Critique of technique please!

[Scho]

I have been playing on and off since about 2000. I can throw just over 400 feet fairly consistently with my destroyers and escapes. I really have been wanting to eclipse the 450 mark consistently and occasionally being able to boom one to 475-500ish. Looking for any advice that may help me reach these goals.

Until I saw the video, I never knew I didn't incorporate an x step into my form.

Thanks to Seth H. (Gneiss Productions) for the video, but here is my terrible form.

Mike
http://youtu.be/FEQ9oJxHqOQ

 

[Dan Ensor]

 

[knettles]

First of all, it's nearly impossible to throw over 400 feet with "terrible" form. Sure, your x-step is minimal, but the form is definitely not terrible. As far as improving, I'd start by just watching your video side by side with videos of the pros. See which pro's form looks closest to yours and try and emulate them. That's all I got. MikeC or one of the other big arms could probably help more.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

^^^ Agree w/ knettles. Your form is pretty damn good. I'm not trying to say I'm any better (max out around 400 on flat ground as well, w/ the rare throw into 415) - I just watch a ton of footage and practice all the time.

Things that could help: turn that left shoulder back a bit more so that you're leaning on the invisible wall at the front of the tee box. The weight shift onto your throwing leg doesn't look as powerful as it could be (http://vimeo.com/64171158) - drive that weight harder. I think you could bend your knees a bit more to make the transfer smoother and keep your upper body a bit more upright. Bending at the waist is something that David Wiggins talks about here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywEyfD1zTtQ

Here's a piece I wrote up a few weeks back:
http://heavydisc.blogspot.com/2013/11/improving-back-hand-distance.html

Again, I'm in the same boat. Small improvements now that'll gain accuracy and some distance. Lastly and something I've started doing pretty recently is working to really strengthen my core by doing planks, side planks, pushups and mountain climbers.

 

[Hyzer Ale]

The weight shift onto your throwing leg doesn't look as powerful as it could be (http://vimeo.com/64171158)

Does anyone know if Dave continued with these tip videos, he says at the end he was going to try and do bi-weekly but I don't see any more.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Does anyone know if Dave continued with these tip videos, he says at the end he was going to try and do bi-weekly but I don't see any more.

If he continued, I haven't found them I searched quite a bit.

 

[sidewinder22]

Definitely not terrible, nice video. Looks like you try to load too much weight back and your posture gets a little off and then you have to throw your upper body back forward and the swing plane gets a little whacky. I would stay taller in the backswing and turn your hips/body back rather than lean back. Your front foot lifts fairly high off the ground as you step forward, it should glide just over the ground as you stride forward.

 

[Scho]

^^^ Agree w/ knettles. Your form is pretty damn good. I'm not trying to say I'm any better (max out around 400 on flat ground as well, w/ the rare throw into 415) - I just watch a ton of footage and practice all the time.

Things that could help: turn that left shoulder back a bit more so that you're leaning on the invisible wall at the front of the tee box. The weight shift onto your throwing leg doesn't look as powerful as it could be (http://vimeo.com/64171158) - drive that weight harder. I think you could bend your knees a bit more to make the transfer smoother and keep your upper body a bit more upright. Bending at the waist is something that David Wiggins talks about here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywEyfD1zTtQ

Here's a piece I wrote up a few weeks back:
http://heavydisc.blogspot.com/2013/11/improving-back-hand-distance.html

Again, I'm in the same boat. Small improvements now that'll gain accuracy and some distance. Lastly and something I've started doing pretty recently is working to really strengthen my core by doing planks, side planks, pushups and mountain climbers.

Thanks! And nice write up on the website!!

Definitely not terrible, nice video. Looks like you try to load too much weight back and your posture gets a little off and then you have to throw your upper body back forward and the swing plane gets a little whacky. I would stay taller in the backswing and turn your hips/body back rather than lean back. Your front foot lifts fairly high off the ground as you step forward, it should glide just over the ground as you stride forward.

Thank you! That definitely makes sense! I will try it all and see what I can improve upon. The winter is a good time and I really want to try to get more distance.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

Your form really isn't that bad. It just isn't stretched out.

First, it might be the lack of x-step but the reality is that on your full reach back your hips are not turned as far as they could be. That will throw your accuracy off for a bit but will help you add distance.

Second, when you reach back with your arm, it appears as though you reach straight back but then right before you pull through you kinda reach around your body pulling the disc off the nice straight line that you want to keep it on to improve accuracy and distance. Try reaching back even further and really trying to keep everything on a straight line.

 

[Colt]

I agree with sidewinder22, on your reach back, your upper body leans backwards... Then on your snapping the disc - going into follow through, you lean very much forward.... When I watch the pros, the reach back and follow through are all done when staying very much in the middle with out much leaning back and fourth... I'm guessing that this slows your rotational velocity

 

[firstrun]

It looks as if your arm is a little out in front of your body. It also looks as if your nose angle is slightly tilted up thus causing the disc to rise quickly out of your hands. Try keeping the disc flatter on your pull through and it won't create as much drag and it may let you get a little extra distance.

 

[Scho]

I agree with sidewinder22, on your reach back, your upper body leans backwards... Then on your snapping the disc - going into follow through, you lean very much forward.... When I watch the pros, the reach back and follow through are all done when staying very much in the middle with out much leaning back and fourth... I'm guessing that this slows your rotational velocity

That definitely makes sense. Gonna do some field work over the holidays and slow things down to try to get that out of my form and see what I can do.

firstrun, thanks! I def see that in the still pic. Disc looks way out in front.

 

[knettles]

All I know is, I'm jealous of those teepads.