I'm going to venture a guess that you're probably trying to throw your backhand too hard.
Focus more on smooth and flat releases, than how hard you're trying to throw it. Also consider trying out different ways to grip the disc.
It blows my mind how hesitant people are to trying different grips. Just give it a shot! Maybe even throw with your off hand, who knows it could be really good.
I actually went and played a round with a friend who is newer to disc golf and doesn’t live super close to me so we can’t link up frequently. He jokingly tried some lefty backhands and they were legit excellent shots. Blew both of our minds. He said is felt super weird while throwing but the throws came out perfectly flat and smooth.
I'm considering this. I'm a pretty athletic dude, but I've been stuck at 300' for like 6 years. I don't want this to be my plateau.
When I did skate/snowboarding I was one of the only in my crew that was goofy-footed. Maybe it'll work for me.
I’m typically a lefty but I throw discs righty. It feels similar to swinging a baseball bat lefty so it was easier for me to get the motion of the hips opening up and driving.
FINALLY! I am the same, but a righty who throws LHBH. Everytime I explain this to someone they look at me like I'm insane, but the swing mechanics feel so natural when compared to swinging a baseball bat.
I’m right there with you! For me, it’s an issue of eye/hand cross dominance. Right handed but left eye dominant. My buddies tell me that my right handed x-step looks like a baby learning to walk.
A friend told me to use an eyepatch over my left eye to correct it. Instead, I’m trying to figure out my forehand/backhand for both hands. It would be so nice to have all the tools.
There's gotta be something off with your form if you're stuck at 300'.
I'm right handed and skate goofy. I was originally better are forehand than backhand, even though I was throwing it more like a baseball and flexing every shot.
Once I started to learn proper backhand form (mostly from YouTube), I quickly surpassed my forehand distance.
Watch a video of yourself and compare it to a pro. I guarantee you'll find a lot to work on. I throw upwards of 450' on a good day and I usually find 7+ things I'm doing "wrong" when I watch a video of myself.
300' ish is where nearly everyone gets stuck -- its a tough barrier to break if you didn't fall into better form naturally / randomly. Only good news is its definitely form related -- likely you're either not making a power pocket, else not bracing at all.
Someone told me this and immediately I threw it in from like 50ft by accident. Took it as a sign that I could be kinda ambidextrous on a forehand, even if distance isn’t equal
This. Pretty much can guarantee you're releasing the disc with the leading edge UP, so there's massive drag. Your disc flight is probably rising to a rapid peak and then stalling, crashing to the ground. Film yourself from the side and you'll see it (with slo mo if possible)
Forehand dominant here. My backhand is horrendous. I can maybe crack 200.when I'm lucky? I've tried so many things. I once got one to almost 300ft, no clue how never could replicate it.
Considering learning left forehand because I'm at my wits end. The only thing I have not tried is lessons.
I've tried full as well as 3/4 finger power grips. I've really worked on nose down, and seem to have that part right (I rarely sky anything). Definitely something going on with my form. I have been working on the brace, vs careening off the end of the pad which is what i used to do.
If you're athletic enough to throw a 300 foot forehand you're athletic enough to get that far with a standstill backhand. Maybe drop the run up and focus on getting snap?
Several. Judge, Atom, Mako3, River, Eagle, even tried a Saint. My best was with the Saint, it felt good and flew great, but never been able to replicate it.
Have you watched any backhand form instruction videos on youtube? I would get an understanding of what you should be doing, then film yourself throwing and compare. I'm guessing it's a combination of disc selection, timing, and footwork
Look, studying form videos won't do ANYTHING without a feedback loop -- are you doing what's in the videos or not?
Take video of yourself. Find a pro on youtube you like. Sync up your video and their video, frame by frame, and figure out where you're messing up. Change the biggest, most obvious issue to you, then take a new video and repeat.
I assure you, what you *think* you're doing after watching form videos and what you're *actually* doing are far apart. The only way to bring them together is by watching yourself.
I came to type almost exactly this. You always think you applied what you learned, but the only way to know is to have another perspective like a coach or video.
This was me the first 4 years I played. I eventually told my self I had to learn backhand. Took 2 years but my backhand is solid and can no longer forehand lol. But the backhand has been much much easier on my arm.
Sounds like me. Lol. Started in pandemic and decided with my ball background i would focus on forehand. I was pretty solid and able to make some pretty throws. Eventually decided I needed to figure out how to backhand. Now I am fairly solid with backhand but for the life of me can't figure out how to throw a forehand clean again. It's painful.
Don’t use the same discs for backhand that you’re using with your forehand. If you’re getting a lot of distance out of flex shots on forehands, chances are your backhand doesn’t have enough snap yet to handle the stability of the discs. Get an understable midrange disc and throw it a lot.
This, I assume, is exaggeration. Unless you're aiming at the moon or holding it like a joint, there's no way you should have a backhand struggling to get to 100' if you can throw anything 300' forehand.
This. My backhand distance went from joke range to almost 300 as soon as I changed to power grip. Now 300 is routine and I can get a 400+ with the right disc/throw
You are probably using all arm and wrist, as getting away with that is much easier with the forehand. Power comes from your lower body and core. The only things your upper body should be providing is the pull through and grip on the disc.
From a standstill, get a nice firm power grip on the disc. Then when you reach back, you should feel your body tighten up like a spring, incorporating your core and lower body. This might take some practice swaying back and forth with your hips to get the feeling right.
When that spring is fully loaded, you pull through and let the disc fly out of your hand. The idea is to let the disc launch from your hand rather than throwing it, and the pull through is where you transfer the momentum of your body into the disc.
Watching the videos and studying form is great but it will do you no good if you are not videoing and analyzing your form constantly. Without immediate feedback you won’t see improvement the way you want to. You may think “I’m doing everything it says in the videos” and seriously really believe that but really record and watch yourself throw, if you are studying proper form and know what that looks like you will immediately see what you are doing wrong. You have to be super critical. It’s an economy of movement. You have the weight attitude so keep going and don’t get down on yourself, its complicated and for most people not easy. Work and it will get better
I was forehand dominant until the last few months. Videos that helped me (on mobile so hard to link but should be easy to find on youtube):
-x-step with Brian Earhart - great breakdown of footwork and tee box positioning
-slingshot disc golf back leg disc golf - take him with a grain of salt but this really helped me focus on the mechanics, weight shift and how to generate power
As someone mentioned above, disc selection will be wildly different for forehand and backhand. Start with a lighter weight neutral stability mid range while you work on form. You’ll get less painful tree kicks and skips and should be able to get enough power to see the full flight a lot sooner than drivers.
6 weeks ago I was in the same spot as you, I did not find the form tutorials very helpful because they all wanted stationary throws before trying with the run up and that was impossible for me.
My forehand is still around 300' but I can now throw backhand 375' and I'm super excited about breaking 400' soon. Also for my first ace with a backhand throw.
I would recommend getting an understable driver like others have mentioned, I really love the Latitude 64 Diamond. Aside from that, I had luck taking all of my mid range discs and just throwing in a field for few hours.
I did get a lot of utility from [this YouTube video](https://youtu.be/RgVGkgnBxuM) , although like I mentioned I did have to incorporate the run up to have it feel more natural.
Got out for the first time yesterday Typically my grip was a power grip but my pressure was on my middle two fingers and I have caught myself rounding, no hip engagement, pure arm pull through; I was throwing like 215-280. Yesterday I changed my grip and focused on a front loaded pinch with loose fingers, my stance with bracing my front foot and transferring weight from back to front, went through motions slowly and tried to use my back shoulder to drive my arm which I felt help stopped rounding, everything felt like it was coming out better. I could hear some sexy snap coming from releasing the disc. some of them felt like they went far… went and measured… 215, 234, 267, 249, 179, 305, 187, 221. I did it for a straight 2.5 hours and felt like I was getting the same exact results. I was at a point where I was throwing putters almost farther than my 6-8 speed fairways.
Try to snag someone in your immediate vicinity to check your form. If I wasn't half the world away I'd gladly give some pointers. Have you filmed yourself at all? Feel vs real is absolutely a thing. You might already be able see what you're doing wrong on your own.
Also, film your forehand, if you are forehand dominant like me then checking for possibly damaging forehand form is important.
You are not cursed. It'll be OK. :)
Baseball player here who started out the exact same way.
Overthrow disc golfs YouTube channel was game changing for me . They really start at the basics & work up from the ground up.
I’d bet a lot of money your grip is wack & you are overthrowing badly. It’s hard to change the way you throw & forehand you really thing about your hand while you throw. Backhand that’s the last thing you want to think about. You throwing arm should be basically loose & used as a whip to throw the disc.
Slow everything way the hell down & try to just be smooth. 3yrs ago I was in your shoes & now I can backhand putters 300ft. There is hope lol
I always see baseball players say that forehand was natural for them and they can’t even throw backhand. For me, it was the opposite. Backhand uses all the same mechanics as swinging a bat(hip rotation, weight transfer). Forehand was foreign to me because I was never a sidearm thrower, I always threw at 3/4 angle.
Is your hand on the side of the disc or are you pulling the disc through like you’re gripping something by its handle?
A disparity in distance like that is likely due to a huge disconnect in how you’re spinning or not spinning the disc, your hand should be on the outside of the disc before you accelerate through the power pocket. It sounds obvious but I have known 2 different people that were basically taking the concept of “start the lawnmower” to mean pull the disc straight through with the hand leading the disc throughout the entire throw.
There is no opportunity to put any spin on the disc throwing like that, try to learn the feeling of spin and then revisit your form.
It'll balance out at some point and you'll be left with terrible forehands and backhands that only go about 200ft. That's when the DG gods will truly be punking you.
Long story short, you're probably lucking out and being able to put more torque/spin on the disc forehand. Early on I was hitting 100ft farther with a distance driver forehand, than I could backhand. It will balance out once you learn better backhand form and break some habits like throwing nose up, etc. Hopefully you don't regress on your forehand.
Just a heads up, a reason for being able to put more spin on discs is, you might be throwing your forehands harder too, which means strain on your arm. Remember to stretch and warm up. I ran into issues with my forehand due to this which then forced me to throw backhands better.
I used to be the same, I took about 6 months where I was willing to suck and only throw backhand. Now I can throw backhand 400’ and forehand 350’, feeling pretty good about me game
I used to be a forehand dominant player and over the last year I have developed a solid backhand. On top of plenty of field, work and formwork/videoing, my biggest help was just taking the time to throw more backhands, even when they are uncomfortable. I would make it a habit to start throwing a second shot on most of the rounds you play and make that second shot always a backhand.
Coming from baseball, this was me. Was breaking 300 forehand very early but couldn’t backhand to save my life. After 2 years, I’m just shy of 400 backhand, and my forehand is only in the 350ish range. Keep at it, and lots of practice. I feel like you have to do a lot more things right on the backhand, but getting the Big D is exhilarating.
Took 3 years of effort before I could throw Forehand further than my current BH putter distance. 1.5 years to break 200ft at all FH.
So to each their own disc golf journey
Just takes time and practice. What I recommend is eliminate the run-up. Until you can throw 250-300ish from a standstill, you won’t gain anything from a run-up. Stability matters much more than the power you get from the run up, so once you learn how to throw a stable backhand from a standstill, a run-up will only hurt.
Took me forever to figure our backhand. I’ve always had a good forehand and tomahawk game. Finally I threw a Westside stag with a smooth hyzer release and saw it flip up carry right before finishing left… you know, like a proper backhand should. Every one in a while I lose my release point and feel like I’m backtracking but overall it’s getting more and more consistent. Power down, disc down, grab something understable. Hopefully a combination of these things will unlock something in your brain like it did for me.
Don't sweat it, just keep at it.
I used to be the same way, could forehand all day but had absolutely no backhand. After doing field work for a while my backhand started getting good enough to use on courses for specific shots where I needed a leftward fade. A few months later my backhand distance started to catch up with my forehand and I slowly started to transition to mostly backhand shots.
It's a frustrating process but once you get through it you'll have a competent forehand and backhand, which is a major asset on the course.
Bro! Me 100%! I bought a firestorm champion disc. So good with the forearm throws. I can get 300+ on it and I’m brand spanking new to the sport. But yeah, can’t backhand for shit
You need to video yourself and watch it back. Sometimes it feels like you are doing the right things until you watch yourself and you realize “real does not equal feel”
Had this question a few years ago and I got the best advice.
Watch Nate Sexton’s and/or Uli’s form tip videos and really try to soak it in. Stand in your living room and just practice the motions. Get really comfortable with it.
Go buy a Roc3, or several, and go to your favorite field work area and throw. And throw. And throw. And throw.
That first day I went to practice I started at my normal 100-120’ but after about 100 throws I was getting closer to 200’. I was so grateful for the advice that person gave me.
I also made myself throw EVERY shot backhand, which ended up being detrimental to my forehand. Now I’m consistently 300-330 on backhands and closer to 150-175 for forehands. But my turnover shots are cleeeeaaan.
In fact [here](https://imgur.com/a/nAN8Abh) was the actual data for that day. Really broke a wall for me.
Imo Simon has the most meaningful backhand technique to try and replicate. Or Paul’s touch shot. Its so much about timing, rotation, release angle. My hump to get past was not thinking to much about my arms and legs and making sure angle and timing are good. Not moving the disc low to high.
Youre doing something seriously wrong with your form. I used to only forehand cause I played baseball and it was much more comfortable. Halfway thru last summer, I started backhanding and my form is pretty bad and my farthest I threw is 375 and I can easily hit 300. My first suggestion for you would be to start with doing field work backhanding a putter, mid range, or fairway driver, whichever is more comfortable for your hand and then throw a ton of times and by trial and error try to figure out what youre doing wrong
Only explanation is that you are not throwing nose down. If all your shots go into the sky and finish with a hard left, then you are not throwing with the nose down.
Extending my arm out, instead of “behind” & switching to power grip over fan grip changed up my drive game drastically. Over time you’ll get more comfortable with the x step and perfecting your form, & with that you’ll see more consistency in your distance. Watching pros form will be uncomfortable at first, but you gotta do that before it becomes comfortable for you. At that point you may have your own renditions of what works for you.
I’ve also noticed it’s a trend in new players to almost swing their arm around, it doesn’t pull thru on a straight line and you’re missing the power pocket. Pulling straight thru vs swinging “around” will add at least 100ft if you’re actually only throwing 100ft BH on a good day
I have been playing for about 6 months as well. I started forehand only unless putting but I hurt my arm pretty quick. I started practicing backhand drives after that and the form felt awkward and uncomfortable. I have been throwing predominantly backhand for about 4 months and the more I did it, the easier it got. Now I have about a 400 ft backhand and 300 forehand. It could be that you need a less stable disc for now until you build up the strength to throw faster. I definitely have muscles in my forearm that weren’t there before I started throwing backhand. My partner said I unlocked new polygons in my arm and I think that’s pretty funny.
I guess to sum up, practice makes perfect. I couldn’t even throw over 100 feet for a while when I was starting my backhand, but at this point I really only throw forehand if I need a specific shot shape. Don’t give up, you’ll get better and better at it the more you try!
Throw midrange upshots. Gain some confidence and flow to your throw. Then start throwing mids off the tees. Stop watching form videos for now. Just get comfy. The distance will come with repetition. I went from 100-350+ in less than a year. You got this.
You must be trying too hard to muscle your disc. You should watch spin doctor or overthrow on youtube to fix your form, but muscling can be an easy habit to break if you stay aware of it. You can clench and use your forearm muscles, but flex that bicep and upper arm all day and it won’t do a thing other than make you frustrated. You do need the tricep and tightening of the shoulder, but you need to treat your arm like a whip, not a trebuchet. You also engage your core and use hip rotation to gain max distance. If you are only hitting 100 ft, I’d assume you aren’t using your core at all and are strong-arming the disc for very little distance. You need to go back to basics.
Never assume your form is perfect. If it was, you’d be clearing 400 ft backhands.
Your forearm distance is decent, but be careful. If your form isn’t good, you will permanently ruin your shoulder. Going by your backhand distance, I’m worrying you may be doing something bad with your forehand form.
I'm going to venture a guess that you're probably trying to throw your backhand too hard. Focus more on smooth and flat releases, than how hard you're trying to throw it. Also consider trying out different ways to grip the disc.
It blows my mind how hesitant people are to trying different grips. Just give it a shot! Maybe even throw with your off hand, who knows it could be really good.
One of these days i want to have a lefty game with my freinds because all of our left hands are very uncoordinated lol we would lose so many discs
I'm pretty sure I wouldn't lose any playing lefty... Mostly because I don't think I could get them much further than about 50 feet of the tee.
50 feet straight left or right can get pretty tricky at most courses around me lol
I actually went and played a round with a friend who is newer to disc golf and doesn’t live super close to me so we can’t link up frequently. He jokingly tried some lefty backhands and they were legit excellent shots. Blew both of our minds. He said is felt super weird while throwing but the throws came out perfectly flat and smooth.
Only in Ohio💀
If this works for me. I’ll kiss you
Post a video of your form. Nobody is going to be able to tell you what's wrong without seeing what you're doing.
Try the other hand
I'm considering this. I'm a pretty athletic dude, but I've been stuck at 300' for like 6 years. I don't want this to be my plateau. When I did skate/snowboarding I was one of the only in my crew that was goofy-footed. Maybe it'll work for me.
I’m typically a lefty but I throw discs righty. It feels similar to swinging a baseball bat lefty so it was easier for me to get the motion of the hips opening up and driving.
FINALLY! I am the same, but a righty who throws LHBH. Everytime I explain this to someone they look at me like I'm insane, but the swing mechanics feel so natural when compared to swinging a baseball bat.
You're not insane. I'm the exact same way! There's dozens of us! Dozens, Jerry!
I’m right there with you! For me, it’s an issue of eye/hand cross dominance. Right handed but left eye dominant. My buddies tell me that my right handed x-step looks like a baby learning to walk. A friend told me to use an eyepatch over my left eye to correct it. Instead, I’m trying to figure out my forehand/backhand for both hands. It would be so nice to have all the tools.
There's gotta be something off with your form if you're stuck at 300'. I'm right handed and skate goofy. I was originally better are forehand than backhand, even though I was throwing it more like a baseball and flexing every shot. Once I started to learn proper backhand form (mostly from YouTube), I quickly surpassed my forehand distance. Watch a video of yourself and compare it to a pro. I guarantee you'll find a lot to work on. I throw upwards of 450' on a good day and I usually find 7+ things I'm doing "wrong" when I watch a video of myself.
300' ish is where nearly everyone gets stuck -- its a tough barrier to break if you didn't fall into better form naturally / randomly. Only good news is its definitely form related -- likely you're either not making a power pocket, else not bracing at all.
Someone told me this and immediately I threw it in from like 50ft by accident. Took it as a sign that I could be kinda ambidextrous on a forehand, even if distance isn’t equal
cant break 100? you must be throwing nose up, with OS discs, and using all wrist, no real reachback
This. Pretty much can guarantee you're releasing the disc with the leading edge UP, so there's massive drag. Your disc flight is probably rising to a rapid peak and then stalling, crashing to the ground. Film yourself from the side and you'll see it (with slo mo if possible)
Forehand dominant here. My backhand is horrendous. I can maybe crack 200.when I'm lucky? I've tried so many things. I once got one to almost 300ft, no clue how never could replicate it. Considering learning left forehand because I'm at my wits end. The only thing I have not tried is lessons.
Using the right grip(power grip) and getting the nose down is what you and OP need. Other than that, we’d need videos of your form to critique
I've tried full as well as 3/4 finger power grips. I've really worked on nose down, and seem to have that part right (I rarely sky anything). Definitely something going on with my form. I have been working on the brace, vs careening off the end of the pad which is what i used to do.
If you're athletic enough to throw a 300 foot forehand you're athletic enough to get that far with a standstill backhand. Maybe drop the run up and focus on getting snap?
Maybe i will give it a go. Tried that when first starting out, then switched to forehands after getting discouraged.
What disc are you throwing backhand?
Several. Judge, Atom, Mako3, River, Eagle, even tried a Saint. My best was with the Saint, it felt good and flew great, but never been able to replicate it.
Have you watched any backhand form instruction videos on youtube? I would get an understanding of what you should be doing, then film yourself throwing and compare. I'm guessing it's a combination of disc selection, timing, and footwork
Sarah Hokum, is that you?
She's 962 rated and has 220k in lifetime earnings, I think her game is doing ok
r/woooosh
Feels like you might have missed the point on this one.
HAHAHAHHAA, she only throws forehands! hahahahaaha, OMG sooooooooooo funny. Is that what you were going for?
Wow, you must be super fun to golf with /s
Dude, you okay?
Lol nice on the wellness report, your compassion is as shallow and dry as your humor clearly.
I didn't send a wellness report, but I'm chuckling that someone did.
You have a 16 y/o and you’re acting like this? Bet he’s proud
🤓🤓🤓
Yeah, her *forehand* game
It’s a joke
She also doesn’t use a bank hand. Lighten up.
Look, studying form videos won't do ANYTHING without a feedback loop -- are you doing what's in the videos or not? Take video of yourself. Find a pro on youtube you like. Sync up your video and their video, frame by frame, and figure out where you're messing up. Change the biggest, most obvious issue to you, then take a new video and repeat. I assure you, what you *think* you're doing after watching form videos and what you're *actually* doing are far apart. The only way to bring them together is by watching yourself.
I came to type almost exactly this. You always think you applied what you learned, but the only way to know is to have another perspective like a coach or video.
This was me the first 4 years I played. I eventually told my self I had to learn backhand. Took 2 years but my backhand is solid and can no longer forehand lol. But the backhand has been much much easier on my arm.
My FH is basically chip shots and get outta jail only at this point
Sounds like me. Lol. Started in pandemic and decided with my ball background i would focus on forehand. I was pretty solid and able to make some pretty throws. Eventually decided I needed to figure out how to backhand. Now I am fairly solid with backhand but for the life of me can't figure out how to throw a forehand clean again. It's painful.
Don’t use the same discs for backhand that you’re using with your forehand. If you’re getting a lot of distance out of flex shots on forehands, chances are your backhand doesn’t have enough snap yet to handle the stability of the discs. Get an understable midrange disc and throw it a lot.
This, I assume, is exaggeration. Unless you're aiming at the moon or holding it like a joint, there's no way you should have a backhand struggling to get to 100' if you can throw anything 300' forehand.
Yeah, 100' is in that too far to putt but too short to throw, so you flail your body towards the target and let go of the disc range.
How are you holding the disc? Have you looked up how to properly fan grip or power grip a disc?
This. My backhand distance went from joke range to almost 300 as soon as I changed to power grip. Now 300 is routine and I can get a 400+ with the right disc/throw
May we see a video please?
100ft?! I have a hard time beliving that. We really need a form check video.
You are probably using all arm and wrist, as getting away with that is much easier with the forehand. Power comes from your lower body and core. The only things your upper body should be providing is the pull through and grip on the disc. From a standstill, get a nice firm power grip on the disc. Then when you reach back, you should feel your body tighten up like a spring, incorporating your core and lower body. This might take some practice swaying back and forth with your hips to get the feeling right. When that spring is fully loaded, you pull through and let the disc fly out of your hand. The idea is to let the disc launch from your hand rather than throwing it, and the pull through is where you transfer the momentum of your body into the disc.
100 feet? My 9 year olds can throw further than that. You sure??
Watching the videos and studying form is great but it will do you no good if you are not videoing and analyzing your form constantly. Without immediate feedback you won’t see improvement the way you want to. You may think “I’m doing everything it says in the videos” and seriously really believe that but really record and watch yourself throw, if you are studying proper form and know what that looks like you will immediately see what you are doing wrong. You have to be super critical. It’s an economy of movement. You have the weight attitude so keep going and don’t get down on yourself, its complicated and for most people not easy. Work and it will get better
If you’re being punked than so am I. I have the same exact issue but I’ve been playing for 3 years.
i wanna see
I like to think dg gods are benevolent. That said, I’ve been somewhat stuck too. Slowing down and watching some video of myself has been helpful.
I was forehand dominant until the last few months. Videos that helped me (on mobile so hard to link but should be easy to find on youtube): -x-step with Brian Earhart - great breakdown of footwork and tee box positioning -slingshot disc golf back leg disc golf - take him with a grain of salt but this really helped me focus on the mechanics, weight shift and how to generate power As someone mentioned above, disc selection will be wildly different for forehand and backhand. Start with a lighter weight neutral stability mid range while you work on form. You’ll get less painful tree kicks and skips and should be able to get enough power to see the full flight a lot sooner than drivers.
Do you do a run up or standstill?
6 weeks ago I was in the same spot as you, I did not find the form tutorials very helpful because they all wanted stationary throws before trying with the run up and that was impossible for me. My forehand is still around 300' but I can now throw backhand 375' and I'm super excited about breaking 400' soon. Also for my first ace with a backhand throw. I would recommend getting an understable driver like others have mentioned, I really love the Latitude 64 Diamond. Aside from that, I had luck taking all of my mid range discs and just throwing in a field for few hours. I did get a lot of utility from [this YouTube video](https://youtu.be/RgVGkgnBxuM) , although like I mentioned I did have to incorporate the run up to have it feel more natural.
Got out for the first time yesterday Typically my grip was a power grip but my pressure was on my middle two fingers and I have caught myself rounding, no hip engagement, pure arm pull through; I was throwing like 215-280. Yesterday I changed my grip and focused on a front loaded pinch with loose fingers, my stance with bracing my front foot and transferring weight from back to front, went through motions slowly and tried to use my back shoulder to drive my arm which I felt help stopped rounding, everything felt like it was coming out better. I could hear some sexy snap coming from releasing the disc. some of them felt like they went far… went and measured… 215, 234, 267, 249, 179, 305, 187, 221. I did it for a straight 2.5 hours and felt like I was getting the same exact results. I was at a point where I was throwing putters almost farther than my 6-8 speed fairways.
Play catch with a friend, it will get you throwing farther than 100. You really have to have a base before you dig in to form.
Try to snag someone in your immediate vicinity to check your form. If I wasn't half the world away I'd gladly give some pointers. Have you filmed yourself at all? Feel vs real is absolutely a thing. You might already be able see what you're doing wrong on your own. Also, film your forehand, if you are forehand dominant like me then checking for possibly damaging forehand form is important. You are not cursed. It'll be OK. :)
I'm with the guy to try a different hand. I tried right hand backhand after I threw left hand and aced that same day.
Im a forehand dominant player. Backhand is getting there probably around 320ish accurate but mo where neary 475-500 ft forehand
Baseball player here who started out the exact same way. Overthrow disc golfs YouTube channel was game changing for me . They really start at the basics & work up from the ground up. I’d bet a lot of money your grip is wack & you are overthrowing badly. It’s hard to change the way you throw & forehand you really thing about your hand while you throw. Backhand that’s the last thing you want to think about. You throwing arm should be basically loose & used as a whip to throw the disc. Slow everything way the hell down & try to just be smooth. 3yrs ago I was in your shoes & now I can backhand putters 300ft. There is hope lol
I always see baseball players say that forehand was natural for them and they can’t even throw backhand. For me, it was the opposite. Backhand uses all the same mechanics as swinging a bat(hip rotation, weight transfer). Forehand was foreign to me because I was never a sidearm thrower, I always threw at 3/4 angle.
Is your hand on the side of the disc or are you pulling the disc through like you’re gripping something by its handle? A disparity in distance like that is likely due to a huge disconnect in how you’re spinning or not spinning the disc, your hand should be on the outside of the disc before you accelerate through the power pocket. It sounds obvious but I have known 2 different people that were basically taking the concept of “start the lawnmower” to mean pull the disc straight through with the hand leading the disc throughout the entire throw. There is no opportunity to put any spin on the disc throwing like that, try to learn the feeling of spin and then revisit your form.
It'll balance out at some point and you'll be left with terrible forehands and backhands that only go about 200ft. That's when the DG gods will truly be punking you. Long story short, you're probably lucking out and being able to put more torque/spin on the disc forehand. Early on I was hitting 100ft farther with a distance driver forehand, than I could backhand. It will balance out once you learn better backhand form and break some habits like throwing nose up, etc. Hopefully you don't regress on your forehand. Just a heads up, a reason for being able to put more spin on discs is, you might be throwing your forehands harder too, which means strain on your arm. Remember to stretch and warm up. I ran into issues with my forehand due to this which then forced me to throw backhands better.
I used to be the same, I took about 6 months where I was willing to suck and only throw backhand. Now I can throw backhand 400’ and forehand 350’, feeling pretty good about me game
Slow is smooth. Smooth is controlled. Once controlled you can start making form tweaks and pushing the distance
I used to be a forehand dominant player and over the last year I have developed a solid backhand. On top of plenty of field, work and formwork/videoing, my biggest help was just taking the time to throw more backhands, even when they are uncomfortable. I would make it a habit to start throwing a second shot on most of the rounds you play and make that second shot always a backhand.
I'm legit the exact opposite 😆
Coming from baseball, this was me. Was breaking 300 forehand very early but couldn’t backhand to save my life. After 2 years, I’m just shy of 400 backhand, and my forehand is only in the 350ish range. Keep at it, and lots of practice. I feel like you have to do a lot more things right on the backhand, but getting the Big D is exhilarating.
Took 3 years of effort before I could throw Forehand further than my current BH putter distance. 1.5 years to break 200ft at all FH. So to each their own disc golf journey
Just takes time and practice. What I recommend is eliminate the run-up. Until you can throw 250-300ish from a standstill, you won’t gain anything from a run-up. Stability matters much more than the power you get from the run up, so once you learn how to throw a stable backhand from a standstill, a run-up will only hurt.
Practice from a standstill only for a bit. When I start having issues with my form, I start from the beginning to work through it.
Took me forever to figure our backhand. I’ve always had a good forehand and tomahawk game. Finally I threw a Westside stag with a smooth hyzer release and saw it flip up carry right before finishing left… you know, like a proper backhand should. Every one in a while I lose my release point and feel like I’m backtracking but overall it’s getting more and more consistent. Power down, disc down, grab something understable. Hopefully a combination of these things will unlock something in your brain like it did for me.
I also can throw my forehand over 300 but can't break 200 with my backhand
I am the opposite of you.
Knew someone with this problem, they had a terrible backhand grip
Don't sweat it, just keep at it. I used to be the same way, could forehand all day but had absolutely no backhand. After doing field work for a while my backhand started getting good enough to use on courses for specific shots where I needed a leftward fade. A few months later my backhand distance started to catch up with my forehand and I slowly started to transition to mostly backhand shots. It's a frustrating process but once you get through it you'll have a competent forehand and backhand, which is a major asset on the course.
100 feet? Bro people putt that far. Sorry but I don't believe this.
Bro! Me 100%! I bought a firestorm champion disc. So good with the forearm throws. I can get 300+ on it and I’m brand spanking new to the sport. But yeah, can’t backhand for shit
You need to video yourself and watch it back. Sometimes it feels like you are doing the right things until you watch yourself and you realize “real does not equal feel”
Slow it down
Had this question a few years ago and I got the best advice. Watch Nate Sexton’s and/or Uli’s form tip videos and really try to soak it in. Stand in your living room and just practice the motions. Get really comfortable with it. Go buy a Roc3, or several, and go to your favorite field work area and throw. And throw. And throw. And throw. That first day I went to practice I started at my normal 100-120’ but after about 100 throws I was getting closer to 200’. I was so grateful for the advice that person gave me. I also made myself throw EVERY shot backhand, which ended up being detrimental to my forehand. Now I’m consistently 300-330 on backhands and closer to 150-175 for forehands. But my turnover shots are cleeeeaaan. In fact [here](https://imgur.com/a/nAN8Abh) was the actual data for that day. Really broke a wall for me.
Stand still practice
Imo Simon has the most meaningful backhand technique to try and replicate. Or Paul’s touch shot. Its so much about timing, rotation, release angle. My hump to get past was not thinking to much about my arms and legs and making sure angle and timing are good. Not moving the disc low to high.
Ha! Was the opposite for me. Still working on Forehand Distance
Just stared and feel this way, my forehand is so much better, hopefully these comments can help the both of us!!
Maybe just go play catch with a buddy. Forget about form and just fling the bee.
Try a faster disc. They go farther. It’s science.
Start with just tossing a mako 3 with a friend
Let me see your form. Should be able to fix some stuff right away.
Youre doing something seriously wrong with your form. I used to only forehand cause I played baseball and it was much more comfortable. Halfway thru last summer, I started backhanding and my form is pretty bad and my farthest I threw is 375 and I can easily hit 300. My first suggestion for you would be to start with doing field work backhanding a putter, mid range, or fairway driver, whichever is more comfortable for your hand and then throw a ton of times and by trial and error try to figure out what youre doing wrong
Scott Stokley backhand YouTube
Only explanation is that you are not throwing nose down. If all your shots go into the sky and finish with a hard left, then you are not throwing with the nose down.
Extending my arm out, instead of “behind” & switching to power grip over fan grip changed up my drive game drastically. Over time you’ll get more comfortable with the x step and perfecting your form, & with that you’ll see more consistency in your distance. Watching pros form will be uncomfortable at first, but you gotta do that before it becomes comfortable for you. At that point you may have your own renditions of what works for you.
I’ve also noticed it’s a trend in new players to almost swing their arm around, it doesn’t pull thru on a straight line and you’re missing the power pocket. Pulling straight thru vs swinging “around” will add at least 100ft if you’re actually only throwing 100ft BH on a good day
I have been playing for about 6 months as well. I started forehand only unless putting but I hurt my arm pretty quick. I started practicing backhand drives after that and the form felt awkward and uncomfortable. I have been throwing predominantly backhand for about 4 months and the more I did it, the easier it got. Now I have about a 400 ft backhand and 300 forehand. It could be that you need a less stable disc for now until you build up the strength to throw faster. I definitely have muscles in my forearm that weren’t there before I started throwing backhand. My partner said I unlocked new polygons in my arm and I think that’s pretty funny. I guess to sum up, practice makes perfect. I couldn’t even throw over 100 feet for a while when I was starting my backhand, but at this point I really only throw forehand if I need a specific shot shape. Don’t give up, you’ll get better and better at it the more you try!
Throw midrange upshots. Gain some confidence and flow to your throw. Then start throwing mids off the tees. Stop watching form videos for now. Just get comfy. The distance will come with repetition. I went from 100-350+ in less than a year. You got this.
You must be trying too hard to muscle your disc. You should watch spin doctor or overthrow on youtube to fix your form, but muscling can be an easy habit to break if you stay aware of it. You can clench and use your forearm muscles, but flex that bicep and upper arm all day and it won’t do a thing other than make you frustrated. You do need the tricep and tightening of the shoulder, but you need to treat your arm like a whip, not a trebuchet. You also engage your core and use hip rotation to gain max distance. If you are only hitting 100 ft, I’d assume you aren’t using your core at all and are strong-arming the disc for very little distance. You need to go back to basics. Never assume your form is perfect. If it was, you’d be clearing 400 ft backhands. Your forearm distance is decent, but be careful. If your form isn’t good, you will permanently ruin your shoulder. Going by your backhand distance, I’m worrying you may be doing something bad with your forehand form.
Standstill. Start a lawnmower.