Backhand

Backhands From Basic to Bombsquad

the traditional disc throw is the Backhand. from training to performance, the Backhand, while not the sexiest throw of them all, is probably the most important. your dog should see at least 10 perfect Backhands to every crazy throw.

The quest for perfect placement on the backhand throw should never end. Work and train so you can deliver discs with perfect placement.

Keys to the Backhand Throw:

1. more and better backhands
2. runners and floaters
3. 7-14 yards
4. consistency is key

More and Better Backhands

more practice as a human with Backhands and deliver more Backhands to your dog. make your Backhands perfect. your dog will thank you.

Many people think the BackhandThe Backhand toss is the traditional disc throw. While it might not be the easiest throw of them all, it is the easiest to throw a hundred yards, and it is the easiest... More is a beginner’s throw and that more emphasis should be given to learning crazy new throws than to working the Backhand. You watch the greatest players in the game they throw a bunch of backhands and they throw them perfectly.

It is their ability to deliver perfectly placed backhands that makes their dogs leap so well and consistently. It is their mastery of time and place, built through mastery of the Backhand that allows them to put the crazy throws in the right area for a successful, leaping catch.

Runners, Floaters, and Time

most people understand that there is an element of distance and height to get a dog to make leaping catches, but there’s another equally important element: time. discs can run or they can float. floaters spend more time at the target. they make leaping a better plan.

The disc can either float at the finish of it’s flight or run. Floating discs go as far as they are going to go, slow down and hover slowly to the ground. RunnersA Runner is a disc that is thrown without the intent to float or hover around a target. It’s just a normal run of the mill distance throw. Runners are not likely to... More keep moving fast and covering ground until they skid to a stop.

If you want to give your dog the opportunity to leap and train leaping skills, you need to be delivering perfect Floaters to your dog. Discs that shoot out there and then just sort of hang in the air almost taunt the dog to into leaping to snatch them – it’s like being thrown a softball or being teased.

The more time the disc hovers, the more time the dog has to make and execute their plan. It’s like time stops. There’s a moment where a decision has to be made to put the plan into action.

When the disc runs, there is no time. There is only go. It’s action – furious action. Planning? There’s no time for planning the disc is getting away!

Work a Middle Distance – 7-14 Yards

the inside game, things like flips to set up moves to vaults, happens close to the handler. the outside game happens at 15-20 yards. there’s a middle distance from about 7-14M that is often neglected by players. this distance is where teamwork and team movement are highlighted.

This middle distance is often ignored by people. There are several reasons for this. Here are a couple:

First off, it’s extremely difficult to deliver discs at this distance. They have to be Floaters which is not at all easy to do. Don’t believe me? Throw a 10 yard Overhand Wrist Flip that floats… not many people are capable of doing that. Also the timing and placement to serve up a leaping catch at this distance has to be nearly perfect. This is where the real pros live.

A lack of understanding of Shapes and FlatworkFlatwork is the stuff that happens between the catches. How the team moves and transitions, often without the disc, is flatwork. Flatwork concepts in disc dog are taken from the agility and herding... More is another reason that people neglect this middle distance in their games. These shorter tosses require a standard and/or flexible pattern to compute and deliver perfect crisp floaters to a running and leaping dog.

Working this middle distance with Backhands will make you a better player.

Consistency is Key in the Game of Canine Disc

the most important reason for throwing lots of Backhands to your dog and for practicing and working on your Backhand throw on your own is that the same kind of consistency required for dog training is required for teaching leaping and patterns in disc dogging. perfect placement perfects patterns.

Teaching a dog to play the game of disc is better done if the discs are thrown where they are supposed to be thrown and if your dog has lots of practice catching discs. Be more consistent in training with your dog and throw more backhands in practice. You can bust out your crazy throws when they’re perfect or after your dog is.