First post, looking for help on (terrible) backhand form

[Nova526]

Hello all,

I am new to the forum but not specifically to disc golf. I have been playing about a year but just recently started to get serious about getting better. I can drive backhand about 240ft on average (max 280), but am usually pretty accurate. My forehand is hit or miss (bad oat) but can usually hit 280 (max 315) on a good drive. All distances measured with udisc+. I am really just looking for backhand advice however.

I mainly use an innova dx cheetah, lat 64 gl river, and starlite roadrunner. I have read and watched all the main form videos, but I cannot really seem to apply anything I have read/watched. I have a few videos below and am looking for any help you can give me.

This video is a starlite roadrunner 139g thrown about 230-240ft. Disc seems to wobble a good bit on release. Sorry its dark the sun was setting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrZsiD0Ssx8&feature=youtu.be

Second one is a GL river 171g also thrown about 230-240ft. My reach back looks weak as my shoulders don't twist. This is probably more so my average throw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST1S179ghsw&feature=youtu.be


Thanks in advance!

 

[1Roy]

What kind of grip are you using? How far can throw from a standstill or one step?

 

[Nova526]

I use the 4 finger powergrip and not much shorter than an x step (30-40 ft less.) I know I should be getting more than that so I am assuming my steps aren't really helping much. My standstill seems to be less accurate for some reason though.

 

[sidewinder22]

Throw some hammers/bats/clubs/something heavy straight, you should have to close up your front side, turning your leg/hip/shoulder back to swing the arm/hammer/disc back and forth using your core:

 

[Nova526]

Thanks for the response. I played around this morning with the reciprocating dingle arm video real quick and it definitely feels different. I will try out some of these drills after work and see if it translates at all.

 

[threej21]

your upper body is completely stagnant. I am not a coach by any means, but looks like you are def throwing with 100% arm. There is no athletic motion. Your feet are moving while your shoulders stay completely still, and then you just pull your arm back and throw, with basically just your arm. Watch some videos on reach back and using your hips. When you reach back, you should be pivoting at the hips to turn your body and shoulders back with your pull back, and then you rotate the hips back as you pull through your body with your throwing arm.

 

[Nova526]

I def agree that I use all arm its using my body that I cant seem to grasp. After my reach back, how do I guide the arm to bend towards the right pec? I feel like there is a disconnection where either I am using 100% arm, or am only pivoting my hips and my arm doesn't really bend into that position.

 

[Lightbringer]

I'm working on some of the same things your are, but from what I understand your hip rotation will bring your arm across the front of the body to your "core" or "right pec" position. Starting with the reach back, your hips point generally away from the target and your weight should naturally be centered more over your rear foot. The you begin to bring your hips around and your shoulders and arm have no choice but to follow, bringing your arm across your body. Then your hips open toward the target, centering your weight on your front foot, and in the transition is where you start to apply arm power to pull through your body into the release point. You shouldn't have to use very much arm power to get into position. In any case, your shoulders and arm naturally follow your hips and this is where you get the most power from.

 

[threej21]

Just to get a feel for the right motion, try this...

Stand straight up and down with feet shoulder width apart. Reach your arm back like you would to throw. Now pivot back as far as you can with your hips. Do not think about moving your arm, but just throw your hips back around. Your arm will of course follow.
THAT is where you get the power and snap on a disc. By throwing your hips into. Very much like swinging a baseball bat. It is not the arms that put power into a swing, but the transistion of weight from your rear to your front, with the hips generating the power/momentum.

 

[Lightbringer]

One thing I recently have started trying is adapting the dingle arm drill to work on my rotation from the pull back to the right pec position. So throwing from a standstill, I will first get in an athletic stance perpendicular to the target with my arm at the right pec position. Then I will rotate my hips back away from the target and extend my arm, but I still keep it loose and try to move it into the reach back using only my hips as much as possible. Then I rotate my hips back to the original position and try to "sail" my arm into the right pec position, again using my hips as much as possible to generate this movement. I will do this several times until it feels right and then follow through and rip on one of the motions.

The key for me is keeping my arm relaxed and loose through the whole thing until I actually rip through. I am also learning not to be afraid to bring the arm across my body a little lower and closer to my waist because this is my center of gravity. I have had problems with throwing high and I thought it was the plane I was throwing on but it really isn't. As long as you don't bring your arm way up into the release or release above your shoulder it should come out pretty flat. Also, I have found for me personally that on all of my high throws I was using almost 100 percent arm, and that when I keep my arm relaxed until the last second I have much better control over both vertical and horizontal direction.


From what I am learning, OAT mainly comes from your grip and wrist position so if you are having problems with that look to your release.