So I got some time to go out last night and throw. Warmed up with my std hammer and sledge throws for about 5 mins to get that feeling ingrained. Then 32 throws from a complete stand still with putters and mids only. Then 32 throws with a step forward with mids and fw's. Then 64 X step throws with some mids, fw's and my 2 control speed 9 drivers. This is only my second time using an X step to throw. Then finish off with 32 forehand throws. The footwork and lower body and balance feels pretty good. It's the upper body that feels super wonky even when the result is good. I was shocked that even on my best throws with an X step, I could only throw my fw's and control drivers about another 20-30' farther than from a one step! It makes no sense. Putters and mids are about the same, maybe on good throws another 10-20, but about the same. The consistency was about the same as one steps. So meaning, all over the place. About 25% are "good", 25% are horrible, and 50% are decent. I finally have reached end zone to end zone distance, so that's kind of cool, but not really, because I feel like I'm still using mostly my arm and rotator cuff muscles to get that distance.
To answer this question/idea from Randy C and SW22:
Find a nice downhill lie and throw from there. Opening up into plant will send you down the hill unbalanced. If you manage to throw from there balanced you are most likely bracing/leading with the hips/staying more closed into the plant. I tried this at my football field and it was easy or actually easier to throw than flat! I had NO problem staying balanced and actually started throwing off of the hill and it was easy. So I don't have any problems with being too open or bracing properly. Every single time I tried it, I landed in balance and it actually felt good. It felt like I was coming down into the throw, as opposed to out with my front foot, and I liked the feeling, haha.
I'll get the video up later when I get home, but the things that immediately stick out like a sore thumb and are the bane of my Disc Golf existence at this point (and NEVER getting better) are the:
1. Disc riding up the back of my arm when moving my weight forward. The disc somehow keeps moving up and up until it gets almost around my rear shoulder height, no matter how low or high I start the disc height in the start. It drives me crazy, I don't feel it happening, and I actually try to make sure it doesn't happen, and yet it always happens. I even tried really hard to keep the disc way out wide like that Barry Schultz guy you told me to try and emulate. It didn't work
I know that it is robbing me of 50'+ of distance as well as accuracy. It's that soft V air bounce cr*p. The disc goes from high to low and then right at the hit point, I somehow bounce the disc back up and then have a stunted low follow through. I need MAJOR help with this and ideas on how I can stop doing this. It's one of the MAJOR problems that is robbing me of tons of distance, accuracy and consistency. And tied into this is the follow through. It's not necessarily bad that my follow through is low and around, but it is probably a sign I'm not doing other stuff right before that point.
2. I can not for the life of me figure out how to throw more with my body and legs, as opposed to my arm and rotator cuff muscles. Every time I leave a field session, my right rotator cuff muscle is aching and very sore. No matter what I've tried so far, to try and whip my arm with my body and keep that 90* or larger angle, nothing is working! It is also the bane of my Disc Golf existence. Tons of distance and accuracy are lost and I have NO easy throwing (a la Freddy Couples, Philo Brathwaite, McBeth, etc). I need major help in this arena and have NO ideas on how to work on getting my lower arm to be more fluid and fast, while my upper arm stays more or less locked to my shoulder turn. Any ideas or help here would be MUCH appreciated as this is another huge problem that is NEVER getting any better, no matter what. Other things get better incrementally, this never changes. I can't do this
3. Grip selection. I can't find a good grip that always works no matter what. I use different grips for all my discs on power throws and all of them are like 50/50 success vs failure. The only two grips that give me any type of consistency for some very specific throws are the suitcase DFP grip on putters and mids for longer shots with those discs. And then a normal fan grip with the index finger just barely over the rim for touch shots of 200 or less. Other than that, I change around my grip every few shots trying to find something that feels good and really hooks into the rim. I try a 3 finger slanted grip with my index really locked into the rim for most 7-9 speed fw's and control drivers. But it's 50/50. Some throws I really feel it rip out of my index finger and they go farther, and some throws are horrible. Same goes for a power grip, modified power grip, hybrid power and fan grip I came up with where only my index and pinky are locked into the rim with the ring finger stacked on my pinky and the middle finger fanned onto the flight plate, or literally any other grip. None of them ever feel great, and none of them ever provide consistent results. I don't know if I should be using just one or two grips total, or a different grip for each disc shape? Like putters and the mids feel much better using either a fan grip or the suitcase DFP power grip. But all the other discs feel kind of weird with every single grip I try. I don't know if grip is as important as I think it is, or less important?
These 3 things are what I need the most help with. So if anyone has more ways or ideas on HOW I can do these and get them grooved into my throw, I'm all ears and very appreciative. Thanks everyone
