What are some good disc choices for forehand and sidearm throwers?

What are some good beginner discs for a forearm or a sidearm thrower?

[mark ellis]

It really depends on your background in sports before disc golf. Very few players start out with a great backhand snap but quite a few do on a forehand snap. If you have a strong arm throwing a baseball (or other similar task) then you will have a strong arm throwing forehands and overheads (thumbers and tomahawks), now you just need to learn to control them.

Most forehanders prefer flat-topped discs and more overstable discs than backhanders but this is not an absolute rule. If you do not have a strong arm then you will not want as overstable a disc (overstable means it cuts hard in one direction at the end of its flight) ((to the right for a right-handed forehander, to the left for a left-handed forehander)) . The more overstable a disc the sooner it starts cutting and the stronger it cuts.

Many beginning forehanders have the problem of turning the disc over too much (it turns left early in its flight ((for a righthander)) and never recovers to glide straight). It either buries in the ground or rolls. An overstable disc will not turn over as easily. So an overstable disc has a larger margin of error for those having this problem.

If you have the early turnover problem then you are rolling your wrist over as you release the disc. Try snapping the disc and keeping the palm of your throwing hand facing up to the sky (like a sidearm karate chop).

I am sponsored by Discraft and throw their plastic. I have found a family of drivers that I love for forehand throws. A family means that the discs are very similar (same diameter and rim size) and will feel almost identical in your hand. The difference in the drivers is their stability (there will be small differences in the dominess of the flight plate from run to run). So generally from least stable to most overstable they are: Surge SS, Rogue, Flash, Surge, Pulse and Crush. If you were going to try a few of this family I would suggest a Rogue (DGA disc made by Discraft), Flash and Crush as these tend to be the flattest. If you also like flat discs then Z (translucent candy plastic) tends to be the flattest. ESP (blended candy plastic) usually is more domey. Any of the candy plastic is darn near indestructible.

With practice you will also learn to control midrange discs and putters forehand. I prefer the Buzzz, Wasp and Zone in mids and Magnets and Rattlers in putters.

As a beginning forehander the best thing you can do to accelerate your game is to have an experienced forehand player watch your throw and give you suggestions. It might help to find an instructional video on Youtube.com. They probably have one on forehand drives.

[Craig with a C]

I do not throw many forehands, but when I do it is normally a Champion Gator for under 250' and Star Xcaliber for long drives.

[ominae_wu]

Thanks for all the great advice Mark. I'm going to see if I can track down some videos.

[eric beich]

I like the Flick for sidearm shots.

[Born A Buckeye]

Hey,

I have been throwing forehand for over a year and the real answer to your question is... all of them. But theres a catch, you have to learn how they fly. A solid piece of advice I would give to a beginner is to learn the flight charts and their definitions, this helped me out so much.

As for specifics, most sidearm throwers tend to favor overstable plastic such as the Surge, Firebird, Flick, and Excaliber. Usually most Forhand players generate more spin than backhanders causing the discs to exaggerate the turn/fade stats. So most forehand players like overstable discs because they can throw them with the wing up and enjoy a nice S shot where the anhyzer loses speed flattens out and eventually hyzers back to the right. Overstable discs will mostly always fade back unlike the understable plastic that will continue to go further and further left if thrown with the wing up.

Once you become familiar with flights I think you will find that all the discs are just as useful given the situation. I love my roadrunner and monarch because I can throw them with a hyzer angle (wing down) and watch them sit up and turn giving myself a true S curve. Or I can throw them flat and let the turn producing a nice anhyzer that goes to my left and sits down. A must have if you want to combat backhanders. Now most find throwing a hyzer angle forehand to be difficult and it should be practiced first. I agree the the wing up throw is much more naturally (almost like throwing a ball) when compared to the hyzer throw.

So I would suggest getting a Firebird and a Beast. This way you can throw both understable and overstable and learn how to play both flights.

In reference to Mark's comment about turn-overs. If your turning something over to your left, work on a smooth relaxed release of the disc and try and add some hyzer angle to the disc upon release (tilt the wing down) and let it lift back up.

As for midranges, flicking a midrange can be a dangerous and rewarding situation. Remember midranges are not meant to be thrown with great power, and you risk severely turning a midrange over if you throw it as hard as you can. Throw your midrange plastic with finesse and be relaxed, let the disc fly the way it was designed.

As for midrange, i enjoy my Rhyno, buzz, and USDGC roc. I typically try to flick midranges at the basket with an anny flight (right to left).

[Tino "SilverBack" Medina]

first off, I flick or forehand 95% of my throws. So for forehand drives, I would recomend trying out the star teerex. I originally started with a champion starfire and love that disc as well. You have to learn and understand the "s" curve of the flight, then learn to control it and make it work for you. Go to a football field and just throw, thats the only way you will find what works for you. I have since started to throw a Roc backhand. You will need this for your game, believe me. I hatedthe idea of backhand (still do) but you have to have it for a good game. Good luck!

[Pop Arounleut]

Hi, all these comments are very useful. I would try taking different discs to a field and just experiment. One thing I think you should realize is that everyone throws differently, i.e. everyone prefers different types plastic. Right now some of my favorites are champ destroyers and bosses. I throw star excalibers when its windy and valkyries when I want something to go str8. In reference to Mark and the dominess of a disc, I have noticed that the flatter disc are not quite as over stable as the domey ones. So, go out to a field and experiment; if the disc is turning over try something more stable and if the disc goes right try something less stable. There's a good disc out there for you; it took me a bit before I found those discs. Good luck and have fun!

[Lotto]

i use a Z Crush or Z Flash.

[kindofabuzz]

i been using a very broke in Teebird for my forehand drives and forehand mids. works pretty damn good.

[MonTTy #794]

Champ and Star Firebirds for more low speed fade
Pro Destroyers for less low speed fade

[Brendan]

i am a FH dominant and can hit 500' so here is a basic list of things i can fh. again i am power FH throwing mainly overstable w/ a few stable discs. for big distance i use

- INNOVA -
xcaliber - straight drives
boss (champ only) - hyzer flip to S shot
destroyer (cfr) - long S shots
destroyer (star) - long turnover and turnover rollers
wraith (champ only) - straight driver
max - best wind fighter, very overstable, always hyzer finish
teerex - hyzer flip to anny then comes out at the very end usually w/ little to no skip
orc - long turnovers
groove - very long turnovers (still getting use to it)
Firebird - very overstable, control FH driver. Great for control S shots
Valkyrie - Hyzer flip low ceiling 350' drives

Discraft
(winter drivers)
FLX Surge
FLX Surge SS
FLX Predator
(normal fh drivers ive used)
Crush
Pulse
Force (not a very good FH driver if u ask me, but have used them)
FLX,ESP, and Z Surge (Z surge is awesome)
Avenger
Avenger SS
Surge SS
Z Xtreme - my exaggerated firebird lol. SUPER OVERSTABLE!!! Dog leg hook drivers. tight S shots

but thats for a power FH player. i have some friends that arent as "powerful" as i am. cuz i come from a pitchng and shortstop background. i was a pitcher for 16 years, so throwing power FH came sorta natural. but if ur a new player or new to FH. honestly the disc that most of my friends started w/ was a champion valkyrie. i say that because most players have innova more readily available to them. and the valk is a great disc and will help u learn angles and stuff quickly.

and for mid-range FH. Champion Gator is my prime choice. but im really starting to like the FLX Drone too. thats for overstable mids. stable mid FH - Z and Cryztal Buzzz, the best anhyzer FH mids to me are the cro and the meteor. (the meteor has saved me sooo many strokes FH) and for putters to me CHALLENGERS all the way. Cryztal FLX, Cryztal Z, and Pro D challengers.

well i hope i helped u out in some way man. good luck to ya, and keep hukin

[johnathon]

when i started playing i used a exp1 it was bad a@# for me. but watch out now i have problems with my elbow hurts like hell. so now when i throw sidearm it gos about 3/4 quarters of what it use to and can only throw it a couple of times a game.