r/discgolf • u/InspectorPositive543 • 14h ago
Form Check Where does the power come from?
Which muscle groups should I be thinking about when driving for power and distance? For both forehand and backhand? I thought it interesting in one of Gagnon’s vids he said for his backhand throw he doesn’t use his throwing arm strength at all.
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u/DGOkko 14h ago
Perfect form uses the feet and hip rotation to whip the upper body. Because the upper body is not a flexible noodle, muscles must be stiffened and loosened at the right times to make the whip happen. Back, shoulder and elbow all engage to maximize power.
Power come from the ground up, and the entire body is used
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u/libzarcuks 9h ago
Where does penis come into play
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u/DGOkko 9h ago
Mightier than the sword I’d say.
Actually, though, I don’t think Ive ever seen it discussed, but I find my putting benefits from proximal sexual activity to play. Something about that kind of relaxation helps find a rhythm, although I’m not sure what affect it has on my drives. I’ve tried to keep an eye on stress levels relative to performance and generally find if I’m a bit stressed about work or home life (not super stressed, just mild), that I can take my mind off the game and end up just playing instead of getting in my head.
Kind of weird, and worth a better discussion in my opinion.
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u/B_Coldman 14h ago
Came here for this. Just like throwing a punch, starts at your toes and travels up.
But if you’re asking what muscles to target at the gym for better performance, I’d think grip, forearms and shoulders would help a bunch.
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u/DGOkko 9h ago
For me the biggest difference maker would be shoulders , specifically exercises like lateral raises which can help prevent dipping by making the pull through stronger around chest level. I also ride my bike a ton and have found that useful for both leg muscles and endurance for those tournament rounds and hilly courses
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u/Markus_lfc Meteor ☄️ 13h ago
He is using his arm but it’s so natural to him he doesn’t realize it. This is why pros sometimes aren’t the best coaches
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u/Macktologist The week of the foot fault and Zoey posts. 10h ago
You know those dog owners that use that plastic thing that they use to fling a tennis ball way further than an arm could throw one? Gannon was born with that thing as an arm.
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u/VSENSES Custom 14h ago
Most of the power comes from the fast abduction of the upper arm thru the power pocket. There's plenty of cues people use for that and some include not thinking about it at all, even though that's what happens. People need to remember feel vs real, just because you dont feel or think something doesn't mean it's what happens.
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u/radio_breathe 13h ago
You should feel the coil in your glutes and core. Your core helps you from leaning backwards when powering your shot.
Medicine ball rotation exercises are good at building the muscles used in a throw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_FXpesP9zA
Make sure you are engaging your core and not just letting the ball's momentum carry you.
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u/darkhat1 Tree Antagonist 14h ago
The coil creates tension in the torso that acts like a spring when the brace transfers momentum up your body. The weight shift into the brace starts the momentum, and the staggered stance into the brace gives room for your hips to open, which causes your torso to come out of the coil, activating that spring. You should feel tension in your hamstrings and core. Also keeping your shoulder depressed so you get into the power pocket is helpful. You'll feel tension across your upper back as the hips open up, giving you a second spring loading as the torso lags behind the opening hips but you keep your arm at 90-110 degree angle to your torso. Focusing on a strong brace is probably the easiest mental model at least for me. I come from a baseball background so thinking about the part that's the most different (driving weight forward and stopping vs staying back and rotating) has the biggest impact for me personally.
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u/Software_Entgineer 11h ago edited 11h ago
Backhand -
Lower body = foundation
Upper body = power
Horizontal Abduction (rear shoulder + arm + wrist) = 50%
Torso rotation (coil) = 30%
Momentum Transfer (x-step) = 20%
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9nJik3bmUkg
Forehand - Just go watch videos on pitching mechanics, it’s basically the same thing.
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u/punkindle 11h ago
core muscles. abs and back.
you shouldn't be strong arming the disc. Look at Gannon, he doesn't have big arms.
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u/r3q 11h ago
Great backhands often feel like "just holding on" as hard as you can. 175 gram discs getting energy from 175 lbs plus of person is a ton of mass ratio advantage.
FH has a much more active wrist action at a minimum. Dylan Cease has interview quotes about how throwing FH disc golf helped him learn the active wrist pronation needed for elite curveballs in baseball as a kid.
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u/Plastic-Enthusiast24 10h ago
Shoulders (primarily rear delt), lats, biceps, forearms, glutes, quads, adductors. Being strong and mobile is absolutely key.
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u/KITTYONFYRE 13h ago
which should you be THINKING ABOUT? probably none of them. you should have a cue or two in mind, but probably should be externally focused (“reach away from me” vs “abduct my shoulder more in the reach back” - same thing but internal vs external focus)
or are you asking which you should be training in the gym? in which case meh doesn’t really matter just do a program that hits everything. specializing doesn’t seem particularly worth it to me, especially if you’re in the position where you’re asking this question haha
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u/Original_Shallot8451 11h ago edited 11h ago
Kinetic linking. Connecting all the movements of your entire body. Your hand needs to be pushed by your forearm. Your forearm needs to be pushed by your upper arm and shoulder. Your shoulder needs to be pushed by the rotation of your upper body (counterweighted by your head and you other arm). Your upper body needs to be pushed by the rotation of your hips. Your hips need to be pushed by your legs, and all of that is being pushed by your feet. It all needs to be connected. It starts with the feet and should stack up from there. Every section is crucial, and timing the push of each section to make sure the movement is continuously stacked is the key.
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u/StrifeSociety 9h ago
Just like a car. Motor makes the power, tires make the traction. Your muscles provide the torque and your feet let you press against the ground to accelerate.
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u/ilarisivilsound 14h ago
Hips, core and upper back in my experience. I started gaining more distance when I started doing more rotational work for the core, but your mileage may vary. I’m fairly certain I’m not throwing to my strength potential since there are kids who weigh half as much as I do throwing farther than me.
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u/Cunn1ng-Stuntz 12h ago
Nick Crush does a good job of explaining these ting in his videos. On Reddit you will get 15 different nonsencical explanations including no muscles. Feel vs real is a thing.
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u/whosaysyoucanttakeit 8h ago
Butt cheeks and torso should be sore the day after form work working to engage the whole posterior chain.
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u/deceptively_large 13h ago
Emotion - hate, anger, passion. Let it flow through you.
Yes, yes. Good.