When I first started playing disc golf in middle school, I quickly found that I could a lot more distance on my drives by throwing forehand than I could backhand. It felt like a more natural movement, and reminded me of throwing a baseball sidearmed. This allowed me to quickly transition this to disc golf. Just a note before we begin, you’ll need to ensure you have the best disc golf driver for a sidearm or you could actually end up battling against the natural flight pattern of the disc.
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Calm That Disc Flutter!
If you’re noticing your disc is coming out wonky or fluttering upon release, this could be detrimental to your forehand throw. Not only does this take off maximum distance, but it also will also affect the flight pattern of your throw. I mainly see fluttering happen when you’re using an improper grip, ensure you’re using the right grip and you should see a more stable release!
Having a good release on your drive or any throw really, is one of the keys to success. If you have a good release, you’re one step closer to a good overall throw.
Bring In The Wrist and Middle Finger:
The success of your forehand really hinges on the movement of your wrist and middle finger just as much as your arm and elbow. The wrist and middle finger help to give you a full extension as well as extra power to the throw.
As you’re releasing you should be focusing on using your middle finger to give the disc a nice send off, this will help increase the rotation speed as well as velocity, which can be detrimental to your throw. With this added rotation, you’ll see the disc go farther as well as have a steadier path that you can rely on.
Start Short and Move Longer:
Most people start throwing sidearms right off the tee box. And although there’s nothing wrong with this, you’ll often find that you focus too much on power and less on technique when you start learning a throw as drives. When you focus on the disc mechanics and overall technique of the disc throw, you’re going to have more success for when you do move into drives.
I often recommend people to focus on side arm throws for short and mid-range shots before practicing off the tee box. This will allow you to build up your foundation and technique and not feel obligated to throw with too much power.
Final Thoughts on Forearm Throws:
Overall the forearm throw can be a little difficult to master, but once you learn it, it’ll become a staple of your game!