Tiny Change Improves Drive Distance

[TheBeardedFatGuy]

First off, I don't care if I'm the last person on earth to try this, or that everyone else already knows what I'm about to say since before they could walk, so, please, back off. I've only been playing for a year now and advancements are coming slowly. But I like to share them when they occur because 1. I'm excited to have gotten something right. And 2. It might just help another newbie who hasn't tried it yet. Thanks.

So, I got a new disc yesterday (Ti Nuke SS) and went out to try it this morning. Reading some reviews on the disc the night before, I recalled one guy advised throwing it on a hyzer. That sparked a memory of one of hundreds of technique videos where, I think it was Schusterick, advised hunching over the disc a little with knees bent. I threw a few times in my usual way, then I tried hunching over a little during the reach back, knees slightly bent, disc at a hyzer angle, and let it rip. The result was not only my first successful hyzer flip, but both discs I threw went probably 15' farther than I'd ever thrown on that hole before. That may not seem like a lot of distance, but to someone like me who has yet to verifiably hit the 300' mark, it's fist pump time.

Anyway, if you haven't tried bending your knees a tiny bit and leaning over your disc line a little, give it a try. I think the throwing on a hyzer tip is really only valid with an understable disc, but it worked great with both the Nuke SS and my Tern.

 

[DGHippie]

Congrats on the distance gains. Most players can definitely get stronger pullthroughs on a hyzer. One thing I try to concentrate on is making sure to bend at the hips instead Quasimodo-ing over the disc. Bending at the spine seems to take away some of the power generated by my hips and causes me to turn some shots over. I call it "Yoinking the disc" because the pullthrough starts on a nice hyzer for the first 2/3rds of the throw but my back straightens up near "the hit" causing me to roll the disc over.

 

[RFrance]

From reading the forums and watching the videos I came across the hyzer flip about six months ago. I'm just now getting the hang of it a little better and knowing which discs work best for me and just how much to bend at the waist. My Blizz Destroyer is getting beat in pretty good now and my form keeps getting better and I was able to hyzer flip it a measured 320 out in the field today. Great distance for me and best so far.

 

[DGsirb1978]

Nuke

I wonder if it might be better to hold off on the Nuke until you get better form and arm speed?

 

[slowplastic]

I actually find it's easier to clear your hips during the bracing if you have more of a bent knee/athletic approach and even a slight hyzer angle over the disc. You're definitely better off to keep throwing on those angles (slight hyzer to flat-ish releases), especially compared to doing lots of annhyzer or flex shots with overstable discs.

 

[AzteC]

Good job, its exciting to add distance to your game. I was invariably stuck at the 300-360' mark for quite awhile. I had solid x-step technique and follow thru so I didn't know how to add distance. Of all things, changing my grip is what blasted me off to throwing 400-450 feet. As you get better, its small tweaks that will continue to make the big improvements in your game. I've only been able to hit that mark within the last 3 months, so I know if I keep working on hitting that 400+ range, maybe one day I will be able to throw over 500 feet! I really think whats going to tip the scale is the speed of my run up. I find whenever I try to approach my run up at a fast speed I lose control and power. Its with a slow x-step that allows me to be completely relaxed and generate a lot of speed with my arm. I think when I figure out how to have a "fast" run up I can add even more distance.

 

[TheBeardedFatGuy]

I wonder if it might be better to hold off on the Nuke until you get better form and arm speed?

My handling of the Nuke SS yesterday was actually pretty decent. Not like the regular Nuke I tried last October - I definitely didn't have the arm or the technique to throw that disc. But then it's well known that understable is better for less experienced players. After I got a distance boon from switching to the Heat last December, I've intentionally sought out discs rated with a 6 Glide. Which led me inevitably to the Tern, which has been my go-to driver for some time. While the Nuke SS is (supposedly) more of a 5 Glide, I'm getting roughly equal distance with it

 

[TheBeardedFatGuy]

Good job, its exciting to add distance to your game. I was invariably stuck at the 300-360' mark for quite awhile. I had solid x-step technique and follow thru so I didn't know how to add distance. Of all things, changing my grip is what blasted me off to throwing 400-450 feet. As you get better, its small tweaks that will continue to make the big improvements in your game. I've only been able to hit that mark within the last 3 months, so I know if I keep working on hitting that 400+ range, maybe one day I will be able to throw over 500 feet! I really think whats going to tip the scale is the speed of my run up. I find whenever I try to approach my run up at a fast speed I lose control and power. Its with a slow x-step that allows me to be completely relaxed and generate a lot of speed with my arm. I think when I figure out how to have a "fast" run up I can add even more distance.

First off, what change did you make to your grip? Enquiring minds want to know. Second, and I realize this is a newbie opinion, I suspect there's a point of diminishing returns on run-up speed. Body speed at disc release obviously adds to the disc's speed, but I think the main benefit of the run-up, and especially the x-step, is they load the body with momentum that makes rotation and clearing the hips easier. Not only can that be accomplished at a fairly low speed run-up, but, as you said, its easier to have good form at lower speeds.

 

[AzteC]

First off, what change did you make to your grip? Enquiring minds want to know. Second, and I realize this is a newbie opinion, I suspect there's a point of diminishing returns on run-up speed. Body speed at disc release obviously adds to the disc's speed, but I think the main benefit of the run-up, and especially the x-step, is they load the body with momentum that makes rotation and clearing the hips easier. Not only can that be accomplished at a fairly low speed run-up, but, as you said, its easier to have good form at lower speeds.

Its hard to explain the change in grip without showing, but I moved the disc closer to the edge of my fingers, its basically on that thick pad between the palm of the hand and where your fingers start. So I'm really holding less of the disc, which I think causes less drag on the disc. I'm still using a power grip, but less of the disc is touching my hand.

 

[Dan Ensor]

First off, I don't care if I'm the last person on earth to try this.

One of the great things about internet forums is that if you share your results, they will speak to someone. Everyone can contribute, and someone new to the game is going to contribute something completely different than SW22 most times. Someone could have helped me this week by telling me not to let go of the disc. Silly that I would have to be told that, but it slipped my mind!

The terrible thing about internet forums ... well you seem to have a good grasp on that.

I wonder if it might be better to hold off on the Nuke until you get better form and arm speed?

If you're throwing a clean hyzer flip, you're getting the disc up past the cruising speed, and it's flying "as intended".