Want to learn how to throw a roller in disc golf? A Technique something used for advanced-level golf disc players! Let’s Refine it.
Roller throws, be it forehand or backhand, are flicked a little downward at an angle; this is the basic mechanism for roller in disc golf. If you are enthusiastic about learning every trick and technique there is for throwing a disc farther and around barriers that stop high-flying discs, rollers are something you really like.
A roller is an approach in disc golf throwing where the disc rolls along the ground rather than flying in the air. Given the circumstances, some roller shots might not reach the ground immediately; they might not begin rolling until more than midway through the total distance traversed.
Rollers are pretty alluring for someone who finds it difficult to achieve the kind of distance he observes everyone else achieving. Want to learn how to throw a roller disc golf in detail?
Keep reading!
So, How To Throw A Roller Disc Golf?
Throwing a roller shot is not anything complicated that necessitates mastering many new skills. It can be thrown with a forehand or backhand, with a few little adjustments to cause the disc to roll on its side.
Let’s discuss the two types of rollers, backhand, and forehand.
Backhand Roller
The biggest benefit of throwing with your backhand is that you will have excellent control over the disc’s release angle. Here is a step-by-step guide to the basic backhand roller, which discusses in detail your position, footwork, aim, and release.
1. To begin with, position the foot opposite your throwing arm perpendicular to the target. Now, on the opposite side of your throwing arm, hold the disc high and close to the ear. Your throwing arm, shoulders, and hips are now retracted, and you are standing on your off foot.
2. Now, start to rotate your throwing side foot and hips towards the target, and prepare to plant your throwing foot on the ground. At the same time, slightly rotate the shoulder, keeping the disc tucked somewhere behind your ear.
3. Ground the leading foot on the surface. Meanwhile, your leading shoulder follows your hips as they continue to spin in the direction of the target.
4. As you start to extend your arm, the disc begins to move across your face. The disc is held at a 45° angle while the elbow is bent.
5. Your center of gravity continues forward as you shift your weight to your lead foot. Your wrist swings forward, and the elbow extends, forcing the disc to fly out of the hand.
6. Finally, as your shoulder and arm turn and pull the disc, you release it from the grip. The disc rips out of the grip at around a 45º angle. As the body twists and the disc departs, the throwing foot pivots.
The angle at which the disc lands down the fairway, if done rightly, will force it to stand up and roll.
Forehand Roller
You can get a significant amount of distance out of a forehand roller depending on the disc’s angle as it strikes the ground. Here are the steps for a forehand roller.
1. Grip your disc in your throwing hand appropriately after choosing your target. You can hold the disc in a V grip with your middle and index fingers. Use your thumb to apply pressure firmly to the top.
2. Hold the disc in an upright position, albeit it may be slightly tilted to 10-15 degrees so that it doesn’t have to turn over in order to roll into the ground. You might need to change the angle of your release depending on your strength and arm speed.
3. When performing the throwing phase, you need to step back 2-3 times for a good athletic stance. When throwing right-handed, you must first stride with your left foot a sufficient distance. Your back leg (right leg) crosses behind your front leg when you take your second step. Meanwhile, aim your non-throwing shoulder at your target while drawing the disc back behind your head.
4. Your last step is to take another stride toward your target with your non-throwing leg. To produce power, lead with your hips and push off with your rear foot.
5. Finally, the disc is released far in front of the body and directed straight ahead. Instead of swinging like a tomahawk forward into the air, you’ll flick downward at an angle.
Factors Affecting A Roller Throw
A number of parameters and factors must be met in order for a roller to be successful. Let’s discuss them.
Choosing The Right Disc
Discs come in a variety of shapes, weights, and grips yielding different outcomes for different throws. In order to obtain the extra distance on the ground, the perfect disc golf roller would first travel for a while in the air. In order to prevent it from turning into a roller right away, an understandable disc is a good option.
Moreover, the weight distribution on discs with wide rims will be more evenly distributed. A wide rim will give the disc more incredible rotational momentum to keep rolling while on the ground, which is crucial for a roller.
You can choose from the Latitude 64 Fury, Prodigy F7, MVP Orbital, and Innova Sidewinder, among others.
Angle, Stability, And Spin Of The Disc
You should think about the angle your disc should land when it touches the ground. The steadiness of the disc determines how accurately they complete. For highly unstable discs, aiming for a lower landing angle closer to 45 degrees is a good option.
While for my more stable discs, aim for a higher landing angle closer to 75 degrees. The disc moves across the ground owing to its rotation as it travels through space. So keep in mind to spin the disc as much as you can to get it going.
Ground Conditions And Wind
There is a chance that rollers can extend your range, but only in the ideal terrain. When the grass is very low or nonexistent, you should use a roller. Naturally, longer grass will slow down the ground action when your disc begins to roll.
As for wind, naturally, strong side winds will force the roller with the wind, so keep that in mind while you are tossing a roller.
Why Do You Need To Learn How to Throw a Roller?
If you play in the woods and the fairways have a lot of interspersed trees, a roller is a great technique to avoid the canopy of the trees because you’re placing it on the ground. Since the profile of the disc is greatly thinned by throwing it vertically, your chances of missing the tree trunks increase, then, if you hit one of these trees in the fairway with your roller, you won’t receive those hard kicks off as you do with air shots, which will send you flying off the fairway.
A backhand roller is an excellent substitute for a backhand turnover if you’re a backhand-only player who doesn’t want to throw forehands or if you’re still learning the forehand. Backhand rollers, which resemble the flight of a forehand and allow for much sharper turns than backhand turnovers.
Last but certainly not least, rollers, if mastered, can deliver you some of the furthest shots you’ve ever hit if you play a lot of holes on traditional golf courses with a lot of short grass and firm terrain.
Final Thoughts
Rollers allow players to accomplish lengths not workable with a more standard shot. Whenever you need to cover a few extra miles and your air shot isn’t quite enough, the roller can help. You can use this especially when a low overhead prevents an elevated disc from flying fully.
A backhand roller is drawn down and left for right-handed players, and a forehand roller is dragged down and right. Whereas, the backhand roller is dragged down and right for left-handed players, and the forehand roller is hurled down and left. This will help you to utilize the roller throw based on where your target is.
Here’s hoping the ‘How to throw a roller disc golf’ turned out to be helpful for you. All the best!