If you are an intermediate to advanced player looking to elevate your game, adding the disc golf flex shot to your disc golf arsenal is a great place to start.
The disc golf flex shot will allow you to achieve some nice shot shapes in a consistent way.
When thrown correctly, the shot can even add some distance to your drives.
If all that sounds good to you keep reading.
If you are a beginner, you may want to hold off on attempting this shot but you’ll still find some good information in this post.
Let’s jump into the article.
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What Is A Flex Shot & How Is It Thrown?
To perform a flex shot you take an overstable disc and release it on an anhyzer angle.
This causes the disc to turn out of your hand and then flex back.
That is why it’s referred to as the flex shot.
So for a right-handed player throwing backhanded, the disc will turn to the right as it leaves your hand and then turn back to the left as the stability of the disc kicks in.
Some players may refer to this shot as an anhyzer flex shot.
Disc Golf Flex Shot Tips
- Use an overstable disc. The stability of the disc will ensure that it fights the anhyzer release and comes back.
- Pick a disc that has medium to high fade. This will ensure it flexes back at the end of its flight.
- Release the disc with a lot of snap. Generating enough force is important to the success of the flex shot.
- Don’t try the flex shot if you are a newer player. There are easier alternatives, like the s-shot. More on this later.
- Keep the nose of the disc down when releasing it. If the disc is released with the nose up, it will likely stall in the air and drop.
- You’ll need to get the anhyzer angle just right. Too much anhyzer and the disc will likely end in a cut roll.
- You can control the distance and shape of the flex shot by the height of the throw. With more height, the disc will have more time in the air and fade for a longer distance.
- Practice. Practice. Practice. It will take time to get this shot down consistently. It might be a good idea to devote multiple field session to master this shot.
- Trust your disc. If you have practiced and developed this shot, put faith in your overstable disc to flex back.
What Are Disc Golf Flex Shots Normally Used For?
There are two main options for a flex shot in disc golf:
The first is shot shaping.
If you need the disc to turn right really quick to avoid one obstacle and then move to the left to avoid another obstacle, the flex shot is perfect for this.
If you play a lot of wooded courses you are going to want to learn and perfect this shot.
Another option would be to increase the distance of your throw.
If you take an overstable disc and throw it with a flat release, the disc is going to fly straight and then hyzer out but if you add the anhyzer release, it’s going to flex and stay in the air longer.
This works even better when you get the right height to the throw.
So if you are needing another tool for wooded holes or want to extend the flight of your overstable discs, consider learning the flex shot.
Flex Shot VS S-Shot
In researching this article, I’ve noticed that a lot of people seem to use the terms flex shot and S-shot synonymously or even mix them up entirely.
Like we talked about earlier, the flex shot is taking an overstable disc and releasing it on an anhyzer to force the disc to turn and then come back.
An S-shot is accomplished by taking an understable disc and releasing it flat.
The disc will naturally turn and then fade back at the end of its flight.
A good way to remember the difference is the S-shot takes advantage of the natural tendency of the disc while the flex shot goes against this tendency.
Another difference between the two is the skill level required.
The S-shot is better for a beginner as it’s an easier shot to pull off.
It’s a great and easy way to add distance to your throw.
The main drawback to this throw is that it’s less predictable.
The flex shot is harder to get right but is more consistent because of the stability of the disc being used.
The one thing these two shots have in common is the shape of the disc flight.
If you were in a helicopter and looking down on a group of disc golfers, it would be very hard to determine which player was throwing a flex shot and which player was throwing an S-shot just based on the shape of the flight.
Final Thoughts
While not recommended for new players, the flex shot is worth learning and perfecting.
It’s a great option for extending the distance of your drive and navigating a wooded hole.
If you don’t get it on the first try just stick with it. It will come with time and practice.
And if you haven’t tried a flex shot before, use my tips and get out and do some field work.
Happy flexing.
Flickr Creative Commons – Zepfanman.com
