Training 2 February 2010

I don’t claim to be a personal trainer by any stretch, but I have been playing sports my whole and have been successful at every sport I’ve played – a large part of which is due to my speed so I like to think I know what I’m talking about.

For ultimate, there are many elements which will contribute to your success and nothing will be a substitute for having good disc skills (throwing & catching) but the one skill that you can control absolutely is your fitness.

 Practice, Psychology, Training 27 January 2010

Author: Melissa Witmer

Brain science tells us that the brain uses different processes and different parts for gaining different types of knowledge. The type of conscious, or explicit, knowledge we learn in school is controlled by the prefrontal cortex. The logical prefrontal cortex can quickly solve rational problems and learn step by step tasks. Using the prefrontal cortex, we can analyze what we know, we can show our work in math problems, or explain to someone else how we performed a task.

 Practice, Psychology, Throwing, Training 13 January 2010

Author: Melissa Witmer

This is part II of the summary I began last week (located here). Today’s discussion has important implications for how we instruct new players in learning to a forehand.

In case you’re just joining us, I’m reviewing an article published in Sports Biomechanics called “Biomechanical analysis of the sidearm throwing motion for distance of a flying disc: a comparison of skilled and unskilled players.” (Being a scientist, I should make it clear that my analysis of the work reported is very similar to, but not exactly the same as the conclusions arrived at by the authors of the paper. So this is not a direct summary of the paper.)

 Practice, Psychology, Throwing, Training 31 December 2009

Author: Melissa Witmer

I am going to attempt a summary of an article published in Sports Biomechanics called “Biomechanical analysis of the sidearm throwing motion for distance of a flying disc: a comparison of skilled and unskilled players.” I am hoping to offer something brief, easily understood, and practical. If you want experimental details, or are looking for something more erudite, please read the paper : )

In this study ten skilled and seven unskilled players were taped throwing forehands as far as they could. The movements of their shoulders, arms, and wrist were analyzed. The initial velocity of the discs, spin rate of the discs, all angles of the disc, and distance of the throws were measured.

 Psychology, Throwing, Training 27 December 2009

Author: Melissa Witmer

What follows are my thoughts on phases a player might go through as they engage in deliberate throwing practice. These are offered so that you know what to expect and can avoid becoming stagnant.

Beginner Phase: This phase may be characterized by unbridled enthusiasm and complete obsession with throwing practice. During this phase, I’d say just go with the flow and do what feels right. When you first begin, you’re going to have quick gains in throwing capabilities no matter what you do. Just get the disc in your hands as often as possible.

 Training 26 October 2009

I get asked by lots of people about training for ultimate, and what sort of things I do for fitness.

You can break this down into several parts which contribute to being a good player. In order to be successful, I believe you need to have the following:

1. Run fast
2. Jump high
3. Throw consistently/far
4. Be a good catcher
5. Good recovery
6. Quick feet
7. Good endurance
8. Good field sense
9. Understanding of plays

These are important elements which make up a good player. In order to ensure that you’re good at all of these, here is what I suggest: