Week 2 - 5/8 through 5/15: Playing Outside the Box

[Blake_T]

Where to perform the drill: On the course (ideally your home course)
What you will need: Your normal bag of discs

Task:
Play 3 rounds of golf at a familiar course and on every hole throw a tee shot that is significantly different from your normal line. Search for new routes that you had not even considered before.

examples:
1) throw a knife hyzer route or tommy/thumber over obstacles rather than going around them.
2) throw a backhand roller or sidearm instead of a backhand anhyzer/turnover.
3) throw a sidearm roller or backhand cut roller instead of a hyzer.

Your goal is to throw shots you aren't super comfortable with in order to: see all available lines when playing a round, find shots you are weak at so you can practice them, develop a full array of tools to manage the course.

Optional Follow Up:
After finding shots that are "missing" from your bag, head to the field and work on them until you can execute them with at least moderate proficiency.

[sleepy]

I did just this today at my home course. I didn't have a chance to get in too many holes as a league was in session, but I did hit the holes that I most wanted to change up, and really only concentrated on throwing one new shot: the sidearm.

There are 2 or 3 holes that are about 220' and the fairway goes out straight, but the pin is in a little clearing to the right past the trees that block the path on the right. It's possible to throw an anhyzer midrange, but I have seen people just flick one out there and curl up right under the pin, so I knew I had to try it.

It was unbelievable. I have been practicing my short/mid distance flicks lately and it's a invaluable shot. I used my 174g Z Express and let it go on a bit of hyzer. Lots of wrist, and it just stood up and sailed before dying right and landing within 15' of the pin. Instantly shaved about 4 strokes off my score between the 2-3 holes I tried it on.

I'll still have to practice it more before I know I can rely on it, but I was amazed at the minimal effort needed for this shot...I didn't even move my feet!

Thanks Blake,


sleepy

[discmonkey42]

Absolutely. I have been working on the same shot lately as part of playing rounds with only one disc. I can now flick a champ eagle in a perfectly straight, flat line only to gently fade in at the end. Like you, I can now put the disc close to 3 baskets I couldn't before.

[Blake_T]

anyone else do this one?

[Weebl]

It sure was interesting... Skills, not scores, right? All in all, in 2 rounds (third shall be tomorrow or wednesday) I now am able to consistantly birdie 3 holes I havent been able to even rarely. One is 350', straight line to the pin with an oak on the right 70' down, a oak on the left 85' down and together create a 10' wide gap to hit (inline with the pad) then 2 oaks (only canopy folliage, trimmed below 25') in the middle of the fairway 250' down the fairway. I now have found a huge hyzer bomb for those windy days (always from the same direction... ocean) a turnover going right over everything for the calmer days and a predictable backhand skyroller to come down 50' before the last oaks allowing me consistantly having a 50' birdie putt. In addition to those 3 new holes being birdieable, i have 4 more holes where I have a safe par with heavy wind, or alternate routes to ride the wind for a safer parking job. I can't wait till I get to play the other coarses in the area...

[discmonkey42]

For some reason I am really liking approaching from 150ish is throwing my teebird on a spike. Turns out to be a killer accurate shot for me. Putting it within 10' of the basket regularly doing this.

[lacrimosa]

lately I've been experimenting with controlled flick rollers in wooded areas where I'd normally throw a thumber/trick shot through a small opening to get to the pin. a beat wizard/bulldog (or any heavy slower disc I'd guess) seems to work well for this. rather than rolling them straight to the pin though, I've been throwing them at an angle and away from the pin, so that they 'fade' toward it. when I throw them straight with no angle, the fade is harder to predict.

[Thatdirtykid]

lately I've been experimenting with controlled flick rollers in wooded areas where I'd normally throw a thumber/trick shot through a small opening to get to the pin. a beat wizard/bulldog (or any heavy slower disc I'd guess) seems to work well for this. rather than rolling them straight to the pin though, I've been throwing them at an angle and away from the pin, so that they 'fade' toward it. when I throw them straight with no angle, the fade is harder to predict.

thats how I throw my rare control roller to get out of trouble (like when im inside a big pine tree) Its similar to how people throw a disc flat and try to predict the fade, rather than throwing it on a hyzer and knowing where its going to hit. btw, throwing everything hyzer if I can reach in the open Ive been able to make any money Ive spent on ace pots and such just hitting metal off the tee. Gotta love the 5:1 standard!

[Blake_T]

glad to see a few people picked up some new shots and lines.

[jiwaburst]

forgot to post on this assignment after doing it:

some results: I rediscovered how effective my sidearm roller can be on the right hole. I had gotten away from it, but was able to have putts at a couple of holes that otherwise need perfect airshots.

Also got pretty good at using my spirit on a high, curving flick S which has the same line as a Thumber, but with more distance. The key to this shot was accentuating the wrist roll on the high trajectory.

But most of all I got more confidence throwing big hyzers for accuracy on shots that normally are straight shots through windows or obstacles. Really got to see how easy that shot is to get dialed in with the right disc.

[bernie]

Did assignment #2 this morning...found good and bad. First the good, my thumber shot works very well on short holes that require a slight finish to the right (this was a surprise). Also found an anhyser lane on a few holes, that I hadn't seen before. Now for the bad, my sidearm is ok at best and I can't throw a backhand roller at all. I am a one dimensional (ok maybe two with the thumb shot) player but this is exactly why I am still at the intermediate level with a sub 900 rating. My sidearm shots never come off clean-they always flutter-doesn't matter what disc either. I seem to recall that this occurs when the arm speed is greater than the wrist snap. Is that correct? How do I fix it? I can throw a two fingered roller but how do you throw a sidearm roller? Is that a scooby? I plan on working on these shots in the field and then reassessing on the course. I also found that my putting was negatively effected by this as, I believe, my confidence wasn't as strong so my putting reflected my mindset. Bernie

[Blake_T]

sidearm flutter = off axis torque.

usually grip related. palm should be nearly perpendicular to the ground. most use palm up and torque hard during the follow through.

two finger roller = sidearm roller.

[Thatdirtykid]

Did assignment #2 this morning...found good and bad. First the good, my thumber shot works very well on short holes that require a slight finish to the right (this was a surprise). Also found an anhyser lane on a few holes, that I hadn't seen before. Now for the bad, my sidearm is ok at best and I can't throw a backhand roller at all. I am a one dimensional (ok maybe two with the thumb shot) player but this is exactly why I am still at the intermediate level with a sub 900 rating. My sidearm shots never come off clean-they always flutter-doesn't matter what disc either. I seem to recall that this occurs when the arm speed is greater than the wrist snap. Is that correct? How do I fix it? I can throw a two fingered roller but how do you throw a sidearm roller? Is that a scooby? I plan on working on these shots in the field and then reassessing on the course. I also found that my putting was negatively effected by this as, I believe, my confidence wasn't as strong so my putting reflected my mindset. Bernie

Having a thumber in you bag is great. They are super predictable in most winds (needs some adjustment for crosswinds and super strong head/tail winds) but you will find yourself throwing them more and more where a small bounce/roll wouldnt kill you.

[krusen]

I have been doing this off and on at my home course lately as a way to even the playing field a little and learn in the process.
As a result I have been developing a thumber which is my go to shot now for a certian hole.
I use a Champ Starfire which flips 180 and then rolls right under the basket. Is a thumber supposed to roll at the end or should I be using a more stable disc so it lands upside down at the end.

[Weebl]

Thumbers (champion plastic) will tend to roll, star will cartwheel then sit (usually), DX will just sit there unless it's a fast green and then you might roll. It's the plastic more than anything (this is assuming they have same downward trajectory and that all discs corkscrew completely) More stable plastic will start flipping later and the true stable discs will pull itself through the helix faster. (Blake/anyone who knows, does this sound right?)