Without a doubt, one of the most versatile shots to add to your disc golf arsenal is the
Forehand Flex Shot!
But before we get too detailed, let's talk about what a flex shot means:
A flex shot is when you use the stability of the disc to perform multi directional flights during one flight path, also known as an S-shaped flight pattern.
For our example in this write up, we are talking about throwing a forehand that sweeps one way and then comes back over to finish to the desired side of the fairway you're intending due it's overstability.
A right handed player would have their disc finish to the right, while a lefty is looking for a left side finish.
To explain this a little bit deeper, let me explain how this works.
A right hand player forehands an overstable disc with intent of the disc panning firstly to the left by throwing it on an anhyzer angle (left side of the disc down, right side up).
If the disc is overstable enough, the overstability will cause the disc to eventually come out of the left drifting pan and finish to the right on a hyzer.
If you threw a stable or understable disc for instance, the disc would hold that anhyzer line the entire duration of the disc's flight, which is good for some situations, but not one where you need the disc to ultimately fade to the right.
However, this wouldn't be considered a flex shot because you'd be working with the stability of the disc rather than against it.
The S-shaped flight pattern comes into play with the overstable disc on anhyzer because the overstable disc will work out of the anhyzer line if it has enough fade and enough time.
What is the flex shot good for?
Whenever you're playing in the woods, you're always looking to make your next shot as much of a "high percentage" shot as possible. Sometimes this involves opening up certain gaps by going through them from a side angle rather than directly through.
Beginners are almost always looking for the straight shot to get from point A to point B in the shortest distance possible.
This becomes problematic when obstacles are added to your line, decreasing your high percentage of nailing the shot.
Having the ability to take an overstable disc and manipulate it around and through larger gaps can significantly increase your high percentage shot.
If you get into or enjoy watching Professional disc golfers, you'll see that the majority of their game play in the woods is "shaping shots" or "flexing" shots through the terrain and around obstacles, maximizing their high percentage probability.
When should I use a forehand flex shot?
Flex forehands can be useful both off the tee or while scrambling down the fairway. Sometimes you even have to flex an overstable approach putter up to circle one!
Another instance to go with the forehand flex shot is when you're stuck behind some kind of bunker such as a building, tree, bush, etc, where you're backhand isn't accessible.
A step out straddle stance with a forehand flex could be the get out of jail shot you need in this kind of situation!
Performed correctly, you could get yourself out and around the bunker or two in front of you and still push down field finishing to the right side of the fairway as a right hand forehand player.
If you are a forehand dominant player who is still struggling to learn a good backhand, flexing forehands can also potentially gain you more distance on an open shot verses trying to overpower a stable or understable disc.
The overstability needed for the flex shot can accommodate possible "roll overs" which otherwise would have caused your forehand to turn and burn off the left for a RHFH thrower.
The issue with this, however, is not truly correcting your forehand technique if you only rely on overstable throws to bail out your mistakes. So be sure to practice your forehands with different stabilities as well as different molds so you know how to use each of your discs for any distance you need to cover.
What discs should I use for a forehand flex shot?
As mentioned, overstable discs thrown on anhyzer are the most common type of flex shot seen and used by more experienced players, though on occasion you will see a player thrown an understable disc on hyzer, which is known as a hyzer flip.
We suggest learning a forehand flex shot with overstable mid-ranges or putters first because the slower speed is a little bit easier to manage when starting out.
Regardless of what discs you use to practice, the forehand flex shot is definitely a shot you want to add to your arsenal in order to start throwing your lowest scores possible.
I LOVE flex shots and find them to not only look amazing cutting through the woods, but they give me more confidence that I'm hitting a safer and wider gap. Less tree hits is very often less strokes taken.
So get out there, and practice your forehand flex shot today!
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