The backhand is the first throw almost every player learns and the one that produces the most distance. Here's how it works, step by step – and why the disc you learn with matters as much as your form.
A backhand throw draws the disc across the front of your body and releases it as your arm extends toward the target – the same motion as a backhand in tennis. All instructions below assume a right-handed thrower; if you're left-handed, mirror everything.
Use a power grip: all four fingers curled under the rim, pads pressing firmly into the inside edge, with your thumb on top of the flight plate for pressure. Grip firmly – a loose grip bleeds power and lets the disc wobble. The disc should feel locked into your hand, not pinched at the fingertips.
Stand side-on to the target with your throwing shoulder pointing where you want the disc to start. For a standstill throw, plant your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Your weight begins on your back foot and shifts forward through the throw. Keep the disc level with your chest.
Extend the disc back and away from the target, letting your shoulders coil so your back briefly faces where you're throwing. The reachback sets the length of your "lever" – a full, relaxed reachback is where distance is created. Keep the disc on a flat, level plane; don't let it dip or lift.
This is the engine of the throw. Lead with your hips and off-arm, rotating them toward the target before your throwing arm follows. The disc should travel in a straight line close to your chest – think of pulling a lawnmower cord or starting a mower. The power comes from your body uncoiling, not from your arm muscling the disc.
As the disc leaves your hand, keep the nose down – the leading edge slightly lower than the trailing edge. A nose-up release makes the disc climb, stall, and drop short; it's the most common reason beginners lose distance. Aim to release the disc flat and level for a standard shot.
Let your momentum carry your arm and body around toward the target after release – don't try to stop the motion. A natural follow-through means you accelerated all the way through the disc instead of decelerating before it left your hand. Spinning slightly on your front foot is normal and fine.
Technique matters, but the wrong disc will fight you no matter how good your form is. Learn the backhand with a light, understable disc. Understable discs have built-in turn that offsets the early fade a developing arm produces, so you get rewarded with a straight, satisfying flight while you build speed.
Curious how much straighter an understable disc flies for a slower arm? Drop a couple into the flight path comparator and compare their charted paths side by side.