Thumber/Tomahawk Advice

[ncbrett92]

How many fingers do you put on the inside rim of the disc for a Tomahawk? And how many do you put on the outside of the disc for a Thumber?

Also what disc work best with each one (Overstable/Understable)?

Kinda trying to learn both just looking for a little direction to get going.

 

[Qikly]

I only have my pointer finger on the outside when I throw a thumber. I brace the disc between the joint of my middle finger and my thumb.

For what it's worth, I think most people do much better with one or the other. I've never had much luck with tomahawks, but I can throw a pretty good thumber. So to start I'd find which ever style works better for you and then take it from there.

Overstable is best for D as the more overstable the disc the longer it takes to rotate through, thus staying longer in the air. If you're having trouble getting the disc to fully rotate try a less stable disc.

 

[PWaggoner]

I use two for tomahawks and kinda my middle knuckle for thumbers. I don't throw them really anymore.

You can get different flights from stability and angles. I think over stable flips better. I really only throw OS especially for thumber a because i use it for skip ****s primarily.

Best to play around with the shots and learn what you can do.

I prefer throwing a grenade usually if possible.

 

[@iDiscGolf]

Felons my favorite disc for this shot. But I've also used the XXX, Trident, firebird. Both thumbers and Tommy's both work with these discs.

For tomahawk only thumb on the outside and two fingers stacked against the rim just like throwing sidearm. And for the thumber I don't really have a finger, more of a nuckle like your trigger finger, your hand looks like a fist.

Practice with a range of discs, throwing the same way and see what happens. Fairway driver rims seem to work best but really just overstable discs. You can even do these with mids and distance drivers.

Warm up and take it slow.

 

[Emoney]

My advice would be to make sure you stretch your arm before attempting those shots at well. You will even see pros loosin up their arm before they thumber/toma. As you practice you will see the flights of the disc with that type of throw ,just be careful with your arm

 

[odysseus]

I only have my pointer finger on the outside when I throw a thumber. I brace the disc between the joint of my middle finger and my thumb.

^^This for Thumber grip. Pinch the disc between the middle phalanx of the middle finger & thumb, with the index finger pressed against the rim, parallel to the ground.

For tomahawks, I find it best to use your FH grip.

As others have said, OS discs will pan at a slower rate. This will generate distance, but not always control.

If you need thumbers or tomahawks to turn/pan faster, use stable-understable discs.

Personally, I love Eagles & the Polaris LS for most OH work up to 300'. Over this distance, try OLFs & Valks.

 

[bnbanbury]

I throw firebirds for thumbers using the grip described above. I used to only throw them for get out of trouble type shots but have added a lot of distance since i learned the shot and now throw them off the tee for left to right shots up to 300' or so. For me the big difference was learning to keep my wrist loose during reach-back, just like i would with any other shot, and really hit it at the apex of my throw.

 

[Doofenshmirtz]

For what it's worth, I think most people do much better with one or the other. I've never had much luck with tomahawks, but I can throw a pretty good thumber. So to start I'd find which ever style works better for you and then take it from there.

Ignore this. Thumbers and tomahawks do different things, falling in different directions. There are times when you will want to use one or the other and they won't be interchangeable. It is good to learn both.

 

[Jax11]

^^This for Thumber grip. Pinch the disc between the middle phalanx of the middle finger & thumb, with the index finger pressed against the rim, parallel to the ground.

For tomahawks, I find it best to use your FH grip.

As others have said, OS discs will pan at a slower rate. This will generate distance, but not always control.

If you need thumbers or tomahawks to turn/pan faster, use stable-understable discs.

Personally, I love Eagles & the Polaris LS for most OH work up to 300'. Over this distance, try OLFs & Valks.

Adding onto this, I've noticed overstable discs fly a tighter line and understable discs get more left to right action during the pan.

You can also alter how fast or slow a disc pans by adjusting the angle of release.

Thumbers are much easier to get the full pan, for me at least.

When I use tomahawks, I usually intentionally only let them pan halfway, then they skip or slide upside down.

 

[Rockwell]

For Tomahawks I recommend holding the disc like you would a forehand. 2 fingers, put your middle finger on the rim with your pointer finger right behind it. Throw the disc like you are throwing a baseball in from the outfield. In calm conditions, aim straight at your target.

For learning purposes, I suggest a disc like an Orc.

 

[banzai7]

I throw thumbers with Firebirds. Thinking about picking up a XXX to try though.

I tend to think tomahawks are less useful since they are harder to get the full pan. I only really use them when I definitely need it to finish left, and I'll use an understable disc like a Valk. Rarely, I'll go for a scoobie type shot with a champ FB in slow ceiling approach situation.

I use the same grip as the folks above.

 

[goeyj]

Just a note on release angle:
If you want a slower pan and more distance, try releasing thumbers with the disc as vertical as possible. For a faster pan and little more control, you can release with the top of the disc at 1:30 or 2:00.

The opposite is true for tomahawks. Releasing with the top of the disc past 12:00 will give you a slower pan and more distance depending on severity of angle and power.

 

[DiscJunkie]

I only have my pointer finger on the outside when I throw a thumber. I brace the disc between the joint of my middle finger and my thumb.

There is room in the world for more than one thumber grip.
I no longer use the grip described above, because I was never consistent and accurate with it.
Brian Schweberger (best thumber around right now) braces the disc between the joint of his index finger and his thumb, and does not have any fingers on the outside of the disc.
This thumb and index finger grip allows improved control, accuracy and better snap. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but stick with it if you want to have a better thumber. It will take some commitment.
If Schwebby uses that grip, it must be good.

 

[Lewis]

I use my index and middle fingers with my thumb for both tomahawks and thumbers. As with forehand throws, I keep my fingers stacked against the rim for tomahawks. The flight paths of the two throws could be considered mirror images, so it's definitely worth learning to throw both.

Overstable discs will turn more slowly when thrown overhand, while understable discs will turn and flip more quickly. The basic flight pattern will be for the disc to turn upside down in a broad, descending right-to-left (RH thumber) or left-to-right (RH tomahawk) loop, and if the flight plate continues turning past horizontal, it will finish by dumping back the other direction and tending to hit the ground edge-on. For right-handers, tomahawks tend to finish left of the direction you throw them, and thumbers tend to finish to the right of the direction you throw them, unless you throw it so that it hits the ground before it sweeps past upside down.

All this can be manipulated by the release angle. You could even think of the transition from forehand to tomahawk as taking the release angle past extreme anhyzer. You can throw it with the edge to the sky, or throw it over your head with the flight plate facing down, which can work as a sort of overhand "scooby" throw. It's hard to get an overhand throw down a tight tunnel, but if you throw an overstable disc hard and low, you can get some interesting results. Be ready for the disc to skip if it hits the ground upside down, or bounce and roll a little if it hits the ground on edge. Have fun experimenting.

 

[Lewis]

My advice would be to make sure you stretch your arm before attempting those shots at well. You will even see pros loosin up their arm before they thumber/toma. As you practice you will see the flights of the disc with that type of throw ,just be careful with your arm

This is worth repeating. I've finished many a round with a sore shoulder because I threw too many hard tomahawks without warming up properly, and it makes the rest of the day less fun. It's like throwing a baseball hard before warming up: you don't want to do it.

 

[odysseus]

There is room in the world for more than one thumber grip.
I no longer use the grip described above, because I was never consistent and accurate with it.
Brian Schweberger (best thumber around right now) braces the disc between the joint of his index finger and his thumb, and does not have any fingers on the outside of the disc.
This thumb and index finger grip allows improved control, accuracy and better snap. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but stick with it if you want to have a better thumber. It will take some commitment.
If Schwebby uses that grip, it must be good.

https://youtu.be/wORRgw2oZvA

@ 6:00

Great grip for distance.

 

[ncbrett92]

For Tomahawks I recommend holding the disc like you would a forehand. 2 fingers, put your middle finger on the rim with your pointer finger right behind it. Throw the disc like you are throwing a baseball in from the outfield. In calm conditions, aim straight at your target.

For learning purposes, I suggest a disc like an Orc.

The couple of times I have gone to it in a get out of trouble spot i'v gone to my Orc or to my Teebird. Started playing with some of the other stuff to in the field but in rounds pretty much learn on them if needed.

 

[ncbrett92]

I use my index and middle fingers with my thumb for both tomahawks and thumbers. As with forehand throws, I keep my fingers stacked against the rim for tomahawks. The flight paths of the two throws could be considered mirror images, so it's definitely worth learning to throw both.

Overstable discs will turn more slowly when thrown overhand, while understable discs will turn and flip more quickly. The basic flight pattern will be for the disc to turn upside down in a broad, descending right-to-left (RH thumber) or left-to-right (RH tomahawk) loop, and if the flight plate continues turning past horizontal, it will finish by dumping back the other direction and tending to hit the ground edge-on. For right-handers, tomahawks tend to finish left of the direction you throw them, and thumbers tend to finish to the right of the direction you throw them, unless you throw it so that it hits the ground before it sweeps past upside down.

All this can be manipulated by the release angle. You could even think of the transition from forehand to tomahawk as taking the release angle past extreme anhyzer. You can throw it with the edge to the sky, or throw it over your head with the flight plate facing down, which can work as a sort of overhand "scooby" throw. It's hard to get an overhand throw down a tight tunnel, but if you throw an overstable disc hard and low, you can get some interesting results. Be ready for the disc to skip if it hits the ground upside down, or bounce and roll a little if it hits the ground on edge. Have fun experimenting.

Awesome break down thank you and thank you to everyone else for your comments it makes a little more sense to me now. Will have a little direction when I go to practice next time!

 

[The Last DJ]

Check out Dave's Grip Tips. I use the sidearm grips for tomahawk shots - the split grip for control shots and the stack for drives. As for thumbers, look at the hook thumb grip towards the bottom. It works for some, but I move my index to the opposite side of the flight plate as my thumb and pinch the disc around the rim.

As for disc selection, Firebirds and Sharks are my weapons of choice. I carry Champ plastic for skip shots and G* for placement shots I need to "sit down" where they land. Practice with some stable/overstable discs out in the open before taking your overhand game to the course. If all else fails, channel Matt Dollar or Schwebby. Those guys know how to throw overhand!

 

[Qikly]

There is room in the world for more than one thumber grip.
I no longer use the grip described above, because I was never consistent and accurate with it.
Brian Schweberger (best thumber around right now) braces the disc between the joint of his index finger and his thumb, and does not have any fingers on the outside of the disc.
This thumb and index finger grip allows improved control, accuracy and better snap. It may seem uncomfortable at first, but stick with it if you want to have a better thumber. It will take some commitment.
If Schwebby uses that grip, it must be good.

I'd never heard of this grip before. I tried it a few times the other day and wasn't very successful. I felt it sacrificed a lot of grip security, with the disc wobbling in my hand a bit and coming out early, etc. Obviously it takes time to become familiar with something new so I'll still mess around with it, but my initial impression was that it was awkward, and it didn't feel like it offered me much. We'll see.