This web page is a follow-up accompaniment to an article I wrote for Disc Golf World News, in which I did an analysis of the driving techniques for some of the top disc golfers in the world. That article provide snapshots from the videos I used, and here I am giving you the videos themselves.
There is one video for each player, and each video includes two angles, one from the rear, and one from the side. In addition, each throw is repeated in slow motion (1/5 speed), so you can see the action much better. I'll warn you now, though - these files are relatively large (around 1 Megabyte each). I made them larger so that you can view them in a slightly larger format on your screen, and so that the motion is smooth and clear. The videos are also in the latest Windows Media Player format, so you will need a reasonably current version (version 7 or 8, I think) of Windows Media Player to view them. If you don't have Windows Media Player, click here to get it.
Now, on to the fun part. I'm going to include bits and pieces of the original analysis, in case you don't have the magazine handy. If you aren't a PDGA member and don't receive Disc Golf World News, I recommend you go to the PDGA web site (www.pdga.com) and join up right away. DGWN is just one of the many benefits of being a member of the largest disc golf organization in the world.
For this analysis, I decided to use seven frames from each of two angles, rear and side, for each player. The seven frames were taken from just before the cross-step, which all the throwers used (one of the keys to getting maximum distance in backhand drives), through the point of maximum rotation. I took the frames which best displayed the footwork, the reach back, the pull across the chest, the release, and the follow-through. I will refer to the frame number to help you identify which frame I’m talking about. And of course, I hope you also click on the links to download and view the videos.
Let’s start with Barry Shultz. While Barry isn’t necessarily known for his distance, he can throw it over 500 feet, and his consistency and control are part of what has made him one of the top disc golfers in the world for the last few years. Barry demonstrates some of the keys to getting good distance.
I didn’t include the full run-up here (you can see more in the video), but Barry begins with a little hop, almost skipping into his cross-step. One unusual thing Barry does is to put his arm and the disc way out in front of him before he starts to pull it back (1).
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
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Barry Schultz
Barry has an exceptional reach back (3), which is very important for getting the most out of your full throwing motion. Note how his feet are pointing almost completely away from the target. He then comes straight across his chest (4), and gives an excellent example of how this should be done. You can also clearly see the transfer of weight from his back (left) leg to his front (right) leg (3 to 6).
Barry has good shoulder rotation, although he doesn’t rotate quite as far around at the end (7) as some people do. As far as his non-throwing arm goes, he starts out with it almost opposite his throwing arm while reaching back (figs. 1-3/2-3), and pulls it in close to his body through the rest of the motion.
Now let’s take a look at Ruth Steele’s style. Ruth has a very smooth and powerful throw. She starts with a good solid cross-step (2), and then takes a big step as she reaches back (3). However, she doesn’t extend her throwing arm all the way back (3). Instead, she starts an upward motion, and curls the disc around up near her left shoulder (4). She then brings the disc down and starts it straight across her body (5).
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
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Ruth Steele
Ruth’s follow through is very good, and she gets quite a bit of turn at the end of her throw (7). As far as weight shift goes, Ruth starts with her weight back (3), but she doesn’t transfer her center of gravity quite as far forward (6) as Barry.
Now let’s look at Steve Rico. Steve starts his cross-step holding the disc with both hands (1). He takes a relatively short step back with his left foot (2) before reaching back. Steve reaches back lower than some players (3), but as he starts his pull, he quickly brings the disc up to the middle of his chest (4).
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
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Steve Rico
Steve’s throwing motion has a couple of interesting but very noticeable differences from the previous two. The first is that he keeps his head down and his body is tilted to the left (6). The second is that he keeps his body centered over his legs throughout the throw, without much of a weight shift from back to front. What he is doing, instead of using the shift to add power, is to plant his front foot and use it for a hard pivot. This can be a very effective technique to gain more torque, but if you have bad knees like me, it can be stressful on your body.
The last thing to notice in Steve’s throw is the great follow-through and finish he gets (7). Notice how far he gets his shoulders around, and where his right arm ends up. And also notice what he does with his left arm – he keeps it very close to his body, and actually tucks it in close to his stomach (4 and 5). The advantage to keeping your non-throwing arm close to your body is that your upper torso can turn faster if it isn’t fighting the extra drag from the centrifugal force.
Ken and Marc Jarvis are twin brothers (I had to meet up with them at a tournament to have them identify themselves in the video, so I wouldn’t get their names switched!) from California, and they both can throw the disc a long, long way. Last year, in the disc speed/distance project, Marc was one of the players in whose technique I was most interested, as he seemed to be able to consistently throw over 450 feet with a disc speed only in the high 40’s and low 50’s (miles per hour), which is at the low end for throws going that distance.
For Ken and Marc, I am going to show only one angle, but show you their throws side-by-side. Being twins who have probably learned the game and played together from the beginning (I’m assuming), you might not be surprised to find their styles similar. In general, they are, but there are also some interesting differences.
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| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
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Ken Jarvis (top) and Marc Jarvis (bottom)
Both Ken and Marc take a very short step on their cross-step (2), and it is done in skipping motion. Their leg positions are almost identical (3 and 4) through the reach back and start of the forward motion, but notice how Marc has the disc a lot lower than Ken. Like Steve, they both keep their weight centered, pivoting on their right legs. Notice that Ken is almost leaning backwards on release (5).
Ken and Marc both keep their left arms close to their bodies, and Marc actually puts his left hand on his leg through much of the throw (2 to 5). Both of them have exceptional follow-throughs (7). From the reach back (3) through the end (7), Marc’s shoulders are rotating almost 360 degrees! That flexibility and rotation are definitely factors that increase overall distance.
I hope you enjoyed the results of this project as much as I did doing it, and perhaps you (and I) can use this knowledge to improve our games. If you would like to contact me, feel free to send me email. I look forward to hearing from you, and hope to see you on the course this season!
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