In ultimate, the best offensive players are able to pick defenses apart with their throws. These players are able to complete perfect reset passes, move the disc upfield easily, find the break space, and throw deep, all while facing the best defenders trying their hardest to stop them. Watch any club finals video in the last 5 years, pay attention to the details, and you'll see a clinic of throws with proper timing, pace, shape, setup and delivery.
A lot of this has to do with the high throwing ability level of these offensive players (i.e. pace, shape, delivery), but there is more to being a good thrower in ultimate than simply being good at the act of throwing (i.e. timing & set-up). In this post I'm going to break down the key components of being a good thrower in ultimate, aside from the actual throw. This is something that will almost never make the highlight reel.
I would consider competency at these components to be the bare minimum requirements for not being a liability as a thrower on a nationals level club team (unless you are a ridiculous athlete/defender, and even then). If you do not do these things well, you may find that against better teams/defenders you 1. get hand-blocked on open side throws sometimes, 2. your throws get poached with regularity, 3. you aren't able to hit open players sometimes because you're off-balance or holding the disc with the wrong grip for that particular moment, and/or 4. your breakmark moves suddenly aren't open or are getting regularly blocked.
Primary Components:
1. How you stand and hold the disc
2. How quickly you can hit your release points
3. How well you can manage and move the mark
4. How well can you read the downfield defense (i.e. hit the right window, read poaches, adhere to the offensive principles and stall count)
1. How you stand and hold the disc (aka "neutral position")
Why this matters:
You want to have access to as many different throwing options as possible as a thrower. In order to accomplish this, you must be balanced (foot/leg position) and you need to hold the disc in a manner that allows for quick transitions (how you hold the disc). You need to manage the space between yourself and your mark. You also need to do these things in a way that allows you to punish your mark for mistakes they might make (i.e. being too far away, being too close, taking bad angles, getting off balance, etc.).
General Rules:
- Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Your weight should be distributed approximately evenly prior to making a move
- Your knees should be slightly bent, ready to pivot
- You should be on the balls of your feet, not on your heels
- You should hold the disc in a threatening way
There are basically two good ways to do this:
1. Hold the disc in front of you with both hands, can be in either a flick or backhand grip (this position allows you to be threatening and doesn't let the mark get too close)
2. Hold the disc in a blade in a flick grip (this position allows you to minimize flick release time)
Example:
Here are some screenshots from the 3rd point from the 2016 men's semifinals. (This point was selected randomly, you would see this on almost any point of nationals level play.)
If you watch this point, you will notice that every single catch is proceeded by that player getting into a neutral position, and they will often return to neutral more than once per possession. The only possession on this point in which a player does not go to neutral is when Jared Inselmann receives a reset with full vision of his next option and throws immediately.
Getting to neutral as they turn downfield and read the play allows these players to quickly access their throwing toolboxes, as they are balanced and ready to deliver the next look.
Note: As you can see, Ironside players like to hold the disc with two hands, in "Neutral 1".
Errors that require correction:
- Standing with your feet too wide such that you are off-balanced and cannot threaten a variety of throws
- Holding the disc in different way (i.e. over your head, upside down, with your offhand)
- Standing too upright/stiff-legged
- Standing with your weight on your heels
- Holding the disc out away from your body in a backhand blade grip (aka BBQ Dad grip)
How to work on this:
Level 1: Neutral throwing drill modifier - can be done with almost any throwing drill: The objective is to start in the neutral position prior to any throw you make. So set yourself up with a good foot position and holding the disc in your preferred neutral grip. Then practice delivering your intended throw from this neutral position. The idea is to teach your body the pattern necessary to go from neutral to delivering the intended throw. This can be done with any throw.
Level 2: Practicing moves from neutral. This includes things like shoulder fakes, shimmy moves, small pivots, wide pivots, etc. Basically the idea is to practice going from neutral to making a real move to throwing. You can also practice making a fake and getting back to neutral, basically attacking a spot then getting balanced again.
Level 3: Implementing your neutral position in drills like 3-person marking and breakmark drill. Practicing the patterns you have worked on with a game-speed mark, finding out what works and what doesn't. At this stage you should be trying to work on moves that open up the spaces you want and methods for moving the mark for breakmark and hucks. Here is an example of Jimmy Mickle moving the mark to create space for his huck:
Normal view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjpo2crdJ2g&feature=youtu.be&t=1328
Another view:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kjpo2crdJ2g&feature=youtu.be&t=1351
The huck is not completed, but the move to create space that he uses is excellent. Notice how he sells the move with his foot and hip position, and how far he is able to get his mark to move.
2. How quickly you can hit your release points
Why this matters:This will directly influence your ability to execute properly timed passes, open side, breakmark, and otherwise. If your windup is too long, you are giving your mark time to adjust and hand-block you, you are giving the downfield poachers time to react and make a play, and you are essentially decreasing the potency of your offense by diminishing the viable throwing window. Your ability to hit release points quickly is critical when you are throwing against an experienced marker and downfield defensive unit. Good marks are able to react quickly and will not hesitate to handblock releases that aren't quick enough or wide enough. This is especially true when you are actually trying to beat the mark, say with a breakmark move or with a huck.
General Rules:
- Your throwing motion should be as short as necessary, you should not need the same windup for a 5 yard pass as for a 50 yard shot
- You do not want to have any "hitches" in your throwing motion that cause your release to be slower or more predictable. The best way to determine this is through video.
- There is no point releasing super wide (i.e. in a lane) if your pivot is so slow that your mark can shuffle over and seal it
- The faster you are at catching and releasing the disc cleanly and with balance, the better you will be at offense
Other tips:
- It is valuable to practice a large variety of release points and practice getting to them quickly (duh)
- It is valuable to practice releasing the disc wide with good upper arm position
- It is valuable to practice pivoting in an explosive manner
- It is valuable to practice your catch and release footwork, especially power positions and breakside continuations
Example:
Cassidy Rasmussen is one of the best men's players in the world in terms of catching, finding his target downfield, and delivering the disc quickly. In the point below from beach worlds, his quickness of delivery allows him to throw a breakside flick huck into space. If his release time is longer, the mark would have time to come seal the throw and/or his target would be too deep. Because of his ability to deliver this throw quickly, the team USA offense is more dynamic.
Cassidy WCBU:
https://youtu.be/5L5o949VbNo?t=1227
Extra Credit: This throw actually isn't perfect, it's a bit too slow/high, but it works out because it is early enough that the cutter can take a good position and make a play.
Errors that require correction:
- Pivoting without a specific objective (this slows you down and gives you nothing)
- Pivoting too wide and getting off balance/stuck
- Hitches in throwing motion that limit release quickness, power, release point
- Sloppy footwork with pivoting and with catch & release mechanics
- Clumsy hands with re-gripping or switching from flick to backhand grip too slowly
How to work on this:
Level 1: Practice and cultivate a simple and crisp throwing motion. Take video of wrist and forearm mechanics. Practice throwing short range passes while balancing on 1 leg in order to isolate your wrist and forearm. Emphasize a clean wrist snap.
Level 2: Implement this simple and crisp throwing motion with a wide variety of release points. Practice on two legs with a variety of pivot distances and locations. A good drill for this is to pick a release point, say wide backhand, and to practice hitting that release point with an explosive pivot and quick release. This can be performed for any throw/any release point.
Level 3: Practice with a live mark - attempt to beat your defender to your spot. For example, starting from neutral, try to throw a break by releasing more quickly than the mark can get there. Other release points can be added as you go (low/wide/high/past the mark/etc).
For catch and release: A good drill to work on catch and release is "double disc throwing". You and your partner both have a disc, and throw at the same time. This will result in you having to catch and release very quickly because you have to throw so that you can catch the disc coming at you. You are trying to catch and release as quickly as possible such that your partner is not able to keep up with you.
Final Note on #2:
The release points you have in your toolbox determine a lot of your effectiveness as a thrower. I strongly encourage you to work on developing new release points and strengthening current ones. It's good to have a general proficiency with a lot of release points for the same type of throw. It is also good to have a throw that is your "superpower".
3. How well you can manage and move the mark
Why this matters:
A high level mark is able to dramatically decrease the throwing options of an inexperienced thrower. A good mark is able to read an inexperienced thrower and will punish you when you are off balance (predictable), when you aren't holding the disc in a threatening way, when your release points are slow, and when they know what throw you feel like you have to throw (ex: a dump). A high level mark also isn't going to react to half-hearted or fake looking pivots, as they aren't threatening and therefore you are just wasting your time/limiting your own throwing options. Some marks will also try to distract and irritate you by being very close (fouling) and crowding you, something that can fluster younger throwers. Good throwers are able to beat good marks by controlling the space between them and the mark (aka "managing the mark") and making moves that are a real threat, forcing the mark to react or get beat.
General Rules:
- Holding the disc in front of you with two hands limits the ability of the mark to crowd your space/foul you
- You can control how close the mark can get with your non-pivot foot. For example if a righty is being forced backhand, you can move your right (non-pivot) foot forward towards the mark, giving yourself more space to pivot by forcing the mark to be farther away and creating better angles for you relative to your pivot foot.
- The less motion you have to use to move your mark, the better
- In order of weight transfer commitment, from lowest to highest, you have: shimmy, fake step, short step, medium step, wide step
Other tips:
- Practice calling fouls and throwing through contact
- Practice pivoting through and boxing out on backhands
- Practice faking in a convincing manner
- Practice against both forces and special mark positions
Example:
This example of moving the mark is the
Jimmy Mickle example from above: You can also note how he is holding the disc in front of himself, which is partially dictating how far away his mark is. As in, his mark can't physically be closer to him unless he's actually touching Jimmy with his face or leans back more.
Here is a more subtle example of moving the mark from the same game. In the screenshots below, John Stubbs sees that an around cut is developing and his mark is forcing no around. He is able to use a shoulder fake to make his mark shift is weight to the left, opening a lane for the invert reset that he throws.
The timestamp for this is here. If John does not use a shoulder fake here, this throw is essentially not open.
Errors that require correction:
- Standing too stiff, allowing the mark to take away too many options
- Getting flustered by an overly physical mark
- Not calling fouls on the mark
- Not creating throwing lanes against an active and skilled mark
- Holding the disc in a predictable manner
- Allowing the mark to dictate the space between them and the thrower
How to work on this:
Level 1: Practice good foot position and how to hold the disc against a skilled and active mark. Also practice this against a mark who is standing too close to you. Practice delivering the throw through contact and calling a foul (if applicable). Practice calling contact and disc space while staying focused on downfield targets.
Level 2: 3-Man mark and breakmark drills. Practice moving the mark with a variety of levels of weight transfer commitment moves. Practice shimmy moves, fake steps, short steps, and wide steps. See how the mark reacts and work on making them believable. Practice making space for an intended throw (i.e. you know you want to throw a flick huck, so practice faking the backhand to make space for your intended throw).
Level 3: Work on the specific setup moves that cater to your toolbox of release points and throwing weapons. Practice minimizing extra movement and releasing quickly after moving the mark.
4. How well you can read the downfield defense
Why this matters:
It's critical for a thrower to understand where spaces are and where they are developing. This will help a thrower know where and when to look at certain spaces, which gives them what I would consider the "inherent offensive advantage". The offense has the initiative, and the more they are able to force the defense into reacting, the better off that offense will be. Another way to think about this is that great throws are most often great because of their timing and placement, rather than some herculean effort. If you can understand exactly where and when to get the disc in the right spot, you are playing offense at a high level. As a related note, being aware of poaching defenders and help defenders is a critical aspect of offense at this level.
General Rules:
Be aware of strategic factors like:
- Location of Mark (i.e. straight up, no around, out of position, etc.)
- Location of Downfield Defense (can include poachers/help d/other)
- Location of Offense/Offensive Shape
- The objective of the offense
- The Stall count (& reset patterns)
- The throws you have in your toolbox
Note: things that matter for these are time, position, momentum, field of vision, etc.
Errors that require correction:
- "Tunnel Vision" aka staying with a target for too long
- Not adhering to basic offensive objectives
- Not seeing poaches/not punishing them
- Not taking advantage of out of position defenders
- Holding the disc for too many stall counts (or too few, but that's very rare)
- Miscalculation of value/decision making errors
How to work on this:
I think the best way to work on this is to play a lot of games while considering these factors. I think the best thing for this is situational experience. For tunnel vision, I think one way to work on this would be to play games with a shorter stall, or to create a "checkdown" drill that involves looking to the right spaces for a particular offense at the right times before moving into the specified reset patterns.
