The direction of grip pressure: vertical or horizontal?

[timothy42b]

I have become confused by reading different descriptions of the grip pressure.

I find some that seem to say you grip the flight plate pressing down with the thumb and up with the fingers.

And some that say you grip the rim, pressing outward with the fingertips and inward with the base of the thumb.

And some that could be interpreted either way.

I use a two finger grip for drives and a fan grip for putts and short up shots. But at the back of mind sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it wrong.

 

[sidewinder22]

It's a combo.

 

[Consult20]

I have become confused by reading different descriptions of the grip pressure.

I find some that seem to say you grip the flight plate pressing down with the thumb and up with the fingers.

And some that say you grip the rim, pressing outward with the fingertips and inward with the base of the thumb.

And some that could be interpreted either way.

I use a two finger grip for drives and a fan grip for putts and short up shots. But at the back of mind sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it wrong.

Here you go...

 

[Star Shark]

I'll add this classic to the discussion.

 

[cubeofsoup]

I had someone tell me recently to think about using my index and thumb for pinch pressure (vertical) and my middle two fingers for lock pressure (horizontal), pinky also acts as lock pressure but doesn't really do much.

The way I think about it is pinch with my index towards my thumb, and push with my middle two fingers towards the palm of my hand.

 

[Dr.Smooth]

Hold on to it as if someone is trying to rip it out of your hands. Figure it out according to the strength of your hands and fingers and what is comfortable.

-The perfect grip style does not exist.

 

[TYVEK]

index and thumb for pinch, and pinky to keep disc locked into your palm is key. you will get more control and consistant release.

 

[timothy42b]

One of the complications here is that what people say they do may not be what they actually do.

Anyway, if the thumb and index finger have to pinch vertically, which it seems most agree on, then I would think they have to line up above each other, and you can plainly see in some grips they don't. I see some where the thumb is inboard of the index finger, and some where it is forward of it.

Maybe there's some variation possible.

There are a couple videos where the power grip is described as having index and little finger pads on the rim, and the middle two finger tips on the rim. That implies pinching horizontally between base of thumb on the outside of the rim and two fingers on the inside. That doesn't rule out the vertical pinch at the same time though.

The simplest things become mysterious if I think about them too much.

 

[Teamkiller]

My thumb and index finger each create a dimple side by side like a valley and a mountain beside each other (for a visual) but not huge ones. The indention from the thumb transitions into the bump from my index finger this creates a section of the disc that is completely trapped between the force I put on both fingers. Not sure if thats the correct method but I have been doing that for a while.

 

[gronkus]

I would definitely appreciate clarification on this. It seems to be that when talking about how at the hit the disc rotates around the grip point that this would only be possible if the thumb and (index) finger were positioned at the same place creating a small pinch point.

If instead the thumb and finger were offset from each other as in Teamkiller's description, wouldn't it be the thumb and finger moving in relation to the hand that is getting that last bit of sling rather than the disc rotating?

 

[timothy42b]

Precisely.

It seems to me from the descriptions that people recommend gronkus's scheme but do Teamkiller's. I don't see how they can be compatible.

At the risk of trying to think logically, if they really do Teamkiller's then probably they are using a lot of horizontal pressure on the rim without realizing it.

 

[Teamkiller]

to be clear my index finger presses the plate and my other three fingers press into both the plate and the rim, my index finger is still slightly pressing the rim but most of the pressure is going upwards. That being said, I am not by any means a professional, I started playing last august and a lot of things are still fluid for me.

 

[Aim For The Chains]

If you can handle the disc without much thumb pressure there is something wrong IMO. Pulling the rim into the hand does nothing but add a bigger/multiple release points.

Start with a 2 finger and work back from there.

 

[gronkus]

Teamkiller you are just posting the same observations I have had and perhaps others (timothy at least). Your descriptions are very well written and I appreciate you verbalizing!

 

[lyleoross]

I have become confused by reading different descriptions of the grip pressure.

I find some that seem to say you grip the flight plate pressing down with the thumb and up with the fingers.

And some that say you grip the rim, pressing outward with the fingertips and inward with the base of the thumb.

And some that could be interpreted either way.

I use a two finger grip for drives and a fan grip for putts and short up shots. But at the back of mind sometimes I wonder if I'm doing it wrong.

It's like anything, different people use different grips and get similar results. I think the secret is a firm grip at the hit so that you can snap the disc out.

I recall Dave Feldberg saying that Val Jenkins/Doss uses a two finger grip.

 

[steadyrockabilly]

The tip of the index finger and the thumb do not line up vertically because the pinch happens between the thumb and the "first crease" of the index finger pressing against the bead of the disc, not the tip.

 

[timothy42b]

The tip of the index finger and the thumb do not line up vertically because the pinch happens between the thumb and the "first crease" of the index finger pressing against the bead of the disc, not the tip.

My thumb and first crease don't line up directly.

Maybe I need to fix that, but...........can I think out loud for a moment?

I've been trying to figure out what I do, without the benefit of a disc handy to try.

I hold the rim, not the plate. So the strongest part of my pressure is horizontal. I did that before I heard of hit, because I wanted a really good grip on the disc. I knew that a thumb and finger pinch on the smooth slippery surface of the flight plate would never work, but grabbing the natural handle formed by the rim would. And it does. No way my dog could get the disc out of my hand.

After thinking about it some more, reading all these thread replies, and watching all the videos again, I have a new idea. I'm wondering if the grip on the rim is the majority of the force applied, but is done with hooked but not gripped fingers. In that case the thumb would have to clamp down vertically but it's not really holding the disc, it's just holding the rim in place against the fingers.

If that is true, I need to change my grip by adding more vertical thumb force but not enough to hold the disc in the hand, just enough to hold it against a relaxed hooked finger tip, and I need to change my grip to reduce the horizontal clamp between finger pads and hand/base of thumb so there's a firm grip but more ability to pivot?

And if all this thinking out loud is totally off base just let me know and I'll delete it!

 

[mark996]

Timothy I'm thinking the same thing. I grip by pulling the disc in to my hand via the rim, and don't apply much thumb pressure at all. I'm not sure what happens as I actually throw, but I'd imagine my thumb presses down before release. I'm throwing 375-400ft on golf lines consistently, so I'm curious if pulling the disc out of my palm a bit, and adding that vertical pressure with the thumb and getting a good pinch is going to help much. I'm going to give this a shot tomorrow and see how it goes.

 

[knettles]

As Aim For The Chains said, it's difficult to throw a disc well without much thumb pressure. Even if you don't realize it when you're throwing, you're most likely applying a good deal of thumb pressure. It's what actually keeps the disc from ripping out of the hand too early. And the thumb and forefinger definitely don't have to line up exactly. They're fairly close when I throw mids with a stacked fork grip, but farther apart when throwing drivers with a power grip. Different grips naturally have the fingers in different locations. The disc will still pivot just fine. And with all of this in mind, remember that comfort is still important. For my hands, it's very uncomfortable and unnatural to throw anything under speed 6 with a power grip. So I use the fork grip for putters and mids. Definitely pay attention to the Innova/Discraft pro tip videos online, but it is ok to adjust a bit for your personal style.

 

[Kodachrome]

My index pulls up and back. My thumb pushes down and forward. Everything else pulls it into the Palm against the rim.