Hitting it half way, Discovering another plateau

[black udder]

Understanding is one thing - I think this is exactly what I've understood for a little while now, but doing is completely different. Great breakdown of it Blake. some really good information. It needs to be stickied so folks can come back to this as they improve.

I also agree with Brad that practicing the wrist extension with putting is a great start. It'll help a lot on longer putts as well, so it's a 2 birds with 1 stone kind of benefit.

Thanks for posting, Blake!

[bcsst26]

Got it.

Threw yesterday.

1. Never straightened elbow until my arm was pointing straight from the target.
2. Focus wrist. All wrist.
3. Lock must feel loose until the very second of rip and then clamp down as hard as I can at the rip.
4. If accelerating the fingers will feel "stretched" into the rip.
5. The rip will be violent and will neither rip your skin off at first.

Care to expand on #1?

[patdabunny]

2. Focus wrist. All wrist.

While we're at it, care to expand on #2? Along with what I've discussed with Blake and others here, I think I'm missing something with the wrist and how to "focus" on it. Doesn't have to be a massive dissertation, just a summary and maybe a description. Simple is fine for me...

I've seen #4 and it does feel like my fingers are "loaded" and the disc is pulling hard backward. I was throwing 400'+ back then. I've regressed since then because of illnesses.

[Blake_T]

the wrist has to coil and uncoil with an emphasis on a forceful uncoiling.

i have a drill that should aid in this a bit. it's not perfect, but it should give people some idea as to the kind of power they can exert during the wrist extension. i am posting its own thread for it.

[NoLifeLeft]

I've noticed that when I clench down in the power zone to fire the elbow my wrist gets pulled in by the clench, not flexed by inertia. It stays straight until then. How detrimental is this to proper form?

[Blake_T]

I've noticed that when I clench down in the power zone to fire the elbow my wrist gets pulled in by the clench, not flexed by inertia. It stays straight until then. How detrimental is this to proper form?

it says your timing is off. this happens if your shoulders stay constant speed.

[patdabunny]

I've noticed that when I clench down in the power zone to fire the elbow my wrist gets pulled in by the clench, not flexed by inertia. It stays straight until then. How detrimental is this to proper form?

What do you mean your "wrist gets pulled in by the clench"? Do you mean curled in towards your forearm, or extended towards the back of your hand?

[Blake_T]

What do you mean your "wrist gets pulled in by the clench"? Do you mean curled in towards your forearm, or extended towards the back of your hand?

i would assume in = curled. out = uncurled.

[JHern]

Fun thread. My struggle with the wrist extension is usually due to a competition between momentum and grip strength. The more momentum going into the wrist extension, the stronger the grip needs to be to hold onto the disc through the wrist extension. When I do get it on occasion (if only a little), it is usually toward the end of a round of 18 and I'm feeling more relaxed and less prone to trying to muscle through mechanics that should be done with more finesse than power. Then, as said previously on this thread, I don't even feel like I have to worry about the elbow extension so much on holes in the 300-350' range (most are this length in my home courses). Also, I think when you control the throw more with the wrist opening and a firm grip and consistent release the accuracy goes way up as well.

[NoLifeLeft]

What do you mean your "wrist gets pulled in by the clench"? Do you mean curled in towards your forearm, or extended towards the back of your hand?

i would assume in = curled. out = uncurled.

Correct.

I threw a lot this morning. A lot of the wrist clenching went away if I just stopped thinking so much and let the throw just flow. Also, the visualization that got me through the shoulder rotation was thinking of the back of my hand driving the follow through. My shoulder would stop until the back of my hand broke plane with my shoulders.

[NoLifeLeft]

My wrist clenching seems to have been caused by trying to pull into the power zone too early.

[Blake_T]

My wrist clenching seems to have been caused by trying to pull into the power zone too early.

this is a matter of timing being the over-riding factor in all of this. timing > positions.

[victorb]

I think I have finally started to figure out how to get a full hit on a drive.

About 2 weeks ago, I started working on adding a 5th step in my run up (2 steps, then a standard X-Step). At first, it felt just like the disc was falling out and I wasn't getting my full reach back that I do in a shorter run up. My distance was still about the same (hitting 390-400' 8/10 throws with a surge) but it just felt like there was a lot of potential being wasted.

Fast forward to last weekend - I was able to put the fast acceleration on the hit with long reach back into the 5 step run up. It feels like I'm using a lot less power to throw while feeling like my last 20% of my throwing motion is lightning fast. My distance AND accuracy have gone through the roof as well. I'm hitting 375' with stalkers on command with a ton more control than what I've felt in the past, and actually was putting long drives (400'+) where I wanted to. I still haven't figured out the right lines to throw a big D driver on, but with the distances that I've gained using my fairway drivers I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I did manage to park a 390' hole 3 drives in a row in warm ups (predator, surge, stalker) so I'm fairly certain that there is something good going on there.

I need to get more field work in with just my drivers, but I feel like I made a huge discovery and the ceiling just went up for my max D potential. Hopefully I can get some vids up by this weekend for critique and analysis - if I was doing it perfectly, I'd be throwing over 500', right?

[peppermack]

So I have been really reading this thread the last couple of days and the late acceleration and wrist snap right at the end has made a world of difference. Today doing field work I was really concentrating on a controlled slow pull, and then hitting it right as the wrist was starting to open. I made a huge difference. My average drive is usually right around 400' +- 20'. I was hitting 450-480' on every clean drive (80% of the throws). I boomed one out to 510. This is only like the 4th time I have ever hit one over 500'. My drives have sucked this spring so far after the long winter layoff. I watched a bunch of Bruce Lee stuff last night, and for some reason it really cemented the idea in my head. Hopefully this new Distance Potential carriers over! Although one thing I have learned that a great long throw can be undone with a really crappy upshot. Might as well have thrown 50' shorter and had a decent upshot and made a par or birdie, rather than a great drive, horrid up shot, long putt for birdie or par, and then two putting it for a bogie

[Blake_T]

congrats. you made the big jump.

going beyond 480' takes some time and line work, but being able to do that on a line drive is flat out killing it.

consistency will be difficult to build but keep working at it.