The single most important skill that beginners are not being taught: grip change

Beginners get shown what the forehand hand grip is.

But not how to efficiently change from a backhand grip to a forehand grip. Being shown how to do this skill is critical.

Here is a suggestion for teaching the change of grip.

First, teach catching. Then teach backhands. Let the beginners practice those two skills.

Then before teaching forehands, do the following:

1. Show a disc in two hands in front (neutral position)
2. Bring the disc in two hands to vertical, near the throwing shoulder. Do this using the non-throwing hand to move it into position in one single motion. The throwing hand changes from backhand grip to forehand grip. Walk past every beginner and show them where the fingers of the throwing hand go, keeping the disc vertical in two hands.
3. Bring the disc in two hands back to neutral position.
4. Give every beginner a disc, and have them practice this grip change. Check every person can do it.
5. Ask the beginners to put the discs on the ground.
6. Then, and only then, teach them to throw a forehand.

Teach this grip change

If you explicitly teach beginners the act of changing grips (not just the finishing position), they will get the disc to a better position before forehand throws, will have a better throwing action and will not be stuck with a clunky 3-step grip change for the hundreds of ultimate games they will play. 

Some coaches like having the disc upside down to demonstrate the forehand grip. It is initially helpful to beginners who need to see the finger position. I have done this. But it is a massive disadvantage if you habitually change your grip via an upside down disc during a game. 

Currently, beginners are taught 3 basic skills: catching, backhand and forehand. They need to be taught the fourth basic skill, grip change, before learning the forehand.

It is worth noting that being able to do a skill is different from knowing how you do that skill and explaining it clearly.

In ultimate, expert players don't think about how they switch grips from backhand to forehand. Even if they can do it effortlessly in front of you, or in a game.

Unfortunately, the same experienced players then teach novices, and don't explicitly teach that skill to them. So let's teach it.

Two hands for beginners when throwing

Beginners should use two hands to hold the disc.

Beginners should only have the disc in one hand at the last possible moment to throw. This applies for backhand and forehand.

Why are two hands better than one?

Let's start with the forehand.

Teach this.

Firstly, a two-hand grip is more stable and supported than a one-hand grip. Experienced players can easily hold a forehand grip in one hand, but beginners often find it hard. It is easier to adjust the fingers of the throwing hand when the other hand can take the help take the weight of the disc.

Secondly, a two-hand grip promotes using more of the arm. A good forehand throwing action involves movement in the shoulder, then elbow, then wrist. A disc held vertical by two hands allows this more easily than a disc held horizontal near the waist, with the elbow wedged against the torso (sticky elbow syndrome) and often not extended.

Don't teach this.

Thirdly, a two-hand grip helps a beginner avoid the disc turning over during a forehand. Beginners find it hard to counteract the common outside-in curve, because their wrist rolls over (palm up to palm down). Have you seen beginners whose forehands always curve over?

In comparison, an experienced player throwing a forehand almost always rolls their wrist under (palm down to palm up). The two-hand grip puts the disc into a vertical position, where the wrist starts palm down. It greatly reduces this common beginner problem.

For the backhand, a two-hand grip is also valuable.

Start in two hands

Drawing the disc back prior to a throw with two hands rotates the torso more than a drawback with one hand, setting up the thrower to put more power into the backhand throw.

Perhaps you might ask: I don't hold the disc in two hands much, yet I throw well. So why should we teach beginners this way?

There are two answers.

Firstly, elite players do it. Watch Jimmy Mickle.

You also can watch 20 other elite players who were filmed in slow motion.

The Japanese use two hands. Look at the women's team (especially Eri Hirai, number 11) during this point. And look at the four throws the men's team use in this play (backhand, forehand, forehand, forehand). Nice put, Matsuno.

Secondly, the improvement in throwing technique across thousands of beginner and intermediate players from a better grip is utterly worthwhile. If elite players find different methods that also succeed that is awesome. But players learning our sport this year need to start from a base of better fundamental technique.

The gif below shows how to switch from a neutral stance into a two-hand forehand grip.