For Us Older Newbies....

[daleh2013]

Hi,

Maybe this one should be directed towards Blake Takkunen since he wrote such a good throwing article (Understanding the Bent Elbow Technique). I"m 54 years old and just started playing disc not quite a year ago...just love the game (even have an Innova star/disc/hand tattoo). Of course I'm trying to get better and increase driving distance. Best throws are around 270-300. What I'm up against is an old injury. Some years back I detatched the inner right bicep on my throwing arm. No surgery to reattach the muscle; lost about 50% strength compared to the other arm. Is there any technique that may help get some more distance? I'm using mostly light understable discs to get the most out of what I have. I read and re-read the "bent arm technique" article that Blane wrote thinking that may help since I can get plent of tendon snap from my wrist. I also looked at Dave Dunipace's articles on the bent elbow throw and snake strike putting and am trying to incorporate those into my game. Any comments would be greatly appreciated! Thanks....

[keltik]

Given your age and your injury I'm actually impressed that you can get 300'. I would say just live with that distance and work on your accuracy and short game and putting. above all enjoy yourself.

[JR]

Hi and welcome. It is dangerous to comment on an injured player whose injury one knows nothing about. At your age the body is a rickety one most likely anyway. Mark Ellis of team Discraft is roughly your age and we have some guys almost your age too so maybe you should ask them. Steady i forget his PDGA number which is included in his user name is multiple amateur age protected division world champion and a member of team Millennium.

As a general rule for anyone healthy at your age i recommend asking a sports doctor about a safe warm up routine and when one can start to stretch and how in a safe manner. Younger people can start safely stretching first at least in warmer conditions before warming up. Cold weather might be different. So cold and old especially if you are not limber sounds like a hazard for stretching. It would be silly to get injured just from stretching to be able to play safely so i'd ask for a routine made by a specialist.

I am just masters eligible and am quite limber and have stretched all my life so my experiences are useless for someone of your age. Unless you've done the same and are in good condition. Starting out moderately with stretching has been problem free so far for me even in the winter. That is certainly not the case for everyone even in their twenties.

I have no way of knowing if any form is safer for you while adding power so if you send a video to the video critique section i can only give pointers about how a healthy player could achieve distance. Not on how to stay healthy as well so you should take the advice printed to a sports doctor and see if he can spot any danger. A doctor told me that disc golf should not exist from a medical stand point because of the stresses it puts on the back. He said he is not sure about the legs knees in particular but he was suspicious about the safety for those too. Throwing is never safe and for wimps when you put power behind it. People have hurt shoulders and forearm muscles and tendons at least when disc golfing. Probably even more places have been hurt but i've not heard about everything.

I'd search for a technique called double pivot to add more power from the legs and body weight shifting. Even that will put more stress on the arm even though the only added stress comes from a harder acceleration and exit speed upping the gripping power requirements. It will speed up the pace of the throw so the arm movement timing relative to the rest of the body changes.

[daleh2013]

Thanks so much for the reply...actually most folks do not even realize that I'm 54. I'm giving the group I play a run at times so I should be thankful for that since they are much younger . You do bring up an excellent point. Stretching is important for everyone; regardless of age. I know that before I play I start warming up around an hour prior just to make sure that I'm ready to go. Fortunately I have had no issues with disc golf other than being a little sore the next day but that's only after playing multiple rounds. My injury happened about 5 years ago; I was helping someone lifting a bulky, heavy object when the weight shifted to my side. the result was a detatched inner bicep of the right arm. Thankfully the outter bicep held; otherwise I would have been in serious trouble. What I think saved me was that I had been an avid weight lifter for quite a number of years but in this case I simply took on too much. But I've learned my lesson and have toned it down a bit since then. I will take your advice though and try and post a video before too long; I'd love to have someone in the know give a critique and tips of things to work on. One thing is for certain; I need to improve my weight transfer which I'm sure is robbing me of some distance. I'm trying to make the most of what I have. Again, many thanks!

[discmonkey42]

Over the last couple of years, I've mostly recovered from 4 bulged discs in my back. A big part of my PT and recovery has been yoga. 30 minutes every morning geared at core strength and flexibility. Being that the bulk of distance comes from the core and the big muscle groups in your body, not your arm, this has greatly improved my distance and accuracy (i'm throwing further and more accurately than I ever did and I'm still just throwing from a standstill, sometimes a single step). I can easily play a ton of dg now with no fatigue because of this. I'm only 42, but I'd highly recommend a program like this. It has improved every aspect of my health and has done wonders for my game.

I also have to second Keltik. 300, great putting, and accurate would crush most players I know who throw further with little to no control or short game.

[daleh2013]

I think I've already learned to compensate a bit. I can't throw a forehand because of the injury other than a little flick to get out of trouble. I am learning to throw a pretty good Annie for those left to right shots I need. I've actually built my discs around what type of flight pattern I'll need to throw most everything RHBH. So, it's quite the selection.....way understable, slightly understable and a couple that are stable. Nothing really overstable; I can't really generate the power that those require. I believe I have wind direction covered as well. A bit over analytical maybe but I'll take every advantage I can get.

[haroldbird]

Disc throwing is totally a fun game. Good to know at Your age, You have started playing it recently. Generally even if we see old age is a time to explore things when You have time and money both.

[daleh2013]

Oh, I love playing! Right now we (I play with a group of nice folks and they alwas play from the pro tees) get out together once a week; and yes, even play when it's snowing. Once it warms up a bit and now that we switched to DST I'll get out 2-3 times a week. Most evenings I at least work on my putting and short approaches in my yard since I have a portable target. Best scores in 2012 were at Roscoe Ewing in Medina, OH (a 64 shortly before holes #8 and #9 were removed) and Poolside in Medina (46 but no hole there is longer than 211). Not bad for a rookie year but I'm looking forward to a better 2013.

[aerohusker]

Howdy fellow geezer!

I started in July of 2011 and i'm same age (July '58) I think were both in the same boat, wishing we discovered this cool sport thirty years ago, but hey better late then never. Like you I'm probably maxed out at 280-300, sometimes with a blizz katana i might go more. I know it doesn't sound cool, but i'm figuring to lower my score by upshots and putts. I'd love to drive farther and still work on it, but the facts are it aint gonna happen...i do like the 155-160 discs, blizz and understable stuff.

[daleh2013]

We probably did play when we were young but in a different form. I remember throwing those old Whamo Master Frisbees (the black ones that had "165g" on them) at targets like phone poles, a designated leg of a swing set, whatever....the person with the least number of throws won. We had to throw around doglegs so I guess we were throwing hyzers and anhyzers. It was a ball. But, it's so much better now! Very glad I started playing and will keep going as long ass possible. Besides, there's nothing like looking at someone 20 years younger and have them by 7 strokes with one hole to play !!! Above all though it's fun and I am fortunate to be able to play with a great group of folks. Trust me, I work on my short game all the time and have pulled off some really difficult shots. But, I have things to work on so that's part of it all and seeing improvement is alwaya a satisfying thing.

[Agricolae]

First: Detached bicep sounds ugly. You say you are a lifter so I'm sure you know more than I about the chances for recurrence or additional injury.

Second: Welcome to the sport. I laugh reading the "at your age" comments from the "kids"; as long as the doc says you're not going to lose the arm, just get out and do it! My teen-aged sons introduced me to the game as a father's day gift almost two years ago ... I was 51 then. Now, they need a good day, and I a poor day, before they can beat me. No, I'm not yet bombing past some of the younger locals but, for the most part, they've been playing longer than I have. I drive a fairly consistent and accurate 300', and 320'-340' when it's clicking. Three steps, mostly just for rhythm. Local courses are on flat ground and at just a few feet above sea level. (Tip: Want an immediate 40'-50' of distance? Go throw at +5000' elevation. Denver ... Tahoe ... you'll even notice a difference in Tucson/Phoenix.) Heed the advice to practice your short game. ALL of us, regardless of age, can throw short. Be more accurate than the other guys.

As far as warming up my rickety 53-year-old body before throwing I just toss putters, starting at 150'-200', then moving out to ~200'-250'. Practice 20' putts for a few minutes, throw a few tunnel shots ... I'm good to go. Two putter rounds today, playing three putters on each hole ... I'd still be out there if it hadn't gotten dark. I do that pretty much every day that I'm not traveling for work.

One day I may get too old to do this. Maybe. But one thing I know for sure ... it ain't today, and it ain't gonna be tomorrow!

[daleh2013]

Looks ugly too....left arm quite normal, right arm....muscle balled up at the top near the muscle. But, learned my lesson; no more power lifting, lighter weights and more reps. I'll try to keep what I have. Although it was only 32 here in "sunny" NE Ohio I had my two step-grandsons with me (16 and . Had a ball; hope they pick up the sport. One of them commented on the number of discs I carry. I'm a bit of an experimenter so I probabl do have too many. But, I throw them all, depending upon the course. I said in an earlier post I put the discs together because they all fly a little differently. I'll list what I'm carrying; please weigh in with any thoughts or comments:

Innova Discraft

Wahoo (floater) Z Nuke SS (168)
Blizzard Krait (150) Z Avenger SS (168)
Blizzard Katana (144) Z Glide (166)
Blizzard Destroyer (145) Z Zombee (165)
Blizzard Boss (130) Z Buzz (170)
Blizzard Tee Devil (145) Z Buzz SS (170)
Champion Beast (169)
DX Beast (165)
RP Boss (150)
Champion Tern (165)
Champion Leopard (168)
DX Leopard (171)
Glow Champ Valkyrie (175)
DX Skeeter (170)
DX Kite (165)
DX Dart (166)
DX Aviar (170)

It's a good thing I have a nice camo bag to carry them all!

[aerohusker]

hey, that looks like my bag, lol!

Wahoo (floater) Z Nuke SS (168) .......... Tern 168 (new)
Blizzard Krait (150) Z Avenger SS (168)...... blizz Krait 156 (took out of bag, but might put back)
Blizzard Katana (144) Z Glide (166)......... blizz Katana 157
Blizzard Destroyer (145) Z Zombee........... (165) Blizz Destroyer 156
Blizzard Boss (130) Z Buzz (170) ..........Blizz Boss 156
Blizzard Tee Devil (145) Z Buzz SS (170) ..... Blizz Tee Devil 157
Champion Beast (169) .....................Champ Archon 166
DX Beast (165) .....................(used to throw but don't carry..for now)
RP Boss (150) .................... n/a
Champion Tern (165) .... (168)
Champion Leopard (168) ..... n/a Eagle 170
DX Leopard (171) ...... n/a Tee Bird 166
Glow Champ Valkyrie (175) ...... (have, but don't carry)
DX Skeeter (170) ..... n/a
DX Kite (165) ...... Roc 168
DX Dart (166) ....... Mako 170
DX Aviar (170) ....... Yetti 175

[daleh2013]

Nice....now I can show my wife that I'm not the only one ...

[JR]

Err i think i donated 87 discs to kids and local elementary schools last year and almost 50 the year before and i still have plenty of discs. Stacks.

Both of you have way too many fast discs and some would argue each of those wide winged discs would be too much for you. I'm not saying that but two should be enough with other discs. The fast discs overlap too much.