call again when you are in town.