It is undeniable that all golf disc players want to improve their distance in their games. It does not matter if a player is a beginner or pro because distance can do a lot in the scores and overall performance.
It is possible to increase your driving distance considerably by training. You can do this by utilizing tips here and practicing them to have better distance on your games. You should not let your frustration with your distance get the best of you.
There are things worth knowing about adding distance regardless of your skill in playing disc golf. Players who lack distance want to maximize the distance from their drivers. Skillful players want to have better accuracy and consistency when they use their high-speed drivers.
Let’s dive into some effective ways to get better distance at disc golf:
Work On Your Legwork
You have likely heard professional disc golf players and commentators mentioning X Step. The way you position your feet and their location when you step forward on the teepad can affect your distance in the game. Similar to most sports such as ball golf and baseball, the main strength of a throw comes from the hips and legs.
It is highly recommended to review some clips of intermediate and experienced players and check their footwork carefully. The right X Step makes you turn and release your hips so that you can have the maximum distance.
Focus on Your Upper Body
Since your lower body gathers and stores energy to create power, your upper body should also do its job. Your chest, arms, shoulders, and head are in ideal locations for you to make a good throw.
When you turn your hip well, you will have a natural reach back when you throw. Your arm can rotate as your hips open. You can get the needed accuracy, consistency, and strength when you can make your body parts function together.
Determine Your Power Pocket
You might have heard pro disc golf players mention the term “power pocket.” Power pocket means angling your arms before throwing the disc. You can try to picture the three sides of a rectangle in the middle of your chest, upper arm, and lower arm.
The power pocket is created when your elbow gets through at the end of the throw. Your hand and lower arm produce a snap when you throw the disc. This release is termed the “tip of the whip” by Dave Dunipace, one of the founders of Innova.
All of the energy and power are in the tip that comes from the whip. Nevertheless, the ideal movement and form of the whip are needed to achieve this result. When you achieve this in your give, you have better acceleration when you release, which gives you more distance.
Avoid Rounding
Rounding is a common issue faced by intermediate and experienced players. Rounding happens when your arm goes out and moves around in a circular motion instead of going straight back and through the throw.
If you are a beginner that is still working on footwork and form, this might not significantly affect your arm speed distance. However, it can make your throws inconsistent. You have experienced rounding if you had grip locks on your drives or releasing too early.
Playing disc golf will be easier and more consistent if your arm goes back through on a straight line rather than moving out and around when you throw your best distance driver shot. Put simply, if you want better distance and better gameplay overall, you have to eliminate rounding.
Relax
One of the common reasons why throws are limited is that you probably try to power out your disc. If you are uneasy, your throw will not likely get far. Therefore, you need to make sure that you hold your disc strong enough.
If not, it can fall out and not fly on a smooth and clean course. When you feel relaxed in throwing the disc, you can increase your distance a little.
Concentrate on Timing
When playing disc golf, there are many important body parts that need to work, such as your arm, upper body, and legs. Pro disc golf players consider timing as very crucial in increasing their average distance for drives.
If your throw is not perfectly synchronized, you will not have enough power, which lessens the potential to have good distance. The highest point of your reach-back needs to synchronize to the point when the ups are turned the most. The hips should open first before starting to pull your arm through to create more energy and whip.
Take the Risk and Disc Down
Beginner and intermediate disc golf players with the slower speed in their arms can have additional distance when they use less stable, mid-range, and fairway drivers compared to distance drivers that pro players use.
Distance drivers do not automatically mean that these give better distance to any player. Because these drivers have high speed, they require greater arm speed to achieve the full-flight features.
It is recommended to tune your techniques and forms to mid-range putters and discs. Then, you work on using fairway drivers. After that, you can try using distance drivers.
Allow the Disc to Work
With less effort, you can have better distance, more understandable and lightweight discs, and better glide ratings. Instead of forcing yourself to use distance drivers with maximum weight, you can use a disc that gives a smooth release. The only issue with this disc type is that it is way less stable.
Since lightweight discs have lower speeds, you can easily throw them and improve your distance. You can just allow the disc to do the work. Your disc can more naturally flip over and glide with minimal effort. Overstable discs are not recommended unless you have enough strength like the pros.
Conclusion
Finally, you know some of the ways to add more to your distance when playing disc golf. Aside from following these tips, you can check out videos from YouTube. You can learn something new or better understand some of the basic techniques. What is important is that you create a form that is comfortable and effective for you.
