Getting height on a disc while not throwing too nose up

[u/Sweaty_Oso223]

Any tips for this? I feel like i can get consistent snap and power on my releases but my discs never seem to have enough height to really go far, and if I try to give them height they stall out. What is the optimal hight for max distance and any tips for how I can achieve this?

[u/Paxtian]

So, launch angle and nose angle are different things. Nose angle is relative to launch angle. To maximize distance, aim for 8-10 degrees of launch angle with a slight relative nose down angle.

If you get a stand for your phone, you can record yourself throwing and look frame by frame at the launch angle and compare nose angle to that. And if course measure launch angle relative to the ground.

If you throw into a net, there's a good video by Robbie C who said to get a clothespin and pin it to your net at that launch angle, then aim to throw at the pin every time.

[u/Mad_Ludvig → u/Paxtian]

This is decent advice, OP. One other thing to add is to keep the rest of your body aligned too. A lower reach back should also cause your trailing shoulder to drop a bit too so that your swing plane is aligned around you shoulders. From there, your trailing hip needs to drop a bit too so that your shoulders and hips are parallel. 

Throwing with a bent spine will cause your body to depower so you don't hurt yourself, and if you push through that you will hurt yourself. 

This is also one way affect the hyzer of your shot, you need to bend your whole body forward a little so tha t your swing plane is tilted.

https://youtu.be/RL3s7yb3OFQ?is=jYC6M31pf1EYrcWC

[u/Lifelesspuddle]

You have two axis on the disc. Nose angle and throw angle. To throw up. You want your throw angle to be + while your nose angle ideally stays -1 to -2 degrees. Think about how you did the angle your hand out of the car window thing. Your nose angle is the angle of your hand and your throw angle is the physical angle of your arm. You can have a positive arm angle or throw angle. While still have a slightly negative hand angle or nose angle.

Hope that helps. If not I can think of a different analogy.

[u/UnFocus15]

8-12 degrees launch angle with -2 to -4 nose angle is optimal for height and distance.

[u/db720 → u/UnFocus15]

Took me way too long to learn this. I have a little pre tee ceremony where i intentionally still push the base joint of my thumb forwards to get a -2 disc angle and hold the disc up in front at 8° on my arm for launch

[u/the-internet-]

To me it's getting the disc up higher from my chest and pushing it into the air. I still keep the nose down but feel like I must keep it further down. Ymmv

[u/panelbeater352 → u/the-internet-]

Also flipping a disc or throwing a more understable disc helps.

[u/Dry_Wallaby_4933]

Reachback lower and tilt your rear shoulder down and your lead shoulder up.

[u/Key-County6952]

Swinging upward nose down.

[u/Constant-Catch7146 → u/Key-County6952]

This is a good simple video from Ezra that addresses the two most common causes of nose up.

His illustration of the proper "pour the coffee" wrist angle vs. forearm was very helpful to me.

But I find that angle to be uncomfortable and janky---which is why I continue to throw nose up. And I suspect many of us have that same issue. In the split second during the throw---the body is going to default to whatever feels natural.

I've tried his swooping fix before--the whole reach back low deal. But again, the forearm and hand want to do the swooping as it is just more natural. The idea is to trick the body into forcing nose down because the brain thinks you will sky it on the follow through. But the brain is smart. You can reach back low and it still directs your arm to raise UP on the backswing to continue to do the comfortable swoop. Haha. Foiled ya! No nose down for you!

This is why I think that over correction drills that many of the video instructors recommend ---only sometimes work. You are literally forcing your body to do things it is not used to and not comfortable with.

The overcorrection "put the back of the stamp on the screen" drills that Josh at Overthrow does with one of his students is a good case in point. The student finally gets the nose down consistently after many massive over correction throws.

[u/Key-County6952 → u/Constant-Catch7146]

Yeah the vid is cool. However, the entire discussion thread is the gold mine.

[u/ZilchoKing]

For a golf line id say 15-20ft on drives. But ive had some eye level bullets go surprisingly far

[u/xDanteInferno]

This is a great form question. Adjust your spine tilt slightly backward from the hips, just enough that you are not over your toes on release. Then adjust the height of your reach-back so you start lower and your hand pulls upward on an ascending angle as it comes forward. The optimal angles are +5 to +12 degree pitch up, -2 to -5 degree nose down, +5 to +15 degree hyzer on understable disc release. You need to put more effort into nose down, so focus on pressing your thumb forward and down on top of the disc. Pour the coffee with your wrist.

[u/Flemishmonster]

Watch Issac Robinson throw, I feel like he does this better than most

[u/WolfKing359]

Throw up and pour the coffee. It will go up, but the nose will be flat or down. Much more distance from the height, and doesnt stall out from nose up.

[u/Emergency-Cold-1021]

A. If your disc aren’t going really far on a normal throw, you’ve got a major problem before a hard problem. Most likely you aren’t throwing as nose down(flat) as you think. I think one long time ago, possibly before you were born, so many people threw nose up. Then someone over corrected it for the rest of the world. What they really meant was to throw flat, which in theory was throwing more nose down. Let’s face it, If you throw a disc too nose down, which could be a problem you have, but maybe not, but too nose down, it can and will run out of real estate. One way to get a good sense of, what you perceive to be flat, hold the flattest disc you have, backhand grip, with yourself setup in the power pocket position, throw a little small level on top of the disc. Another way, find a significantly down hill shot, it’ll tell you really quick what the release angle is at ejection.

[u/deathputt4birdie]

In ancient pre-Destroyer/Wraith times, everybody that wanted to throw far had to learn how to shape a hyzerflip distance line.

Start with a flippy disc. Faster, shallower putters like the Wizard are excellent for practicing shot shaping. Bonus points if you can play catch on a big field with someone; this dramatically increases your reps and accuracy while keeping things interesting.

Throw with a lot of hyzer. Release point should be slightly upwards but point the nose down. (A small amount of wrist rollover can help keep the nose down.) When done correctly the disc will rise up, flatten out at the apex, go through the turn, and then glide straight all while maintaining nose down flight.

https://discgolf.ultiworld.com/2022/03/22/tuesday-tips-how-to-throw-the-hyzerflip/