The fan grip is ideal for accuracy – it’s not just for putters and midranges, though …
Using the fan grip on fairway and distance drivers REALLY opens up your bag.
Take, for example, the forehand: Now, every disc in your bag can travel in the opposite direction on an easy hyzer line. Even better, you don’t have to take your eye off the target when throwing.
That’s big.
Launching your C-Line PD, Big-Z Zeus or Star Destroyer with a fan grip might not have quite as big of an impact on your bag as learning a serviceable forehand, but don’t underestimate what it can do, either: Paige Pierce, Drew Gibson and Gregg Barsby – they ALL fan grip drivers.
Here’s why you might consider doing the same thing:
1. You’re more comfortable throwing drivers
When Barsby won the 2018 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships, he threw a grand total of ZERO shots with a midrange – that’s a sin in the minds of most disc golfers. Gregg’s a professional: He can throw midranges with the best of ‘em, if he so chooses …
He doesn’t, though – he prefers the feel and flight of drivers.
If that’s you, don’t feel pressured to huck putters or midranges off the tee, just because “conventional wisdom” tells you to: You do what gives you confidence. It would be a good idea, however, to resist the urge to try and “dial back” a power-gripped distance driver …
That’s hard to do.
Play around with various fan grips when throwing your high-speed stuff. Find what works. Tinker with things until you pinpoint a solution. If you don’t know where to start, click here.
2. You get the best of both worlds: speed + accuracy
I freaking love this so much …
Let’s say you’ve got a 215-foot hole with a tight tunnel, low ceiling and a heavy dogleg to the left. The clear-cut shot is a low, controlled hyzer. Due to the distance, however, most golfers go with some sort of overstable midrange off the tee: an MD5, Drone, Caiman, Justice, etc.
Fan grip a Felon, Fireball or Firebird, though, and – not only will you pure the tunnel – you’ll get the massive flair skip at the end of the disc’s flight to nestle nicely next to the basket for a birdie.
Fan-gripping drivers gives you speed, without sacrificing control.
When needed, the ground play’s nice, too.
3. Mold minimization: You’ll do way more with much less
As somebody who loves throwing new molds and writing about ‘em, this one hurts …
What it doesn’t hurt, however, is my bank balance: I’m able to get by with much less when I see what I’m capable of with a fan-gripped driver. I love my Champion Leopard3. Probably 18-ish months ago, I started using it with a fan grip. It was then I discovered something big …
For me, it flies VERY similar to a power-gripped Roc3. The key differences, however, are 1) I’m more comfortable with the disc, and 2) I’m able to trim down the midrange molds in my bag.
I hate to bring him up again, but Barsby does this with his Eagles: This is a proven method.
The bottom line is obvious …
Your bag can do WAY more than you give it credit for: Fan-gripping drivers proves it.
Is this a “must-have” skill set?
Hardly.
Do try it out, though – if it helps your game, run with it.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
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