13 March 2012

The throw that the good players are using

The throw to add to your repertoire is the backhand, from a forehand stance.

By forehand stance, I mean facing downfield, with your knees, chest, nose all pointing towards the endzone that you are attacking. Then throwing a backhand: right-handers bring the disc to the left side of your body in a backhand grip, and throw.

One advantage is that you don't need to pivot to throw a forehand - you are already in a good stance for a forehand. So the marker has to respect that forehand threat. Additionally it is quicker than pivoting out to a backhand stance before throwing a backhand.

The disadvantages are: you don't release as wide as when you pivot out into backhand stance for a conventional backhand, and you also lose the rotation of your hips and shoulders. Your range is limited to 10 - 20m for most players.

But that is all the range you need for 90% of your throws.

Watch Sockeye use it on almost every pass in this point (at 23mins 50sec), in particular the assist. Then start practising it - it will give you more wrist snap on all your backhands.




9 comments:

  1. Love this throw, especially when moving a dump pass from to a forehand side swing.

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    1. Ignore the from in there. Typo.

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  2. Great observation Owen! It's interesting to see the evolution of the game and how each team will do things a little bit differently. There's something to be said about slowly moving the disc up the field with shorter throws but in a game of possession, this certainly has klout vs putting up some big hucks...

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    1. I have actually been lucky enough to attend a Sockeye clinic and they actually drill those throws and teach it at clinics. I don't remember what it's called, I call it the compass and I think they call it that too.

      2 players, 1 disc. Do this for both backhand and forehand. Let's start with backhands, so all throws are backhands with these pivots: First you take a step right in front of you towards your partner, 90 degree angle (North) and throw, then you move 45 degrees right (NE), like a forward forehand pivot, throw, then another 45 (E), so it's a normal forehand pivot to the side, throw.. You just keep adding 45's until you do a full circle. And you do it with both throws.

      I find it to be a very useful drill for getting used to throwing in uncomfortable positions which do happen in game every now and then and also helps you with quick releases for short passes with wrong pivots as exampled above.

      So it's no coincidence that Sockeye does this a lot, Just watch players like Spence who do it all the time. They do it because they drill it.

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  3. Simon Montague from carleton loves this throw.

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  4. http://www.brown.edu/Athletics/Mens_Ultimate/media/zipstips/#tip48 (see "Lazy Throws")

    not saying I agree

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  5. @Kes I can partly understand where Zip is coming from with that tip. There are disadvantes to the throw. But I prefer a coaching philosophy of "Be effective. Find more skills that work for you." as opposed to "Don't be lazy. Do these things but don't do those things."

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  6. Can you give a minute mark to watch an example, not quite able to picture what you are describing. Thanks!

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    1. The point that shows this throw a lot is at 23 minutes 50 seconds.

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