Relax: The hyzer-flip is STILL very much a thing.
For the time being, you’ll have to pump the brakes on the “Skip Bayless” label.
The point I’m making today is that the hyzer-flip, the single-most versatile shot in our game, is not nearly as common in 2022 as it was only 10 years back – it’s trending in the wrong direction.
Over the years, in professional baseball, the knuckleball experienced something similar. No, the pitch was never as popular within America’s pastime as the hyzer-flip has been in disc golf, but there are certainly enough similarities to warrant taking a closer look – check it out:
- Like the hyzer-flip, the knuckleball has severely faded in popularity.
- Like the hyzer-flip, the knuckleball is used by guys who play the game differently.
- Like the hyzer-flip, the knuckleball flies in a way no other pitch is close to capable of.
That last one’s my favorite …
Seriously, take a look at what a knuckleball can do when thrown properly:
Now, mid-flight, compare that with what a well-hucked hyzer-flip does to a fairway:
* Note: The best example is the first one in the above compilation – Seppo Paju’s toss.
That’s all fine and dandy, but hold the phone for a sec: Is the hyzer-flip REALLY going out of style in disc golf, though? Specifically, is its popularity fading at the game’s highest level?
No, I don’t have any number-backed data to support this claim …
What I DO have to go on, though, are the more apparent trends in disc golf. For starters, power shots are bigger now than ever before. It’s not that guys want to throw farther now than they did back in the 90s, but undeniably, improvements in equipment and technique allow for it …
For example, 15 years ago, if you needed to thread a tight, wooded gap, you threw a beat KC Pro Roc, Champion Leopard or DX Teebird on a hyzer-flip line to make it happen – easy enough.
Today, screw the gap and however small it looks: With INSANE aggression, Calvin Heimburg and Ezra Aderhold now take a Star Destroyer or ESP Nuke to the gap like it’s not even there.
This is the “new” woods golf.
And speaking of gear and the pros who use it, understandably, the very amateurs who SHOULD lean on hyzer-flips to improve accuracy want to emulate their idols out on the course. As such, the discs they bag are fast and overstable – so are the strategies they employ when playing.
The ripple is in full effect, friends …
Revisit this article in 20 years’ time:
- The best play the game with raw power.
- Disc golf’s up-and-coming generation follows suit.
- Manufacturers produce, market and sell what they prefer to throw.
And the whitewashing of the hyzer-flip continues.
Sorry, but if you’re waiting for the 2022 drop of Garrett Gurthie’s Swirly Star Wombat3, it’s going to be a good, long while before you see it. Like, it’s NOT going to happen …
Ever again.
And lastly, few are the “James Conrads” of the world who need no forehand – if you want a realistic shot at Pro Tour glory, you need a serviceable flick of some kind. Hitting a tunnel without turning your back to it is too simple of an option to revert back to hyzer-flips …
The “baby-flex” forehand moved into the home hyzer-flips used to occupy.
NONE of this should be too much of a surprise, though …
Remember: This first happened to the knuckleball.
Thankfully, the hyzer-flip does live on: It’s a shot the greats throw when it’s clearly their best bet. The TRUE hyzer-flip golfer is a bit of a dying breed, however. Nathan Queen’s one, for sure. Matt Bell’s another obvious name that comes to mind – check out his lean-heavy form.
Beyond those two guys, though?
Slim pickings …
One day, maybe we’ll mention their names alongside those of Tim Wakefield and R.A. Dickey. They stuck to their guns. They played their game. For decades, they’ll be remembered for it.
Long live the hyzer-flip.
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Editor’s Suggestions:
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