Short approaches

[tumpsi]

The worst part of my game - the second shot.

My max golf D is 360-370', and I'm pretty comfortable putting inside 20'.
Shots between 70' and 150' are most difficult to me. I feel like I lose
all my control when I'm throwing under 60% of my power, and that leaves
me too much over 20' putts -> easy par becomes bogey.

A good approach can fix a bad drive, and a bad putt. A very good drive can fix a
bad approach, and a bad putt, but those drives aren't that easy to create, so I
thought you guys would give me some hot tips / ways to practice those low
powered shots.


I've read Blakes articles about approaching, but didn't find any magical fix from
them. I guess I just need to practice practice practice.

[Blake_T]

this is a similar range i struggle with.

tip #1 extend your jump putt range. if your weak range is only 90-150' instead of 75-150' that is an upgrade.

tip #2 if you are throwing max weight stable putters, get some lighter ones for these ranges. 175g kc aviars, wizards, challengers, etc. just don't want to be thrown this short and you'll end up with lots of overthrows and underthrow stable outs.

tip #3 if you are really loose on your approaches, pull the pig out and start throwing spike hyzers.

as for improving it...

throwing straight in that range is the hardest thing to do. get the disc too low and you are short. get the disc too high or a touch too hard and you are long.

gentle hyzers and touch anhyzers are much easier to work on.

try to accelerate even on these shots but use a very short reach, minimal rotation, and a weaker grip. work on 10-20 degree hyzers that fade in and arching touch annies. once you start to get those feels and range dialed in you can work on straighter throws.

[IowaDiscGolf]

Blake's advice is great. This is a tricky spot for a lot of golfers, and the best players in the game whom I've played with in person seem to OWN this range, to the point where they rarely even need to putt unless they get a bad skip or roll-away.

The range you mentioned - 75' to 150' - is more or less my same "too far to putt, too close to power grip" range, so I have focused on training my wrist to throw a fan grip approach without taking my eyes off the basket from 150' in. Not there yet, it's a work in progress, but they get a lot closer now and no more 9-iron shots to read and then pray for.

[IowaDiscGolf]

gentle hyzers and touch anhyzers are much easier to work on.

Not for me, I can't figure out why. I always cut into those touch annies too soon or don't feed them enough commitment, and they bust into the obstacle or flex out of the anny uselessly. It's a trouble spot.

Then, my gentle hyzers suck altogether on another level. They always seem to come out 30 degrees further than I want. I think I'm letting fundamentals go and trying to let my arm lead and do all the work.

(This thread isn't about me though. )

[tumpsi]

this is a similar range i struggle with.

tip #1 extend your jump putt range. if your weak range is only 90-150' instead of 75-150' that is an upgrade.

This is what I've been doing for a while now, it surely is more productive than
throwing such a short shot. Still need lots of practice on that, especially
keeping the shot low.

tip #2 if you are throwing max weight stable putters, get some lighter ones for these ranges. 175g kc aviars, wizards, challengers, etc. just don't want to be thrown this short and you'll end up with lots of overthrows and underthrow stable outs.

I've been throwing mostly max weight Glow Aviars for almos 2 years now, I
guess I'm gonna try some lighter ones too. What weight do you suggest? I've
been testing JK/KC Aviars this week, and they're good too. Classic Aviar is on
a try out today, and next week is going to be an ode to The Discmania P2.

tip #3 if you are really loose on your approaches, pull the pig out and start throwing spike hyzers.

That's what I do most of the time when a jump putt isn't available, but a spike
hyzer is not an option on every approach.

as for improving it...

throwing straight in that range is the hardest thing to do. get the disc too low and you are short. get the disc too high or a touch too hard and you are long.

gentle hyzers and touch anhyzers are much easier to work on.

try to accelerate even on these shots but use a very short reach, minimal rotation, and a weaker grip. work on 10-20 degree hyzers that fade in and arching touch annies. once you start to get those feels and range dialed in you can work on straighter throws.

But I want straight shots NOW

Practice practice practice! I've been planning to play my home course with
a Carolina filled with putters, with no run up or x-step, just a stand still, in a
couple of weeks. That should give me some confidence with short, controlled
shots. The park is filled with mud now, and I'm waiting it to dry out.

[tumpsi]

I'm not too comfortable with short putter annies aswell, I'be been throwing those shots with forehand lately.

The range you mentioned - 75' to 150' - is more or less my same "too far to putt, too close to power grip"

You're reading my mind!

What kind of grips do you guys use with putters & mids? I want some pics!
I know there's a couple of threads with pics of those grips, but they're putt
grips, not throw grips.

[Timko]

touch anhyzers are much easier to work on.

Unless I'm crashing into a backstop behind the basket, the short putter anhyzer may be my favorite shot in disc golf. I really feel it opens up the basket for making those longer shots with a minimal chance of overshooting the basket.

The problem is that if you're not "feeling" the anhyzer that day, it can turn into a total disaster.

[IowaDiscGolf]

The problem is that if you're not "feeling" the anhyzer that day, it can turn into a total disaster.

LOL. You've seen me come over the top of an approach or two, into a tree 30' ahead of me. It's the same with gentle hyzers...if you ain't feeling it, you can just embarrass yourself and end up right back where you started - far from the pin.

[IowaDiscGolf]

I'm not too comfortable with short putter annies aswell, I'be been throwing those shots with forehand lately.

The range you mentioned - 75' to 150' - is more or less my same "too far to putt, too close to power grip"

You're reading my mind!

What kind of grips do you guys use with putters & mids? I want some pics!
I know there's a couple of threads with pics of those grips, but they're putt
grips, not throw grips.

For those fan grip shots, I use the same grip I putt with - I think what is called a modified fan grip. Blake has a pic of it on the site here:



I splay my fingers on the underside a lot more though, and my thumb is on the flight plate. Same grip I use to putt with, but what I change is the shot, which is sort of a hip-shoulder shrug with a good wrist flick (to give it "legs.") You can feel the power go away when you change from power to fan grip, but once it gets comfortable you'll easily get them out 150' and inside it'll just get easier. If you can get it to the point where you're just gunning it like that right at the basket in a simple, easy motion, even better. With enough of the right practice, most will land close and some will go right in. (My lack of world titles notwithstanding...)

[Timko]

The problem is that if you're not "feeling" the anhyzer that day, it can turn into a total disaster.

LOL. You've seen me come over the top of an approach or two, into a tree 30' ahead of me. It's the same with gentle hyzers...if you ain't feeling it, you can just embarrass yourself and end up right back where you started - far from the pin.

Luke, you know how much I like to rock the anhyzer.

[jeremy]

These are some great point guys this is what really hurt me last weekend in Bowling Green. I'm not used to throwing anything between the ranges of 70ft to 175ft, because all of the (40) courses that I have played is basically park and putt. Not drive, approach, and putt, or drive, drive, approach, putt. Playing BG I know what I really need to work on it's judging distances and approaching. I wasn't approaching well and that hurt my confidence and then since my confidence was down it really affected my putting.

[Timko]

These are some great point guys this is what really hurt me last weekend in Bowling Green. I'm not used to throwing anything between the ranges of 70ft to 175ft, because all of the (40) courses that I have played is basically park and putt. Not drive, approach, and putt, or drive, drive, approach, putt. Playing BG I know what I really need to work on it's judging distances and approaching. I wasn't approaching well and that hurt my confidence and then since my confidence was down it really affected my putting.

Moving to KC and playing longer courses is where really learned to develop an understanding of how important these shots are. As courses get longer and longer, those distances will become crutial to putting together a good round.

[jeremy]

I want the courses to get longer, but it seems in my area I'm one of the few that has that view.

[tumpsi]

IMO the courses have to grow up, just like modern drivers. Many older courses
here in Finland are so short that top pro players could easily play them with
mids & putters. We do need the longer holes to keep the game interesting.

The neighbour of my home city just got it's own full length (niners are
popular here) pro course, with the back nine having an average hole length of
150+m (500'), and the front nine is more wooded & shorter.
Looking forward to play there weeklys.

The best course would be "you need two good throws and a putt for a bird",
or "two good drives, approach, and a putt". Not all the holes, but majority.

[tumpsi]

For the record, my home course is a nice park niner, with holes from 230 to
440 feet. I'm editing the topic to modern age.