How to throw a frisbee

By How To (/journals/how-to)

The throw works when the disc stays flat and gets a hard spin from your wrist. That spin lets it glide straight across the grass.

Gather one frisbee and find a clear grassy lane 40 feet long.

1: GRIP the frisbee with four fingers under the rim and thumb on top.

Curl the fingers so the rim sits against the heel of your hand. The disc should feel locked without a death squeeze. If it wiggles free, press the thumb a little firmer.

2: STAND sideways to the far end of the lane with feet shoulder-width apart.

Aim your non-throwing shoulder straight down the 40-foot lane. Keep knees soft, not locked. Rest a bit more weight on the back foot.

3: REACH the disc back across your body near the opposite hip.

Twist the torso just enough to load the arm. Hold the disc flat and parallel to the ground the whole way. The rim stays level—no tilt up or down.

4: STEP forward onto the front foot as the arm begins to swing.

Shift weight cleanly from back foot to front. Point the landing foot toward the target at 40 feet. The step and the forward swing happen together.

5: SNAP the wrist hard at the moment the arm points at the target.

Release while the disc is still flat. The motion feels like a sharp towel crack. If the flight banks left or right, flatten the wrist on the next try.

6: FOLLOW through with the arm stretched out toward the target.

Finish with the palm facing down and fingers pointing where you aimed. Hold the balanced pose on the front foot for a two-count. Then reset and throw again.

The most common mistake

The disc tilts when the wrist rolls during the snap. Keep the rim level with the ground all the way through release.

Pro tip

Work the snap alone first: stand still and flick the disc to a spot ten feet away twenty times before you add the full step.

Say it every time

Level rim, side body, load hip, step snap, arm long