That's a great question asked by a third grader during an assembly!
The compact answer is: no, you don't need substantial muscles to throw a Frisbee farLet’s break it down into some critical parts:
The speed of the Frisbee is one of the most critical factors in how far it goes. When you throw a Frisbee, you're trying to get as much speed as possible. But here's the chilly thing: You don't need substantial muscles to get speedy. It's more about how speedy you can turn your body and how speedy you can swing your wrist. If you can do that really well, you can throw the Frisbee very speedy – even at speeds over 80 miles per hour, like I did!
Spin is another key to distance. When you throw a Frisbee, you want it to spin really speedy. The more it spins, the more it will glide through the air and the farther it will travel. Spin depends on how forceful your grip is and how well you can swing your wrist. While some strength can assist, good wrist mobility (the ability to move your wrist easily) is just as critical. This means that even if you're not super forceful, if you have good wrist mobility, you can still throw the Frisbee far.
Another factor is how well you control the angle of the Frisbee when you throw it. This part is about learning how the Frisbee flies and adjusting for things like wind, altitude, and the height and angle of your release. This isn't about power at all – it's about practice and knowing your Frisbee.
Some of the best Frisbee throwers in the world are not substantial and muscular. They can be high and lanky or compact and powerful. What they have in common is their ability to impart a lot of speed and spin to the disc.
For example, I can throw a Frisbee at over 80 miles per hour, with a spin rate of over 900 revolutions per minute. This allows me to achieve great distances and I was able to set the Canadian distance record with a throw of 712 feet (217 meters) and the Virginia state distance record with a throw of 636 feet (192 meters).
Check out highlights from the 2023 U.S. Distance Championships featuring some of the best distance throwers in the world!
Remember, you don't need substantial muscles to throw a Frisbee far – you need speed, spin and practice in angle control. Keep practicing and you'll see your throws go farther and farther!
To Teenage Disc Coverers: A Frisbee Q&A with Kids
Inspired by all the great questions kids have asked over the years, I'm going to create a series called “Teenage Disc Coverers: A Frisbee Q&A with Kids.” If you have a question you'd like me to answer, please contact me!
