Looking for tips, don't hold back!

[DsmDisc]

First post. Great forum. The technique threads have helped me quite a bit so far.

I started playing last spring, got about 4 months in before the winter break. Been playing again for about a month now, and I'm struggling to improve. Seems like everything I correct breaks something else in my form (plus lots of stuff just stays broken even when I try to fix it).

I finally took a camera out to a soccer field and made some drives to get an idea of where i'm going wrong, and WOW was it eye-opening. I'm able to point out a few things on my own by watching these, but I want to know what kind of tips you guys have.

All these drives went 200'-250', with one or two of them making 275'.

Number 1
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=app_2392950137&ref=profile&id=1010201252#!/video/video.php?v=1370412212921
Number 2
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=app_2392950137&ref=profile&id=1010201252#!/video/video.php?v=1370421413151

Number 3
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=app_2392950137&ref=profile&id=1010201252#!/video/video.php?v=1370430253372

After watching these, I went out and played a round and got one more video, but I have yet to upload it. I feel like it is an improvement over what you see here (got up to 300' a couple times), so I'll have that up later this evening. Thanks in advance, and again this is an excellent forum!

[JR]

I can't look at facebook vids because I'm not there sorry. Hope the others can help you or can you upload on youtube?

[DsmDisc]

I can't while I'm at work, but I'll throw them on youtube once I get home.

[DsmDisc]

Same videos, now with youtube-y goodness! Also added the clip from later in the day.

Early afternoon...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP8Wvind1vo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrGqtKFOhUE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2R8_L0dY-U

Later that day...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdnf2PYCIsA

[JR]

You've got an unusual stepping direction/foot placement combination. Your running direction sets up anhyzer but you place your feet in slight hyzer placement. You were throwing annies can you throw flat and hyzer as well? If you can't yet keep the relative position of the feet in the x step but move from left rear to center or right front of the tee. Depending on how much hyzer you want.

You plant on the right side of the right foot which tilts you anhyzer. You don't really pivot on the right foot much or consistently. Please try to keep upright with your hips. Tilting right like you do fores everything anhyzer.

Your arm pull is pretty much constant speed and starts at too high a speed but never reaches tremendous speed. For for it may be good while learning but eventually you want to develop more arm speed via later harder arm acceleration. The same goes for reaching back farther and turning away farther from the target.

You're well forward with the weight shift. So much so that you look like falling down on your nose. You don't look balanced. That may change with the above posture and stepping direction suggestions.

[DsmDisc]

You've got an unusual stepping direction/foot placement combination. Your running direction sets up anhyzer but you place your feet in slight hyzer placement. You were throwing annies can you throw flat and hyzer as well? If you can't yet keep the relative position of the feet in the x step but move from left rear to center or right front of the tee. Depending on how much hyzer you want.

I hadn't thought much about footwork. I've been focusing so much on my hips and upper body that footwork pretty much got put to the side for the time being. Sounds like that is a mistake.

I can throw hyzer and flat as well as anny, but not with any sort of consistancy, which is my biggest problem. Those first three clips had the disc end anywhere from 25' left of my starting position to 25' right.

You plant on the right side of the right foot which tilts you anhyzer. You don't really pivot on the right foot much or consistently. Please try to keep upright with your hips. Tilting right like you do fores everything anhyzer.

The pivot is one thing i've tried to work on, but it doesn't feel fluid when I do pivot, it feels forced. You're certainly right though, on the rare occassion when I do have a good through, they are almost exclusively big annys.

Your arm pull is pretty much constant speed and starts at too high a speed but never reaches tremendous speed. For for it may be good while learning but eventually you want to develop more arm speed via later harder arm acceleration. The same goes for reaching back farther and turning away farther from the target.

You're well forward with the weight shift. So much so that you look like falling down on your nose. You don't look balanced. That may change with the above posture and stepping direction suggestions.

Thanks for the tips. I'll get out the next chance I get and work on this and get some new vids up.

[DsmDisc]

Please try to keep upright with your hips. Tilting right like you do fores everything anhyzer.

Can you go a little more in depth about this? I freely admit that I have posture issues even when just sitting, and have fairly significant curvature and rotation of my spine that causes it. If you could point out a particular frame and an image of someone doing this particular point properly, that would be immensly helpful!

[JR]

Anyone standing up straight at attention is good for emulation. You want your back to be as straight as can have it without tensioning muscles to try to make yourself looking taller than you are when tilted right from the hip. The point is not to push the head up but to gain most leverage out of your arm while having correct angles on the disc while allowing every power generating motion of very body part accelerating the disc along the same vector. That translates to maximum power generation and transferring to the disc flying where you want it to fly.

Edit: Had a typo in the previous post typing as I was just before going to sleep. It should have read like: Tilting right at the hip with the torso forces the disc into anhyzer. That is if you don't compensate with the arm. Which still robs power.

[keltik]

If you're only averaging 225' with what looked like a Wraith, Surge, Avenger and Eagle-X I think you need to step down in discs to really learn how to throw straight and consistently.

Drop down to a Putter, preferably a beaded one for your next driving practice session. and while you are throwing concentrate on throwing flat and straight ahead. after you get used to throwing hard with a putter step up to your mids. I also suggest a Comet. That disc is the form litmus test. But don't stop with your putters until you are throwing them as far as you are throwing your drivers now. you have a lot of good components in your throw but something is off.

I was also looking at your grip. It looks like you put too much of your hand on top of the disc. try to get more of your hand underneath the disc. it allows you to relax your grip as you are moving the rest of your body. you only really need to grip really hard right at the hit.

seriously practice with your putter for a while, it pays off in a gagillion different ways.

EDIT: I watched again and you are strong arming your throws. this means that you are tensing your arm too much during the throwing motion.

[DsmDisc]

If you're only averaging 225' with what looked like a Wraith, Surge, Avenger and Eagle-X I think you need to step down in discs to really learn how to throw straight and consistently.

Drop down to a Putter, preferably a beaded one for your next driving practice session. and while you are throwing concentrate on throwing flat and straight ahead. after you get used to throwing hard with a putter step up to your mids. I also suggest a Comet. That disc is the form litmus test. But don't stop with your putters until you are throwing them as far as you are throwing your drivers now. you have a lot of good components in your throw but something is off.

Practicing with my putter (and a mid here and there) is exactly what I figured I needed to do. I went out to a the field again yesterday (and played a round of night disc. Night disc rules!) and had some success I felt with those discs (KC Pro Aviar, a soft magnet and a 166g[i think] star Roc). I was throwing standstill or 1-step and getting a solid 200' from most of my throws. Discounting the ones that had an awful right-left crosswind, they flew straight and flat.

I was also looking at your grip. It looks like you put too much of your hand on top of the disc. try to get more of your hand underneath the disc. it allows you to relax your grip as you are moving the rest of your body. you only really need to grip really hard right at the hit.

seriously practice with your putter for a while, it pays off in a gagillion different ways.

This is actually something I've actively tried to avoid doing, but I guess I haven't adjusted as much as I need to. The friend who originally taught me to throw has an awful grip that basically has the completely underside of his had on top of the disc, with only the fingers wrapping around. I knew that was wrong, so I tried to keep more to the underside, guess I need to go further with it though.

EDIT: I watched again and you are strong arming your throws. this means that you are tensing your arm too much during the throwing motion.

This is my biggest focus at the moment. I've been reading the 'stuck at 300' thread religiously, working though the routines. I feel I made some progess last night in not being so rigid, but I think I took it to far and wasn't getting my elbow through to get the disc into the right pec area. I'll continue working and post some updates in the near future. Thanks!

[garublador]

You're well forward with the weight shift.

I'm not that great at video critiques, but are you sure about that? To me it looks like he gets his weight forward eventually, but not until after the hit. I stopped a few of the throws where his weight was ~12" behind his plant foot, his shoulders were square with the target, the disc was about to leave his hand and was at a 15 degree nose up angle.

It looks to me like you aren't getting your weight forward at the hit, even though you have forward momentum at the hit. I'm pretty sure your shoulders are too far ahead of your elbow, too. The disc never enters the "power zone" because that zone is gone by the time the disc gets there. The disc has to pass right next to your right pec and should be going slow into it. After you get to that point is when you accelerate.

[masterbeato]

You're well forward with the weight shift.

I'm not that great at video critiques, but are you sure about that? To me it looks like he gets his weight forward eventually, but not until after the hit. I stopped a few of the throws where his weight was ~12" behind his plant foot, his shoulders were square with the target, the disc was about to leave his hand and was at a 15 degree nose up angle.

It looks to me like you aren't getting your weight forward at the hit, even though you have forward momentum at the hit. I'm pretty sure your shoulders are too far ahead of your elbow, too. The disc never enters the "power zone" because that zone is gone by the time the disc gets there. The disc has to pass right next to your right pec and should be going slow into it. After you get to that point is when you accelerate.

that is what i have observed as well garu.

i would also be aware on finishing high with your right shoulder but i think you are leaning rather than torquing that right shoulder. i would work on just keeping your spine straight throughout the throw, and keep your head dead center, and kick that back leg up when you release.

[JR]

I was posting tired cross eyed I tried to see when the disc left vs heart to right knee position. I was thinking that does need a closer look but being so tired I got a false read. No joy this time.

[DsmDisc]

I was posting tired cross eyed I tried to see when the disc left vs heart to right knee position. I was thinking that does need a closer look but being so tired I got a false read. No joy this time.

Aww...now I've been practicing based on bunk advice! Thanks!


Seriously though, thanks for the tips guys. I'll put this all to good use and get some new vids up soon. I'm gonna play a 18 or 27 holes tonight with nothing but putters/mids and see how it goes. I've been throwing my putters pretty well thus far, hopefully I can step it up with the mids!

[Parks]

You are forcing your upper body to rotate, and this is causing you to strong arm the disc.

Don't move your upper body independently of your hips. Keep your upper body loose and let your footwork and hips move it during the reach back and pull. If you pull in a straight line, you'll feel when the upper body needs to come in to play.

I would agree with the others and say work on your footwork. Its pretty easy to pick up footwork tips from videos online. Always start slow with your steps.