How do I practice my drive at home

[bmwrider1]

I just played today for my first time, the guys who took me have been playing for 5+ years told me my short game is already good and I should work on making my drive more consistent.
I was throwing very soft and trying to focus on control.

How can I practice a consistent driving motion to get it flat when I am at home and lack the long distance needed to drive?

 

[luma1]

Well, for dure nothng beats some field practice, so if you only have 500 m to the next big enough field I would reccomend to go there. Then do a "practice throw" before you throw the disc in which you concentrate on what you want to do in your throw (like keeping the movement flat and not throwing the disc nose up and high).

What helped me at home when I had to learn to throw flat was just to do the movement very slow so I could focus on keeping the arm level also on the followthrough. I also did that a lot when playing ball golf and I seem to be that kind of guy who those slow practice motions help a lot as my brain just learns that motion. I have heard others that have to do the motion in real speed so that it helps them... Don't know what to do then, but I'm sure others here do

 

[JR]

You can check that you move the arm in a straight line in slow motion and high speed without a disc in front of the mirror. You can set up a frame with blankets, tarps, whatever to catch discs but beware of missing. So an empty basement with concrete walls would help in avoiding breaking stuff like windows.

 

[bmwrider1]

I don't want to develop bad habits and would like to get the motion right from the start.

 

[JR]

Timing of movements is probably more important than nailing every movement direction. A good gauge for proper timing and sequence of body part movements is to keep the disc moving in a straight line from the farthest point of the reach back to the disc leaving the hand. This is for most golf shots and there are exceptions to the general rule that is developed from this game being more accuracy and consistency based than power based. Maximum distance shots with reduced accuracy and consistency are another matter altogether.

So for avoiding creating bad habits i'd read the 300' thread and practice in front of a mirror and looking at a disc to make sure it moves in a straight line never deviating from height and only deviating an inch or so sideways from the elbow and wrist movements otherwise pulling the disc in a straight line.

 

[bmwrider1]

Timing of movements is probably more important than nailing every movement direction. A good gauge for proper timing and sequence of body part movements is to keep the disc moving in a straight line from the farthest point of the reach back to the disc leaving the hand. This is for most golf shots and there are exceptions to the general rule that is developed from this game being more accuracy and consistency based than power based. Maximum distance shots with reduced accuracy and consistency are another matter altogether.

So for avoiding creating bad habits i'd read the 300' thread and practice in front of a mirror and looking at a disc to make sure it moves in a straight line never deviating from height and only deviating an inch or so sideways from the elbow and wrist movements otherwise pulling the disc in a straight line.

The straight line concept makes good sense.
I will try the mirror suggestion for sure.
Thanks.

 

[CaddyJeff]

Towel Drill.

 

[itlnstln]

Towel Drill.

While this does work for a lot of folks, I never really found any value in the towel drill. It's very hard, IMO, to translate "throwing" a towel to throwing a disc. It helps with body timing to a certain extent, but the mechanics at the wrist, hand, and fingers is lost, and I really believe the wrist/hand mechanics are the most important part of the throw. When you get those down, the towel drill might help, but it's just one of many methods to use when working from the hit backwards. I find that Blake's "hammer" drills help establish the feel of a good (or at least better) hit. With that, then it's easier to work on the body positions/timings that build on that feel of the hit. For years, I worked on timing with things like the towel drill, but when I learned the hit, everything else more or less fell into place. I wish I would have done that first. Don't work on the motion, work on the hit. The motion will come easier when you figure out the hit.

 

[keltik1]

you could set up a net in your garage, basement, or backyard. I would only suggest this if you own the property. otherwise look for an empty soccer field.

 

[itlnstln]

you could set up a net in your garage, basement, or backyard. I would only suggest this if you own the property. otherwise look for an empty soccer field.

This. Nothing simulates throwing a disc like throwing a disc.

 

[llaine]

You can also practice the motion of bringing the disc close to your chest by standing against the wall, leaving inch or so room for both sides of the disc when it passes your chest. Then try to bring the disc from the reach back to the release point without the disc touching the wall