Heavy Disc and the Distance Check List

Heavy Disc is a disc golf blog by disc golfer from Colorado.

His Distance Check List post contained a four point checklist to consider when driving the disc from the teepad to the basket. It's a great check list to review and keep in mind until there comes a time when a disc golf drive is as second nature as tying one's shoes!

The four points are:

1) Slow Down - distance isn't accomplished the same with a disc golf disc as it would be with a football throw, "...we're accelerating it and spinning it out of a lever. When you accelerate and spin it - the disc will travel." It's important to slow down on the steps up to the point of release. I've seen Felix, a league player, do this consistently with every drive be it from the fairway or teepad.

2) Tight and Low - "...keeping the disc pulled tight and low to your chest. Coming away from your chest is going to take the snap out of the whip that you're creating with your arm. Bringing the disc up above your upper abdominal muscles almost always leads to trying to strong arm it." The back hand drive in disc golf is pretty unnatural but essential to master. I've got a long ways to go with it.

3) Driving with Your Elbow - This goes hand-in-hand with 2) as you shouldn't be acting like a batter trying to hit the ball out of the park as it puts one's body in a poor position for follow through. And follow through is very important in achieving a good drive! So, if you learn to drive "forward with your elbow" you'll "also keeping your upper body forward during your follow through."

4) Squeezing - In most martial arts, the concept of being totally relaxed until the point of striking with an explosion of force is the goal to shoot for. "Squeezing your grip hard at the end of the release will help to create the spin you want on the disc. Also important to note that you want to keep the nose down."

All these points are explained in greater detail along with a video on improving distance and a video from an overhead angle of disc golfer back hand driving at the Distance Check List post on Heavy Disc blog.