Discraft Disc Golf Clinic: Forehand Drives

[ShootersTouchShots]

400 ft? The distance of a baseball field? No way

[Jarlentjermian]

@ShootersTouchShots All the time dawg.

[MrNa8er]

i only put one finger under the disc. i get alot more distance like that . i can probley throw about 425 ft. with my side arm. im jus now figuring my backhand out. only been playing for a year now but disc golf is my life. it probley has saved my life cause the road i was on was a bad one but now i have the greatest game to turn to. oh yeah discraft has the best disc ever

[rrndom]

Everytime i am playing, my right (throwing) arm starts to hurt at the bend of the arm and the biceps. Mostly because of my forehand drives. So, might anyone have some tips or know what i'm doing wrong?

[antiperspirantti]

@rrndom Most likely you are not stretching properly before you start throwing and / or you are throwing too hard. I learned that even if I take 20% off from full power it won't affect the distance.

Your throwing technique might also be "wrong" in a sense it causes too much stress to your arm.

[atrizzleness]

@rrndom Its commonly referred to as tennis elbow, usually affiliated with tendonitis in the elbow. Look up some stretching exercises so your not over extending those tendons.

[xNLGxlegendz]

Not like throwing a baseball at all you don't flick your wriest when you throw a baseball

[atrizzleness]

@xNLGxlegendz It's a lot like throwing a baseball.. A baseball's velocity and movement has a ton to do with wrist snap.

[Crimsonfangg]

@gydigh exactly right. Like mark said; everyone has different bodies there for everyones throw is going to vary.

[MrSoapbox29]

The thing I like about this guy that I don't see from other pros is he keeps his eyes focused on his direction the entire time. In some of these videos of pros I constantly seem them turn their head back and turn eyes away from the target. I honestly don't understand that form, never use it.

[51111ranger]

im wondering if you sponser kids because im 11 and averige through is 215ft and can putt pretty good

[JRJcrf150f]

nice i just tried the grip you explained. throw is a lot straighter. i usually hold it almost like a finger tip grip it works but doesnt fly nearly as straight. will say the grip you show really wears on my finger but a little play time and itll be all good.

[lachrymal21]

for sure reyno! they come for under 10 bucks at your local sports store. and can come in a starter pack with a putter mid range and driver.

[reyno1fan619]

i have a normal catch disk not a disc golf disk and when ever i try to do a for hand it just flops or rolls why is this and should i get a disc golf disk

[forehandturkey]

@reyno1fan619 Keep your wrist pointed up on the follow through. pull your fingers through the shot, a forehand is more in the fingers and less in the arm.

if your throws are turning over, you are turning your wrist over too much on hard throws without relative strength wrist snap at the end. a disc golf won't turn as hard as an ultimate disc, if it does just get an ape or a boss. good luck turning those over.

[NickDelaney123]

Can anyone tell me why, in Disc Golf, a forehand drive is contralateral (leads with the left foot for right hand), where in Ultimate, a forehand huck/pull is ipsilateral (power step is right foot for right hand)?

[forehandturkey]

@NickDelaney123 Well, in Ultimate, it's more beneficial to have your left foot as a pivot, to reach out farther as a righty. But for the pull, it doesn't matter.

I throw right handed, leading with left in both ultimate and disc golf.

ultimate, i throw a forehand pull ~100 yards and disc golf around 500 feet.

My throw is like swinging a bat as hard as i can with a wind up and an uppercut. just put a disc in your hand with a hard snap at the end.

[zachrs43]

thanks for all the helpful videos, I look forward to adding the forehand to my skills list

[JHVaiden]

thank you so much for this video it really helped me bcz i have only been playing for about two months and i throw forehand and back about 230ft

[TheGCode]

Popped something in my shoulder driving forehand. Any ideas what I may have done. Pull-ups and the like hurt quite a bit weeks later.

[sindude300]

500ft? in a single throw... i cant even drive 350 in golf :l

[eldo500]

@sindude300 Haha, you can't hit a 117 yard drive? Keep practicing, little girl, and maybe you'll be able to do it by the time you're in middle school.

[revelinabandon]

@eldo500 Middle school. That's where your maturity level stopped growing.

[pancakesickness]

@sindude300 Thats the difference between ft and yards. Golf is normally measured in yards.

[edgar04200]

I dont think any of those shots went 300 ft......lol

[themoderateextremist]

@edgar04200 he was like "andy's forehand probably looks like yours." ... umm...no, Andy was kicking my butt.

[getaloadofchucker]

what's your grip aid in wet weather?

[shitpiss2010]

bad ass steal your face disc!

[Ykcul93]

I'm 17 nd started playing last summer I've been throwing over 470 ft. Lately alot of practice is all it takes this is a very fun sport and I recommend it to many ppl who need to get out there nd be active

[tetryl1]

Gotta love this guy, makes the best instructional videos out there. Still won't get me using backhand though hehe, just too sucky with it I can't do it. Every sport I've played(including golf for 17 years) has been with "forehand style" so backhand feels awkward and theres no power at all. Lucky to get 100 feet with backhand, double with fore while standing still.

[desertdao]

Thank you for these tips! I'm going to play disc golf for the very first time this morning and I am so PUMPED!

[Mustanglover1202]

I like the pink deadhead putter

[1993russy]

imagine one of this dudes plays ultimate, they would be one hell of a sick handler haha!

[smokeysdiamond]

I had the privilege of discing with Mark at Kensington in Milford he was out there putting around with a few of his friends and i happend to be on the first hole when i saw him and you know i couldnt just not talk to him i had to get some pointers

He is an AMAZING player, hes very nice and generous with his tips, after putting around with him im much much better at my game so TY MARK your awesome man

[FrenchFrhyFilms]

I didn't know George Lucas disc golfed...

[poopswallow]

George Lucas is teaching disc golf!!!

[lwarnos]

Ellis so goofy, yet ridiculously good.

[sbent518]

damn i want that Grateful Dead disc!!!!!!! 

[srjnibs3]

@sbent518 Yeah, I have never even seen a Dead disc golf disc with a stealie.

[thebeastwhoeats]

what is a good mid range disc to buy for cheap?

[SmilingSpliff]

I never saw the value of a forehand throw, until i watched this video. Now i use it often, and it has helped my game more than I expected

[JackTaylorLive]

Awesome Grateful Dead disc!!!

[GreenLinn]

Thanks for the vid, helped me find my style with my forehand. It is rare to find good forehand clinics. This was very helpful.

[pmcnutty]

Mark Ellis you rock. These vids are very helpful

[blakecomer]

how did they get george lucas to do these videos?

[pablo94sc]

Coming from a baseball background; with a couple years of ultimate frisbee; and being a relatively new player, I have consistently had trouble throwing RHBH shots with stable to over-stable drivers without hyzering the heck out of my shots. On a tough left-right shot, I decided to try forehand expecting a sharp right fade. Instead, I went straight and 50' past the hole! The added speed of release has helped straighten and lengthen my shots, and my avg drive went from ~200' to 300'+.

[Ironboar286]

My forehand drive is awful!! And this just showed me how much.

[phlyboy123]

is he holding a mid-range in the beginning?

[NintendoZest]

is forearm also a sidearm throw?

[gogopossum]

@NintendoZest

Yes a forearm is the same as a sidearm. It is also commonly called a flick, and I know some that call it a "rope" (not sure the meaning/origin of this).

[djaks2761]

i find it ironic that this guy looks like Jerry Garcia and he is demonstrating with a grateful dead disc

[cdw86]

how do the ratings on a disc translate to the forehand drive? Aren't the ratings backwards for forehand?

[Testament31904]

No, if the turn shows a 0 it will do on a forehand shot the same as it will back hand, just in the opposite direction. I know a left handed person that asked me if a disc was overstable to me, would it be understable to him. It doesn't matter, it a disc cuts hard left for right handed, it will cut hard right for leftys, same with forehanding, it still has the same stability, it just fades in a different directions. It can get confusing, I know. =]

[cbeckett22]

you bend your elbow when you throw... it's only straight during your practice and back swing..

[chock19]

"over stable discs mask bad habits" Excellent point!

[cpjackson79]

A good thing to think about, backhand or forehand: Try to feel the weight of the disc as you go to throw. If you don't relax your wrist and arm, you won't be able to. This idea is essential to turning your arm into a whip, which leads to snap.

Practicing with understable discs will enhance you control, too. They'll want to turn over when you overpower them or throw them with any flutter. Sometimes, overstable discs mask bad habits.

[jcgoergens1455]

these videos clinics are great guys! ive been playing for five months now and already got a third place trophy while playing with guys with at least two years under their belt. i started with a 200ft drive and thanks to this and many other videos of yours ive watched i am now easliy throwing 400ft +.

[DuckwalkSupreme]

400 ft. is limited? Damn! I just started today, only have about 90 minutes of playing time to my career, but I'd KILL for even 300 ft....Actually I may have gotten close to 300 feet today, but I don't think I'd be able to get 400 feet ever. The course near my house has a 427 foot hole and with my forehand throw I got within 150 feet of the hole, after 3 times through the course. How much improvement in distance did you guys see in your drives after the first few months or first year?

[BlueDevi1s]

I was thinking the same thing on 400 ft. being limited. Being close to 300 ft your first time out is really good. You should be able to improve the more you play by changing the flight path (slight annyhyzer) is great for most discs and perfecting your technique. I started off with drives around 250 a couple years ago and now can get around 350. Keep practicing though and you should see improvements!

[peorpesadilla]

that's my main throw, i cant drive backhand, only my midrange shots are backhand

[TIKOMIX]

I am a dominate forehand driver like Mr. Ellis. My backhand drives are terrible. Split fork grip and I get tons of spin. Average 430'. Best thing about forehand drives is that it doesnt take as much movement to get the disc out. I've been recently working on a forehand hyzer flip which looks fantastic when thrown low to the ground.

[wrxman24]

Well in a forearm shot, you won't produce that snap, you want a nice firm but relaxed grip. When starting out try to bend your upper torso towards the ground. When you release you should slightly snap your wrist forward. That is what produces the spin and the more spin you have the further it will fly without fading to the right so soon, and it shouldn't wobble.

[archimedesjs]

I get TONS of snap on my backhand shots. For the life of me, I can't get hardly any spin on my forehand drives. The disc ALWAYS flutters, and gets hardly any distance. I know I get the majority of my snap on my backhand drives from my follow through, how can I translate that to my forehand drive?

[Jodabro]

This Ellis guy obviously never watches his throw in slow motion. He thinks he has no elbow movement unlike the others show cased, but its only in his backstroke that he keeps his arm straight. Everyone must lead their elbow through the throw, the key is releasing out in front of your body.

[waltstafari]

where do i get those disc golf knee hi sox?

[explorr1]

I love the steal your face disc in the begining.

[zappadadooi]

the stuff about borrowing from other sports to hone your form rings true for me. My forehand is a combination of my forehand tennis swing and the way i skip rocks....

[DriveWithDiscraft]

I'm 13, have been playing for 2-3 months, thow sidearm, and am a boy. Any advice for me? i drive with a 150 class flick. What else should i use? Reply to me please.

[brendanb1236]

well if u like discraft alot like i do. my favorite fh discs from them is the crush, force, pulse, and predator. personally i hate flicks. my snaps hyzer flips them into rollers. but i know u can find 166 or maybe lighter pulses. force is my furthest, crush is most trusting big d fh driver, predator is my accuracy fh driver, and pulse is another great big d driver. but since ur younger look into a light elite z surge. little less stable. good for turnover s shot bombs.

[xAuBuRn]

I would make sure you have good form. The worst you can do is develop bad form. 150 class is good for now.

[maglorsregret]

I much prfer the Scott Stokley method. Keep the shoulders square to the tee, and keep your arm higher.

[G45T3N]

george lucas? is that you?

[osmium13]

grateful dead, TIGHT!

[sensishooter]

Anyone know what disc Ellis is throwing in this vid? I have been using an Elite Z Z-flick for a while but am looking for something similar with more distance... If anyone has any suggestions that would be great.

[freeskiingbeast]

try the wildcat

[okamasphere]

Lets go discraft team!! Make some more disc golf tutorial videos!! I wanna see a trick shot vid!

[csidesuicide]

this is a good vid. I got a white GD disc like his :)

[creativewatcing]

there could be more of these vids..

[derekshortway]

This old guy is sick a disc golf. Maybe in 60 years i can be that good.

[damienbarber]

Good video on the forehand throw. I have had a lot of difficulties with the forehand throw, but would like to get good with it. I plan on experimenting a little with the forehand drive on my next time out.

[skrap73]

WOW! George Lucas can really throw a mean forehand drive with his Grateful Dead disc.

[Scherer321]

lol

[BoognishWhoo]

lol love the grateful dead putter

[okamasphere]

Who snaps a towel with a forehand? Everyone snaps a towel with a back hand

[DannyE5]

Mark Ellis snaps a towel with a forehand.

[allteeth]

More like skipping a stone or sidearming a dart.

[Hyst44]

@okamasphere people who crack whips.

[pepperpong7074]

@okamasphere i know

[yetibiker08]

@okamasphere

I snap a towel with my forehand and get some wicket sting too, and I have really practiced throwing super long distances too. My furthest throw is well over 500ft.

[emaculate]

@okamasphere he should have said "cracking a whip." i guess?..?..

[omgshave]

@okamasphere u know that snapping a towel is a classic way that baseball pitchers work on there pitching? its just a very goot day to work on flickin your wrist

[gydigh]

One thing I have learned from playing disc golf for awhile is that if you ask 20 people how to throw a disc drive or how to putt,you will get 20 different answers.

I think you take all those answers take little bits and pieces from each and then work on the drive or putt that works best for you. whether it is exactly what they say or drive or putt of your own invention. Above all practice,practice,practice! and when your through with that....practice some more.

[joedirtyy]

@gydigh exactly, no wrong way to eat an oreo

[cca0511ecu]

@gydigh Agreed. Besides isnt constant fun and play what DG is all about? :-)

[JRaab311]

@gydigh dont think if you ask 20 diff people youll get 20 diff answers

[JRaab311]

might wanna rethink those socks dude.

[hufarted]

The stuff Ellis says about bending his elbow is horsepoo... His elbow is only straight on the backswing. It bends on the throw like everyone else's.

[Elswick19]

In 6 years of disc golf i've learned that the best way to throw is to learn by urself not youtube videos

[smoke62]

However, seeing the proper way to throw helps in identifying problems that may be in your form. Without seeing those differences, one may not even now that such a problem existed.

[DannyE5]

Dude, youtube has taught me how to become a master putter, taught me how to improve my flicks and taught me how to throw a roller. Just watch pro competitions and you'll learn a lot. Yes, real life experience helps too, but you don't know what to practice until someone tells you...

[okamasphere]

I wan't that steal your face putter

[okamasphere]

wow, I didn't know george lucas plays frolf!

[iTheft]

disc golf you mean...idiot

[spikesmth]

Also, I notice the Backhand Dom (r-handers)step the right pivot foot BEHIND the left foot. The key to smooth sidearm is to step over & in FRONT of that left foot like a quarterback or pitcher keeping your weight forward and starting the snap from the hips thru the spine, shoulder, arm to fingertip.

[spikesmth]

1 Year, Lefty 4Hand Dominant.. I'm from a volleyball background and I notice how the same kill motion in vball hitting translates to my 2 step snap, only I have to hunch my back over so the motion is horizontal. Frolf is the Chill Life!

[okamasphere]

isn't his shot at 10 minutes a hyzer?

[Smigiel5854]

It is a hyzer because he is throwing a forehand which naturally will fade the opposite way of a backhand. The hyzer is the way the disc will naturally fade at the end of it's flight. So let's say you are right handed and throw backhand. Your hyzer will fade to the left. Your buddy is left handed backhand. His hyzer will fade to the right.

[54spiritedwill54]

These videos are great. I hope they keep them coming.

[soxpatsfan2412]

does it go further if you curve it

[pepsiblue101]

I think that if you throw kinda of a slight anhyzer and it then evens out and then does its natural fade (s curve, i think is its technical name), it will indeed go farther. It's a lot harder to do with a forehand. Unfortunately, forehands are all I use. :(

[BrendanWhelan]

is a disc the same as a frisbee? or a specialized type of disc?

[suneet67]

disc golf frisbees are slightly smaller than a typical ultimate frisbee and are sold in various brands, styles, weight, and color.

[masterexploder83]

technically, frisbee is a brand name, like band-aid and kleenex, that has been generally adopted as the common name for a product. the discs are discs, not frisbees. they are smaller, heavier, and harder to throw/control but will fly so much further than an ultimate disc.

[Ergock]

diffirent, but you can play with any disc just go try it sometime :)

[DannyE5]

Usually, you'll need to play with a distance driver, a mid range disc and a putter. The putter is one that more resembles a "normal" frisbee that you would throw at the dog. Discs, are stated above, have sharp edges as shown in the video but the putter discs are more round edged. You really cannot play well with a big clumsy frisbee, it wont drive well and it wont get you much distance when it is needed, but it will serve well for putting.

[brendanb1236]

he says that bending your elbow is bad... but most of them did it. Also he should say on the throwing technique. develop your own style... cuz mine isnt like anyone elses ive ever seen and i throw 500' plus 20' or so or minus almost every drive if i want to. and i throw actually almost like a softball pitcher by looping my arm, then whipping it in the side arm motion. so mine is like a softball pitcher meeting a baseball hitter. how they say swing down and it will come back up. and its killer.

[inbluetony]

nice clip

[stickflip88]

I never knew that George Lucas was into disc golf...

[HankHillDoesWork]

rofl

[Ebbybuddy]

I was about to post the same thing! Didn't know Lucas was a disc golfer lmao

[TheLMack]

"Don't think; Feel."

[DannyE5]

OMG my stomach hurts thats too funny...that dude really does look like him.

[abraves119]

great video!! good setup like zoop said. there have been many times where a forehand would come in handy, but i have a lot of trouble with them. can't wait to go out and try these new forms and grips when it stops raining!

[zoop504]

thank you this helped a lot -set up very nicely .

[Boppahatt]

If you know how to throw backhand, do it.. Forehand is for people that cannot behave backhand :) Great video btw..

[bugred]

no you need to know both, wht if you need to throw forehand to get the opposite of your naturla curve, doing both throws will help you a lot, trust me

[Scherer321]

i agree with bugred

[VinnyC420]

same here

[waytoomany16]

forehand is the way to go. i always get mine close to the hole

[mikeypsvcc]

I want his dead head disc

[Ethan35]

Oh really? I almost always throw my first drives forehanded, more power.

[HappyLummox]

There are few things I fear more then having to throw forehand. Well, not really but it is hard.

[richardseay]

This sport definately has the elegance of all of those but this particular throw is only meant for certain situations. All throws in Disc Golf take a tremendous amount of stress. I've been playing for 4 years. Video is ok, but not all styles of forehand Ive seen better.

[doc420]

i want that disc!!!

[goblindealer]

nice vid as a new player to the game im looking for any info .. threw my arm out a couple of times learning it.

i can throw farther and with more control then with my back hand ..

but ive also made a 40 foot and a 60 foot up shot with a forearm throw lucky?? thanks for the vid

[andyb4784]

These videos are great. I hope they keep them coming.

[wallacegrommit]

i disc forehand only. ive disced so much forehand that ive lost almost all my usual backhand talent.

i love the forehand for distance, and backhand only for approach and putt.

[DigitalAssassin]

Agreed -- sounds like my game exactly.

[mada362005]

lol i just got home from kennsington metro park and saw mark ellis practicing his putting there. hes good

[digbeats]

nice vid...thanks!

[GotSIDS]

Where I play is also a lot of forehand. I've yet to see anybody that can throw a backhand as far as the forehands in my group. Unfortunately I haven't been able to make it to more than just one tournament. Need a Tomahawk/Thumber vid now.

[ObieYourHomey]

at the course where i play most of the real killers throw primarily forehand.

[cherylal]

All I can say about this video is "AWESOME!!"

[TheSFKid]

thanks for the tips i'm looking forward to practicing these techniques tommorrow as a beginner, i never even thought of throwing a forehand, but i was a good sidearm pitcher in high school and college, so i hope this improves my game

[Jarody]

I'll actually use there tips tommorrow

[Hans207]

after using your tips I throw disc more accuratly and 50 further

[algarete25]

Mark Ellis,Nice Video...Thanx for the pointer on 9:30.On my forehand throw I usually throw it going left an it'll head right and when I thorw an release it,I let my right knee touch the ground,.That style of throw just gets me exhausted. All I wanted it to do is to go straight an flat...My game has improved.Farther thows an alot of birdies..Friends say "Where the hell did that come from?! :-)

...FROLFING!

[hufarted]

Actually, his arm looks just as bent as the other guys' on release. He just keeps it ramrod straight for the backswing. Wish I could put this kind of distance on my sidearms.

[re5xbox360]

mark ellis is my uncle he is a crazy disc golf player

[Artificialraven]

Great Video. Helped improve my distance and accuracy. Now i just need to see one on putting xD 5/5

[maestro48239]

there are a couple good putting clinic videos on here, check them out

[pdga3791]

I don't use much annie's side arms because I rather throw a back hand. But it is a great shot to get out of trouble.

Arthur Haverkamp #3791

ps.O Riley....

[kornfan74]

thanx there was a few things in there i didn't know.I always been a better thrower like that than underhanded.

[ronnieron555]

This really made my forehand much better.THANKS FOR THE VID!!!

[Geoffr524]

Got to get back to Disc Golf, been too long. I have known Mark Ellis, back when we played Disc Golf weekly in the 1990s, at Kensington Metro Park in SE Michigan. I like Disc Golf better than geocaching. This is a good video.

[xanbo]

OK, can't wait for spring lol.

[emogoodreau]

well spring has arrived my friend - and i think you know what that means.

[mharing]

This vid was VERY helpful! I have a nagging rotator cuff injury on my right shoulder and have ACL damage in my right knee. Learning some good forehand technique is going to keep me in this wonderful game. Thank you very much!

[PostCollegeWhat]

Really good stuff guys. Youtube needs more disc golf vids like this. Maybe there could be a putting techniques tutorial in the future? That would be awsome. Keep it up.

[bocmaxima]

Best tutorial ever, guys. I went from having absolutely no forearm shot, to driving 75feet longer than my backhand driver, with a disc 25g heavier than my normal driver, on my first outing with these technique.

I look foreward to the next tutorial. There will be more, right?

[hyzerhead]

Watched this two days ago, and already added 80 feet to my drives! Thanks.

[sportdisc]

We aim to please... and aim for chains. More disc golf clinics like this are on the way.

[willdogg1]

Thanks for this vid!!