🥏 Welcome to the second post in this series on improving Disc Golf Putting! You can read the first post introducing this series here.
Write about what you don't know about what you know. —Eudora Welty
This series is tailored for intermediate level players so we won't cover much in the way of beginner concepts and I assume you have knowledge of the jargon.
—
I thought first to write about putting form. Seems the rational choice. But, I've learned in my own game, that form is wholly dependent on 💪.
And, no matter your preferred form, core, hand, and finger strength are required, so we'll start here.
It doesn't look like strength is required
It puts my teeth on edge to throw, and even watch, the dying-quail hyzer putts 🥴. Or the dreaded wobbly Warrior 3 pose 😩.
Most new female players do it. Small children do it. Some tenured female players do it 🤢.
You can't make one from more than 18', and when we miss, there's often that painful roll-away 🤮. Even when they do go in, they don't feel satisfying. It's as though we are escaping the hole rather than finishing the hole.
And, yes, some of it is lack of confidence. We don't give it gusto or follow-through because of our subconscious, and false, belief, that, if we shrink, we are less exposed ☠️.
Most new female players do it. Small children do it. Some tenured female players do it 🤢.
You can't make one from more than 18', and when we miss, there's often that painful roll-away 🤮. Even when they do go in, they don't feel satisfying. It's as though we are escaping the hole rather than finishing the hole.
And, yes, some of it is lack of confidence. We don't give it gusto or follow-through because of our subconscious, and false, belief, that, if we shrink, we are less exposed ☠️.
It is about Strength
Why do we women struggle to flat-foot fling a 6 oz disc into a basket from 20' with authority? We fail to draw strength from the core. We are not putting-from-the-gut.
When I watch the men putt, I can see the core strength in all of them—the energy transfer from legs and torso out the arm & hand. Not that the traveling pro women aren't strong, they surely are, it's just that I don't see it in all of them when they putt.
Let's look at a few:
When I watch the men putt, I can see the core strength in all of them—the energy transfer from legs and torso out the arm & hand. Not that the traveling pro women aren't strong, they surely are, it's just that I don't see it in all of them when they putt.
Let's look at a few:
- Lydia Lyons has the most pronounced putt-from-the-gut form. She starts her putt from her belly and it is as important as her hand and arm in her putting game. Plus, she gives us all hope since she's so tiny.
- Hailey King has the form like the men where I can see the energy transfer. More hope since she's so lean and still visibly generates that power. We would all do well to imitate her form until we have our own solidified.
- Kristen Tattar is amazing. The woman straddle putts from deep in Circle 2 for heaven's sake! Yes, her strength is out of reach for most of us, but, we can see the core involvement in her putts.
You can see all three in the 2nd Round of the 2021 Preserve Championship. Hole 2 putting beginning at the 7:55 mark shows us just how strong are these women with Hailey and Kristen putting from outside Circle 2 with only the smallest of moves forward.
Hand and finger strength are also important. They call it Finger Pop after the sound that's created on release of the putt.
I figured out what it was one day in my living room. Unbidden. This hand strength came following repetitions.
Now, whenever I don't bloom my hand in a magnified fashion, the putt doesn't go well. It is part of the follow through as important as following through with the arm and a key source of putting power. It's also the only way I found to keep the disc flat to the basket.
YouTube Videos on the technicalities of Finger Pop.
What about the Wrist? Elbow? Yes. We can get extra power here from the extra levers. No doubt. Strength in the wrist also comes with repetitions.
But. Over-reliance on the wrist and elbow can delay development of core, hand, and finger strength. I also think it's a more difficult putt to control for accuracy from right-left standpoint (more next post on spin vs push putting).
No Wimpy Putts!
Early last season, I was often putting that severe hyzer. It always felt awful and it eroded my confidence 😩.
To shake the habit, I took six weeks last spring and decided that it didn't matter if the putt went in the basket or not. All that mattered was that the disc was flat, smooth, and didn't die before the basket.
I used the mantra, No Wimpy Putts!, before every attempt in place of the exhale many recommend. When I was with friends, I said it out loud too 📣. It was contagious in our little clique.
Yes, I sacrificed some strokes each round for a little while 🥴, but it was well worth it. By week four, the sacrifice ended and I was making more than I had previously 🙂. By week 6, I rarely had to remind myself 😀.
Here, 10 months later, I don't have to think about it at all and use the mantra only when I'm at the edge of my capability or feeling a bit sluggish overall. I use the freed mental bandwidth to concentrate on my form and follow-through now 🎉.
To shake the habit, I took six weeks last spring and decided that it didn't matter if the putt went in the basket or not. All that mattered was that the disc was flat, smooth, and didn't die before the basket.
I used the mantra, No Wimpy Putts!, before every attempt in place of the exhale many recommend. When I was with friends, I said it out loud too 📣. It was contagious in our little clique.
Yes, I sacrificed some strokes each round for a little while 🥴, but it was well worth it. By week four, the sacrifice ended and I was making more than I had previously 🙂. By week 6, I rarely had to remind myself 😀.
Here, 10 months later, I don't have to think about it at all and use the mantra only when I'm at the edge of my capability or feeling a bit sluggish overall. I use the freed mental bandwidth to concentrate on my form and follow-through now 🎉.
Recommendations from a Reformed Weak Putter
If you struggle with limp putts...
- Pre-decide to get rid of them. Do deliberate practice focusing on flat, smooth, and powerful 💪 originating in the gut. Take my mantra or use your own. It can be done with friends for added fun either live or virtually. If you give it the time, it can make a world of difference on the green and, more importantly, with your self confidence 🔋.
- Reps. Reps. Reps to build strength. A good way to do that is join a putting league, virtual or IRL. I know of a virtual, women's, putting league, 💰 prizes, March 14-Apr 30 that would love to have you. Drop me a Facebook DM or email for contact info.
- Strength training. Focus on the core and the large leg muscles to carry most of the weight. If you don't have a program, Disc Golf Strong Performance Academy is social, inexpensive, and designed specifically for DG.
Until next time
- Putt from the gut, and...
No Wimpy Putts!
Next time: Form Follows Strength
—
Week-5 Standings: I am in unofficial, not-eligible-for-prizes, second place with 381 points.
—
You can subscribe to this blog by email or RSS feed to be sure you don't miss any posts. There is a no-questions-asked, unsubscribe link included with every post.
For your privacy protection, I don't use spy pixels or analytics and will not share your email address or use it for promotion and neither does the platform Hey.com
I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking. —Joan Didion