Running head: DISC GOLF ANALYSIS
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Disc Golf Analysis:
The Breakdown of Body Mechanics in a
Novice vs Experienced Thrower
Bailee M. Zemianek
Westminster College
Author Note
I would like to thank Kelly Arends for putting forth effort to edit my research paper. As well as
thanks to Aaron Guilliams and Katherine Bloom for participating as the study subjects.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Bailee Zemianek, Westminster
College, 501 Westminster Ave, Fulton, MO 65251. Email: BZemianek.22@westminster-mo.edu
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Disc golf has become a growing obsession for some since the early 1870s. Beginning
with throwing pie plates at Yale University in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the phenomenon of
flying saucers at targets began to come to life, and has since then developed into a recreational
and professional sport to be enjoyed by millions today (Menickelli & Pickens, 2016). “Steady”
Ed Headrick was named the father of disc golf and created the IFA (International Frisbee
Association) in 1967, thus birthing the idea of a new group organized international sport
(Menickelli & Pickens, 2016). Unlike regular frisbee, disc golf discs are made with harder plastic
and slimmed down to be more aerodynamic so they are able to fly farther, faster, and straighter.
Traditional courses have eighteen holes and platforms for players to throw off of towards fourfoot, chained pole baskets. Today, the PDGA, or Professional Disc Golf Association, organizes
many national tournaments every year inviting professional and avid recreational players to
enjoy the sport together in a laxed and mellow fashion.
There are a few ways of throwing a disc: forehand, backhand, and overhead. This paper
will be taking a look at the backhand style of throwing, and more specifically the body
mechanics that go into a throw by an experienced disc golfer versus a novice, or beginner. The
backhanded throw is the most utilized throw mostly because it allows the thrower to involve
their full body into the throw. This paper analyzes the backhanded stationary throw, so if
someone is trying to throw for distance with a backhanded throw there would be more phases
included, and more biomechanics that would go into the throw with balance and a moving start,
etc. For example, in a study that was done in 2003 they broke down the throw for distance in
eight phases: “Approach, Preload, Transition, Load, Cross Over, Pull, Plant, and Release,”
(Greenway, 2003). However, a stationary backhand throw can be broken down into four phases.
The starting position, where most players are either stationary, or some tend to move back and
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forth slightly to get in their comfort zone before they begin the movement. The second phase, is
the backwards load, then followed by the pull through and release phase, and then lastly the
follow-through phase. For the following explanations, the information will be based off of the
form of an experienced disc golf thrower, and then comparisons to a novice with examples will
be thrown in throughout.
Phase 1: Stationary Set-Up
For the first phase of preparation, the body is typically relaxed, there is some fluidity in
the movement while the thrower is looking at the target, and there may be some bend in the
knees to get into a comfortable, proper stance. For clarification, since this is a right-handed
thrower, from the target that is being thrown to the thrower will be facing ninety degrees away
from the target, so their shoulders and stance will be turned ninety degrees to the left; the right
shoulder should be in line with the target. Now, the first sign of a change in movement is in the
backwards load.
Phase 2: Backwards Load
The purpose of the loading stage is to transfer the main part of the bodies weight to one
side, or the back leg, so that the thrower can have as much inertia and maximum resting potential
to be able to propel themselves and the disc transversely at the maximum speed towards the
target. To start, speaking about a right-handed thrower, their right arm moves horizontally,
adducting towards their chest to bring the disc further away from the target. The wrist, forearm,
arm, and glenohumeral joint all move together in transverse flexion. The torso, or pelvic girdle,
or hips, move transversely as the spine rotates to rear back for the preceding phase. The right
foot, leg, and thigh all twist invertedly at the same time the upper body moves in adduction.
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Phase 3: Pull-Through and Release
The next phase is the pull-through and release phase, which is where the arm is
propelling the disc forward through the transverse plane in hopes to throw the disc to their
desired target. Going from a transverse flexion position of the forearm, arm, and glenohumeral
joint, the first movement of the pull-through phase is by the foot, right hip, right arm, and
glenohumeral joint all simultaneously starting together. The foot is primarily in a dorsiflexion
position due to the twisting on the toes from stationary in phase one to inverted dorsiflexion in
phase two. So,
in the pull-through
phase the foot is
still in dorsiflexion,
but then starts to
twist avertedly, or
laterally. At the
same time this is
happening the
hips and torso are
now moving
back through the
transverse plane,
Figure 1
this time going
towards the target instead of away. Again, while the foot and hips are doing these movements the
arm and glenohumeral joint start to move as well. The forearm, arm, and glenohumeral joint
move in horizontal abduction towards the target. At release, all three of those body parts end in
transverse extension and get ready for the follow-through stage. As seen in Figure 1, the left leg
that was once stationary is now going to be in a flexed position as the body moves forward
towards the target. At the end of the pull-through and release phase the body is now facing the
target and is ready for the last phase: the follow-through.
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Phase 4: Follow-Through
In this last phase of the throw: the follow-through, it is much like the loading stage, but
instead of the right arm moving in horizontal adduction it is going to be the left arm coming from
behind, crossing over the
body, and into transverse flexion.
While this is happening,
the torso is twisting transversely
following the right arm
through the motion. Also, that
back, left leg is coming
through flexion back to land in a
relaxed stance as the
follow-through continues. At the
end of the throw, the
thrower should now be facing
ninety degrees to the right
of where the target is, again
referring to a right-handed
thrower. As seen in Figure 2, this
novice thrower has an
open stance at the end, not facing
ninety degrees away to the
right, but instead has a poor
follow-through and
Figure 2
maintains the pull-through release
phase stance. Most of the follow-through is what feels comfortable to the throwers, however it is
important to bring your back leg forward and finish completely all the way through just to reduce
the amount of strain on the right glenohumeral joint and hips, and to prevent any injury.
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References
Bocks, D. (2019). INCIDENCE OF SHOULDER PAIN IN PROFESSIONAL AND SEMIPROFESSIONAL DISC GOLFERS. Retrieved from http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk201904144987
Greenway, T. (2003). A BIOMECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF THE BACKHAND DISC GOLF
DRIVE FOR DISTANCE. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/11244/9746
Menickelli, J., & Pickens, R. (2016). Definitive Guide to Disc Golf. Retrieved February 10,
2021, from
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=vuPTCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT4&d
q=disc%2Bgolf%2Bthrow&ots=7OQ0IpelFz&sig=OuMKyWM6lGE-rrp0Le_2Yr7w5M#v=onepage&q&f=false