Breaking bad driving habits

[Mikk]

We all have them bad habbits and mine is throwing too hard. In the last 4 months I have been learning to slow down my run-up and getting more finnesse in my drive. At first I was getting the early release issues, due to a soft grip. Then after about 2 months of working on keeping a good grip with a slow run-up and finnessing my drivers I started getting realy good distance with little effort.

This last weekend I showed some major improvement with bolth accuracy and distance. I had several 400+ft drives and good open field placement. What suprized me the most was the fact that it was easy, realy easy. I have been putting more anti-hyzer (RHBH) on my distance drivers (Legacy only) with what feels like no effort and getting killer results.

I have also picked up 3 fairway drivers, mostly for my LHFH shots. This was a major improvement for my mid-range game. Now I'm working on learning when to use my mids vs fairway shots. I dont use fairway drivers realy and thats been a realy bad habbit to have. However I don't realy like to tee off with a fairway driver vs distance drivers. So far I am using my fairway drivers in replacement of my mid-range discs with good results.

The hardest thing was learning to slow down!! Now that I got the idea in my head, I'm getting alot more out of my discs, and consistant drives!!

[mine all mine]

When I think of bad driving habits it has to do with things like non throwing arm placement, dipping, swooping, rotating on the ball instead of the heal, unnecessary steps in run-up and footwork.

I don't think that the speed of your run-up is necessarily a bad habit, it is more a style of approach. If you watch videos on youtube there are plenty of people who have quick run-ups and people who have slow run-ups who explode at the last second. That is like how many putting styles there are

A bad habit I have is occasionally dropping my left shoulder (RHBH) during the "hit" causing the disk to come out with much more hyzer than I wanted.

[Mikk]

I guess that was a little vague, my bad. Basicaly I was trying to "power" my drives too much, going for the big crush. I wasnt realy checking my footing, arm swing or shoulder drop at all. My run-up was way too massive and my foot spacing (for me) was incorrect. I realy started to get good fluid motion, no more herk-jerky, and my distance has improved greatly along with my accuracy.

Oddly enough tho when I stand and throw, no run-up, I get about 275-300ft. It doesnt matter what I'm throwing either.

[bstullis]

Originally Posted by Mikk

Oddly enough tho when I stand and throw, no run-up, I get about 275-300ft. It doesnt matter what I'm throwing either.

Too right, I noticed that if I stand or one step, I get better accuracy and distance. standing, I average 250, one step I add 40-50' per drive with every disc (when I get the best body mechanics).

I have noticed since late season last year I tend to griplock and haven't figured out the "secret" to good distance and accuracy. I think playing through the winter 2011-12 and stepping shorter because of ice I killed my timing and therefor I am needing to start all over. I want to set up a driving range in my garage with curtain/netting to drive into and work on footwork/timing over the winter. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

[REDFIVE]

Sounds like your issue was more with timing than just the speed of the run up. Moving too fast with your feet can throw off your upper body and arm. Everything should move at the right time in ther correct sequence. Bad timing can throw off accuracy and cause for empty energy. When your timing is on you need less energy to create controlled power.
I have been working on this with my putting recently.

[Mikk]

Originally Posted by REDFIVE

Sounds like your issue was more with timing than just the speed of the run up. Moving too fast with your feet can throw off your upper body and arm. Everything should move at the right time in ther correct sequence. Bad timing can throw off accuracy and cause for empty energy. When your timing is on you need less energy to create controlled power.
I have been working on this with my putting recently.

Empty energy! Thats what I was going for, and thats what my drives felt like. I couldnt figure out where I was loosing the energy potential so I decided to slow down, and power down. Now that my timing is spot on, or so it feels like it, my over all game has improved. Normally I play +5 over par from the blue t-pads at white river, now I'm +1, however that new hole 14 @ 655 ft gets me bogey every time so far.

[Mikk]

Originally Posted by bstullis

Too right, I noticed that if I stand or one step, I get better accuracy and distance. standing, I average 250, one step I add 40-50' per drive with every disc (when I get the best body mechanics).

I have noticed since late season last year I tend to griplock and haven't figured out the "secret" to good distance and accuracy. I think playing through the winter 2011-12 and stepping shorter because of ice I killed my timing and therefor I am needing to start all over. I want to set up a driving range in my garage with curtain/netting to drive into and work on footwork/timing over the winter. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Get your hands on 2 quilted moving pads, good ones not them cheap u-haul ones. They will stop anything, I know, I have a basket in my living room and pads on the wall...

[Parks]

I thought this thread was about throwing on meth.

[General Scales]

Originally Posted by Parks

I thought this thread was about throwing on meth.

[J.Noot21]

E Mikk, i am glad to hear you have discovered the ancient disc golf secret that i too have recently found. I have watched countless videos on driving tips, but it wasn't until i found a random video of dave feldberg explaining the bio-mechanics of throwing that I realized there is almost no effort until the very last fraction of a second of your throw. Known as the hit point. When your lower body is completely committed to the throw it makes your arm follow that path. Which is also when you can put a little effort into to your throw, as feldberg says "slow to fast" but i would add commit on your back turn and don't over throw. Sounds obvious but its a good mental reminder. Commit, don't over-throw.

[Ol' Bob]

Always use your turn signal.