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Pulling
The Disc
It may be surprising to see a section on taking
the pull, but in a high level game a good pull may be the difference between
the defense shutting down the offence, and the defense getting shredded because
it has not had a chance to set up. This section will look at what styles of
throw to use, throwing technique, grips, positioning of the throw and external
factors such as the wind and the sun.
The primary aim of the pull is to have the opposition trapped on their own
goal line with the defense already down there and set up. The key to this
is time, either:
| Time
that the disc spends in the air |
| Time
that the opposition has to take to move the disc up to their line |
The
secondary aim is to have the opposition on a particular side of the field
as well, so as to cut down their options.
For those who do not know, trajectory is the flight path taken by the disc.
There are basically three different trajectories which can achieve the primary
aim as stated above, although two do it considerably better than the third
as a rule.
The
three trajectories are shown above:
| 1.
A high throw which slowly descends giving the defense time to get down the field.
This is the 'usual' pull, if such a thing exists. If thrown at the right angle
it flies upwards until near the front of the endzone and then begins to fall
slowly. It is easy to catch, but hopefully spends enough time on descent for
the defense to get to the endzone. If the throw is good, there is nothing the
offence can do to stop the defense from setting up. |
| 2.
A high arcing roller which descends at a speed and angle which makes it very
difficult to catch. The idea is that it lands in the endzone and then rolls
out, forcing the offence to walk the disc up to their line before starting play.
This will give the defense plenty of time to set up. The downside is that the
throw does not spend much time in the air, so if the offence is daring, they
can either catch the pull or stop it just after it hits the ground. Then they
may be able to start passing before the defense has time to set up. |
3. This is a throw which flies fairly low and fast, landing in the back corner
of the endzone untouched by the offence. The drawback is that it is not that
hard to catch, and as a result the offence can usually get started before the
defense gets down there. Keep in mind that the offence can start the play from
where the disc lands. This is the weakest of the three trajectories. |
In general most players cannot throw a forehand
anywhere near as well as a backhand, at least where distance is concerned.
The only time when a forehand is definitely the better throw is when you are
throwing a roller and the wind is coming from over your throwing shoulder.
In this case the forehand will catch the wind and get greater airspeed and
distance.
Other than this, the backhand is the better throw. It is easier to get distance
into the wind because it is easier to put spin on the disc. It is also less
prone to error, as a rule.
The only grip to use is the power grip. No other
grip gets as much distance. The thumb should be roughly parallel to the rim
of the disc. This loses a little control, but makes sure the thumb does not
drag the trailing edge of the disc on release.
Either the power grip or the hybrid grip should
be used. The disc should be gripped as tightly as possible to make sure there
is little wobble just before release.
Most people by instinct have worked out the best
way to pull up to this stage. Probably 99% of pulls are backhand, and most
of these are high-flying slow-descending ones, at least as far as people are
able. Where most people lose on distance and power is in the run-up and the
release.
There are two different run-ups which will give good distance. The first one,
which is easier, is known as the 3-step run-up. The second is harder, but
has the potential to get more distance, and involves a complete 360 degree
body turn just before release.
The most important element of throwing technique
is to forget your arm. Arm strength is not important. A good throw starts
from the legs and hips and moves up your body and down your arm. In ultimate,
where you can get a running start for a pull, the best form involves a full
360 degree spin, but I've never been able to keep my balance during the spin,
and it's not too useful for disc golf. The trick is to get your body just
enough off-balance that the snap and the disc release pull you back upright.
Start with your right side towards the direction you are pulling. Hold the
disc with all four fingers inside the rim (this is absolutely crucial - do
NOT put your forefinger on the rim). Step in that direction with your right
leg, then cross your left leg BEHIND your right leg. This should twist your
body so your hips are facing almost directly AWAY from where you are throwing
to. As you bring your right foot forward, start with the disc low and your
arm straight across your chest. Your wrist should be curled and your right
shoulder should be as low as is comfortable. The further you can get the disc
behind your body, the more distance you will have to pull on the disc before
it leaves your hand.
As your hips rotate forward (and make sure you lead with your hips), use the
muscles in your back and shoulder to PULL the disc straight across your body.
You should really feel this pulling motion and it should be started in your
hips and lower back. The disc should cross your body at approximately constant
height (maybe rising slightly, but not much). The muscles in your arm should
be relaxed (except for your grip and your triceps). As you pull the disc,
your arm, which started fully extended, will bend slightly at the elbow until
the disc has passed your body, when your arm will start to straighten out.
When your arm has reached its full extension, the disc should rip itself out
of your hand and fly off to the horizon.
The disc should travel in a straight path from start to finish of this motion.
Do NOT swing your arm like a pendulum. Any curvature in the disc path will
take distance off of your throw. Your arm should reach its full extension
at precisely the point where that straight line is aimed. The disc should
start and be released with an almost vertical orientation relative to the
ground (strong hyzer). If your form was correct, the disc will pull itself
level soon after it leaves your hand. After the release, allow your arm to
follow through. It should end up pointing above and to the right of where
you were throwing, in a line with your shoulders.
Start practicing this with a walk through. Even
if you develop a running start, you will always end with these same last three
steps. A good throw will feel like all the momentum of your movement got put
into the disc and your body is left at rest. The snap as your arm straightens
out is probably the most critical part of the motion, but using your hips
and back is usually more difficult for people to learn.
The motion really starts low and travels up your body. As you are bringing
your right foot forward in your last step, your hips get ahead of your legs
and your upper torso. Your right foot should not come down until right before
your arm snaps straight. Well, really, it should come down whenever it is
convenient, but you don't want to slow your forward momentum until the disc
leaves your hand. You can practice snapping your arm straight just standing
in place. Start the motion with your hips and butt, and snap your arm out
to the right. Your arm starts straight, curls as it crosses your torso and
then snaps straight. Get a good push from your left leg, and feel your weight
shift over to the right during the motion. But most of the push from your
left leg should go into your hip twist and right arm, not your right leg.
After the release, your right arm is way up in the air, and your left big
toe is just touching the ground as you drag it forward.
The main points to note are:
The left foot goes behind
the right foot at the start of the run up.
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Your back is facing
the target before the arm starts swinging.
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Disc travels in a straight
line through the release, not in an arc.
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Disc is pulled across
the chest, not the waist. The wrist snap is vital at the time of release.
[1]
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What gives distance in your throws, apart from
the correct angles in relation to the ground and the wind direction, is mainly
the speed you impart to the disc in the release moment, and the basic idea
of this technique is to add extra speed from the body rotation.
The most common fault people tend to do when going for the 360 is trying to
do the spin in four steps, and sort of jumping through the last step. This
will inevitably leave you out of balance, and far worse, you won't have any
foot in the ground to get a proper kick-off at the moment you initiate the
actual throwing swing. As this brief guide will reveal, there's really only
three steps in the pirouette.
The foot placements in this article are valid for a right handed backhand
thrower. If you're a lefty, you have to revert everything. If you use the
sidearm throw for distance I'm afraid I can't be of much help. In my 15 years
in the game, I've so far only seen a couple of players who has used a 360
run up for a sidearm throw. It's even harder than the backhand 360, but of
course everything is possible with a lot of practice.
 0.
Foot positions to start with when beginning the 360 turnaround steps. Keep
your upper body straight forward, and your right hand holding the disc hanging
slightly behind your hip, leading edge of the disc pointing forward. Start
here, and do everything slowly. When you feel comfortable with the 360 spin,
you can add speed to the 360. When you've mastered this, try to add some extra
speed by taking a few steps before you start the actual turnaround.
1.
The first step of the actual 360 turnaround. Bring your disc arm forward and
begin moving your right foot, turn your right foot almost 90 degrees clockwise
before you plant it. Before you plant the foot to the ground start bringing
the arm back to prepare for the swing. At the same time your hips and shoulders
should begin to turn clockwise.
2. Step around with your left foot. The toes should be pointing backwards.
At the same time extend your arm backward (in the same direction as your left
toes now are pointing) and raise the arm to about chest/shoulder level. Your
upper body should now be in a position about 90 degrees clockwise from your
initial stance. To further increase the rotation speed to come, your left
arm should at this point be slightly behind your back.
3.
Step around with your right foot, but try to keep the hand holding the disc
where it is, i.e. extended backwards. Experiment with different length of
the last step. A shorter step will increase the body rotation speed, a longer
step will engage the arm more into the throw. If you have problems with airbounce,
i.e. the disc moves forward with its leading edge higher than its trailing
edge, your last step might be too long.
4. The actual throwing motion is initiated by a push from your left
leg. Let the hips lead the body motion, and follow up with the shoulders and
then the throwing arm. At the same time you could help building up rotation
speed by swinging your left arm around with the clockwise turnaround. What
gives maximum power and release speed is when you manage to get all of your
body into the throw, not just the right arm.. To time the arm swing to the
turnaround and the body rotation is by far the trickiest part of this distance
technique. What helps is as always a lot of practice. It's also good advice
to watch an experienced player perform the turnaround, and try imitating what
he/she does.
5. Practice, Practice, Practice. One thing you could experiment with
is the angle of the run up. Most players come in slightly from the right,
some (including me) do their run up almost 80 degrees perpendicular to the
direction you want your throw to go. What you gain by coming in from the right,
is the extra power you get from releasing the disc very late in the throwing
motion and still being able to get the throw to go in the intended direction.
[2]
The
main problem with using the forehand to pull is that it is very difficult
to get the disc to move in a straight line through the release. Try it and
see. Your arm naturally bends one way at the elbow, and this is the right
way for keeping a backhand moving in a straight line, but the wrong way for
a forehand. This means the disc will move in an arc, with the corresponding
loss of power and control.
Using some of the ideas from the backhand huck, the most important thing is
to get the disc as far behind you as possible before you throw. For a right-handed
forehand huck, the steps are as follows. Set-up sideways with your left shoulder
facing forwards. This allows you to extend your right arm as far back as you
are able. For the throw itself, swing your right arm back shifting your weight
to your right foot. Then lead forward with your right shoulder. This should
turn your upper body naturally and start your right arm swinging forwards.
Step forward with your right foot. By this stage your arm should be roughly
perpendicular to the direction you are throwing and your right wrist should
be well cocked from the inertia of the disc. Snap your wrist hard to impart
good spin on the disc. To get maximum power, this is the point at which the
disc should be released since it is moving in the direction you want it to
go. Try not to let the disc get much in front of your shoulder before release,
as this is where you start to lose control. [1]
References
[1] Tom Brennan and Jonathan Potts http://www.afda.com/skills/
[2] Peter Henriksson http://www.algonet.se/~sdgo96/engelska/frisbee/skola/turn.htm
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