It’s more visible with a faulty forehand huck, but if things go far enough awry, you’ll see it on a backhand, too – I’m talking about “wobble.” Straight out of the hand, as soon as the disc takes flight, it flutters in the air, simmers down and continues on the path your form put it on …
Sound familiar?
Here’s what’s ACTUALLY happening …
Forehand or backhand, when you reach back, you set the angle of the disc on the line you’re trying to throw it on: hyzer, flat or anhyzer. Any force you put into the disc that’s NOT in line with the angle you’re trying to throw it on will cause that “wounded duck” flutter you see …
That’s off-axis torque.
To put things simply:
- If you’re trying to throw a hyzer, everything you do should be on a hyzer angle.
- If you’re trying to throw flat, everything you do should be flat – nothing angular.
- If you’re trying to throw an anhyzer, everything you do should be on an anhyzer angle.
Now, to clarify, what do I mean by “everything,” exactly?
Listen, I’m not near smart enough to dissect every factor that goes into a throw, but the biggest culprits are as follows: Grip, hips, reachback and follow-through – they should ALL jive with the intended angle of release. Don’t switch from a hyzer to flat or flat to an anhyzer in the middle of your shot. Every component of your throw should send the same message to your disc.
Have you ever heard a buddy complain that a Star Destroyer’s turned “flippy” all of a sudden? Or maybe you’re totally capable of hitting 375 feet off the tee, but randomly, one day, you can’t seem to break 325 feet, even though you’re putting everything you’ve got into your drives …
The issue is off-axis torque.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Forehand – Don’t roll your wrist after releasing the disc – always keep your palm up.
- Backhand – During your reachback, set the desired angle – follow through on it, as well.
* Note #1: For backhands, place your hand on the extreme outside of the disc for more spin.
* Note #2: Watch Ricky Wysocki throw – he does this well. More spin helps overcome wobble.
All that might seem simple enough, but to make this work, STRONGLY consider bagging more understandable discs in each slot until the issue is resolved. Overstable plastic hides flaws; the more flippy stuff puts them on full display – there’s a reason newer players start with it.
For forehands, switch out your Felons and Firebirds for Mavericks and Valkyries. For backhands, dial back the DD3s and Nukes, opting instead for Astronauts and Scorches. Clearly, these are all understable discs – they’re not going to get you the exact flights you’re looking for. You will, however, learn to hyzer-flip a disc properly – it’s terrifying how few golfers can do this.
The good news?
Fixing off-axis torque isn’t too tough.
Give it a round or two of dedicated focus, and you’ll be good – repeat as necessary.
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Editor’s Suggestions:
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