Just the Tip – Slow Down

If you are a racing fan, you are familiar with the phrase, “slow is smooth and smooth is fast”.  Variants of that phrase are used in many sports.  I’ve heard it in bowling, ball golf, and baseball to name a few.  It might seem counterintuitive, but it’s true every time.  It’s not until a race car driver learns to slow down, especially in the corners, that they start to significantly improve their lap times.

The same goes for disc golf.  The next time you are at your local course, watch some of the players.  Many of their run ups look like they are trying to win the 10 yard dash.  Arms and legs are flailing everywhere.  Many start several yards behind the tee pad just to have enough room.  After they release the disc, their momentum sends them flying off the end of the tee pad like a drunken sailor racing off of a pier and into the ocean below.

Now, pull up You Tube and check out the best players in our sport.  Watch Shusterick, McBeth, Climo, Schultz, Doss, and really almost any other top pro.  It’s almost like they are casually walking up to the end of the tee pad.  If you stopped the video before they actually released the disc, many might wonder how the disc was going to go 50 yards let alone 500 or more.

But that’s exactly what happens.  Will Shusterick, said by many to have perfect disc golf form, steps lightly across the tee pad, coils smoothly, and then throws the disc further than you and I put together could.

I don’t claim to know why this is the case, it just is.  One thing I do know is that slowing down helps you better feel the timing of a proper throw.  There are quite a few threads on both Disc Golf Review and Disc Golf Course Review where people describe their “aha!” moment as coming after they slowed things way down.

I’m sure many of you could probably give the technical explanation of how this works.  For me, I’ll just file it under the “it just works” category and not try to figure it out.  So the next time you are out on the course and trying to improve your distance, timing, form, accuracy, or any number of other aspects of your throw, try slowing down.  Try slowing way down.  You might be surprised as to what happens.

One thing that just doesn’t slow down is this blog!  We just keep on cranking out content week after week.  Make sure and subscribe so that you don’t miss any of it!

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