I threw 505 feet yesterday!! I can usually throw about 380 consistently with the rare crossing of 400. I played a round yesterday and really tried to pay attention to the wipe in the first 3 minutes of this video. I tried to throw a roller, but instead of rolling it did a full flex-sounded like a rocket ship. I couldn't repeat that feeling the rest of the round but I'm a believer now. Cant believe it crossed 500!! Looking forward to watching the rest of this channel on repeat now. Thanks for sharing all this with us!
Dude, that's unreal! Thank you for reporting back with feedback and results. It sounds like you did a great job of executing the drill so credit goes to you. You'll be able to repeat what you did and before too long, it will become routine!
Well done sir! Undoubtedly, the Turbo Encabulator has now reached a very high level of technical development. It has been successfully used for operating nofer trunnions. In addition, whenever a barescent skor motion is required, it may be employed in conjunction with a drawn Reciprocating Dingle Arm to reduce sinusoidal depleneration.
😂 truly incredible how all of those advanced factors have come together And thanks for watching! Glad to see the stamp of approval from the man who originated most of the base drills that I piggybacked off
Dude, you have single-handedly explained to me how to throw a disc. I’ve thrown countless discs, but tomorrow I will throw a disc for the first time. Absolutely excellent video sir.
4:30 What you’re talking about here is the exact reason why throwing into a net is such a game changer. I remember the first time I tried throwing into a net. It was so much easier to just focus on how my body was moving and how things felt. Because you think much more about how the disc is going to fly than you think you will. Then I noticed that it was hard to transfer that feeling on to a field and so I learned to bring a net to a field, threw a little into the net just to get that power feeling from the feet and up, then threw one out into the field, keeping in mind how it felt and should feel and saw an immediate change in both distance and even accuracy. Thank you for this video series. I love working on my brace and timing and the details that you’re giving us about how everything should "feel" is very very helpful.
Awesome point you make, I've seen a really similar thing with myself and my clients with combining the net practice and field practice to transfer the more pure mechanics into real throws once ready to do so! It's cool how we can leverage practice structure like that to get faster results
i think youre onto something.. i always have my best throw if i do a standstill witha similar disc first to get feeling right then xstep keeping same feelings! i can see that translate with a net in a field.. great idea!
This is key. I try to hit a field nearby that has a huge net protecting a nearby road from foul balls. I can throw into the net and then turn around and throw into the field. I still find the 'transfer' of the feeling to be quite difficult, but this process is helpful even so.
Let's start by saying: This is by far the best technique video I have EVER seen. --- I've been playing since 2001 so it's.. 23 years now. There were no technique videos back then, so I had to learn the hard way.. mistake by mistake until I got something right and then tried to duplicate whatever I did right. So I have gone through this kind of progressions myself, trying to understand and pick apart what the hell is going on when you throw the disc and what to do if I want to get better. It has been a long journey, but in this video, Nick shows exactly the same reasoning I have come to over the years. --- All I would add is to get a net and a speed meter because you can see what you did right immediately from the increased speed. What I learned from the net practise was that my grip was leaking power. When I gripped the disc harder than before, the speed increased immediately. That was my one of my weak points which the net practise revealed. So the net and speep meter helps a lot and you don't have to keep collecting discs from far away, so you get more throws in in a shorter time frame. --- The hard thing about this is, that there is so much going on SO FAST that no one can see it. It's hard to see even in slow motion. All you can do is FEEL the technique working and use that feeling to lock in the best technique when you keep doing the drills and when it "clicks". --- I also recommend using a towel a couple of times before each drive in a round. This helps lock in the technique and you perform better when it's not your first throw, meaning you have warmed up your muscles and nervous system with the towel. You know, the second throw is always better than the first, and with a couple of towel drills, the actual throw is like the second one and you will perform better.
Thank you for the nice comment! I'm pumped to hear the drill and explanation worked so well for you. I really like your approach with the net and radar gun - a great system for getting quantitative feedback to relate to how the throw felt.
I typically throw in the mid to high 400 range, and occasionally touch 500. I watched through this video last night, then went out and did the progression today. My throw felt quicker, more relaxed in the upper body, and more powerful. I hit 460,485 and 515 right in a row. I couldn’t believe how well this worked. You explain what actually powers the throw so well. Thank you for such great content!
Let's gooo! I'm really happy to hear those results man. Nice work on executing with the drill and making it transfer to your full throws. 515ft is elite.
First of all: thank you! For an advanced amateur struggling to get consistently beyond 400ft this is the best back hand technique video of the entire internet! Love the way you have done this which allows viewers to practice along the drills with you - works very well at least for me. Only thing I hope would have been different is the timing of this video: if I had this a few months ago when off-season started here in Finland, I would be a beast in distance by now 😅 But that's not you to blame of course. Luckily there's still a couple of weeks to swipe my butt on the field before the season starts! I also love that you have studied the things you represent on the videos, like technique and physical training aspects of throwing, shoulder health maintenance et cetera and you can even back it up with research. As a PE teacher myself and advocate for studied information it warms my heart. Very well done sir!
There are so many videos out there that talk about “throwing from the ground-up” but this is the first one I’ve seen that actually shows you how to accomplish that through a progression of drills. I can’t wait to get home and start putting this into practice. Thank you for the video!
I love this. I’ve been needing a progression video like this. I also really appreciate you focusing on where to feel pressure, keeping the head still, and keeping the upper body relaxed. All of those cues are extremely helpful!
@@NickKrush.DGandFit yes sir! Video and TechDisc are confirming that my swing plane improves every 100-200 throws. Nose angle and spin are looking great. Just need to build the brace to add in the power. 🤞
This one is going to take me weeks to break down and translate to my form, but the first step is already having me throw equal distance with no run up, slower reachback, which equals about 50 to 70% power versus old form. Out here doing the Lords work! Keep it up!
This is a great holistic way of learning the brace. Other videos are way too technical and don't really give you a practical demonstration to go by. Your videos have also inspired me to go back to the gym and my balance has been so much better and effortless. I gained a good amount of distance trying to unlearn all my bad habits. The butt wipe does really help too.
Let’s goo! I’m happy to hear that and appreciate you commenting with your results. Getting back in the gym will continue to give you easy disc golf gains, that extra horsepower is a nice thing to have
These drills are the real deal! Took my average 400ft drives to 500 on flat in only 4 short field work sessions. Thank you for spelling out the missing link in my technique.
This is great. I just got done doing all the steps but one of the things I have a hard time with is going to full coil (and reach back) between the 2 steps. Thanks for posting this
You're welcome! The coil will get easier once the bracing action has become habitual, at that point, you can re-focus on the coil to combine it with the brace (1-step style throws are a great way to practice this)
Im new to disc golf (less than 2 years) and am absolutely addicted.. this series has been super helpful! Liked and subscribed!! This is amazing content. Keep it up!
Love the progression. Nice job. I'm getting back into the sport after not playing for over 10 years. Trying to unlearn habits that were holding me back. I'm hoping this will help!
Yea, I saw one popular channel, not gonna name, that emphasizes blowing your back out to get power. Guy even says "See, if I do 10 of those, I'm going to build a sweat. That's what we want". Eagle and Gannon are out here telling people how they're throwing further with less effort while others are telling you to get a physical therapy appointment to throw 450+
I can get up to 60mph from a static reach back position but struggle to get faster. I hope this is the drill and video I need to connect the lower body movement to my upper body speed. Can't wait to try this progression. Cheers
One thing to keep in mind is the stretch reflex, it's a term I've heard when referring to lifting weights. But basically it's our muscle can produce peak force when they are contracted at the right time of a stretch. For example unless you are very flexible in your pecs when you bench without a pause just a controlled touch and go off the chest, you get more force into the bar right after touching your chest than if you wait a second or two. You will have to feel an actual stretch most the time to get an actual benefit, but I find that when I nail the reach back timing on my x step I feel the stretch reflex and I am gaining about 40ft (about 10% ish) from it verses a slightly mistimed reach back x step where I don't feel the stretch reflex. This particular stretch for me is felt in my lead arm upper lat, and maybe my back side lower lat. It's like a rubber band pull it to out a long ways and release it right away and it goes further than pulling it back just as far but waiting 5 min before shooting it.
where have this video been all my life!?!?😭🙌 I was stuck at that 270' throw for 2 years now, and just after doing this for 45 min and then throwing I got a 340' lazer shot with my crave!
Nice & simple lead into a change in form. I can hit 330ft at 55... wonder if i can get a little further with a bit more concentration on bracing and reverting back to the X rather than crow hop (For a relaxing mediocre style (or lack of style) I find the crow hop was a nice choice for me to keep on target (as distance means nothing if it's yeeting into a tree/lake/team-mate)...
Sounds like it could be worth experimenting with for sure. The crow hop vs. x-step seems to be an individual thing, where some people respond better to one vs. the other. But, bracing efficiently can always help us to throw further with less effort. Best of luck with the drills!
@@NickKrush.DGandFit unfortunately I have my background in recreational frisbee so I started off throwing hard (probably around 200ft on my 1st day) and once I actually learned the trebuchet arm, and a whole lot of other non frisbee things (like not facing the target) I got up to 100m (Im in NZ so metric... 330ft)... but that means I keep forgetting to go back and learn to throw slow... and I don't really throw mids.. One thing I got from frisbee... a 30deg Hyzer near straight arm while looking at the target and yeeting it out to the right... I can near bullseye things (ankles, bags, pets , Tee pads etc) It's like the shot that no one toobs about... great for baskets behind objects where looking at it (through a tree) helps plot a nice arc... Higher hyzer in calm and you can dig it in, low and it skips... trouble with that, im excellent when showing off... but in a match, never as good (and I forget to add in the skip when I'm not just trying to hit something. If you made it through that... thanx... And all the best with the channel.
Definitely going to have to give this a try! When you brace, are you engaging your core for stability or are you loose through out the entire throw? Thanks!
You're welcome! Usually, the core bracing happens naturally since you will be actively trying to land in the balanced, tilted brace and drive the pelvis forward.
Nice job Nick! Going to start my form series soon and bracing is probably my first one. This will probably be referenced in my series for sure! Great stuff!
I love this. Because it feels so different for me from what you are saying. Can it be possible we are doing similar thing but in different sequence? And is it possible it is the same among the pros? And then we come to the next question. Which is the most effective? But thanks for this. Gives insight. 😊 And this is obvious for me. But obviously we want to feel full reach in the back before the block. Even a feeling of the body wanting to bounce back and move forward, and then block and then fire. Kinda. Anyway... I'm gonna see if I can use this for the next session later this week. Thanks! Edit Actually... Looking again, it might not be so different.,🤔
Absolutely, sometimes things feel so different for individuals that it takes trial and error with how things are communicated, in order to get someone to execute upon them. But since you throw far I have no doubt you are doing the fundamental things correctly, and it's more of a slight difference in semantics or perspective 👍
@@NickKrush.DGandFit Yeah, it's weird getting something so simple to work. Sometimes I feel I was doing it better before the winter. But I didn't. I know that. I started throwing leftiy into the net this week. Same basic shot from the back muscles generates a lot less power. A simple shot. So the body does things and figures things out we can't control probably. This was a really great vid for me at least. So thanks.
Hey nick is there any cue we should be looking for with the towel to proceed to disc? Is there something auditory you are looking for with the towel or more just feel?
The towel is mostly to add some extra weight to the hand, but it can also promote late acceleration if you try to get the "snap" or "whoosh" to happen as late as possible during the pullthrough 👍
@@NickKrush.DGandFit okay one last question. I've noticed after today's session that my left toe dragging a lot (to the point of wearing a hole in my shoe) what are the possible causes?
@@TheodoreBardot a lot of top pros drag the toe and it can be a good thing technique-wise, so I'm not too comfortable recommending you change it. But, if the shoe wear is a major issue and you can't find shoes that hold up better I would practice some slow x-steps where you pick the foot up off the ground slightly during the follow-through.
This is the best step by step explanation I've seen. I went and practiced steps 1 and 2 and passed 350 from a stand still, great for me! My right cheek is freaking sore today, is that a good sign of getting my weight onto my plant and bracing?
Heck yeah, I love to hear that man. Nice work on executing so well with the drills. Having glute soreness on the brace side is a really good sign that you are using those big hip muscles more effectively than before! Just make sure to let it recovery adequately before going hard again so you don't increase risk of injury.
This video is great 🙏 I went to the field today and started from scratch with your steps. I'm really nailing step 1 and stand stills. But step 2 with the jump.. Just couldn't get it to click, had much more power just with stand still. But this was only 1 session though and a very new form for me. You think it's "normal" to struggle with the hop in step 2? I guess I just have to have patience, it's a huge form change for me. I might have to buy some lessons from you :) Thanks from Denmark!
Yes, that's perfectly normal for step 2 to feel awkward, and I also don't throw with as much power from step 2 compared to step 1 (like you). Step 2 is more of a bridge to get us comfortable with halting our momentum and balancing onto the brace leg, rather than providing the rotational power that a full x-step can give. Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how it continues to go.
Decoupling from performance is way toooo critical, but yes "building horsepower" is such a good way express how I've always trained ... It's a lot of get good enough form for a few weeks or months, work on being a brute to the disc till distance stalls, then look at form try to correct things and back to being a brute. And so on, people wonder how I make my standstills look effortless? Well it's cause largely they are. A run up for me is largely about effort, 100% effort, not 100% distance even though it often is. But in a standstill there is so much less to do. So even putting in as much effort as I can, it's only like 20-30% the effort of a full run up. So I just focus on moving my hand fast in my standstills and I still bomb while making it look effortless. I wish I could teach people that you don't bloody need a run up. That being said I probably need to dial my run up back a fair bit till I actually get noticable distance out of it reliably. (Currently it about 50 ft most the time different between run up and standstill). Not what I really wanted to realize but probably the right move dial the leg drive to like 60% effort and work on still keeping that 50ft and then ramping back up. Probably
going to do some field work with this today.. you say you throw 550ft in headwind.. how much headwind? my max is 540ft in tailwind but i cant seem to get my disc over 400ft in headwind.. killing me tbh!
It was a light headwind and the extra glide seemed to cancel out the extra drag since I was throwing an OS destroyer. You are throwing with a lot of power so it's possible your disc isn't stable enough for the headwind, or if the nose angle is slightly up, that could reduce distance a lot as well (although I remember you having good nose angles)
@@NickKrush.DGandFit id love to say its a understable disc problem but its not i throw a Xcaliber which is 12/5/0/4 .. it has to be a nose up thing.. but to throw 400ft nose up is good yes? man i cant figure out how to freaking get the nose down..
@@NickKrush.DGandFit i would say its more like it goes up up up and stalls out and finishes hard left and when i try to throw lower it goes into dirt vs tailwind my shots always get knocked down so i throw them super high like you etc,.
Is the hop more so for practicing the feeling of getting into the brace? In that last throw you’re definitely more fluid and not hopping into it at all
You hit the nail on the head - evolution 2 is more for the sensation of landing in the brace, whereas a normal x-step will be smoother and more horizontal.
Great video... however repeat after me... regardless regardless regardless, there is no such word as irregardless. Lol, ok I'll stop being an ass. I really am enjoying these videos man. This part 3 is super useful with the drills and the mindset behind each step or evolution of the drill. Keep this content coming man. Love it!
Idk if you can help with this since it seems like it's a subconscious part of the throw but I'm struggling with the rotation of my plant foot in the brace. Whenever I am planting it feels like the grip/friction between my shoe and the ground/teapad is too strong to allow my foot to rotate freely and thus the whole brace falls apart. Are you ever actively thinking about the rotation around your planted foot or does it just happen naturally when you brace properly?
Usually, the toes will lift off to allow us to freely pivot on the heel so the friction isn't too much to overcome. You could practice the drill evolutions in this video, but with a focus on feeling your toes lifting towards the shin right after you shift into the brace. During full throws, the heel pivot usually begins right around when the disc is at the release point.
Weird question here but I have some pretty significant arthritis in my right hip. I am a RHBH and seem to top out at 380 consistently no matter what speed of disc. I’m curious if you think the arthritis is limiting my ability to “butt whip” and brace?
It could, but I don't want to advise too much here since I'm not a doctor. If it causes discomfort, your body may slow you down and reduce force which could in turn make the brace more difficult.
@@NickKrush.DGandFit Chris Dickerson comin out about his hip arthritis got me think about what kind of effects it could have on his/my distance with this concept but I was messing with it yesterday and it really did feel like there’s something there. I really appreciate your videos man! Thanks for the reply!
What causes that last step, especially from someone like Simon, that looks slow and heavy? I've noticed that everyone that throws far has this slow, heavy, floaty looking plant foot.
It's usually a byproduct of being very balanced as we glide over the left foot into that last step, combined with having a good tempo and rhythm through the x-step that allows for quick acceleration right when the brace leg lands.
@@NickKrush.DGandFit that's one thing I was hoping you'd touch on. It's hard to tell from watching, but aside from the collection steps aimed directly towards the target, which of the remaining steps are you pushing with the leg versus just letting the momentum articulate the leg? It looks like you have four steps after the collection steps, beginning with the rear foot landing more sideways. Then it looks like you push off the rear foot onto the lead foot, then from the lead foot to the rear foot x stepping and the rear leg here seems to only be driven by momentum and then you land on your lead leg.
@@samhowl1152 great, question, I think it varies a lot from person to person (Tamm and Conrad are polar opposites) but for me it feels like I am almost dancing and moving laterally during the "x" portion of the footwork, and push a little bit off the left leg as I go into the brace (but most of the brace is from momentum). It deserves no less than a full video that's dedicated to footwork, I already struggled to get the brace itself under 15 minutes in each of the 3 parts so hopefully I'll do an x-step video before too long👍
@@dannyx3883 I do online backhand form coaching full time now, and tons of reviews (up to every week) for my clients, soon I'll be able to post some case studies of my clients where I talk through the form analysis and how we addressed things, etc
The first evolution is something I've struggled with for forever. When I try to shift into a balanced position (i.e. butt wipe forward while keeping the head still) I always end up getting my hips too far forward and collapsing them, such that I don't feel much power from the ground and both my upper and lower body open up way too much. Do you have any tips to shift with balance while not collapsing the hip?
If I'm understanding correctly, it sounds like you may be squishing into the plant leg a little bit too much. If so, you can try extending your brace leg and pushing its foot it into the ground right after the butt wipe and as your pelvis starts rotating. It will happen a lot faster in full speed throws, to the point where you would be extending your brace leg immediately when the shift starts.
I do appreciate the support, but Overthrow makes great stuff so I have to defend him a bit, we are all in this together and learning from one another as we go along
The 2nd part of Evolution 1 seems/feels... very difficult. ua-cam.com/video/rcsluuMYIgU/v-deo.html#t=2m58s Is there a slight pause between the butt shift and the "pushing into the ground"/"pelvic rotation" when we're learning this? How do we know we're "pushing into the ground" into the brace leg? How do we feel that? How do we know we're doing that correctly instead of doing something else that's wrong? We push with the ball of our foot to butt shift, and then we.. keep pushing some more to get this pelvic rotation going? But haven't we used all the pushing doing our butt shift? The butt shift seems attainable, part 2, seems and feels quite daunting.
Great question, it seems to vary a bit from person to person, but in that slowed-down evolution 1 drill, I usually feel the butt shift happen slightly before the pelvis rotates. In full speed throws they overlap a lot more though, which will usually happen naturally. In evolution 1 you will feel yourself extending your brace leg when it pushes into the ground (quad and glute contract, associated joints extend). You may feel this happen at the same time as your rear leg rotates inward as well. I fully believe you can pull it off, and I encourage you to slow it down as much as is needed to start feeling the movement pattern. Can always build off that foundation over time and start working it into full throws before too long!
Your form is looking very similar to Anothony Barela's in evolution 3. Would it be safe to say that the more you move away from a standstill, the less you need to 'drive' the hip in and you can just rely on the brace to naturally turn the hips as you speed up?
Being compared to AB is a big compliment for me! And exactly right, your body’s momentum will naturally provide that forward shift as you add the x-step into your throw.
@@NickKrush.DGandFit awesome; also any tips to just improve raw arm speed? that seems to be my limiting factor at the moment over form. Maybe I am just too tense overall.
@@underGearedFtw relaxing can certainly help in some cases, but arm speed is generally a product of very many factors so it's hard for me to give a cookie cutter recommendation for it
Great video and series! The progressions are very helpful, definitely adding to my warm up routine to help dial in. The "feel" descriptions in each step are very helpful for reinforcing the new movement patterns.
Thanks! The towel portion of the progressions is very helpful in giving real time feedback. Ive never been big on the towel as a warm up tool, but now it's a staple!
I think it can help with core bracing, like in lifting. I'm not 100% sure what I do, but audio evidence suggests I am holding an inhale with a core brace during my downswing and exhaling during/after release.
Thanks! I think pre-coiling can make timing the reachback just a bit trickier for some people, but it's always worth experimenting with and seeing if it helps or hurts for any individual.
I knew my form has been kinda wonky, mainly relying on putting as much spin on a slightly flippy disc to get 400-430ft. Watching your videos have really kicked on that switch in my brain for if I want to take this sport more seriously, I need to get into doing drills and focusing on my legwork and overall body form. I've only been playing seriously for 9-ish months so I got plenty of time to grow but man am I looking forward to how much I can improve with this information. Keep it up, I'll surely be paying attention!
Would it be possible to get access to your three videos on the brace WITHOUT background music? #accessibility By the way, I would love to talk to you about the sling-like dynamics of the throw. I wrote a Masters Degree at the University of Toronto in 1991, and published my experimental archaeology results in Technology & Culture, 1995, concerning the traction trebuchet, human powered evolutionary predecessor of the counterweight machines. I identified a characteristic motion of short sling systems in trebuchets that differs from long sling systems that may be relevant for understanding the dynamics of the power pocket in disc golf. I haven't studied your videos closely, however, because I haven't yet found a tool to strip out the background music.
It wasn't a joke, but I was a bit surprised by how easy it felt since 550ft golf shots usually feel like a max effort for me from an x-step haha. It flew on a medium s-curve and had really good nose angle and forward penetration.
I threw 505 feet yesterday!! I can usually throw about 380 consistently with the rare crossing of 400. I played a round yesterday and really tried to pay attention to the wipe in the first 3 minutes of this video. I tried to throw a roller, but instead of rolling it did a full flex-sounded like a rocket ship. I couldn't repeat that feeling the rest of the round but I'm a believer now. Cant believe it crossed 500!! Looking forward to watching the rest of this channel on repeat now. Thanks for sharing all this with us!
Dude, that's unreal! Thank you for reporting back with feedback and results.
It sounds like you did a great job of executing the drill so credit goes to you. You'll be able to repeat what you did and before too long, it will become routine!
That's awesome. Have you been able to process towards that 500 during this summer?
Amazing- im stuck at 400 too and wanting 500 for years now. Hoping this video puts me over the top. Congrats on your milestone!
I joined the power disc golf academy and this is better than most things on there.
Yep exactly
100%
Well done sir! Undoubtedly, the Turbo Encabulator has now reached a very high level of technical development. It has been successfully used for operating nofer trunnions. In addition, whenever a barescent skor motion is required, it may be employed in conjunction with a drawn Reciprocating Dingle Arm to reduce sinusoidal depleneration.
brother 🤣
@@joshuadouglas7518 🤓
nahhh why is this so funny😂
Do I have to change the dilithium crystals in my left handed verbalflexer.
😂 truly incredible how all of those advanced factors have come together
And thanks for watching! Glad to see the stamp of approval from the man who originated most of the base drills that I piggybacked off
This is by far the best athletic progression drill I have seen on this topic. Thank you!
I'm really glad to hear that and you're welcome!
Dude, you have single-handedly explained to me how to throw a disc. I’ve thrown countless discs, but tomorrow I will throw a disc for the first time. Absolutely excellent video sir.
🙏 thank you, I’m happy to hear that!! Best of luck
I love how your videos are so engaging and precise. Keep at it!
thank you for the support!
4:30
What you’re talking about here is the exact reason why throwing into a net is such a game changer.
I remember the first time I tried throwing into a net. It was so much easier to just focus on how my body was moving and how things felt. Because you think much more about how the disc is going to fly than you think you will.
Then I noticed that it was hard to transfer that feeling on to a field and so I learned to bring a net to a field, threw a little into the net just to get that power feeling from the feet and up, then threw one out into the field, keeping in mind how it felt and should feel and saw an immediate change in both distance and even accuracy.
Thank you for this video series. I love working on my brace and timing and the details that you’re giving us about how everything should "feel" is very very helpful.
Awesome point you make, I've seen a really similar thing with myself and my clients with combining the net practice and field practice to transfer the more pure mechanics into real throws once ready to do so!
It's cool how we can leverage practice structure like that to get faster results
i think youre onto something.. i always have my best throw if i do a standstill witha similar disc first to get feeling right then xstep keeping same feelings! i can see that translate with a net in a field.. great idea!
This is key. I try to hit a field nearby that has a huge net protecting a nearby road from foul balls. I can throw into the net and then turn around and throw into the field. I still find the 'transfer' of the feeling to be quite difficult, but this process is helpful even so.
Let's start by saying: This is by far the best technique video I have EVER seen.
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I've been playing since 2001 so it's.. 23 years now.
There were no technique videos back then, so I had to learn the hard way.. mistake by mistake until I got something right and then tried to duplicate whatever I did right.
So I have gone through this kind of progressions myself, trying to understand and pick apart what the hell is going on when you throw the disc and what to do if I want to get better.
It has been a long journey, but in this video, Nick shows exactly the same reasoning I have come to over the years.
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All I would add is to get a net and a speed meter because you can see what you did right immediately from the increased speed.
What I learned from the net practise was that my grip was leaking power. When I gripped the disc harder than before, the speed increased immediately. That was my one of my weak points which the net practise revealed.
So the net and speep meter helps a lot and you don't have to keep collecting discs from far away, so you get more throws in in a shorter time frame.
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The hard thing about this is, that there is so much going on SO FAST that no one can see it. It's hard to see even in slow motion.
All you can do is FEEL the technique working and use that feeling to lock in the best technique when you keep doing the drills and when it "clicks".
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I also recommend using a towel a couple of times before each drive in a round.
This helps lock in the technique and you perform better when it's not your first throw, meaning you have warmed up your muscles and nervous system with the towel.
You know, the second throw is always better than the first, and with a couple of towel drills, the actual throw is like the second one and you will perform better.
Thank you for the nice comment! I'm pumped to hear the drill and explanation worked so well for you.
I really like your approach with the net and radar gun - a great system for getting quantitative feedback to relate to how the throw felt.
I typically throw in the mid to high 400 range, and occasionally touch 500. I watched through this video last night, then went out and did the progression today. My throw felt quicker, more relaxed in the upper body, and more powerful. I hit 460,485 and 515 right in a row. I couldn’t believe how well this worked. You explain what actually powers the throw so well. Thank you for such great content!
Let's gooo! I'm really happy to hear those results man. Nice work on executing with the drill and making it transfer to your full throws. 515ft is elite.
First of all: thank you! For an advanced amateur struggling to get consistently beyond 400ft this is the best back hand technique video of the entire internet! Love the way you have done this which allows viewers to practice along the drills with you - works very well at least for me.
Only thing I hope would have been different is the timing of this video: if I had this a few months ago when off-season started here in Finland, I would be a beast in distance by now 😅 But that's not you to blame of course. Luckily there's still a couple of weeks to swipe my butt on the field before the season starts!
I also love that you have studied the things you represent on the videos, like technique and physical training aspects of throwing, shoulder health maintenance et cetera and you can even back it up with research. As a PE teacher myself and advocate for studied information it warms my heart.
Very well done sir!
Thank you for the very nice comment! I hope the drill evolution serves you well and adds some distance.
More videos to come soon :)
There are so many videos out there that talk about “throwing from the ground-up” but this is the first one I’ve seen that actually shows you how to accomplish that through a progression of drills. I can’t wait to get home and start putting this into practice. Thank you for the video!
You're very welcome! Good luck with the drills 👍
I love this. I’ve been needing a progression video like this. I also really appreciate you focusing on where to feel pressure, keeping the head still, and keeping the upper body relaxed. All of those cues are extremely helpful!
Thank you for the support :D I'll be following along to see how it all goes for you
@@NickKrush.DGandFit yes sir! Video and TechDisc are confirming that my swing plane improves every 100-200 throws. Nose angle and spin are looking great. Just need to build the brace to add in the power. 🤞
@@twofifty6 heck yeah, you are primed to add the horsepower now
This one is going to take me weeks to break down and translate to my form, but the first step is already having me throw equal distance with no run up, slower reachback, which equals about 50 to 70% power versus old form. Out here doing the Lords work! Keep it up!
That's already great progress! I have no doubt you'll continue reaping gains and eventually work it into the full x-step
This is a great holistic way of learning the brace. Other videos are way too technical and don't really give you a practical demonstration to go by. Your videos have also inspired me to go back to the gym and my balance has been so much better and effortless. I gained a good amount of distance trying to unlearn all my bad habits. The butt wipe does really help too.
Let’s goo! I’m happy to hear that and appreciate you commenting with your results. Getting back in the gym will continue to give you easy disc golf gains, that extra horsepower is a nice thing to have
So good! I can't wait to try this!
I'm excited to see how it goes, keep me updated Kyle!
These drills are the real deal! Took my average 400ft drives to 500 on flat in only 4 short field work sessions. Thank you for spelling out the missing link in my technique.
That's insane! Congrats on hitting 500ft man, cannon of an arm
Boy oh Boy that was one of the best videos and explanations about the brace and what and how to do it. Thank you very much Sir.
You're welcome and thank you for the support.
This is great. I just got done doing all the steps but one of the things I have a hard time with is going to full coil (and reach back) between the 2 steps. Thanks for posting this
You're welcome! The coil will get easier once the bracing action has become habitual, at that point, you can re-focus on the coil to combine it with the brace (1-step style throws are a great way to practice this)
This is awesome! Love the way it was explained and the progression makes it way more digestible
Glad to hear it Matt and thanks for the support!
Im new to disc golf (less than 2 years) and am absolutely addicted.. this series has been super helpful! Liked and subscribed!! This is amazing content. Keep it up!
I appreciate the support and happy to hear it's useful for you!
Good job explaining the brace. You have fresh style to teach that is essy to digest.
Thank you man! Glad to hear it
Love the progression. Nice job. I'm getting back into the sport after not playing for over 10 years. Trying to unlearn habits that were holding me back. I'm hoping this will help!
That's the best time to do stuff like this, good luck with it all 👍
progressions are what its all about. very good content. thank you!
You're welcome :)
Great breakdown here. Love the explanation of the drills.
Ty and happy to hear that!
Subscribed
:D got the Overthrow sub, let's go. Thank you for the support!
I really like the emphasis on not stressing the body, and being efficient.
Yea, I saw one popular channel, not gonna name, that emphasizes blowing your back out to get power. Guy even says "See, if I do 10 of those, I'm going to build a sweat. That's what we want".
Eagle and Gannon are out here telling people how they're throwing further with less effort while others are telling you to get a physical therapy appointment to throw 450+
great video! one of the best I have seen.
That's a huge compliment for me, thank you for the kind words!
I can get up to 60mph from a static reach back position but struggle to get faster. I hope this is the drill and video I need to connect the lower body movement to my upper body speed. Can't wait to try this progression. Cheers
One thing to keep in mind is the stretch reflex, it's a term I've heard when referring to lifting weights. But basically it's our muscle can produce peak force when they are contracted at the right time of a stretch. For example unless you are very flexible in your pecs when you bench without a pause just a controlled touch and go off the chest, you get more force into the bar right after touching your chest than if you wait a second or two.
You will have to feel an actual stretch most the time to get an actual benefit, but I find that when I nail the reach back timing on my x step I feel the stretch reflex and I am gaining about 40ft (about 10% ish) from it verses a slightly mistimed reach back x step where I don't feel the stretch reflex. This particular stretch for me is felt in my lead arm upper lat, and maybe my back side lower lat.
It's like a rubber band pull it to out a long ways and release it right away and it goes further than pulling it back just as far but waiting 5 min before shooting it.
Best of luck and let me know how it goes :)
where have this video been all my life!?!?😭🙌 I was stuck at that 270' throw for 2 years now, and just after doing this for 45 min and then throwing I got a 340' lazer shot with my crave!
that makes me happy to hear!! nice work on executing the drills and congrats on the huge pb
This content is great, thanks for taking the time to make it.
Nice & simple lead into a change in form.
I can hit 330ft at 55... wonder if i can get a little further with a bit more concentration on bracing and reverting back to the X rather than crow hop (For a relaxing mediocre style (or lack of style) I find the crow hop was a nice choice for me to keep on target (as distance means nothing if it's yeeting into a tree/lake/team-mate)...
Sounds like it could be worth experimenting with for sure. The crow hop vs. x-step seems to be an individual thing, where some people respond better to one vs. the other. But, bracing efficiently can always help us to throw further with less effort.
Best of luck with the drills!
@@NickKrush.DGandFit unfortunately I have my background in recreational frisbee so I started off throwing hard (probably around 200ft on my 1st day) and once I actually learned the trebuchet arm, and a whole lot of other non frisbee things (like not facing the target) I got up to 100m (Im in NZ so metric... 330ft)...
but that means I keep forgetting to go back and learn to throw slow... and I don't really throw mids..
One thing I got from frisbee... a 30deg Hyzer near straight arm while looking at the target and yeeting it out to the right... I can near bullseye things (ankles, bags, pets , Tee pads etc)
It's like the shot that no one toobs about... great for baskets behind objects where looking at it (through a tree) helps plot a nice arc... Higher hyzer in calm and you can dig it in, low and it skips...
trouble with that, im excellent when showing off... but in a match, never as good (and I forget to add in the skip when I'm not just trying to hit something.
If you made it through that... thanx...
And all the best with the channel.
Hey man this is no joke! Best stuff for me right now! Thanks so much!
I'm glad to hear it!
@@NickKrush.DGandFit yeh pro tip that is
Great stuff, Thanks for sharing...
You’re welcome, and thanks for stopping by!
Definitely going to have to give this a try! When you brace, are you engaging your core for stability or are you loose through out the entire throw? Thanks!
You're welcome! Usually, the core bracing happens naturally since you will be actively trying to land in the balanced, tilted brace and drive the pelvis forward.
Good break down. Going to try to implement this next time out.
Best of luck!
I already love this. Thanks coach.
You're welcome :)
MAN I want to try this progression but I have a tourney on Saturday :(
GL at the tourney!!
Way to go Nick, you are on one bro.
Thank you brotha!
Thank you very much，i hope to see more of your teaching videos。
You're welcome and absolutely, more to come!
Eagle and Bonanza literally just mentioned you in the latest video. Great content
Link?
@@mmvanraa Eagle mentions him around 7:40
ua-cam.com/video/p3XRsAF2f6I/v-deo.html
That was crazy to see! And thank you for the support
@@mmvanraa right at about the 7:40 mark
ua-cam.com/video/p3XRsAF2f6I/v-deo.htmlsi=Vzd5NZmtuRRxON6h
@@mmvanraaua-cam.com/video/p3XRsAF2f6I/v-deo.html at 7:45
Nice job Nick! Going to start my form series soon and bracing is probably my first one. This will probably be referenced in my series for sure! Great stuff!
I appreciate that! Best of luck with the series that will be a fun watch
I love this. Because it feels so different for me from what you are saying.
Can it be possible we are doing similar thing but in different sequence?
And is it possible it is the same among the pros?
And then we come to the next question. Which is the most effective?
But thanks for this. Gives insight. 😊
And this is obvious for me. But obviously we want to feel full reach in the back before the block. Even a feeling of the body wanting to bounce back and move forward, and then block and then fire. Kinda.
Anyway... I'm gonna see if I can use this for the next session later this week. Thanks!
Edit
Actually... Looking again, it might not be so different.,🤔
Absolutely, sometimes things feel so different for individuals that it takes trial and error with how things are communicated, in order to get someone to execute upon them.
But since you throw far I have no doubt you are doing the fundamental things correctly, and it's more of a slight difference in semantics or perspective 👍
@@NickKrush.DGandFit Yeah, it's weird getting something so simple to work. Sometimes I feel I was doing it better before the winter. But I didn't. I know that.
I started throwing leftiy into the net this week. Same basic shot from the back muscles generates a lot less power. A simple shot. So the body does things and figures things out we can't control probably.
This was a really great vid for me at least. So thanks.
@@AxisDiscPowers agreed! the human body is amazing at organizing itself when given the right environment and intention
@@NickKrush.DGandFit I would like to add. Yes, I throw far, but I suck at discgolf.
Hey nick is there any cue we should be looking for with the towel to proceed to disc? Is there something auditory you are looking for with the towel or more just feel?
The towel is mostly to add some extra weight to the hand, but it can also promote late acceleration if you try to get the "snap" or "whoosh" to happen as late as possible during the pullthrough 👍
@@NickKrush.DGandFit okay one last question. I've noticed after today's session that my left toe dragging a lot (to the point of wearing a hole in my shoe) what are the possible causes?
@@TheodoreBardot a lot of top pros drag the toe and it can be a good thing technique-wise, so I'm not too comfortable recommending you change it.
But, if the shoe wear is a major issue and you can't find shoes that hold up better I would practice some slow x-steps where you pick the foot up off the ground slightly during the follow-through.
so helpful!
I'm happy to hear that!
This is the best step by step explanation I've seen. I went and practiced steps 1 and 2 and passed 350 from a stand still, great for me!
My right cheek is freaking sore today, is that a good sign of getting my weight onto my plant and bracing?
Heck yeah, I love to hear that man. Nice work on executing so well with the drills.
Having glute soreness on the brace side is a really good sign that you are using those big hip muscles more effectively than before! Just make sure to let it recovery adequately before going hard again so you don't increase risk of injury.
This video is great 🙏 I went to the field today and started from scratch with your steps. I'm really nailing step 1 and stand stills. But step 2 with the jump..
Just couldn't get it to click, had much more power just with stand still. But this was only 1 session though and a very new form for me.
You think it's "normal" to struggle with the hop in step 2?
I guess I just have to have patience, it's a huge form change for me.
I might have to buy some lessons from you :)
Thanks from Denmark!
Yes, that's perfectly normal for step 2 to feel awkward, and I also don't throw with as much power from step 2 compared to step 1 (like you).
Step 2 is more of a bridge to get us comfortable with halting our momentum and balancing onto the brace leg, rather than providing the rotational power that a full x-step can give.
Thanks for stopping by! Let me know how it continues to go.
Decoupling from performance is way toooo critical, but yes "building horsepower" is such a good way express how I've always trained ... It's a lot of get good enough form for a few weeks or months, work on being a brute to the disc till distance stalls, then look at form try to correct things and back to being a brute. And so on, people wonder how I make my standstills look effortless? Well it's cause largely they are. A run up for me is largely about effort, 100% effort, not 100% distance even though it often is. But in a standstill there is so much less to do. So even putting in as much effort as I can, it's only like 20-30% the effort of a full run up. So I just focus on moving my hand fast in my standstills and I still bomb while making it look effortless.
I wish I could teach people that you don't bloody need a run up. That being said I probably need to dial my run up back a fair bit till I actually get noticable distance out of it reliably. (Currently it about 50 ft most the time different between run up and standstill). Not what I really wanted to realize but probably the right move dial the leg drive to like 60% effort and work on still keeping that 50ft and then ramping back up. Probably
Nice video! I do not recommend rotate pelvis during the accelaration phase. You should try to keep your center of mass far away from front foot ankle.
Thank you, Joonas!
ive been need this so bad
Easy sub on this one. Great work
Thank you!!
AMAZING!!!
Watching and throwing my tech disc and got a thumbs up from nick...good day haha
@2:47 "I'm wiping my butt"
LOL
going to do some field work with this today.. you say you throw 550ft in headwind.. how much headwind? my max is 540ft in tailwind but i cant seem to get my disc over 400ft in headwind.. killing me tbh!
It was a light headwind and the extra glide seemed to cancel out the extra drag since I was throwing an OS destroyer. You are throwing with a lot of power so it's possible your disc isn't stable enough for the headwind, or if the nose angle is slightly up, that could reduce distance a lot as well (although I remember you having good nose angles)
@@NickKrush.DGandFit id love to say its a understable disc problem but its not i throw a Xcaliber which is 12/5/0/4 .. it has to be a nose up thing.. but to throw 400ft nose up is good yes? man i cant figure out how to freaking get the nose down..
@@OkieTradez does it look like the disc air bounces upwards right after release when you are throwing into a headwind?
@@NickKrush.DGandFit i would say its more like it goes up up up and stalls out and finishes hard left and when i try to throw lower it goes into dirt vs tailwind my shots always get knocked down so i throw them super high like you etc,.
@@OkieTradez if you keep practicing throwing straight. medium to low lines with the nose down, it will start to become second nature 👍
Is the hop more so for practicing the feeling of getting into the brace? In that last throw you’re definitely more fluid and not hopping into it at all
You hit the nail on the head - evolution 2 is more for the sensation of landing in the brace, whereas a normal x-step will be smoother and more horizontal.
Great video... however repeat after me... regardless regardless regardless, there is no such word as irregardless. Lol, ok I'll stop being an ass. I really am enjoying these videos man. This part 3 is super useful with the drills and the mindset behind each step or evolution of the drill. Keep this content coming man. Love it!
Thank you and glad you liked it man!!
Idk if you can help with this since it seems like it's a subconscious part of the throw but I'm struggling with the rotation of my plant foot in the brace. Whenever I am planting it feels like the grip/friction between my shoe and the ground/teapad is too strong to allow my foot to rotate freely and thus the whole brace falls apart. Are you ever actively thinking about the rotation around your planted foot or does it just happen naturally when you brace properly?
Usually, the toes will lift off to allow us to freely pivot on the heel so the friction isn't too much to overcome. You could practice the drill evolutions in this video, but with a focus on feeling your toes lifting towards the shin right after you shift into the brace. During full throws, the heel pivot usually begins right around when the disc is at the release point.
Weird question here but I have some pretty significant arthritis in my right hip. I am a RHBH and seem to top out at 380 consistently no matter what speed of disc. I’m curious if you think the arthritis is limiting my ability to “butt whip” and brace?
It could, but I don't want to advise too much here since I'm not a doctor. If it causes discomfort, your body may slow you down and reduce force which could in turn make the brace more difficult.
@@NickKrush.DGandFit Chris Dickerson comin out about his hip arthritis got me think about what kind of effects it could have on his/my distance with this concept but I was messing with it yesterday and it really did feel like there’s something there. I really appreciate your videos man! Thanks for the reply!
@@BenNarNar44 you're welcome! best of luck with everything
What causes that last step, especially from someone like Simon, that looks slow and heavy? I've noticed that everyone that throws far has this slow, heavy, floaty looking plant foot.
It's usually a byproduct of being very balanced as we glide over the left foot into that last step, combined with having a good tempo and rhythm through the x-step that allows for quick acceleration right when the brace leg lands.
@@NickKrush.DGandFit that's one thing I was hoping you'd touch on.
It's hard to tell from watching, but aside from the collection steps aimed directly towards the target, which of the remaining steps are you pushing with the leg versus just letting the momentum articulate the leg?
It looks like you have four steps after the collection steps, beginning with the rear foot landing more sideways. Then it looks like you push off the rear foot onto the lead foot, then from the lead foot to the rear foot x stepping and the rear leg here seems to only be driven by momentum and then you land on your lead leg.
@@samhowl1152 great, question, I think it varies a lot from person to person (Tamm and Conrad are polar opposites) but for me it feels like I am almost dancing and moving laterally during the "x" portion of the footwork, and push a little bit off the left leg as I go into the brace (but most of the brace is from momentum).
It deserves no less than a full video that's dedicated to footwork, I already struggled to get the brace itself under 15 minutes in each of the 3 parts so hopefully I'll do an x-step video before too long👍
Would you ever be up to doing form reviews of any sort? I’d love to work on this and get your feedback.
@@dannyx3883 I do online backhand form coaching full time now, and tons of reviews (up to every week) for my clients, soon I'll be able to post some case studies of my clients where I talk through the form analysis and how we addressed things, etc
The first evolution is something I've struggled with for forever. When I try to shift into a balanced position (i.e. butt wipe forward while keeping the head still) I always end up getting my hips too far forward and collapsing them, such that I don't feel much power from the ground and both my upper and lower body open up way too much. Do you have any tips to shift with balance while not collapsing the hip?
If I'm understanding correctly, it sounds like you may be squishing into the plant leg a little bit too much. If so, you can try extending your brace leg and pushing its foot it into the ground right after the butt wipe and as your pelvis starts rotating.
It will happen a lot faster in full speed throws, to the point where you would be extending your brace leg immediately when the shift starts.
Nice!
Way better than overthow's disc content
I do appreciate the support, but Overthrow makes great stuff so I have to defend him a bit, we are all in this together and learning from one another as we go along
The 2nd part of Evolution 1 seems/feels... very difficult. ua-cam.com/video/rcsluuMYIgU/v-deo.html#t=2m58s
Is there a slight pause between the butt shift and the "pushing into the ground"/"pelvic rotation" when we're learning this?
How do we know we're "pushing into the ground" into the brace leg? How do we feel that? How do we know we're doing that correctly instead of doing something else that's wrong?
We push with the ball of our foot to butt shift, and then we.. keep pushing some more to get this pelvic rotation going? But haven't we used all the pushing doing our butt shift?
The butt shift seems attainable, part 2, seems and feels quite daunting.
Great question, it seems to vary a bit from person to person, but in that slowed-down evolution 1 drill, I usually feel the butt shift happen slightly before the pelvis rotates. In full speed throws they overlap a lot more though, which will usually happen naturally.
In evolution 1 you will feel yourself extending your brace leg when it pushes into the ground (quad and glute contract, associated joints extend). You may feel this happen at the same time as your rear leg rotates inward as well.
I fully believe you can pull it off, and I encourage you to slow it down as much as is needed to start feeling the movement pattern. Can always build off that foundation over time and start working it into full throws before too long!
Your form is looking very similar to Anothony Barela's in evolution 3. Would it be safe to say that the more you move away from a standstill, the less you need to 'drive' the hip in and you can just rely on the brace to naturally turn the hips as you speed up?
Being compared to AB is a big compliment for me! And exactly right, your body’s momentum will naturally provide that forward shift as you add the x-step into your throw.
@@NickKrush.DGandFit awesome; also any tips to just improve raw arm speed? that seems to be my limiting factor at the moment over form. Maybe I am just too tense overall.
@@underGearedFtw relaxing can certainly help in some cases, but arm speed is generally a product of very many factors so it's hard for me to give a cookie cutter recommendation for it
Great video and series! The progressions are very helpful, definitely adding to my warm up routine to help dial in.
The "feel" descriptions in each step are very helpful for reinforcing the new movement patterns.
I'm glad to hear those extra details helped out! Hope it goes well for you
Thanks! The towel portion of the progressions is very helpful in giving real time feedback. Ive never been big on the towel as a warm up tool, but now it's a staple!
@@mesh.619 oh sweet! I appreciate you reporting back with results, helps me fine tune things as I make more of these
TY this helped
Is correct to be holding your breath when you swing?
I think it can help with core bracing, like in lifting. I'm not 100% sure what I do, but audio evidence suggests I am holding an inhale with a core brace during my downswing and exhaling during/after release.
Power
hehe
Effortless 540 meanwhile I'm ripping it like a madman to reach 400🤣
haha, keep at it and you might be surprised by how much more power you can develop!
Great video on the brace man. What are your thoughts on pre-coiling a la Jake Hebenheimer
Thanks! I think pre-coiling can make timing the reachback just a bit trickier for some people, but it's always worth experimenting with and seeing if it helps or hurts for any individual.
I knew my form has been kinda wonky, mainly relying on putting as much spin on a slightly flippy disc to get 400-430ft. Watching your videos have really kicked on that switch in my brain for if I want to take this sport more seriously, I need to get into doing drills and focusing on my legwork and overall body form. I've only been playing seriously for 9-ish months so I got plenty of time to grow but man am I looking forward to how much I can improve with this information. Keep it up, I'll surely be paying attention!
400+ for less than a year playing is very impressive. Best of luck with everything!
Cut off shorts and shirt-that means business. Great teachings
Haha true! Thanks for the support
Its been 2 full weeks. Oh no he grew his channel too fast and the sheer number of people scared him off.
Haha no worries. I finally made my move to my new place and am now ready to start pumping new content out faster than ever, so stay tuned!
##1
Would it be possible to get access to your three videos on the brace WITHOUT background music? #accessibility By the way, I would love to talk to you about the sling-like dynamics of the throw. I wrote a Masters Degree at the University of Toronto in 1991, and published my experimental archaeology results in Technology & Culture, 1995, concerning the traction trebuchet, human powered evolutionary predecessor of the counterweight machines. I identified a characteristic motion of short sling systems in trebuchets that differs from long sling systems that may be relevant for understanding the dynamics of the power pocket in disc golf. I haven't studied your videos closely, however, because I haven't yet found a tool to strip out the background music.
Saw your discord chat so will take care of everything in there :)
Was the 550 on the golf line for that throw a joke? Lol. Maybe 500, but I guess I couldnt see the height it got to
It wasn't a joke, but I was a bit surprised by how easy it felt since 550ft golf shots usually feel like a max effort for me from an x-step haha. It flew on a medium s-curve and had really good nose angle and forward penetration.