Taller people get more distance on drives?

I'm 5'3 and have been playing for years and have always had trouble with distance. My max is usually around 210, though at times I get a little more distance like 220. I've seen beginners who are taller than me and throw considerable further than I can and it just erks me to death! One thing I've noticed is that taller people have longer arms so they get more reach back.


Anyways, is there any truth in taller people getting more distance or are there people my height or 5'4 that can throw just as far

[J.D.Guy]

hell to the no, its all about technique. most of the guys i play with now are all shorter than me, not even breaking 6 ft, and they all out drive me. in fact, the shortest guy among us throws 550ft.

[David Jameson]

My advice... go lighter! Lighter flies further.

[Chris Fair]

don't worry about disc weight at the moment. Work on technique. Even when my group of friends weren't that good at playing the tallest of us sucked the hardest the next tallest plays great. Then on down it is a mix of skills. In fact through working on technique this summer I throw fairway drivers farther than most people on my course throw their "distance" drivers now. I've seen 140 pound men bomb it, I've seen 5'3 men bomb it, I've seen 6'1 guys bomb, and 300 pound guys bomb, I've also seen them all suck because the one thing that matters the most is their form.

[Jeffery Nugent]

I'd have to agree about form, and technique, one of the shortest guys in our club bombs it all the time. Having said that, I think it is easier for tall people to throw farther. We've got a guy 6'6" that has terrible form but because of his size he can throw the hell out of it.(not always sure where it's going, but it goes a long way.) I just recently started throwing backhand, and my form needs work. But, I'm throwing it a lot further than I could forehand. 250-275 forehand, 275-320 backhand. I think it helps that I'm 6' 3" but I don't know. I keep practicing out on a soccer field. maybe when I get my technique right I'll be able to bomb it out to 400+

[Peter Bonnel]

Ahhhhhh, If only this was true!
I am 6'4" and have yet to bust 300'. Age my be my problem (60), but I keep trying. ;-)

[Ken]

You still can beat me all day every day out at Crestview. There is something about the wisdom of age that I won't attain for a while.

[AK Discer]

Taller people usually have longer arms and longer arms will provide a greater distance potential over someone with shorter arms. The longer your arms are the more time you have to accelerate and also your reach back is longer. Physical size can give you an advantage but not enough to say that "you have to be big to throw far."

Regardless of that, you should be able to throw well over 300' with proper training and good technique. Think about Wiggings Jr. who has set numerous distance records as he has grown up. I know he is a phenom, but the point is that it can be done regardless of physical stature.

[edism]

Fast twitch versus Slow twitch muscles.
The make up of each individual is a key factor also.
I don't think you can change it, it is what you are born with.

[Brett Mackie]

It's a little bit of everything. A long arm-span may help, but size doesn't matter when you try to snap a disc. It's all in the wrist, and the arm speed. Anyone can snap a disc and put huge distance behind it, regardless of their size. Form, technique, amount of practice, weight transition...these all apply too, of course!

[Nic777]

Great discussion guys,

Im also one of those not blessed with natural ability, at 5'9" height isnt the big issue, but rather upper body strength, im a smallish guy at about 140 pounds, and pre disc golf days always thought of myself as having week wrist strength (got slaughtered at arm wrestling).
But im working hard on my driving lately, this past weekend I threw alot of drives. And hopefully i can close the gap between myself and the natural gifted playes, Im averaging about 90 metres (288 ft) , occasionaly 'bomb' one above 320 feet, but my honest average is 90 metres as i said.

What "inspires" me is the above mentioned physical characteristics werent the greatest attributes when growing up and playing soccer. At the age of 11 i was a bench warmer, but i then worked hard on my game, training harder than anyone else, at 16 i was team captain and the "star" player. I was never going to be a pro, natural speed is required at that level, and those guys also work hard unfortunately. :) But part of making any sport great is taking what you have, and developing your skills to be the best that YOU can be.

[John Finnegan]

Certainly, hell no! Ask Ken Jarvis (old school phenom), Ulibari, or the other bombing Paul- McBeth, how far they can throw?(well over 500 feet into an 8mph headwind!) It is simply disc speed as far as I can tell. Kevin Jones won the AM Worlds distance this year and was clocked at Pro Worlds with an 82 MPH throw! Now, Kevin isn't 5'4" but he isn't over 6' and neither are the others mentioned above I don't think. Try The Equalizer from Natidiscgolf.com for distance improvement in two weeks, most pros use one. You must be able to do an S-Curve shot as well to get max D.

Oh, BTW distance is way overrated. Putting will win more rounds than distance, any day.

The Equalizer will improve fast twitch muscles as well.

[Ken]

Agreed... Drive for show. Putt for dough.