Reid's Journey to Backhand Mastery

[UhhNegative]

I have a question regarding putting. I'm working on getting my putt to be a little more flat. Some days I can do it well, but others I'm just a hyzer putting machine. When I watch a lot of good putters putt, it seems like they bring the disc back on hyzer/nose down (Ricky preaches to not do this, but he does anyway). I've had good success getting the nose up on the forward swing, but its hard for me to get it to fly flat. I have to consciously think about it, and that usually results in a bad putt anyway. Is it just that I need to apply more pressure/lift with my middle and ring finger? Or do I need to supinate the wrist more? It feels inconsistent to do that at the last second before release, but alas to my eyes it seems like that is how people putt. I can get some video if needed as well.

 

[UhhNegative]

Just still been doing only one leg drill throws and lots of putting practice. Really starting to build putting confidence right handed which is surprising. I'm comfortable with the power out to about circles edge now, and getting the disc flatter. I push it right sometimes, but most of my misses are up/down as you would expect with a push (maybe a little spush) putt. Throwing has been going decent as well. Really focusing on keeping the upper arm angle wide and it's easy to see how it gives you so much more power, but it still feels so awkward. Nothing I'm really stuck on, just need to keep practicing. As I improve more I'll post some videos, until then, just posting to keep myself motivated to keep working. It's been pretty fun.

 

[RandyC]

Just still been doing only one leg drill throws and lots of putting practice. Really starting to build putting confidence right handed which is surprising. I'm comfortable with the power out to about circles edge now, and getting the disc flatter. I push it right sometimes, but most of my misses are up/down as you would expect with a push (maybe a little spush) putt. Throwing has been going decent as well. Really focusing on keeping the upper arm angle wide and it's easy to see how it gives you so much more power, but it still feels so awkward. Nothing I'm really stuck on, just need to keep practicing. As I improve more I'll post some videos, until then, just posting to keep myself motivated to keep working. It's been pretty fun.

Since you switched hands and putting is going pretty well, I am quite interested to know which eye is dominant for you? Right or left?

 

[UhhNegative]

Since you switched hands and putting is going pretty well, I am quite interested to know which eye is dominant for you? Right or left?

That's a great question! I am right eye dominant. I didn't struggle too much left/right accuracy left handed but just could not get height control to save my life. The hardest putts were like the 10' ones because for whatever reason it felt like my body was calibrated to throw higher than I intended, so many top band hits. I could honestly aim at the pole below the cage and have better success than aiming at the basket. But the real key is that I just have so much more wrist mobility on the right which allows me to get much more control under the disc and through the "hit" of the putt. Like imagine if I was a waiter, I wouldnt be able to hold a serving platter with my left hand without doing some contortion of my elbow. I'm able to putt more "through" the basket and really feel the disc pop off the middle/ring fingers where as before it felt like more like a throw. Even when messing around with left handed putting it still just feels wrong.

 

[UhhNegative]

Can't believe I haven't thought of this before now, but when you are gripping the disc (for throwing) is the thumb pressure applied with the thumb tip area or the area of the thumb where the first knuckle is for the rip point? I know the thumb pad should be applying a little pressure as well.

 

[sidewinder22]

Can't believe I haven't thought of this before now, but when you are gripping the disc (for throwing) is the thumb pressure applied with the thumb tip area or the area of the thumb where the first knuckle is for the rip point? I know the thumb pad should be applying a little pressure as well.

Yes, thumb tip/end joint is what traps the disc rim in grip and pushes disc forward.

 

[UhhNegative]

Took some putting and one leg drill videos today. It looks like I have decent weight shift on the putting, I'm just a little timid with my arm speed and follow through which causes me to miss short sometimes. I think just continuing to practice will help me develop that confidence.

The one leg drills were pretty bad, I see I'm throwing myself over the top, but I had one or two throws where I was able to stay more centered and felt a better throw.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TMMFJlvjzuDGX7w82

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TRv16M5l3d4r6qYf2

 

[slowplastic]

Putt is looking better on some of them, but you are very parallel in setup. I think this is an easy way to feel the end balance you are aiming for, but now maybe try being more offset closer to 30-45 degree angle rather than parallel with hips. Also have the rear foot more angled toward the target so you can really push off the instep/toes. Right now your rear foot and knee are perpendicular to the target so they counter but don't drive as much I think. There's no one size fits all, but these are things to experiment with.

For the one leg drill I don't think your rear arm is doing you any help. Try to get it to counter/swim move/leverage the throw so that you can hit it hard and confidently. Maybe try the Garret Gurthie arm leverage thing to get the feeling of how the rear arm can move opposite the throwing arm, then try to get a similar leverage feeling with the arm forward and in like how Drew Gibson or McBeth do it.

 

[sidewinder22]

That's definitely not One Leg Drill. That's a two leg standstill spin out. You are way too stiff and static and centered between both feet in the setup, so there's basically zero shift from one leg to the other leg. If you watch your practice swing at 20 sec, your rear heel spins out away from you and the target and there is still at least half your weight and balance on the back foot. You need to push your heel targetward(Drag the foot video post 22), so your weight/CoG shifts balanced completely onto the front leg, your CoG stays back behind the front leg, so your weight falls back to the rear leg and your rear foot slides out. You need to setup your swing balanced completely on the front leg, not both legs. Watch how I setup in Slow Motion Drill like One Leg Drill and shift back into the backswing, then back forward to front leg for forward swing. Also do some Perpetually Longer Swing Drill, and Open to Closed Drill in Crush the Can Lizotte - (try actually throwing from these). If you watch my standstill throw I setup like in Perpetually Longer Swing Drill shifting weight back and forth slightly taking a full pre-swing before starting the full longer backswing, I'm setting up much more dynamic and settling my weight into the feet/ground.




Watch how McBeth sets up his swing in the very beginning on One Leg, the rear foot is weightless:

 

[UhhNegative]

Putt is looking better on some of them, but you are very parallel in setup. I think this is an easy way to feel the end balance you are aiming for, but now maybe try being more offset closer to 30-45 degree angle rather than parallel with hips. Also have the rear foot more angled toward the target so you can really push off the instep/toes. Right now your rear foot and knee are perpendicular to the target so they counter but don't drive as much I think. There's no one size fits all, but these are things to experiment with.

For the one leg drill I don't think your rear arm is doing you any help. Try to get it to counter/swim move/leverage the throw so that you can hit it hard and confidently. Maybe try the Garret Gurthie arm leverage thing to get the feeling of how the rear arm can move opposite the throwing arm, then try to get a similar leverage feeling with the arm forward and in like how Drew Gibson or McBeth do it.

The rear foot only looks that way because I'm pidgeon toed by about 30 degrees or so on that foot. The rear knee is facing more targetward, hard to see on this angle. I'll experiment with that though.

 

[UhhNegative]

That's definitely not One Leg Drill. That's a two leg standstill spin out.

An attempt was made, lol. I'll keep working on it and come back when I don't suck as much.

 

[UhhNegative]

Finally made a breakthrough recently in my upper body. Basically been only working on not hugging myself and keeping a wide elbow. The difference is incredible. I feel no weight of the disc in my hand until it gets to the power pocket and then it rockets out. If I focus on keeping my hand more on the outside I can tell the disc turns and glides more too. Tighter grip at the last second adds even more power. Lower body is still a mess right handed, but truthfully I haven't really been putting hardly any time into disc golf. Got a lot going in my life right now, but it feels good to figure something out.

Moving to NC this year so I'll have a lot more courses available to me when I start playing again.

 

[UhhNegative]

Well... I'm not rounding and getting closer to the power pocket.... but this is almost too embarrassing to post. Almost. I'm terribly off balance. I can't seem to stop my rear side from rising and falling to the left which makes my throw shank right and low. Feels like learning to walk throwing right handed. Is my nose angle up just because of insufficient ulnar deviation through the hit? Something looks wonky about my release.

 

[UhhNegative]

But... at least I'm not rounding? So that's a win? I just need a little win.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

But... at least I'm not rounding? So that's a win? I just need a little win.

Close enough?

 

[UhhNegative]

Wing/win what's the difference? Now talk about a man who was confused about what handedness he was. Jimi played a right handed guitar left handed (treble e string at the top). As a left handed guitar player, I have no idea how he did that.

 

[sidewinder22]

IMO you need to keep swinging back and forth and shift your weight back and forth over and over again before you go into the backswing. Just like you would with a hammer, feel the weight of the hammer/disc and swing it back and forth, test it out before going full swing and use that swinging momentum to your advantage. A static starting position is not powerful or fluid. You also appear to have the front shoulder/elbow/disc too high in your setup position. Elbow should be about nip high.

There is absolutely no reason your left arm should be way out away from your body in your backswing especially considered you barely get turned into a full backswing/door frame drill position.

Watch how dynamic my arm/disc and weight is setting up in my standstill:

 

[billyjacko]

IMO you need to keep swinging back and forth and shift your weight back and forth over and over again before you go into the backswing. Just like you would with a hammer, feel the weight of the hammer/disc and swing it back and forth, test it out before going full swing and use that swinging momentum to your advantage. A static starting position is not powerful or fluid.

This is great advice. This is for approach shots inside of 225' with a Nova, but I've been working on keeping the feet completely in line with the target and rocking the weight back and forth directly towards and away from the target off my insteps. Let the hips get loose and swivel (pushing one into the other and back). When I'm ready to throw, all I feel like I'm doing is guiding the disc parallel with my body into the pocket, and it just bounces out towards the target every time. Seppo explains it better than I can.

You also appear to have the front shoulder/elbow/disc too high in your setup position.

Exactly what I thought. You look really stiff and too upright. Of course, I would probably look ridiculous trying to throw left handed.

 

[UhhNegative]

I'm still really struggling with the concept or application of a closed shoulder. So right here my shoulders are open right?

What about this lefty shot, might be hard to see from behind angle.

I noticed in my lefty x-step shots I'm actually getting my hips facing forward at the target and my form actually looks decent, but my standstill RH shots I have trouble getting jammed on the front hip and not clearing. I think it might just be how I'm landing on the front foot, aka over the top. You can even see how my rear foot in the lefty shot is hanging more and my right shot my rear leg is extended.

 

[UhhNegative]

I'm guessing this video is relevant: