Final Reflection on SHSU course Digital Technology for the School Librarian

How-To Presentations

The history of how-to presentations goes back into pre-history: how to make a fire, how to make a wheel, etc. Today it is an established part of classroom assignments, even to the point that it is possibly the most common way for teachers to address the 5^th grade TEKS ELA 5.1.B-C: “(B) follow, restate, and give oral instructions that include multiple action steps; (C) give an organized presentation employing eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, natural gestures, and conventions of language to communicate ideas effectively…”. You would be hard-pressed to find a high school graduate who hasn’t made a how-to presentation. The following is an example of a how-to presentation targeted at school age students.

How To Throw A Disc Golf Frisbee

Some say the genesis of frisbee goes back to the late 1870’s when college students threw pie pans recreationally. After that, the pastime became most successfully commercialized by the WHAM-O toy company when, in 1958, WHAM-O purchased the rights to the Pluto Platter from inventor Walter Morrison. The WHAM-O company renamed the toy, Frisbee, which is what it was known as in the Connecticut area. Originally, the frisbee was relatively lightweight and not very stable in flight, good for accuracy only up to a few years. In 1964, WHAM-O General Manager Ed Headrick redesigned the toy. By increasing rim thickness and overall mass, Headrick was able to substantially increase the distance with which the toy could be thrown with accuracy. This, in turn, allowed the development of numerous related sports that would use the new and improved version of the frisbee. These new frisbee-inspired sports included Freestyle, Guts, Double Disc Court, Distance Throw, Run-Throw-and-Catch (Time Aloft), Ultimate Frisbee, and Frisbee Golf. 

Frisbee Golf, which eventually became known as Disc Golf, is now a very popular sport. The origins are a little murky, with some people saying that it started in the early 1960’s, with players aiming for targets randomly designated, such as nearby trees, etc. The creation of the disc golf basket was a major impetus to the sport. The first model to be patented was in 1977, aptly titled Flying Disc Entrapment Device. It was at this point that courses started being established around the nation. It wasn’t long before courses were established in other countries, and there are now numerous disc golf courses around the globe. The type of disc (frisbee) use in disc golf has evolved over the years into specialized forms to meet particular needs and purposes on a disc golf course. There are now discs specialized for specific tasks, i.e., drivers, mid-range discs, putters, etc. It is designed to be used as a driver or fairway disc. Discs now include weights (in grams) and other characteristics labeled somewhere on the disc itself. Below is a photo of a disc that I purchased recently. (The last time I bought a new one was before the turn of the millennium.)

The labels indicate the following. At the top is the manufacturer name, Prodigy. At the bottom are the model number, disc type, and manufacturer flight numbers. The model number is H3, and this is the second version made, thus “H3^V2”. “Hybrid Driver” means that it is intended for both driving off the tee and, in the fairway, as well as for approach shots toward the basket. Something that is new since my own competitive playing days are the manufacturer flight numbers. These were popularized by the Innova Disc Golf company in 2009. The first number is the “speed” number. Speeds from 1-3 are usually for putters. 4-5 is midrange. Drivers will have speeds from 6 upward. Speeds of 12 and up are more difficult to control, but often used as distance drivers. The second number represents how long the disc will glide compared to other discs, all other factors being equal. The range is from 1-7, so a 5 means that it glides well, it doesn’t just fall quickly out of the air. The third and fourth numbers represent the disc’s tendency to move right (turn) or left (fade.) I will explain the following in terms of a right-handed back-handed throw. The turn numbers range from +1 to -5, so this disc tends to turn to the right a little bit during flight, but not a lot. The last number refers to the disc’s tendency to fade to the left during flight. The numbers range from 0-5. Simply put, it’s not your parent’s disc golf anymore. 

There are many different throws used by disc golf players. The following is an explanation of throws that can be used by anyone in disc golf. I am targeting this “How to Throw a Disc Golf Frisbee” guide to people of all ages, but I particularly hope it is useful to school-age children. I believe this is a wonderful sport for young people to learn, and to continue to play for entire lifetimes. The following instructions will teach any interested parties the basic, and a few advanced, throws of disc golf. All of the photos will be illustrative of a right-handed thrower, but they are all equally possible for left-handed throwers as well. When discussing forehand and backhand, think in terms of tennis. That is from where the terminology is borrowed.

The Right-Handed Back-Hand (RHBH) Hyzer

The right-handed back-hand (RHBH) hyzer is the throw that is most often used in almost all frisbee games and sports. It starts by holding the disc in front of the body. The disk is thrown in such a way that it starts heading to the right, but eventually straightens out, and possibly ends up going to the left. The initial grip and release angle looks like this, with the hand elevated.

The throw looks like this.

 

The Right-Handed Back-Hand (RHBH) Anhyzer

This throw is similar to the RHBH hyzer, but the release grip is changed such that the hand is in a downward position. The initial grip and release angle looks like this, with the hand in a downward position.

 

The throw looks like this. 

 

The Right-Handed Fore-Hand (RHFH) Hyzer

The initial grip and release angle looks like this.

The throw looks like this.

 

The Right-Handed Fore-Hand (RHFH) Anhyzer

The initial grip and release angle looks like this.

 

The throw looks like this.

 

These four basic throws are a good start to learning the game of disc golf. There are plenty of other throws that players master as they progress through their skills. Some of these other throws include the roller, the hatchet or tomahawk, the thumber, the baseball or grenade, and the overhand wrist-flip or chicken-wing, to name a few. There are also a variety of putting techniques. The most common is the backhand, but players use a wide range of other possibilities including the odd-looking Turbo-Putt which places all fingertips on the outside rim of the disc with the thumb supporting the weight of the disc on the inside of it.  

The best way to master these various throws is to play, with others or by yourself.

Good luck and have fun!

Acknowledgments

    This how-to guide could not have been made without my many friends who played disc golf with me over the years. The names are countless, but I will note three of my friends who made large impacts on my love for this sport. First, I will mention the most skillful disc golfer whom I ever personally played with, Eric Marx. His mastery of the game inspired me to try to always play to my best abilities. Thank you, Eric! Secondly, I am grateful to John Houck, who not only was a great golfing companion, but also allowed me to share in his love of creating golf courses. He allowed me to help put in the original holes at Zilker Park in Austin. Also, he organized and put on so many golf tournaments that I enjoyed playing in, especially the Texas State Championships in 1986! Thank you, John! Finally, I would be remiss if I left out my oldest and best disc golf buddy, Robert Day. I could go on and on about all the times and courses we golfed together. If there is disc golf course in heaven, I know who I will be playing my first round with! Thank you, Rob!