5 Ways to Improve Your Backhand Throw | The Finer Details | Disc Golf

[@CurrySoSpicy]

dude, you are one hell of a teacher.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Haha thank you! I try my best!

[@hotsauce1556]

This is truly one of the best tutorials i have seen you honestly explained it in detail better than I've ever seen. Great video

[@lildawg6034]

This is one of the best tutorials I've seen. Other videos just show a general basis in a 5 minutes video, but you cover everything in extreme detail, which helps me actually get better.

[@gavinplourde5933]

So true

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you! Please share it and be sure to watch “part 1.”

[@nateeeey]

honestly the best video I've ever watched. so helpful!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jacobtyman3726]

Great video. I’ve been having trouble with my alignment for sure. I throw a bit nose up and then over correct and throw at least one drive a round in the dirt. Lol. Keep the great videos coming.

[@jaredwhite571]

You may be one of the top disc golf instructors on KZbin. Thanks for delving so deep into the subject. I’m putting this sage advice into practice and will pay it forward in service to others, surely.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words. I appreciate the support!

[@micahyarbrough5513]

I've been realizing I need to focus more on my form--getting my hips more involved, not rounding, etc. This is quite helpful!

[@brett7794]

You're the best teacher I've ever come across not even world pro's can do what you do sir thank you for your time and insight it's very enlightening even after playing for 10+ years

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Wow! Thank you so much! I really appreciate that!

[@TheKebabFTW]

You explain so well man, thank you so much. Especially the hip part, at least for me it finally made some sense

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you! Glad I could help you out.

[@professorb3744]

I will never “fast foe ward”! Watching the whole video. Thanks for your time and help

[@JasonAlexzander1q47]

This was helpful and a good confirmation of what I have been working on myself. Number 3 means to not take your eyes off of the ball. Thanks

[@Trukkikuski]

I really can't thank you enough for these videos I got like 30 meters more to my backhand throw just by watching these and training for a couple of days. Thank you!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Awesome job!!! Glad I could help!

[@RGMDG]

Great video Antonio. Very valuable information. Like everything else, I need to practice, practice practice to get it down. It is a SLOW process but I am making progress thanks to helpful video's like yours. Much appreciated.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you! Glad I could help you.

[@stlyg777]

Well done. Right to the point, but inclusive of important details. Excellent video.

[@tonyupton8613]

Hay thank you man so much for giving your time to help us rather we are new or strugling like me. And thats how it should be if you love the sport thanks again Robby

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Hey you’re welcome! But I think you got my channel confused with Robbie C haha

[@chrisw7]

Thanks!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you for the support!

[@AWAjakeoliver9]

For those with a baseball background, think about Albert Pujoles's swing when engaging hips. He leads with his heel too. Same thing. Great stuff man

[@aaronmsmith6]

Actually never thought about that and it really clears that up. Thanks for that

[@AWAjakeoliver9]

Yeah no problem. These videos help out a lot! I'm still a beginner so its just easier for me to relate the mechanics to what I know. Or at least what I think is the same

[@aaronmsmith6]

Jake Oliver yeah I just started like 3 months ago and I went out today just throwing and using these mechanics already added like 20-30 feet so it obviously works

[@AWAjakeoliver9]

@@aaronmsmith6 hell yeah brother

[@A-staticCal]

This is a great video. Great fine point details, and excellent visuals. Nice Job!

[@mikepilot777]

Very helpful information. The backhand throw feels so different than any other motion in sports. It was nice to see someone describe the basics so well. Earned my subscribe.

[@jakeoppenheim3389]

With regard to hip engagement, it's really interesting to compare to ball golf. If you move your brace foot during/after the swing, it is considered that your swing is out of balance (what feels like common knowledge in ball golf).

[@NastierNate]

You should check out this video with Phil and long drive champ Kyle Berkshire. They discuss lifting/rotating the front foot around impact. Essentially, they say that if you’re swinging for max distance and don’t let your front foot rotate with your weight, you’re going to end up destroying your front knee. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h4vNiJmVls2kptk

[@harleybk3]

Thank you, sir, for the excellent product. I’ve seen much improve my in my game due to your instructional videos. I’ve watched many tutorials, and your are by far the most useful for me.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you for the support!

[@johnatkinson3174]

Thank you, this was really helpful. You have a talent for communication my friend. Even as a newbie, I understood exactly. 👍

[@brickuz]

Love these videos! They extract key parts so well and I love how you talk about what to focus on or what you want to feel when you do it right not just mechanically what you're suppose to do. Great stuff!

[@mantistoboggan4967]

Great videos - i have rewatched several already! You have a good, consistent formula so all the videos align well. I appreciate how you organize your lessons - and the timestamps are helpful 👍

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you! Glad I could help!

[@DUMBLIESCOM]

Great job - I am new player and your tip about focusing on the disk during the throw just fixed one of my issues - Thanks

[@banjolowe]

Excellent video ! Thank you for making these great informative videos !

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

You’re welcome! Glad you like them!

[@sofaqueen9405]

Thank you for this! Definitely some stuff I want to work on :) This is the second video I've watched from this channel and they're really insightful. Subscribed!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you for the support!

[@larsandersson6171]

Best description of hip engagement i have seen, great video.

[@blackrifle3932]

Thank you for sharing the fundamentals of the game. I am sorry to say that I will not be sharing this video with my buddies I play with. I don’t want them to get this kind of advantage. Hehe

[@Two_Buck]

I've discovered yet another great video from you. Thanks.

[@10GritSandpaper]

So helpful. Thanks

[@brett7794]

Wow wish I could have watched this 5 years ago maybe my hip would feel better.. keep it up bro you're saving people allot of time and problems

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thank you! Just trying to help people out. Glad you found it useful!

[@oscaruusitalo5885]

Very well instructed video buddy! Made me have those ”clicks” in my head, now off to training :) thanks!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Good luck!

[@kruksog]

Hey, I loved this. You earned my sub with the last video. Something I commented on last time, that I'd really love to see something about, is essentially how to troubleshoot your throw. There are so many voices out there and when I change something up, the disc often doesn't go as far, simply because I'm not comfortable with my 'new' throw. So, my question is, how do I know if that change I made was right or not. I can understand why this would be a difficult video to make, but it's a question I've always wanted answered. Cheers!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

So I actually made this video with your comment in mind. I'm sorry it didn't answer all of your questions. I will try to answer it here! One of the best ways to diagnose ANY issue with your throw is to watch a recording/video. You might make a change in your throw, and even though it might feel awkward, it could be the correct adjustment you need to make. Muscle memory is a tricky thing. If you're doing something wrong over and over, when you change it to the correct form, it will feel awkward. The same is also true for the opposite (doing something right and then having an off day). That's why being able to see how you throw is super important for improvement. Once you watch your throw a few times, you can test it against advice you've heard and make any adjustments or see what you're already doing correctly. Overall, this will be a process, and if there is one thing I have learned, it will take time, and patience is key to success! Hope this helps!

[@kruksog]

@@GladiatorDiscGolf oh hey, this video was fantastic! Please don't think I was being critical in any way. I think it may just be that I want an easy answer that just doesn't exist. I'm loving your stuff. Keep it up, and again, thanks for being responsive with your viewers.

[@cycledelic7066]

Instant subbed

[@whiteheat916]

The twitch....I have been trying to throw my hips forward, but didn’t think about it as a twitch. I really think it’s going to improve my distance!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Glad I could help!

[@brianhoffmann1858]

Great vid! Very useful info.

[@drkevns]

you're right about the foot not rotating and that being an issue. It can often be cause by having too much stagger because you think you should look like Simon. Having too much stagger closes off your front hip and limits movement.

[@deyo7s]

Do you intentionally lift your toes in order to heel pivot? My foot is pretty cemented but can pivot if I lift toes; however I don't know how to balance heel pivot vs not spinning out. You know what I mean? Any advice there? Just make sure to settle weight first?

[@drkevns]

Nic S I never think about what my foot is doing. If your foot is getting stuck and not rotating try removing stagger altogether and standing up straight. See how that feels and record what your foot does. I bet it pivots a lot more easily

[@baldjustice393]

Thank you! Very useful information! Nailed it on the head for me and everything I feel I am not doing properly! My body has a natural dip from several injuries in my teenage years, my left hip is almost 4 inches higher then my right hip due to some major injuries from my decade of racing BMX professionally after being paralyzed twice my body has taking quite a toll I'm also a left-handed player so my right side automatically dips! I am also having some serious struggles with starting my steps on theTee pad it just does not feel natural to me and it's got to the point of irritation and a mental struggle to just get clean steps in the Box to even get my x-step proper! I feel like I am either trying to get up to speed to quickly or I'll feel like I'm moving to slow and can't find that happy medium. Thank you for the helpful information and I feel if I can do these steps right..... hopefully it will help my issues in a sport I wish I picked up in my teenage years. Thanks!!!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

So glad this was helpful! If you're struggling with your walk-up and it is affecting your throw, try throwing from a standstill instead. This should help you execute the fundamentals.

[@cddw33]

great lesson. I will be sharing this

[@AtheistEdge]

Great info. Subbed.

[@mikew.762]

Great video

[@Rydal1]

Holy Moly thanks

[@stevenbolen1702]

Thanks for the information. Good stuff. One question I have but haven’t asked around. How tight is your grip on a disc in a backhand? Scale 1-10 with 10 being won’t come out of your hand (if that’s possible).

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Good question! I like to think a firm handshake. I’m not squeezing the life out of it, but it won’t slip out of my hand either.

[@ibanezrg7421]

I needed this! Thanks! Sub'd I was starting to throw straight, but power just wasn't there because I wasn't bringing my hips into the mix

[@wolfgangweber9359]

Great video, thank you very much. Forms seem to vary a lot when it comes to the non-throwing hand, as a beginner I wonder what's best here.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Great question! Form certainly does vary and a lot of the variation actually comes with the non-throwing hand. I talk about the non-throwing arm in my first form video. It is vital that the arm is as close to your side when throwing as possible. You don’t want your arm flailing around when you throw.

[@kevinhesselgrave3009]

Thank you

[@fosstheboss31]

Is the towel pop the release point i should learn? Day 2 newb lol

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Yes, the towel pops at the same point that a disc would leave your hand.

[@piperuiz45]

Love the explanation I'm looking forward to practice these things. I do have a question, I have noticed that there are too many things to think at the same time (plant foot, hips, shoulders, grip, reach back) and often when practicing on when playing a round I find myself focusing on one thing too much and then another one fails (I feel like in the last samurai movie "too many mind"). for us beginners which of those elements you think we should focus on first? or maybe should just keep on trying to think of all of them at the same time and just practice practice practice until they all come together?

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Great question! I find it easiest for me to play a good round when I focus on only 1-2 things at a time in regard to my form. The holes and rounds I do the worst on when working on my form are typically those where I’m overthinking every single aspect. For a beginner, do NOT worry about the x-step. That can come later. Work on pulling through cleanly and following through. Both of these can be done with standstill shots.

[@piperuiz45]

@@GladiatorDiscGolf thank you very much for the answer. I will try that in my next practice round. By the way, im also an ultimate player, did you stopped playing all together and focus on disc golf only? Im dealing with having to manage both forms but every once in a while one gets in the way of the other

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

After graduating college, I couldn’t find an ultimate frisbee club to join. I went about two years without throwing a frisbee. Then I started playing disc golf 2.5 years ago. I still love ultimate, but being able to play solo rounds is much easier than trying to get groups of people together for ultimate.

[@creativeflyfishing998]

My biggest problem (and I see this a lot in other too) is that I turn both shoulders and hips away from the target. If your shoulders are aligned with your hips, it is of course impossible to engage the hips properly. At the time you are bracing there should be at least some separation between the hips and shoulders (hips more in line with the throwing direction and only upper body pointing ~90 degrees from the target). This all came down to keeping you x-step parallel to the target, and not turning the x-step away from the target (this means your hips do it too). One thing that lead to this problem is the tip that you should watch you disc in the reach back. Your hips follow your head, so if you turn your head too early this means your hips will do it too. Until you get this right, you are not even in a position to get the stuff covered here to work, they assume that you have the correct position to begin with (shoulders and hips not parallel). That is why it is very dangerous to suggest to look at you disc during the reach back (it only happens by necessity at the very end of the reach back which was correctly demonstrated here).

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thanks for the feedback! I think there was some confusion about my use of the word alignment. When I talked about body alignment, I never mentioned everything turning at once. I meant that your shoulders would be square above your hips and knees. In essence, it’s to keep one’s body balanced and not leaning too far backward or forward. In my use of the word alignment I never mentioned timing of rotation. I agree with you in that there is a little delay in the rotation between the two, but that doesn’t mean their misaligned.

[@donnierakes9117]

Hey brother do you do form reviews for players?

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

I do! I recommend the GiveGo app on iOS. I’m an expert coach on there and have helped many golfers. I’m able to give you audio and visual feedback with quick turnaround.

[@donnierakes9117]

@@GladiatorDiscGolf do I just look you up? What does it cost? Thanks!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Yeah! You can send me a DM. If you have an Instagram, message me there. I respond more quickly there.

[@jdorris5337]

Serious question, what was in that hole behind you and how deep was it??

[@chapiiwin307]

Great : )

[@samhowl1152]

Great content. I wish you had spoken about bracing.i just don't understand how to do it and it's killing me

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

So when it comes to bracing, it’s the point of your body that all of the movement revolves around when you throw. When I talk about how to throw off the tee, I mention the foot placement. This is super important. Once your foot is planted properly, there should be a slight bend in your knee. The thing about bracing is that you can’t have your foot be stationary, or you will hurt yourself. In my point about engaging hips, I talk about how rotating the foot will help power your throw and prevent injury. During all of these actions, you leg is serving as the brace for your throw. Does this help?

[@samhowl1152]

@@GladiatorDiscGolf I just keep blowing through my plant let. Like I'll try to keep my torso in the correct position. Often though, it'll come through the leg and I wind up having my overall torso close to the ground.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Hmm. Are you trying to throw hyzer shots? Sounds like you might be leaning over the disc too much and losing your balance.

[@samhowl1152]

@@GladiatorDiscGolf I do typically throw with a little hyzer.I will keep this in mind. However, what it feels like is this: when my lead leg stops my momentum my legs work as they should, providing a stable base, but as the disc/hand comes through, it pulls my torso laterally through the brace and my torso is bent over almost horizontally sometimes.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Hmm. Okay. I’m trying to envision it, but I’m having a hard time. If you have Instagram, record yourself throwing and send it to me.

[@Rydal1]

how long should the last step be?

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Of the x-step?

[@Schwick-wc7uo]

Who are u :) Doesn't matter. Great breakdown. Hint: the brace leg extends fully. The whole thigh engaged. Firm. "Posting up" they call it.

[@gaprofitt]

No matter what I try the disc doesn’t just rip out. I’m not holding it super tight. Do I need to hold it rather loose so it can rip out. I’m a strong guy so I don’t get it.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Good question! Based on what you told me, it’s possible the disc isn’t snapping or ripping out because you’re rounding. Now, there is no way to say for certain since I haven’t seen video of you throwing, but it’s possible that the path the disc is being thrown on is not conducive to getting any snap; hence, the rounding.

[@rogerhuston8287]

Wish you spent more time on the release. How to find your release point. No one talks what to do after the power pocket and there is so much that can go wrong. For example where does the shoulder go? When do you open it up or do you? If your elbow gets out in front to early to can lead to a pulled shot. You only show people what to do, not everything that they could do and how to correct.

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thanks for the feedback! I address some of those things in my how to throw backhand tutorial video! I’ve had multiple people ask about how to diagnose a problem in your throw. That’s a tricky one. I will work on it!

[@GladiatorDiscGolf]

Thanks for the feedback! I address some of those things in my how to throw backhand tutorial video! I’ve had multiple people ask about how to diagnose a problem in your throw. That’s a tricky one. I will work on it!

[@JakeLaPutka]

You’ve got great content! Let’s do a collab sometime!

[@megamrsoftee]

"your hips can't rotate if your foot doesnt rotate" - lol unless youre kevin jones

[@jneihart2]

Not much how about you?