Correct Backswing for Side Arm in Disc Golf 

This guy held the worlds distance record in backhand AND sidearm at the same time, both for many years

I had been INTENTIONALLY keeping my elbow close to my body because I thought that was correct! Oh boy! I cannot wait to give the pendulum and windmill a try. Thanks, Scott!

Did 90-min Zoom lesson with Scott...transformed my game completely. Highly recommend it for the beginner and average golfer.

I've been practicing this in a field for a couple of months, and can now throw a consistent forehand of 200 feet or so (pretty good considering I started at about 100 with little to no consistency). I'm using only low-speed (i.e. 9-speed or lower) understable discs at present, but I'm very pleased with the results. Thank you, good sir! I'm going to keep at it!

Scott Stokely you are the MIKE ROWE OF DISC GOLF!!!! Love you dude!!

I've always had a smooth and powerful forehand but I still learn something every time I watch a Stokely video. Amazing how much better the Stokely method has made my game.

I’ve been playing for years and have never heard any of this stuff!! This guys the bomb!

I'm a simple man: Scott uploads something. I watch it. I give it the thumbs up. Simple.

Thanks so much for all the great content. You are such an asset to the disc golf community. We appreciate you man.

I'm new to disc golf but played team sports at the highest level. Stokes is a great teacher obviously, thank you! I can't wait to get out and throw for hands with some consistency for a change. Cheers everyone

I found that the Pendulum draw back was better for Hyser lines and the Windmill was better for flat and Annie lines. Thanks Scott. 😎

Still to this day, this videos are top notch! Respect!

My new favorite person in the sport! It's 7am and I just got to the course.. thanks for giving me something to work on today:)

Fantastic instruction. I like the "secluded" location. Nice and quite and the audio was really good for not being mic'ed up with a lapel mic.

Great and easy to understand tips for a beginner, now its just time to get out and practice and find out which of the two feels more natural. Keep it up Scott!

3:36 I had to watch this one again because that awkwardness was what told me the other style was for me. Last year I had no forehand, this year I had a 100-150 upshot and nothing else, but I tried a few throws the other way and it feels totally different. It feels like a hockey wrist shot, while the windmill feels like a swinging bunt. I threw my new neutral mid on a 175 foot hyzerflip about 45 feet up in a tree. This is the first time I've seen snap on my forehand. Thanks for the 8 new discs in my bag(for $0).

Lol...I was wondering where you were because it looked familiar. This is where I grew up. The disc golf course you played in town was the one I spoke about that I used to maintain but some of the new locals drove me away. I'm stoked you got to see my old course though.

Thanks for the help Scott. You're the man!

My forehand is such trash. Signed up for a clinic next year and will be practicing until then on my form backhand and forehand until the clinic. Thanks for all you do Scott.

Always the hands down best advice I’ve found on tutorials and fundamental mechanics. Thanks Scott GOATkley. Can’t wait to see you on tour this year.

This guys a stud perfect form and being 6’7=great velocity

Great video. I've been practicing my forehand since watching your videos and have gotten much more accurate and am throwing my forehand as far as my backhand with what feels like less effort. Threw even par using forehand only (other than putting) yesterday which I was proud of using these forehand techniques I've gotten from your videos.

These videos have helped us so much!!!

Another great video. I always learn something new. Thanks.

Thank you Scott. Your instruction was very helpful!

Thanks for the vids. As always.... great way to look at it. Being over 50 makes me think about injury so this was helpful. Keep it up. :)

Your awesome Scott. Keep up the great work. I've learned a lot from you

Getting out in a field to figure out my backswing tomorrow! My side arm is my focus this off season.

Excellent job today in your DGPT debut! Nice to see your tips in motion at the top!

Dude i love your knuckle tattoo idea, amazing dude truenlove for the sprot!! Great videos

Ok, today's the first day in a long time I'm excited to go do some field work!

I have been throwing straight for a long time. This may just blow my mind later today. I'm going to try it!

Thanks Scott this helps a lot! I’ve had multiple people tell me my wind ups were causing my forehand game to faulter and I should have a straight wind up for the throw. But then I thought about baseball and how to load and rotate your shoulders for less injury. It also helped another issue which was rolling over my forehands! When I do the windmill they come out on nice baby hyzers that just beam

No wonder Big Jerm has a helluva sidearm!

Did field wrong today with this video in mine fixed my side in 20 throws told like 20 people to watch your videos thanks man

I am sidearm challenged, so I'll give this a shot tomorrow.

Thank you for the tip! Too bad it is 1:23am and dark outside or I would go outside right now to try. Thank you!

M’fer, as a predominately forehand player (like truly dominant forehand) you just crushed my soul. I mean...dude. I’m competent, can sling the disc about 350, and love my orc in the woods. Damnit. Gonna pendulum it next Sunday and make my doubs teammate hate me for inconsistency. But f it. I trust you sir, and hate you (not really). Please come to Charlotte, CDGC will have 40+ waiting for a clinic

Beautiful scenery 👍

Good advice bro ! Thank you !

Perfect instructions. Thanks

Thank you so so so so so so so much for this.

Thanks... great info!

Thanks so much!

Awesome, thanks!

The sound quality is really good.

Damn it I like both of them! Ty.. really helped I will have fun playing around with both of them. And now I really enjoy watching the pros and trying to figure out which style they use. Ty

Excellent video. I throw forehand the with the "wrong" backswing (my backhand mechanics are terrible, and I only play a couple/few times per year). I wonder if there's another thing that makes the "wrong" way wrong besides keeping the elbow tucked - that's something I've thought about, and I claim (without proof) that I don't keep my elbow tucked. I settled on it because it felt natural to trace the same path backward that I wanted to throw forward, without any vertical movement, for consistency's sake. But I admit that there could still be something fundamentally wrong with that backswing, and it could be optimal for zero people.

Thank you

This a real man.

Can't wait for the rain to stop so I can go out and try this. I've been doing the windmill and my arm always starts to hurt after a few sidearms. Gotta give the pendulum a shot.

I am currently doing the wrong and i can feel the tightness you are referring too. Time to experiment

Pendulum is new for me and frees me up no strain. It sets me up in an athletic move. Need to try the windmill to see how that falls into place.

Just watched this, my forehand has always been aweful. The pendulum swing reminds me of my bowling approach, which I have been doing for 20+ years. I hope that is the one for me, but I will try both during my next field practice.

Just an observation, don't know if it's just me but the windmill works better with overstable high speed discs and the Pendulum better with understable slow speed discs. Thanks for the video it's really helped my side arms throws.

Is there any footage of you attempting that gap? That's the kind of stuff that guess viral, but the lessons are also excellent

Cool... Have to try this out, although I'm a bit sceptical! I hardly see any pro players on tour use either of these techniques - at most it seems they have some sort of hybrid between the Windmill and a straight reach back (Big Jerm, Eric Oakley). Paul M. of course reaches straight back, as does Eagle M., Simon L., Nate Sexton etc. In general it seems all the really good sidearm players have a more straight to hybrid reach back? Anyway, as I said, I will keep an open mind and try it out :)

I load straight back and throw 450’ sidearm. That being said I agree the elbow needs to go back

Great tip. Any tips on torn rotator health and healing techniques would be a great topic. And how to avoid injuries (shoulders elbows wrists) when throwing sidearms. Strength training nutrition. Flexibility. Thanks Scott.

Straight back for me thanks. It keeps the disc on the right trajectory forward.

Thanks :D

These videos on throwing sidearm have been very helpful. Question: I’m finding that the pendulum tends to result in a more “nosedown” throw than the windmill. Do you agree or is there something I’m missing in my mechanics?

Now where do I get a net to throw into since my sidearm is utter s**te. BUT. I've been feeling pain after doing this the wrong way, more towards the windmill side. Only trying to throw hyser hurts tho. I like throwing tomahawks, I throw them in a way where a disc goes high, only turns once and comes back down on the same, relatively straight line and I can throw like it for around 80m (260ft). It is an amazingly useful shot AND it doesn't hurt at all. Sidearm can hurt. I wonder if it is because of my reachback or because of some other reason. Anyways, I'm really glad I found this channel although I've been disc golfing a few years already and this channel has already been up for a while.

I've definitely strayed off the beaten path. I have elbow pain as i fell back into the wrong category again. DG is hard

Wow, I have also heard that you should hold the elbow close to your body. I have thought it was a mistake to have the elbow far away. Now I'll definetly forget that and try this instead !

To me, it feels like a bowling swing vs a tennis swing. The pendulum specifically becomes less awkward if you think of it like bowling. Have yet to test it out, but will do soon.

My longest side arm is 396 feet as a amateur been playing for 2 years now i love the power grip forehand

It’s time to record myself. I pull straight back. I think I get my elbow out? Thanks man. I’ll try both.

Some day I'm going to have to take a vid of my swing. I poke at working on a sidearm sometimes.

Awesome video! Is there a way to reduce flutter when throwing sidearm putters?

Great video. How does your approach to a “touch” forehand differ?

So no seminars in Finland? :d Love your tips for sidearm!

Beginner here, does the body face the cage or what am i aiming at for drive.

Love ya sir and all your tip videos ..yall! roc!! ...I throw the first position twisted arm top of Disc out .. Can i ask you one ?_ Do you tuck the elbow tight to the body or ? Thanks again sir ✌️😎👌💯❤️🥏🙏🏼 🥏

The backswing for a side arm is not one I had ever considered

This makes so much sense. Too bad there is 25 centimeters snow on my range 😳

Eagle McMahon said in his sidearm video to keep elbow close to body, no?

Been throwing straight back forehand for 20 years. To me, I liken it to skipping a rock (I get down low like Eagle McMahon). Never any pain and I can throw 425-450 with no wind. I wonder if I could break 500 with a windmill motion.

I only can throw my sidearm for very short approach shots... After watching this video, I've started paying attention to the pros, and how they hold the disc for their sidearms... Scott saying the disc top towards the body being "wrong" seems a bit crazy.... Out of all the golfers who throw sidearm often, most hold it "wrong"... I only saw a couple pros hold it with the top away from the body...

Wonderful background darn near green screen esque

You should watch Ben Hogan explain a golf swing.

It would help if you actually threw the discs and show us the full thing. You never throw on your videos !

Dizzying tutorial. Watch a slow-mo fast pitch soft ball video or a submarine pitch to see a powerful throw.

Having hit myself in the back of the head with my backswing i know i telephone so imma hope to fix this

There is always at least one (Gregg Barsby) to mix things up ;)

Wayyyy too much going on for consistency. Strait back keeps at an accurate 450 and extremely good angle control. Definitely can get some extra power, just risking shoulder and elbow health. 👍🏼

If Mike Rowe disc golfed...

These just don't work for me. My body doesn't feel comfortable at all. I have friends who throw like this, they love it. I throw how you call, wrong, and I do great. Out driving them on most of not all drives.

Fuck... wasn't paying attention. I tee off in 5 mins...

Isn't every throw a 'sidearm' if it's not an overhand? Really both forehands and backhands are both 'sidearm'...

Woah! Thanks not Mike Rowe!?