The power grip is one of 4 main backhand grips that can be used in disk golf. It is a great all-round grip for those who want to put more power into their shots.
As a backhand grip, the power grip sees your hand curled around the edge of the disk. We’ll talk about the positioning in detail in a moment.
First, though, let’s look at the anatomy of a disk. This will help you understand where to put your hands.
Anatomy of a Disk
There are a few terms you’re going to need to know before we describe the power grip. Let’s start with the top half of the disk.
Top Flight Plate – The top flight plate is the middle of the disk. This part is usually covered in logos and designs. It is usually quite flexible, depending on the disk. You can usually push the plate down a little when you’re holding it.
Top Rim – This is the outer portion of the disk when looking at it from the top. It is a few inches wide and made from harder plastic than the flight plate. The exact width of the top rim varies from disk to disk.
Bottom Rim – The bottom rim is visible when you flip the disk, so you’re looking at the underside. The bottom rim is the stiffer, thicker portion of the disk. It is usually a few inches wide.
Inner Rim – This is sometimes called the rim wall. It joins the flight plate and the rim, meeting the plate at a 90-degree angle. Your fingertips will usually rest on the inner rim.
Bottom Flight Plate – This is the middle portion of the disk inside the inner rim. It is made from softer plastic than the outer sections.
Outer Edge – This is the very outside part of the rim. It is narrower and sharper on disks used for driving. On putting disks, the rim is wider and blunter.
Backhand Grips
Backhand grips are grips where your palm rests on the top flight plate and your fingers curl underneath the bottom rim.
Backhand grips are very versatile. They can be used from the tee plate to the putting green. They are often the preferred grip of choice for long shots because they can be more powerful.
Many people find backhand grips to be more comfortable and natural than forehand or overhand grips.
The Power Grip
The power grip is a fairly natural grip that, as the name suggests, packs a lot of power.
This grip is best used to cover long distances and as such is recommended for driving disks. You can use this grip when driving off the tee plate or when driving from the fairway.
The reason for this is that you get a lot of distance when you throw with a power grip.
The downside to this grip is that you don’t get a lot of accuracy. For this grip, all your fingers are curled under the bottom rim, which means that you don’t get a lot of control over the angle or direction of the flight.
How To
This grip is easy! All you need to do is grab hold of the disk as if you were grabbing a fist full of candy.
Your four fingers should curl around the bottom and inner rims, and your palm lies on the top flight plate. The thumb should rest either on the flight plate or the top rim, depending on the size of your hand.
When you look at the bottom of the disk, you should see your finger tips might be brushing the bottom flight plate. You don’t want your finger pads to rest on the bottom flight plate.
To throw, you want to keep your wrist straight on the release. Try not to choke the disk when you hold it. You don’t need to clench it super tight. Just enough to stop the disk from flying out too early.
Modified Power Grip
You can modify the power grip to make it more of an all-round grip. The modified version is great for long distance shots, but also mid-range shots where accuracy is more important.
You can still use this grip for driving off the tee and fairway, but you will be sacrificing a little bit of distance in favor of accuracy.
How To
Like with the power grip, you want to grab a fistful of the disk. The outer edge should fit into the middle of your palm and the fingers are going to curl under the bottom rim.
The difference is in the placement of your fingers. In the modified power grip, you splay your fingers slightly. They should still curl around the bottom rim and end up along the inner rim, but you want to put some space between each digit.
This space will cause the index finger to wrap around the outer edge a bit more, which gives you more control over the direction and angle of the shot.
As with the power group, you don’t want to choke the grip. Hold the disk firmly but not overly tightly. Keep the wrist straight during the throw to keep the shot on course.
Forehand Power Grip
This is less commonly used than the backhand power grip, but it’s a good choice for those who prefer a forehand grip.
As a forehand grip, the outer edge of the disk sits snugly in the join between your thumb and forefinger. The disk is perpendicular to the ground until you twist your wrist.
As with the backhand power grips, the forehand power grip is ideal for long and mid-range shots. It allows you to get a lot of distance on your shot.
How To
Nestle the disk between your thumb and forefinger. The thumb rests on the top flight plate, while the forefinger curls around the outer edge and tucks into the inner rim.
Your middle finger needs to be completely straight with the tip of your finger resting on the inner rim. These first two fingers provide more stability and accuracy for the shot.
The ring and pinky fingers curl up on the bottom rim to provide some stability to the shot.
