Throwing Midrange discs

[Swampthing]

Hey guys,
I am relatively new to the sport, less than a yr playing. I can throw my drivers around 300ft. My midrange discs however, don't go so well. Anyone have any tips on grip for mid range discs. i have really long fingers so gripping these discs with shallow ridges is a challenge. So far my 2 mid range discs are KC pro Roc, and Esp Buzz.
When I throw these discs I get a lot of flutter upon release, and sometimes they turn right over. Obviously i am overpowering these discs. Is there a tip to throwing so that they come out of my hand better and don't flutter, but float?

[Trozzle!!!]

I am by far an expert, but imho just work on your arm swing and your release and it will come over time.

[Swampthing]

Originally Posted by Trozzle!!!

I am by far an expert, but imho just work on your arm swing and your release and it will come over time.

So Trozzle, with mid range discs is it more about arm swing then wrist snap? Maybe I'm treating these discs too much like a distance driver, and not gently releasing them. Any tips on grip? do you use all 4 fingers underneath the ridge?, or just 3? I usually put my forefinger out and hold my middle and ring finger out like a fan grip.

[Trozzle!!!]

i personnaly do whats called the power grip, all 4 fingers tightly gripped under the rim. Arm power and snap are both still very important, it just depends on the distance you are throwing. I have been playing for 6 yrs or so. I have only been working on a backhand midrange shot for a couple years. So, ont take my advice as the best advice, just get out and practice more. Thats the best thing you can do

[dan]

Originally Posted by Swampthing

Obviously i am overpowering these discs.

You're probably not overpowering them. A KC roc can handle tons of power. You are likely experiencing off axis torque (OAT). Probably the best thing I could recommend - since I'm on my way out the door to golf - would be to go to the discgolfreview.com forums and search OAT. It is widely discussed there.

[Swampthing]

Point well taken! Thanks for the advice, I'm sure everyone has their own style.

[dan]

Whatever you do, don't give up on your midranges, though. Keep throwing them, and as your technique improves, they'll keep getting longer and more reliable. I would also suggest working with your putter the same way, if you're not already (assuming you use a fairly stable putter- wizard, beaded aviar, challenger, rhyno, etc). Throw it for distance. At first you'll have the same tendency to flip it over, but keep at it.

[Swampthing]

Oh cool. Thanks for the advice Dan. I do currently have a wizard and love it. sometimes I wonder if it works better than my ROC for short approach shots. I will try that more often. Sometimes I wonder if i should be throwing a putter on like hole #2 at Rockwood. Short holes like that where accuracy could give me an easy Birdie.

[JMan]

An old lid flipper I use a fan grip for my mids out of the fairway. Mids are duel purpose, in that you want to be able to rip them off a T so you need a power grip, but once you get in the fairway they become touch disc. That's where the fan grip comes in. Check out Disc golf Review for the page on grip styles (with pics). Then, my long time suggestion - play catch with a putter to warm up. Have your partner close, say 20 to 25 yards away and touch your putter to them. It's the same style of throw you'll want to use in the fairway. I think you're on the right track with discs, a Roc and a Buzzz, you just need to work on touch. I'd be glad to help out on the links at some point, but between now and then remember ... touch.
J

[JMan]

Here's a link to that grip discussion page at DGR http://www.discgolfreview.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4850

[Bruce]

Hey Swampthing, I used to have this problem as well. I ALWAYS threw my rocks like my drivers and I couldn't figure out why they would flutter and turn over so quickly. The way I corrected this problem, through a lot of trial and error was experimenting with different grips until I found one that worked. For me it was almost like I was palming the disc, similar to a basketball. all four main fingers spread out flat across the inside of the disc, thumb on the top in the same direction as my fingers. Once I learned how to control the disc with this grip, I was able to work back to throwing with a power grip. While the grip may not have been as important as arm motion and speed, appropriate to the amount of snap you place on the disc. This method did teach me the control needed however, and now I can throw my midranges with full power, using a power grip. Throwing your midrange is just like anything else in disc golf, you learn by trial and error, comparing yourself to other golfers and their technique is great, but no two people throw exactly the same, so some things you need to learn what works best for you. For this my friend, I say find a field, experiment, play and enjoy yourself!

[Swampthing]

Originally Posted by Bruce

Hey Swampthing, I used to have this problem as well. I ALWAYS threw my rocks like my drivers and I couldn't figure out why they would flutter and turn over so quickly. The way I corrected this problem, through a lot of trial and error was experimenting with different grips until I found one that worked. For me it was almost like I was palming the disc, similar to a basketball. all four main fingers spread out flat across the inside of the disc, thumb on the top in the same direction as my fingers. Once I learned how to control the disc with this grip, I was able to work back to throwing with a power grip. While the grip may not have been as important as arm motion and speed, appropriate to the amount of snap you place on the disc. This method did teach me the control needed however, and now I can throw my midranges with full power, using a power grip. Throwing your midrange is just like anything else in disc golf, you learn by trial and error, comparing yourself to other golfers and their technique is great, but no two people throw exactly the same, so some things you need to learn what works best for you. For this my friend, I say find a field, experiment, play and enjoy yourself!

Great Points Dan and Bruce. I will check out the link and work on my grip more. I love the look of a midrange in the air off the tee. Watching that slow spinning disc hover in the air is a thing of beauty! Thanks for your insight!

[snap7times]

one thing I did notice off another dg'er last year and pointed it out to him, once he shifted where the disc was in his hand, the flutterness and all that associated went away. What I am talking about is some players tend to have the disc lined up at an angle going through the palm into the grip. The disc needs to be lined up straight through the middle of the palm going into the forearm concept. Hold a disc up so you can look down at the side of the disc and see what the angle of the disc is doing, is the angle going up your forearm or does it go off to the left or right? The closer you are to straight up the forearm, the better, there are pictures of this grip as disccused by dave feldberg somewhere online, this one simple adjustment helped my accuracy and get rid of the flutter in a few others.

[Ol' Bob]

I don't seem to have the arm speed and strength to snap out of a four fingered death-grip. I went down to two fingers and eventually back up to three, where I finally leveled out. I just never got onto throwing a Roc, no matter what I tried. I had some luck with a Classic Roc for a time and then seemed to lose the groove. Then Fletch and Sara put an FLX Buzzz in my hand and said, "throw it hard and it will go straight." I now carry three of them, and claimed my first ace with one of these.

FLX Buzzzes vary slightly in stability and the more stable ones are the harder ones to find. That's why I have three. I find FLX Buzzes to have the most predictable release and understable bending. When you take power off them they go quickly to the stable side. This, I find hard to finely control, so I use my less stable ones when I need to slightly soften the pull.

Even though I lack power, I look for more stable FLX Buzzzes to back up the one I have. It's so much fun to rip one downhill and see it go straight and hold the line. They certainly have simplified my midrange game. When the distance gets too short for the Buzzz, I go to a four-times Aviar-X to get to the pin. (Your mileage may vary.)

[Dr. Zaius]

i have become fairly trusting with my 150 - 350 ft. Roc approach shots within this last year. i have found that even if i am slightly off line, my roc still generally goes where it needs to, which makes it so valuable and different from drivers (which fade off into never never land).

My Two Tips:
"fan grip"- i use for short OR long shots. once the fan grip becomes comfortable, full power drives become more confident.

"more snap"- = less flutter/greater distance/accuracy. i achieve this by keeping my wrist "locked" on power drives. roc comes out hyzer on the line i want, stands, and travels straight as an arrow to it's destination. Try it!

[Swampthing]

Originally Posted by Dr. Zaius

i have become fairly trusting with my 150 - 350 ft. Roc approach shots within this last year. i have found that even if i am slightly off line, my roc still generally goes where it needs to, which makes it so valuable and different from drivers (which fade off into never never land).

My Two Tips:
"fan grip"- i use for short OR long shots. once the fan grip becomes comfortable, full power drives become more confident.

"more snap"- = less flutter/greater distance/accuracy. i achieve this by keeping my wrist "locked" on power drives. roc comes out hyzer on the line i want, stands, and travels straight as an arrow to it's destination. Try it!

Good tips,
I will try keeping my wrist locked when driving with my ROC, and see if i can get a nice clean snap. I will go to the field across from my house today to do some midrange practicing. Can't wait to put these techniques to use!

BTW, Dr. Zaius are you Wilbur? I have your Capt. Flippy disc. I will be sending it your way soon with the rest of Matt B's discs. Good to meet you maybe we could play a few rounds sometime if you come to Portland.

[Dr. Zaius]

Originally Posted by Swampthing

BTW, Dr. Zaius are you Wilbur? I have your Capt. Flippy disc. I will be sending it your way soon with the rest of Matt B's discs. Good to meet you maybe we could play a few rounds sometime if you come to Portland.

that's me! matt b told me that he'll be getting that and another from you guys. thanks a bunch for the retrieval! i'll most definitely be up that way come spring. not to mention for maybe one slosh series, the bsf and rose city...

[Sausage Fingers]

Originally Posted by Swampthing

Hey guys,
I am relatively new to the sport, less than a yr playing.

Welcome Swampthing! Good questions and some helpful advice. A good thread to read. Thanks for posting!

But I just can't get over my massive case of avatar envy.

[Swampthing]

Originally Posted by Sausage Fingers

Welcome Swampthing! Good questions and some helpful advice. A good thread to read. Thanks for posting!

But I just can't get over my massive case of avatar envy.

Oh thanks. I am not really a comic book enthusiast, but was given the nickname by some friends who have watched me go in and fish out discs at Trojan. Last monday I fished out a bunch of discs and have been busy returning them to their rightful owners. This is a great sport, and I hope to get plugged into the community, and playing with some of you in the near future!

[Trozzle!!!]

Brian swimming in Trojan, Swampthing swimming in Trojan...any similarities here? is Swampthing your nicer personality?