tunnel shots and technical courses

[anarak82]

So I got owned this last weekend by a course I hadn't played before (Live Oak, Texas) which is a lot different than most of the courses around me. I'm from east texas and the trees are pretty tall providing a nice 20-30ft canopy. There aren't many technical holes in my area (with the exception of one course about 90 miles for me, can't make it there often). Most of the shots on the courses I played this weekend had about a 10ft canopy with trees with unforgiving thick branches. Most of the holes were around 220-275ft, and a vast majority of them being left to right shots. When there was a spike hyzer route I always took it and made a 2 or a 3, but those holes were few and far between. Playing the course blind (or in some cases with 1 round of practice) I didn't really have a comfortable feel for the lines and was throwing into trees or shule quite often.

I never thought that my low turnover or s curve shot was a weekness for me since I usually do better than most in my hometown on the few tunnel or low shots that we have here. My Z Wasp, Z XL, ESP Avenger and my Buzzz work quite well for these shots usually, but not this weekend. I found myself getting tenative after a few bogeys and just wanting to hit gaps, thus not putting enough power on the shots to have a chance for birdies.

So other than just having confidence to hit the gaps and not throwing tenatively, do you guys have any advice for these low shots through trees? Any practice tips, or maybe technical advice on how to keep accuarcy and power on courses that you're playing blind?

 

[dflaschiii]

These are some of the toughest shots. Depending on the distance of the line, I usually throw a high speed driver on low tunnel shots over 300ft and play the skip for the R-L or L-R action (lightweight Wraith, Firebird). Increased speed negates the low ceiling.

I also squat down a bit more on the pad to get a very low release. And I before the throw I remind myself that it's better to be too low on this shot than too high, rather have it hit the ground 200ft out than sail off in the trees and end up way off line.

 

[SkaBob]

I throw from my knees if the ceiling's REALLY 10 feet, with no available higher lines. Usually the ceiling's higher around here though, even on wooded courses.

 

[DiscGolfTeeSigns.com]

you got houcked!

 

[curt1]

you got houcked!

that's a great new phrase for a very familiar feeling.

 

[t i m]

It's important to have a consistent plant on your release in order to hit gaps. I'm sure a training article would cover this in more detail, but basically, if you plant your right foot (for a RHBH shot) perpendicular to the line you want to hit, and throw your full shot, your arm should release the disc down the line your foot is aiming at. If you throw a neutral disc, you should hit your line 90%+ of the time.

The other option is to work on your forehand shot, since it is relatively easier for most people to put a forehand down an alley since they can watch where they are aiming.

Over time, as I'm slowly learning to trust the plant foot on my backhand, I've gotten to where I think FH and BH are at least equally accurate in hitting lines, though they are useful for different shots.

If there is a single small gap to hit on an otherwise open fairway, or a left to right hole, then I throw a forehand.

If the fairway requires a long, straight shot, then I throw a backhand because it is easier to transfer power to a neutral disc on a backhand than on a forehand throw. It is technically possible to forehand Rocs, Putters, Leopards, etc straight, but it is much harder and requires greater finesse than throwing the same disc flat with a backhand.

Also, for RHBH shots, make sure you are coming through your release level with the disc nose down. If you have a low ceiling and walls on both sides, your margin of error is much smaller than in a field, so it forces you to work on your form.

 

[t i m]

Or, when in doubt, flick a roller. :twisted: My favorite tee-shot in the woods on holes were all I am trying for is a 3. A roller near the fairway will usually get down the path far enough that you can make an upshot and take the three. Flick rollers on woods holes are playing your odds...

I know a lot of woods holes that for me, an airshot would result in a distribution something like this (out of 10 throws): 2 deuces, 3 pars, 4 bogies, 1 double bogey (an avg. of 3.4 for the hole). Whereas a flick roller would result in something like: 1 deuce, 7 pars, 2 bogies (avg. 3.1) If you have three woods holes like this, you are going to save yourself an average of a stroke per round by throwing flick rollers off the teebox on those holes.

It's worth throwing several discs off the box in practice rounds to get a sense of what your odds are with different types of shots in the woods. Maybe flick rollers aren't your saving grace -- maybe you can throw pinpoint, high-power, low-arc tomahawks down tight alleys and that saves you. But get a sense of what your highest percentage shots are in the woods and trust your odds.

 

[Dogma1]

The first thing I'd do on a technical course with holes that short is put away the drivers. I can hit small gaps pretty well with a mid or putter, but the drivers are harder to get a controlled release. I'd have thought your Buzz would work well, but my personal choice would be a Comet. Very controllable, surprisingly long for a mid, and can be straight or turn left to right depending on how you throw it. I'm not trying to push a disc on you, just saying that your confidence in hitting gaps will come from knowing you can control a particular disc well. For me that meant discing down to slower stuff than what I used to throw and throwing fewer molds. I also get more control throwing from a standstill, even if it means a little less distance.

 

[geoloseth1]

Ive found that when trying to hit a gap that picking a spot directly behind me and the reaching back to that point and pulling straight through to the gap helps me hit it a higher percentage of the time. I havent played the coirse you're talking about, but I would also suggest opting for a disc that will just let you get there for a par. If I were in your shoes and I was having a tough time making it to the pin I would just take my midrange and put it to a safe landing zone where I could upshot and putt. Just my opinion.

 

[niblick83]

I would be throwing forehand shots on those left to right holes that you describe all day. I throw a champion eagle as my control forehand driver and can throw that distance (220-275) without a great deal of effort. It might just be my baseball background but I am way more accurate with a forehand shot in those tight quarters plus left to right is the natural flight pattern for forehand shots. This is definitely not to say that you shouldn't work on the small turnover shot but I figure (especially in tourney play) that the least complicated shot that I feel comfortable throwing is the better shot to play.

 

[Johnnytothec]

Forehand is definately the way to go with very low ceiling shots, especially on right turning holes. I do not care what anyone says, you cannot throw a low anhyser shot. Go in a field and try to throw an anny that goes 275' that does not go above 10' without a cut roll at the end. If the ceiling were 20"+ then anny is an option, but with a 10' a forehand or forehand cut roller is definately going to yield the lowest average score.

As for throwing tight holes, do not try to finess the disc. Pick your line, be confident in it, and make a firm decisive throw. I like discs that you can crank on without a lot of left/right movement on them for wooded courses. A TL and a buzzz fit this bill perfectly. Thrown with a touch of hyser, they flip up to flat, fly on a rope until the very end with minimal low speed fade

 

[Timko]

I do not care what anyone says, you cannot throw a low anhyser shot. Go in a field and try to throw an anny that goes 275' that does not go above 10' without a cut roll at the end.

I can throw that shot. Leopard, turned over, with a lot of snap and minimal velocity.

 

[Marmoset]

I do not care what anyone says, you cannot throw a low anhyser shot. Go in a field and try to throw an anny that goes 275' that does not go above 10' without a cut roll at the end.

I can throw that shot. Leopard, turned over, with a lot of snap and minimal velocity.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. The Leopard I'd use is a somewhat beat 169 gram DX Leopard. Beat enough to do huge annys, still enough fade for it to pull out of the anny before it hits the ground.
My goal is to get a 175 Champ Leo to this stage.