So you've done some orienteering and you have a decent picture of where you stand. Maybe you've done some self-assessment, gotten some external feedback, and taken some video. You have identified where you are on your path. Now what?
Maybe the next step isn't obvious. I think there are some paths where the trail ahead is more clear than others. For example, maybe you have noticed that you generally throw short flicks too hard. So, you have found some drills to work on wrist speed control and throwing touch passes, and all that is left is to simply execute them with focus repeatedly. But maybe you have identified that one of your biggest weaknesses is your ability to win aerial battles. This is an example of something that will require a structured plan to address in a useful way. It will take specific adjustments to the kind of lifting you do, as well as drilling reading the disc, boxing out, setting up/defending deep cuts on initiation, and so on.
To move along a skill path, you will need a map.
To be more specific, this map details the actual steps you will need to take to improve at something (move along a "path"). This isn't the same thing as a skills map, which simply lists skills in ascending difficulty. This map will instead contain all the important information on how to get from one stage to another (to take steps forward along the path).
To draw up a map like this, references are critical. Making a map from scratch without using references of any kind is like trying to read an almanac with your eyes closed. The good news is that there are tons of excellent resources once you start looking. These can be books, articles, videos, even experienced players willing to offer advice on improvement. Unfortunately, since The Great Big Book of Ultimate Throws (TGBBoUT) has not been published yet, there isn't a book out there that is a particularly useful resource for improving at throwing. For throwing, various articles and blog posts are as good at is gets. This is not the case for strength, conditioning, agility, mental game, and many other paths. Your research efforts on these topics will be fruitful rapidly.
As for what the map will actually look like, this will vary widely. But good maps will tend to have certain similarities. They will typically include: a written plan with goals clearly stated, an outline of a strategy for improvement featuring well-researched tactics, objectives that are measureable (i.e. 100 focused throws per day), a day-to-day plan that fits well with your schedule, and a method of keeping track of progress and challenges. A map might describe as short a time period as 6-8 weeks, or as long as a year. It is important to be able to refer back to your map while you are in the thick of traveling, in order to have perspective on where you are and where you're going.
The improvement process has two main chunks that need to happen before honest hard work and discipline can carry you to success. Assessment and planning (Orienteering and Cartography). Once you have assessed, and once you have used your references to draw up a map, all that is left is for you to travel along it as best you possibly can.
Maybe the next step isn't obvious. I think there are some paths where the trail ahead is more clear than others. For example, maybe you have noticed that you generally throw short flicks too hard. So, you have found some drills to work on wrist speed control and throwing touch passes, and all that is left is to simply execute them with focus repeatedly. But maybe you have identified that one of your biggest weaknesses is your ability to win aerial battles. This is an example of something that will require a structured plan to address in a useful way. It will take specific adjustments to the kind of lifting you do, as well as drilling reading the disc, boxing out, setting up/defending deep cuts on initiation, and so on.
To move along a skill path, you will need a map.
To be more specific, this map details the actual steps you will need to take to improve at something (move along a "path"). This isn't the same thing as a skills map, which simply lists skills in ascending difficulty. This map will instead contain all the important information on how to get from one stage to another (to take steps forward along the path).
To draw up a map like this, references are critical. Making a map from scratch without using references of any kind is like trying to read an almanac with your eyes closed. The good news is that there are tons of excellent resources once you start looking. These can be books, articles, videos, even experienced players willing to offer advice on improvement. Unfortunately, since The Great Big Book of Ultimate Throws (TGBBoUT) has not been published yet, there isn't a book out there that is a particularly useful resource for improving at throwing. For throwing, various articles and blog posts are as good at is gets. This is not the case for strength, conditioning, agility, mental game, and many other paths. Your research efforts on these topics will be fruitful rapidly.
As for what the map will actually look like, this will vary widely. But good maps will tend to have certain similarities. They will typically include: a written plan with goals clearly stated, an outline of a strategy for improvement featuring well-researched tactics, objectives that are measureable (i.e. 100 focused throws per day), a day-to-day plan that fits well with your schedule, and a method of keeping track of progress and challenges. A map might describe as short a time period as 6-8 weeks, or as long as a year. It is important to be able to refer back to your map while you are in the thick of traveling, in order to have perspective on where you are and where you're going.
The improvement process has two main chunks that need to happen before honest hard work and discipline can carry you to success. Assessment and planning (Orienteering and Cartography). Once you have assessed, and once you have used your references to draw up a map, all that is left is for you to travel along it as best you possibly can.
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