Grip strength

[Aaron_D]

This has always bugged me but I want to check with everyone here to see if I am actually crazy...

Basically this is it: The weaker I grip the disc, the better the throw.

I hesitate to say 'the farther the throw', but often it is actually farther. I was getting really frustrated one day and just decided to try a super loose grip...boom...I was instantly throwing well again. When I grip tightly it seems like my whole body gets tight...my arm, my shoulder, my waiste....everything. Even when Im just tightening at the last second. Without fail if I try and keep my grip as loose as I possibly can--holding the disc just tight enough so it rips out at the right moment--I get a killer throw WITH much more accuracy. Has anyone else noticed anything similar?

I know the standard line here is that grip strength = D, so these discoveries always left me feeling a little unsure.

btw- im basically using a fan / fork grip with extreme finger looseness.

 

[seanzerelli]

Same here. All about that tendon bounce.

 

[gretagun]

You are much better thrower than I am, but I'm experiencing the same thing as you, especially what you mentioned about your entire body tensing up with a harder grip. I still have a hard time keeping my grip loose, but I get much better results when I do. I can also tighten everything down right before it ejects from my hand better if keep my grip loose, but I don't feel like I'm doing it consciously. I think this is crucial for more distance. I know that the snapping sound does not necessarily indicate real snap, but I tend to get the "sound" more with a looser grip, and usually a much more accurate shot. Sometimes I will just take a few throws using just my arm and a really loose grip to get that sensation of the weight of my disc against my fingers. I'm not worried about distance or accuracy with this excercise, just trying to get that "feel" back

 

[emiller3]

I definitely keep my grip loose while I'm throwing, at least up until the point of release/ejection. In fact, I like to try and achieve that heavy sensation in my lower arm and fingertips as I rotate by keeping everything loose. When I my practice my motion before a shot it actually hurts my fingertips sometimes because of the disc trying to rip out, kind of like when you slam your finger tips on something really hard. Tensing up my grip seems to affect my whole arm, just like you said, so I don't do it.

That said, are you sure your grip is still loose at the point of release? When I extend my elbow, my arm tenses from the effort and I assumed that my grip does as well. I honestly don't exactly what's happening at that moment, and this was going to be my next area of form improvement since nothing else seems to be providing any notable gains. I thought you only wanted a firm grip for a brief moment, right as you're extending your wrist... :?:

 

[Dale1]

Wow, I thought I was the only one!

I have been trying to have a stronger grip but I feel I am going backwards and losing both distance and accuracy. I have also tried gripping tighter with just the forefinger and thumb but that seems to be a hit and miss thing.

What is also weird is sometimes when I grip tighter or try to grip tighter near the hit I can actually feel the disc slip out of my fingers too early.

Newbie question: Should the primary pressure of the backhand grip be imparted towards the inside of the rim or downward with the thumb and upward with the fingers? Climo said something that seemed to indicate that the thumb and forefinger impart pressure against each other through the flight plate.

 

[emiller3]

Newbie question: Should the primary pressure of the backhand grip be imparted towards the inside of the rim or downward with the thumb and upward with the fingers? Climo said something that seemed to indicate that the thumb and forefinger impart pressure against each other through the flight plate.

I thought Climo said that with the right grip you could apply pressure equally into the rim (from both directions), as well as through the flight plate (in a pinching manner).

 

[banzai7]

I've found that keeping the grip loose until the last second, and then clamping down hard has increased my D.

 

[Star Shark]

Dave Feldberg talks about a very common driver grip here. It's what I use.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28ABf6csQpM

 

[JR]

You definitely need to separate index and thumb pressure from the rest of the body. I've confirmed locked wrist and too tight pinky to middle finger locking the disc in place and practically simultaneously ripping from each finger dropping RPMs for me and a friend to a third of normal. That non locked pivot RPM is still half or less of pro spin. That is due to not pinching hard enough early enough with index finger and thumb. 300 FPS video was the method. With a poor form early in the throw and not the best disc pivot or timing and power of the pinch feel wise I released at 4 o'clock on the disc. With better disc pivots I've gotten it closer to 6 o'clock like one should but no video confirmation yet.

During the disc pivot the disc needs to lose contact to the palm and pivot between the index and thumb which is impossible with too much pinky to middle finger pressure locking up the disc to the palm. I too get more audible popping sound tightening index finger and thumb late in throw during disc pivot. Keeping the entire grip loose until that.

Climo suggests index pressure to rim toward the hand from the index finger and thumb down toward the index. What is unclear to me is if he also suggests upward pressure from the index too.

I'm in the same boat as long as I clamp down early enough with the index and thumb. I get unclean releases and visible wobble on mids and putters if I try to grip hard. I don't know what the reason is but setting the outermost joint of my index finger to the edge of rim and wing instantly increased my D. Previously I tried to push my short index finger to touch the flight plate to meet the thumb for more anvil to the hammer that is the thumb. It's possible that the tight joint to corner fit increased disc pivot or the lesser touching area of the index to rim allows a cleaner or possibly with less friction (Stokely said that with his not touching the rim grip). Or not straining to reach the flight plate with my index relaxed my muscles allowing faster motions or combination of some or all of these.

My current understanding is that the whole body needs to be very loose until the elbow chop. When the throw starts body part by body part from legs up everything not yet firing needs to stay mellow until their turn comes. All the way until the disc starts to pivot by leaving contact with palm and pinky to middle finger. I'm not sure but I think that index/thumb pinch needs to begin before all prior fingers leave the disc because it takes time to clamp at full power. And that's what weak ole me needs to avoid disc slipping out early at 4 o'clock.

 

[Maks]

my brother keeps the disc really loose until right before the forward pull starts. i think in that Discraft long distance driving vid someone does this as well.

 

[inacmind7]

Correct me if I am wrong, but my thinking on the grip strength is that the hand/arm will naturally tighten up at the very end. One should be very loose until the last second, but I think your body takes care of it for you.

A loose wrist/hand/grip could show when you are pulling through too fast too early because the disc will slip out prematurely. Might help with late acceleration?

I have tried keeping everything loose and intentionally clamping down hard at the end, and it seems to throw off my timing at release (releasing real late) and it doesn't go much further if at all.

I am a little fried from studying for finals (study break!) so I hope this makes sense.

 

[garublador1]

This is something I'm just starting to seriously work with, but it seems like if I grip too hard I end up limiting my wrist extension.

 

[Beetard]

masterbeato has said that too.

 

[JHern]

I just went out to a field and tried this. I did pinch hard just an instant before release, almost unconciously, but no doubt I got some very good throws this way...actually a little more power than usual so I was turning them a bit before I began to compensate with a little more hyzer.

Thanks for the tip!

 

[Star Shark]

Looser grip puts less tension on the muscles in the arm. Which makes your arm motion much quicker and more fluid. To get that snap and max spin out of the hit, you do wanna tighten up at the last instant tho.

 

[masterbeato]

grip strength is used here for how much force is generated with the grip, not necessarily how hard you pinch with your hand onto the disc.

a loose grip gives it a trajectory and a bounce from your hand because grip also influences your fluid motions about being relaxed and flexible, and also limits your wrist extension as garublador says.

 

[JHern]

grip strength is used here for how much force is generated with the grip, not necessarily how hard you pinch with your hand onto the disc.

a loose grip gives it a trajectory and a bounce from your hand because grip also influences your fluid motions about being relaxed and flexible, and also limits your wrist extension as garublador says.

Hey Dan, this is making sense to me now. Even if I just do the wrist snap exercise starting relaxed to begin I'm getting more extension. But not just more extension, the extension is more snappy, which is probably what it needs to be to get the disc to spring out of the hand.

 

[masterbeato]

yeah staying loose can really help a lot of things in this game. top pros stress this because of technique and just simply the enjoyment of the game.

 

[JR]

Where do you start tightening the index/thumb pinch and are your fingers strong? It seems that my early slips may be due to too late timing not necessarily a lack of finger power. I did squash the hardest ball measuring finger strength after muscle atrophy and now I'm stronger. I may be an old fart unable to pinch to good tightness fast enough because pinching after elbow chop has begun with 90 degree or less elbow bend seems to be too late for me.

 

[masterbeato]

spose to tighten right when you rip.