We have all been “not at thrower” at some point. I remember my mind being blown when Simon Wood told me to pivot on the 45° rather than straight forward. I’ve been hand-, foot- and body-blocked countless times, and blocked even more by just the grass. There’s no avoiding that stage of sucking.
But it is a stage.
Since these humble beginnings I have been fortunate enough to have many opportunities to throw frisbees to my friends. I’ve just come off the back of a successful WUCC campaign with Brisbane Lunchbox, where I contributed as a primary thrower on the Offensive line. This demanded a lot of confidence against unknown defences and tough throws in high pressure moments. There was wind and distraction, choices between safe and play-generating options, deep cutters and break throws. There were definitely errors, but it is safe to say I have come a long way in my throwing capabilities.
After seven years of accumulating feedback and thousands upon thousands of repetitions, I would love to share with you some of the nuggets of wisdom that have shaped the way I throw. These fundamental concepts can be useful for both seasoned and unseasoned throwers. They have allowed me to develop new throws and revisit old habits, and guided my approach to improving disc skills.
1. Understand the physics.
Or at least just understand the relevant parts, to self correct and comprehend the limitations (and possibilities!) of throwing. There is no ‘correct’ combination of the following three components, but together they determine what the disc will do. Even if it sounds like mumbo jumbo now, trust me, one day you will understand your throwing mechanics enough to be consciously thinking of these concepts.
Surface Area (SA) - how much of the disc is ‘hitting’ the air as you throw it.
Are you throwing it so the underside of the disc is visible to the receiver? Or the image on top? Or just the rim slicing through the air?
‘Lift’, ‘float’ or ‘touch’ can be created by having the front edge of the disc elevated (more underside visible to the receiver). When is it useful to have lift, and when is it not? What changes when the disc is upside down?
Rotational Force - how fast is the disc spinning.
And how fast is it rotating compared to how fast it is travelling forwards? Think about how a pull might float versus a huck, or how the disc flies when wind is travelling against it without much spin. You can manipulate the flight path of a disc by changing the rotational force compared to forward momentum.
Power Translation - how much of the power you produce is going into the disc flight.
This includes your throwing motion and your follow through. In the wind up, if your arm and the disc moves in a non-linear path to the release, power is lost fighting the centrifugal force (i.e. trying to keep the disc close to you when rotating pulls it away - like with an olympic hammer throw). Similarly, after you release the disc and your arm flails wildly in a follow through, much of the power generated in the wind up is also wildly flailing about. Power is best translated directly through linear movement. Do you start with your body turned and the disc trapped behind you? Do you point at your target in the follow through? Does your elbow flex in motion?
2. Establish a strong grip
To generate rotational force, you will need to develop a strong grip on the disc. This is particularly important to be able to throw in all conditions (wind, rain, sweaty hands), and to increase the distance of your throws. The finger grip strength required to have a good forehand grip is more than a beginner player will have, and that causes technique to get funky because everything else has to compensate. Keep reevaluating and strengthening your grip. The disc should feel secure at every release point with solid traction under the rim, so that you can release it with lots of spin. Try throwing with and without gloves to see how your grip (and mechanics) change.
3. Focus on the smaller muscles.
When starting out (or going lefty for lols) you’ll naturally use bigger muscles and movements to get the disc moving. This might mean your whole torso rotates, and you throw your shoulder forward to get power. Once your body figures out the basic movement pattern, the next stage is to focus on the smaller muscle groups (e.g. hand, wrist, elbow) and limit movement of the big ones. The aim is to utilise the fewest muscles wherever possible. This allows for more specific manipulation of the disc and improves movement efficiency. Most excitingly however, it means when we add the bigger muscles back in (shoulder, trunk, hips), you’ll be able to reach greater distance with your throws.
4. Identify your comfort zone, and leave it.
You’ll likely have developed a favourite throw. More specifically, you’re likely to have a comfortable pivot distance, and angle, and release point, and timing. You can harness this to be your pinpoint dime, your weapon, ol’ reliable. The throw that comes easy to you is an asset. Acknowledge the choices you make automatically. Step two is to challenge those choices. To avoid becoming predictable to defenders, and to increase your throwing arsenal, actively identify your subconscious habits and train to break them.
5. Everyone is different and everyone is right.
Learn from everyone! The main objective of throwing is getting the disc from A to B. As long as you can do that consistently in a variety of environments, you’re doing it right. Everyone has different physiological constraints, thus there is not a one-size-fits-all technique. Take information in from a wide range of throwers and see how they fit into your game. Some may work for you, some may not, but the more you can add to your game, the better. Observe the different flick huck wind ups, and pulling runups, and high release grips, and mid-length backhand chest position. Modelling off just one technique will limit you as a thrower. Filming your own technique is a good way to start noticing what others do differently.
6. Get weird and learn from experimenting.
Lastly, just give it a red hot crack. You’re going to get the most comfort with the disc from touches. Test different throws, see what you learn, apply what you know and trial what you don’t. You’ll discover how much angle to put on an inside flick break by practising the extremes better than you will simply getting told the ideal throw. Familiarity with how the disc interacts with the environment and how you interact with the disc comes from experimentation.
For example, what happens when you pivot backward? Does the spin change how the disc fades? Can you throw with the strangest of grips to ensure a quick pass where necessary? Don’t let known styles limit what you practise. You’ll surprise yourself with what you successfully pull out on-field having spent time learning how our favourite flying plate behaves.
Understanding what is possible with the disc can also assist as a defender and cutter, to identify what spaces are reasonable threats, and which cuts provide viable targets. So, no matter what your role is, throw more. It is a beautifully unique part of our sport. I hope that one day you get to feel the pure elation that comes after failing at a weird throw time after time in training, only to brilliantly execute it mid game, and getting to walk off pretending you aren’t as astonished as everyone else.