Forehand Wrist position

When throwing forehand for a "normal" shot. Not an extreme hyzer, anhyzer.

 

Do you normally finish flicking your wrist and end: Palm Up, Palm Verical, Palm Down?

 

Does it matter?

 

I have watched some videos and haven't been able to come up with an answer.

 

When practicing I normally put my Middle Finger Pad on the inside lip of the disc. With the Index Finger behind it. Currently I save the forehand for only as needed rescue shot but am working on it.

 

Thank you for your input.

[nick young]

I really dont know. I would like tk find out because my forehand needs to become much more solid. I think my palm finishes down whick is probably why mine sucks alot and i get no D.

[Sean Johnson]

I'm also working on my forehand right now, and I would generally say palm up. I find that when I end up pointing my finger (palm vertical or down) at the basket on the follow through, it means that I have rolled my wrist and the disc is subsequently turning over, never to return. I use the peace grip for my forehand fyi. The important thing to remember is to do whatever keeps the disc nice and flat

[mark ellis]

I am running off to a tournament and don't have time to craft an answer to this question so I borrowed a reply I had posted earlier on a similar topic. It eventually addresses edism's query:

The wobble you describe is sometimes called "Flutter" or OAT (off axis torque). Flutter robs your disc of speed and stability, so the more flutter you have the more your disc turns over and the more distance you lose.

I have heard people describe flutter as a problem with the amount of spin versus the amount of arm speed. I'm not sure I agree with this, maybe because when I throw I never worry about how much spin or how much arm speed I have on a shot. I just throw shots harder or softer.

I think flutter has to do with the angle of release. If you release it flat and smooth it has less flutter. If you are experiencing lots of flutter then the flaw is that you are not flat and smooth enough.

One place to start is to focus on the palm of your throwing hand. I realize you don't use the palm to make a shot but the position of the palm tells you about the angle of your wrist. When you hold a disc to throw forehand your palm points upward. As you swing your arm to throw your palm points upward. As you release (for a flat, straight throw) your palm should still point upward. In your follow through you wrist rolls over and your palm ends up pointing down.

At the instant of release what your palm is doing is what matters. If it remains flat then your throw comes out flat and smooth. If it is in the process of turning over you get flutter. So hold that flat line for an instant longer.

I think there is a disconnect in human perception. We anticipate the "hit" (the instant of release) and guess wrong when it occurs by an instant too soon. This is also the reason why a follow through matters on a shot. Logically anything that happens after the release cannot affect the flight of the disc. But all the good players use a follow through. Why do they bother? Why not just stop at the hit? Because if you stop at moment you think the hit occurs, you stop an instant too soon and ruin the shot.

There is a practice component to throwing flat and smooth. A forehand throw is an unnatural motion, which is why beginners seldom throw flat and smooth. It takes trial and error to master this skill. Maybe a lot of trial and error, depending on the player. So don't focus on how far the disc goes or how hard you are throwing it, focus on how flat and smooth you are throwing it. Once you figure out flat and smooth adding more torque is easy.

[Keith Dwyer]

Yes, I think Mark is spot on as usual with his response. If your disc flutters, I think it is more a matter of not applying power to the disc in a smooth and controlled way, rather than a matter of arm speed or spin. Think of making a shortish putt with a crisp backhand motion. Does the disc flutter? Not to say it always goes in, lol, but most people can putt an length of putt without flutter. With a forehand shot, I would characterize it as being a short (much shorter than a backhand) and easy motion. I've talked with Mark about this before and I don't think he really bought it, lol, but you can learn the basic motion of a forehand shot by throwing plastic bottle caps. As you can imagine, you don't need a very long 'stroke' at all to throw one and the same is true for throwing a disc. The only difference is that you will snap your wrist at the end of the stroke with the disc. But the basic motion is very much the same!

[Justin NUDGA#15]

Do you normally finish flicking your wrist and end: Palm Up, Palm Verical, Palm Down?
Does it matter?

This is huge! Most of us start out with the palm finnishing down. This is due to the fact that we usually start out with overstable drivers. We start out with overstable drivers because everything else just seems to flip and roll right? This is because our shoulder, elbow, and wrist naturally turn over( palm down) when throwing forehand.

It is more challenging, mentaly and physically, to fishish with the palm up. It is not a naturarly feel, but being able to finnish palm up is where you start to be able to control the disc to shape shots(instead of just a big fat "S" flight). Most improtantly, you will be able to throw a true hyser so that the disc will finnish way right (RHFH) or skip right.

Go out in the field and throw less stable discs palm up. Don't throw from the hip, get the disc up shoulder high before you start your runup and finnish with your weight leaning over your front foot.

[Jim Coonradt]

I learned the forehand shot back in the day when I was playing Ultimate with the big Whamos. It was a great way to pick up the disc and throw it quickly. I always start with my disc in a hyzer position when I throw forehand because the disc tend to naturally roll as you throw it and ends up coming out flat. I don't really think about the palm at all but I am sure that it is pointing up when I'm done. But I definitely throw better by keeping it low and in a hyzer position when starting the throw. It flattens out on its own.

I'm a peace signer all the way.

[Disc-O Golf]

Palm faces target.

[R. L. Norrick]

In a forehand drive the palm should be in the same position it is when it is at your hip as it is for the release. With my grip palm is mostly pointing up. Then like Mark said continue with the follow through and your palm will face the direction your throwing it. If you were to hold your pose after the release and follow through your hand should like your wizard casting a lighting blot at the target. Remember forehand shots fall to the right!

Also, grip is essential to forehand. I use two fingers spread on the bottom of the plate and my thumb on top of the plate. My middle finger rest on the inside of the wing and my index and thumb almost pinch the middle of the the disc. since using this grip I have stopped the fluttering.

[nick young]

I finally did it. I unlocked the magical forehand. I found out if i throw with my palm pointing upward and follow threw like that i can throw 320 with accuracy. I never knew it was possible. The only downside is that i throw it best with my ce firebird.

[Sean Johnson]

about the same exact thing happened to me about a month ago. A 150g Flick and a disciplined hand position (palm up) was all it took for my forehand to become a realistic option off of the teepad. Like Mark Ellis, as well as a buddy of mine who can flick close to 400', I used to play a lot of racquetball. I could never understand why I couldn't turn a kill shot into a forehand until I figured out how to keep the disc level all the way through the follow through.

The sad part is that I'm already more comfortable with my forehand than I am some RHBH anhyzer shots that I've been working on for about a year now.

[Jim Coonradt]

My favorite disc for forehand is the Banshee.

[Corndawg13]

Definitly palm UP. it makes sense first of all. If your palm is down after the throw then you would be rolling your wrist over and tanking the disc in the ground. Jus like a BH shot, FH shots have certain things you need to do. You have to stay smooth with your arm when throwing, have a solid grip and leave the palm up for follow through.