Have you heard people talking about the disc golf anhyzer and you aren’t sure what the heck they are talking about?
Well, you are in luck because today we’re talking about the anhyzer.
Stick around and I’m going to walk you through what an anhyzer is in Disc Golf and how to use it for different shots and disc stabilities.
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So What Is Disc Golf Anhyzer?
If you’ve played disc golf even for a little bit, you’ll know that each throw follows a similar pattern.
If you are a right-handed player and you are throwing your disc backhand with a flat release, the disc will generally fly straight and then fade to the left.
There are a lot of different factors that can change this pattern but for the most part, your flight path will match this.
This normal flight pattern is called a Hyzer.
Knowing what a hyzer is is important because the opposite is anhyzer.
An anhyzer flight would be when the disc finishes the opposite way to a hyzer.
So, if we stick to the right-handed player throwing backhanded, for the anhyzer shot the disc will finish right instead of left.
This can be a really handy shot when you are out of the disc golf course because not every hole is set up the same and the ability to land the disc in multiple ways will definitely lead to lower scores.
So how to you get your disc to flight this way?
Well, it’s accomplished by releasing the disc in a different way. This different way is referred to has the anhyzer release.
The Anhyzer release is anytime your release the disc with the wing of the disc higher than the side of the disc you hold in your hand.
Disc Golf Anhyzer Release With Different Stabilities
During my explanation of what an anhyzer was, I stated that discs generally follow the same path but some factors can affect this path.
One of these things is disc stability.
So a stable disc released with an anhyzer is going to fly differently than an understable disc released in the same way.
Learning the anhyer release is very important in disc golf because of the different types of shots you can achieve with it.
Let’s take a look at the different stabilities and what types of shots they generally achieve with an anhyzer release.
Overstable Disc = Flex Shot
An overstable disc released with an anhyzer angle will fly relatively straight path or a very tight s-curve.
This shot is generally referred to as the flex shot and could be used with you want the disc to have a slight turn once it is released from your hand and then flex back quickly.
This isn’t a shot that would be used often but would be nice to learn for the perfect situation.
Stable Disc = Turn Over
A stable disc released with an anhyzer angle will turn over.
This means that when the disc is released it will tend to turn right for a right handed backhand throw and would turn left for a left handed backhand.
This shot is usually referred to the turn over shot for obvious reasons and is a great shot to learn and have in your disc golf arsenal.
Being able to control the turn of the disc will come in handy for wooded shots.
Having the disc finish right instead of left (or left instead of right for you lefties) is also a great assist.
Understable Disc = Roller
A unstable disc released with an anhyzer angle will turn over more than a stable disc and usually result in the disc heading toward the ground.
When done correctly, the disc will continue to roll.
This shot is generally referred to as a roller.
It’s another important shot to have available to you when you need it.
It works well when you have a low ceiling. The roller allows you to just roll right under it.
You can also use it when you need the disc to finish the opposite way, just like the turn over shot. As the roller slows down it tends to curve to the right for a right handed player.
The roller also works when you need some extra distance. The disc tends to roll further on the ground than it would fly through the air.
Does A Forehand Replace A Disc Golf Anhyzer?
A lot of players would argue that they don’t need to develop their anhyzer shot if they have a good forehand.
I would say you should learn and develop both.
While you can get the disc to finish the same way with a forehand as you can with an anhyzer release, the flight path the disc will fly in will be different.
A forehand shot will tend to fly straight and then fade at the end while an anhyzer shot will start to turn when it’s release and hold the turn all the way through (depending on the disc stability.)
Both could and should be used in different situations. If you pay a lot of wooded courses, you probably already know what I’m talking about.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know what anhyzer means, I hope you’ll take the time to practice it.
If you take the time to learn the turnover shot and the backhand roller they will become huge assists on the course and will lead to lower scores when used at the correct time.
The flex shot is more of a utility shot but could still come in handy.
I just want to stress that even if you have an excellent forehand, you should still consider adding the anhyzer release to your game.
Flickr Creative Commons – City of Boulder
