A New Start

Hey Gang,

Long time, eh?! I've been a lazy blogger, but I do on occasion post on Youtube and Instagram (loopghost on both platforms). I got an email from Lykke Sandvik and she had an idea... hey, let's have her say it.

I’m a 26 year old girl from Norway, I started playing last summer and totally I’m hooked. It’s been a really good first year and first season for me. I committed to disc golf almost right away and I decided fast that I’m gonna be a Pro and be one of the best girls out there. I’m 862 rated after my first season, and even tho that’s good I still feel I could’ve been close to 900.

The lack of experience and mental game has been the biggest issue for me. But this is something I’m working on and I have a lot of experience from other sports and mental training, I love competing and I always go all in. 

This is my first off-season and I’m working on a training plan for the next 15 week. I own a shop in my hometown with some guys and the last couple of weeks we have worked on a practice room for us to use this winter. We now have a room with 3 baskets and a driving range with net. I can do putts uptil 10m on all the baskets. 

I’ve been talking to some Pro’s about my training and my form, and I’ve gotten alot of help the last months. But I still feel like I don’t have everything I need to get myself to where I want to be in 2019. Pro’s don’t always know’s best and they don’t have time (or knowledge) to coach me through out the off-season. 

She said some other stuff too, but the idea was pitched that I could try to help her to improve her form and she'd post videos and stuff like that. Why not!? I sent her some tough questions and the reason was... well, here's the questions I sent her:

Heavy's Response: So let's start with a conversation about how you'll need to think about a backhand throw, and it's going to be a very different concept from what I'm seeing in a shot like this:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpY0PlVlBNa/

The idea is pretty simple: what would your throw look like if I said, instead of throwing a disc - I handed you a basketball and said "throw this underhanded with both hands"? using your x-step.

I want you to post up on your front side: meaning that you should be shifted onto your front hip and braced against it so that if stood behind you and pushed against your back hip towards the target, you'd be able to resist me.

What would that mental experiment generate in your mind? Would your left hip be freely gliding past the brace? Would you be stepping through the brace at all?

Once you've answered that question, we have a more complicated question that needs to be addressed and that is:

What is the difference between using both arms/hands in our underhanded basketball throw, and using just one arm (the leading arm)? 

I think the easiest way to start these blog posts is to just have a conversation and include any videos you want, any conversations you want to have and I can respond in video and in text.

Developing world class form (for most people including me) involved really contemplating what is happening with your body when you're throwing. Understanding why things need to be done a certain way will help drastically with a swing change.

I asked quite a few tough questions, and I wanted to really dig into what Lykke would come up - as they aren't easy questions. You have to physically try things to start feeling what happens.

Lykke Responds: So I did some shots with a basketball and this is my thoughts: I use my core to get the power, when I reach back I feel like I have the ball in front of me the whole time (Absolutely no rounding when i throw), It feels weird to throw with both hands - I feel like I only use my hips and core to throw it. 

If you stood behind me and pushed I would definitely have my leg straight, that`s the first that pops into my mind. I think this one is hard to answer because I don`t really get what you mean by this: "Would your left hip be freely gliding past the brace? Would you be stepping through the brace at all?" You have a video of this or is it more for me to think about it? Is the idea that I`m suppose to throw when you`re pushing me "through" the brace?

The first thing that pops into my head is that I have to resist you and then use that power when you "release" me to generate power into my drive. 

Difference between one arm and both hands: I feel more free, but with a basketball I think it`s harder to throw with just one arm (if I had to throw with my right arm), throwing with my left arm feels easier because I feel like my power is in my left hip and when I`m turning to release it I have the ball against the target. 

When that is said I don`t feel like it`s a huge difference, I still feel like the power is in my hips and core. The biggest difference is the control I have over the ball. 

Okay, so we're getting somewhere and that's wonderful! I like that Lykke got to the key concept of "resistance" and why it's so important. All of the concepts have been addressed in this video that I made in my not-so-man-cave basement. Listen, I'm just an old-timer with a tiny dog and my daughter loves Legos and dolls!