The Rattler Run (or other lids)

[centipod]

Hi everybody!

I have been using the Rattler for almost as long as I have played disc golf. For the first couple of years I struggled to control it but now I use it for almost all approaches but I never seem to get it in the chains on those shots. Now I'm trying to develop my "Rattler Run Approach" from 20-30 meters (65-100 ft). A shot that when it passes the basket at chain height stops close enough to make a safe putt. (I'm talking about a throw here. I don't have the snap to make a putt go more than 15 meters when using a putting stance). My putting safe zone is someting like 6 meters.

I have seen the Discraft videos with Mark Ellis but I would like to hear your thoughts on this shot. It would also be nice to see more examples of this shot in videos.

-Are you comfortably using this shot everytime when you have an open path to the basket? Or is it more of a "I feel lucky"-shot.
-How close does it usually land when missing the chains?
-What weight on the Rattler do you prefer?

I would like to get to a point where I can always have a chance at the basket but still know that I would have a safe putt when I miss. My experience is that I need to get a bit of height on the disc to get it to stop close to the basket. But too much hight gives it a unfavorable angle when trying to hit the chains. I'm experimenting with release angle (nose up) and direction of release (aim a bit higher) to find the optimal line. Too much height also makes the disc fall more to the left than straight down. A bit of anhyzer helps to compensate this. (Also at my last training session I tried to keep the basket in my view when reaching back and that seemed to instantly improve my accuracy which suprised me a bit.)

So, while waiting to hear your thoughts on this I'll go throwing some Rattlers at trees!

 

[Working Stiff]

I don't know why things do what they do, I just throw plastic at stuff in the wood. While doing this I've noticed that pretty much all of the small-diameter lid discs glide nicely without a lot of fade, so you can run them at the basket on long approaches. You can do the same thing with an XD, but to throw chain-high the thing will glide on by when you miss and leave you a long comeback. Lids just sorta drop and die when they run out of steam, so that and the not a lot of fade thing leaves them laying around the basket when you miss. None of the lid discs have as much mass on the rim so none of them penetrate into the chains as well as a beveled-edge putter. You might make a great looking run with one and the thing just won't stick, which is why I don't use one as my primary putter.

So I think the Rattler will be perfect for what you seem to be talking about. You can take a long run at the basket, it won't have a lot of right-left play and it won't carry very far past the basket once you've figured out the range of the thing.

For me I'm usually 40'+ before I use a lid unless I'm putting uphill. Uphill I might be 25' out and using a lid depending on the slope. I generally stick with a conventional putter if the shot is wide open because the right-left play doesn't matter as much and wind is often a factor on open shots (I'm no good with a lid in the wind.) Usually it's a protected pin where I need that accuracy where I pull out the lid.

Weights never seemed to bother me much the way I throw them (40'-100' touch approach shots.) In the last year I've used a 166g Rattler, a 175g Rattler, a 170g Sonic, a 161g Upshot, a 150g Birdie and a 172g Birdie. Other than the heavier ones being better into a wind, they all still do what I need them to do.

Not sure any of that helps.

 

[centipod]

Thanks! Always nice to hear others thoughts. I think your're right about the weight.

I have tried rattlers in 163, 167, 175 and 178 grams. My throws are a bit unconsistant so its hard to tell but I haven't noticed any big differences between the weights. The biggest difference is that the lighter ones flipps a bit more when thrown hard or fh and that they hold soft anhyzers better. But the glide seams similar (when throwing). It almost seams like the lower weight, which should give more glide, also makes them slow down faster so the glide is compensated.

 

[BrotherDave]

I use a Polecat for this and I usually approach with the gentlest of hyzer rather than throw flat and straight at it. This is because my Polecat is fairly beat and if I accidentally turn it over then it leaves me a longer comebacker than otherwise. Trying to hyzer into the basket is a lot more predictable and if I miss it leaves me with a putt in the circle if not a gimmie putt. B/c it's a lid it'll still sail in 90% flatter than most any other putter so you'll get that lucky smash into the chains every now and then.

 

[centipod]

Recently I have discovered that I actually can throw a quite straight and smooth forehand with the Rattler. I have noticed that the backhand and forehand throws seem to have different lines. It almost seems that the forehand hits a better line for running at the basket and leaving a short comeback than a backhand throw. Possibly they generate a higher spin to speed ratio than a backhand throw. Have anyone else noticed the same behaviour with forehand vs backhand when throwing (nose up) approach shots?

I guess I'll have to continue practising both backhand and forehand and see how they develop. I'm just a bit surprised over how nicely the forehand flies event though its a neglected part of my game.
Perhaps the lines are similar and I'm just naturally better at throwing forehand approaches.