Disc golf: You don’t have to reach straight back (here’s why …)

I heard it as a first-time disc golfer …

And now that I’ve been at this for a good while, I’ve offered the advice, as well.

“Reach straight back. Then, pull through – lead with your elbow.”

That whole “reach straight back” thing seems to jive with people – they never forget it. And for concourses of newbie disc golfers, it works like a champ. The game starts to click when they embrace the idea. But know this: It’s NOT the hard-and-fast rule many make it out to be …

You don’t have to do it.

If you’re new to this, the premise is simple: Reach straight back as FAR as possible and pull through on the exact same line. Going this route, you’ll not only generate more power, but your accuracy will increase, as well. To date, it’s still good advice – you’re likely to avoid rounding.

The problem with thinking this is the ideal way to throw a disc is that it leads to a motion Danny Lindahl calls the “one-arm row.” Like starting an old lawnmower, the dead-straight reachback can result in muscling the disc, relying solely on the whip of the arm – no hip or core action.

Furthermore, if you’ve fully drunk the Kool-Aid on a hardcore reachback, there’s a good chance you struggle with maintaining balance when throwing for distance. During your reachback, you inadvertently reach down. Next, during your pull-through, you fall forwards. This ends in a side-to-side clusterfreak of a backhand that has you working WAY too hard on the teepad.

Level + Balance = Power

Incredibly, the reachback accounts for lots of it.

Let’s get this right …

As you normally would, rotate your shoulders 180 degrees from the target. But instead of consciously reaching back as you’ve done in the past, do as Simon Lizotte instructs and “leave behind” the disc. It’s a simple mental adjustment, but it leads to a more fluid, natural reachback.

Watch the man in motion:

If your arm goes completely straight, great – and if it doesn’t, also great. Seppo Paju, Chris Clemons and Calvin Heimburg all keep things somewhat rounded (without rounding) during their reachbacks, and they crush. No, you’re not them, but this skill is well within your reach.

The reachback isn’t the be-all and end-all element of rock-solid backhand form, but it’s certainly a key component of throwing properly. One of my favorite things about disc golf is that people can be given the same instruction, yet the “flavor” of all backhand forms looks different.

Work at it, but then rock what’s uniquely yours …

Don’t obsess.

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