Gatekeeper Resolutions Day 28: Learn To Throw Overstable Upshots
Day 28! Let’s do another scramble drill today with really overstable discs. This is kind of the counterpoint to when we played catch with a flippy putter to get it to land flat. I’m going to take a stack of Zones to an upshot distance, but one where I have to beat an obstacle to the left or right of a basket. The four cases I want to look at are:
Backhand hyzer, go around the right side of a tree.
Forehand hyzer, go around the left side of a tree.
Forehand anhyzer, go around the right side of a tree.
Backhand anhyzer, go around the left side of a tree.
On the hyzer angles, focus on trusting the width of the shot, and letting the stability of the disc kill the speed after you’ve beaten the obstacle. Try to find a sweet spot of landing angle that the disc kind of digs and stops, rather than coming in too flat and skipping, or with too much speed in a way that wants to stand up and roll.
On the anhyzer angles, you’ll have to throw a shot that the disc is constantly working out of. This is really useful when you can’t throw directly at a basket, but have to get back to a fairway or other lane before it can break there. Practice finding the sweet spot of angle and pace where the disc glides in pretty flat, because with too much anhyzer or speed it may tend to cut-roll, and or without enough angle or speed it will flex out away from the basket.
You “win” the game when you can subconsciously be sensitive to what a particular release angle and speed will act like in the air, and on the ground. Every player who’s described as having “touch” must necessarily be a master at these skills.
Written By Andrew Fish, PDGA 58320
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