Articles on throwing backhand
I was asked by Ryan Lowe to analyze his backhand (pull and huck). Ryan Lowe has been releasing some great content, most recently 8 Tips to Throwing a Longer Forehand. I haven’t done many of these but I do have a lot of experience and credibility in this space so I’d like to do more. …
Whether you’re new to the sport or you’ve been playing a long time, there are some throws which are crucial to being a good handler. Some of these throws you will use far less often than the standard forehand and backhand but it’s good to know how to throw all of these throws.
The Zen Throwing Routine, developed by Ben Wiggins, is a combination of a group of exercises that he found to help develop his own balance and versatility in throwing. He was inspired to put this into a cohesive form as a partner-slash-alternative to Lou Burruss’ Kung Fu Throwing, which is a very effective plan with …
Kung Fu Throwing is a system developed by Lou Burruss and Mike Caldwell in 2005. He wanted to come up with a structured throwing plan to help developing throwers. As the only two Seattle Sockeye players who lived on Capitol Hill at the time, Mike and Lou would meet often to throw. Lou solicited Mike …
The most fundamental throw in ultimate is the backhand. It’s important to learn the mechanics of the throw (grip, wrist snap, body movement) before spending a lot of time on the technique. If you don’t develop the proper mechanics when you first learn to throw a backhand, then you will have trouble later on learning …
This video, posted with permission by Colin McIntyre, discusses how to get more distance on a backhand. Note 2: Some people struggle bringing the disc back against their forearm. I grip the disc with my off hand when I do this. But the alignment is the important part of this; not the actual disc-to-forearm contact.
My buddy Tyler and I went throwing outside and I set up the video camera to capture our throws. Getting out and throwing with someone is a great way to work on your throws but make sure to focus on having good form and thinking about where you want your throws to go. Also, learn …
My buddy Tyler and I went throwing outside and I set up the video camera to capture our throws. Getting out and throwing with someone is a great way to work on your throws but make sure to focus on having good form and thinking about where you want your throws to go. Also, learn …
This video, requested by a fan on Facebook, talks about throwing an air bounce backhand. I talk about how to throw it, when it should be thrown and some tips about the throw.
This video, requested by a fan on Facebook, talks about throwing a high release backhand. I talk about when you should/shouldn’t throw it, how to defend against the throw and a few tips for throwing.
Why is throwing in the wind so important?
There are several reasons:
1. A team will generally run a zone defense against your team when it’s windy – hence your handlers should be confident throwing in the wind
2. When it’s very windy, the number of people who can actually throw in the wind is surprisingly low – so if you can than you’re one of the exceptions
3. It will make your throws in no wind stronger and more consistent since you understand how important it is to have spin on the disc
What is hucking?
Simply put, hucking is when you throw the disc far – to a receiver. When you huck, you almost always want to throw to a receiver. So it’s not just throwing the disc are far as possible (although when you’re at a high stall count this can sometimes come in handy). There are many situations when a huck is helpful so it’s not only important to know HOW to huck but also WHEN to huck. I will talk about the HOW and the WHEN with more of a focus on the HOW.
Why is backhand so important?
Since in a game you are going to be marked by someone, you will want to be able to throw both a backhand and a forehand. A backhand will give you more separation from your mark than a flick since you’re getting further away from your pivot foot on your throw.
