Discmania Deep in the Game: Ep 2 - Backhand (Instructional Disc Golf video)

the thing I like about Disc Golf is this - what I consider the magic of Disc Golf and that's when I throw a perfect shot and I can feel that shot leaving my hand and flying all the way of the target and I know exactly where its going and I know that I had just done it perfectly. That's a magic moment for me. Most of the drives you see on a disc golf course are backhand drives. Now, lets go deep in the game and I show you proper backhand driving technique. There are two main types of grips: The is the fan grip and the power grip. The fan grip is when you spread all four fingers along the bottom side of the disc, power grip is tucking all your four fingers. Fan grip is good for putters, midranges and control drives. I personally like the power grip for big maximum distance because it allows me transfer more power into the disc itself. Thumb position on top is very important. Your thumb is all you have on top to counterbalance all four fingers on the bottom. Thumb positioning right where the rim meets the flight plate itself. Thumb too far in cause a loss of rotation Thumb too far on the edge cause the disc to slip out of your hand. You want a nice firm grip, nothing too tight will cause you grip lock your shot. Nothing too loose with a disc could just fall out your hand. And now for the arm swing. Your are pulling back with a one straight line - pulling the disc across your chest nice and flat, driving the elbow and extending to very final release point. You wanna keep in straight line A to B. You have three hinges - You have a shoulder, your elbow and your wrist. You get a lot of power out of your shoulder, A lot of power out of your elbow as you drive in it, and not a lot of power out of your wrist. You want to lock your wrist for the most part very little movement and motion. Too much motion in the wrist will cause a loss of accuracy. Also by point across your chest you´re able to utilize your major muscle groups. Your traps, your deltoids and your triceps. those will help to drive the disc and pull it through. It all about simple physics - keep the disc nice of flat, a nice flat pull line and a nice extension through on the nice straight line. You don´t wanna curl the Disc too much or over rotate. this will cause a loss of accuracy As well. Head turn - when I'm reaching back, I don't turn my head more than ninety degrees to get full extension. Turning too far - you lose accuracy and its usually designated throwing maximum distance. So when shifting the weight from back to front I´m really trying to get good extension in my arm locking my hips and loading them and then bringing all the momentum and power accross keeping the disc flat - and to the release. Its all about reaching back in one straight line and generate all the power as you pull through to the chest drive the elbow use your legs hips and drive the disc. like I said: its entire body throw not just your arm. The run up is all about putting your body in to optimum position to throw the disc. I personally use the four-step run up. When I´m lining up on a tee pad, I line up facing the target taking a small step with my left leg a medium step my right actually gets hips to rotate and load toward the back as I crossover behind on my left foot again totally load my hips backwards as a turn my torso backwards. It's very critical as you make your last step forward you plant foot lands at ninety degrees facing forward. It will help you utilize your power from your legs and your hips coming forward. Now let´s bring it altogether. Using your legs and your torso to drive the disc I´m actually shifting my weight from back to front using my legs and my hips. Reaching back on one straight line pulling through keeping the disc flat across my chest and driving my elbow. I'm trying to bring my elbow over my lead leg. A split second after it hits the ground I´m trying to drive my elbow forward. Timing is everything: a split second early or split second late will cause also lost power and control. Now let's talk about the hit point. the hit point is where you transfer all your body's momentum into a release at the end. The hit point is described as were the disc pivots and rips from your fingers. Its a point of release where you hit your line and release and launch your disc down the fairway. After releasing the disc you want to follow through - rotating on your plant foot swinging forward taking a large left step rotating your hips and your shoulders following a shot. It helps maximize distance - also helps accuracy and control. It also prevents strains on your knees your hips, your shoulder and your elbow. It's very important to follow through if you want to play this game for years to come. So there are hundreds of different drivers out there that´ll have a different flight patterns. You don't need to learn to throw them all, you just need to know these three angles to control them. First off you have the nose angle: that's the front edge of the disc and driving the the front of a disc is the nose. By controlling this and getting the nose down you maximize distance in the field. next you have the angle of the release. that refers to matching arm angle and matching the line you're trying to hit from a hyzer to a flat to an anhyzer shot. Next is angle of height. That's if you are throwing up hill - throw from low to high on the release. if you´re thowing downhill from high to low. Learning these three angles will help you throw any disc out there in the game. So, here's a tip on throwing the backhand drive: when you're taking the final last step, your plant foot, lining ninety degrees perpendicular body and you transfer your lower leg energy and momentum and shifting on their front leg. As you're turning, you´re going to rotate on your heel. Not much lifting it off the ground but rotating and spinning on the heel. It´s a cleaner rotation that will produce a lot more power. typically, you´ll see other players if the rotate they rotate on the baller foot losing a lot of power and control. so it's planting rotating and spinning. as you follow through on your shot. That´s your pro tip take it or leave it. Three key points to the backhand drive: 1. Controlling the angle of the disc have your arm swing angle match the angle of the disc. Visualize the line. 2. Body alignment. the main objective of the run-up is to put your body in optimum position to deliver the disc. 3. Timing: Timing is everything. A split second early or a split second late will result reduce the distance and control.