A Good Pull is Like Having an 8th Defender
A good pull is like having an 8th defender on the field. The goal is to get the disc as far down the field with as much hang time as possible, to give the pulling team time to run down…
Tag Backhand
Common Throws in Ultimate Frisbee
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…
Three Tips to Prepare for Tryouts
In this video, I give three tips I feel will help you prepare for tryouts for an ultimate frisbee team. With only 3 months before summer, I think the most beneficial things you can do is practice throwing, get stronger…
Throwing Backhands for Power: Video Clinic
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…
The Basics of Throwing
The specifics and mechanics of throwing are the subject of much debate; everyone has their own technique. However, there are undoubtedly core elements, which are key to making good throws; the fact that these may be achieved by a wide…
Drills: Bread and Butter (Stack and Cut)
This is a great drill for the beginning of practice since it gets everyone working on all of the basics – throwing, catching, cutting and marking. You can also set goals in this drill (i.e. 10 completed throws in a…
Marking the Thrower
I talk about 4 key points to focus on when marking: 1. Using your arms 2. Moving your feet 3. Being aware with your eyes 4. Understanding the force If you have any questions, let me know.
Free Throw Analysis – Send Me Your Throwing Videos!
I’ve been working on an idea for the past little while since I’ve had a lot of requests from fans via email to help with their throws. As much as they try to describe what their problem is, I truly…
To Huck or Not To Huck
A general rule of thumb I like to follow is this: Huck from Zone A; don’t huck from Zone B. In Zone A, use shallow/deep cuts (ie horizontal stack); in Zone B, use break side/open side cuts (ie vertical stack).…
The Basics of Forcing in Ultimate
If you’re a regular visitor then you’ll know that my focus has been primarily on throwing. In my videos, in my articles and on my dvd, I consider throwing to be the most important part of ultimate. A team full…
Ultimate Quick Tips Reference Checklist
I’ve done a lot of reading of other blogs, books, and I’ve talked to a lot of people for many hours about ultimate. In all of that time, I’ve come up with a bit of a quick reference checklist that…
The Anatomy of a Backhand
The key to advancing from short throws to long throws is not about using more effort, it’s about using more of your body. In your throwing practice you should think of your arms as being loose like the strings of…
How to Huck Backhand
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.
How to Throw a Backhand
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.