Techniques
Right-side up
Trajectories of tilted discs
Red: Axis of thrower's body
Blue: Outside-in curve
Green: Inside-out curve
Right-side up throws are all similar in that they react the same way to the tilt of the disc when it is released. A disc thrown right-side up will
accelerate in the direction of the low end of the disc. A disc tilted leading-edge up will lose speed at the end of the throw and make a gentle landing; if tilted sideways (known in aeronautics terms as
roll), it can curve around objects.
There is a language for describing throws that curve. Both descriptions are relative to the direction the person is facing and intends to throw. This axis is marked in
red in the picture.
- Inside-out (i-o) throws (green paths) occur when the thrower releases the disc in such a way that it initially comes towards the throwing axis (inside-). However, the disc is tilted with the side closest to the body highest, which causes the disc to curve away from the thrower (-out).
- Outside-in (o-i) throws (blue paths, sometimes also called a bender) follow the opposite path. The thrower releases the disc moving away from the throwing axis (outside-), but with the side of the disc closest to the body lowest. This tilt causes the disc to bend back towards the thrower (-in).
In
disc golf,
inside-out throws are referred to as "hyzer" throws and
outside-in throws are known as "anhyzer." "Hyzer" is a reference to H. R. "Fling" Hyzer and the etymology can be traced back at least as far as 1975
[1]. "Anhyzer" is a pun and refers to
Anheuser-Busch.
[citation needed]
Backhand
This is probably the most commonly learned throw, and also one of the most powerful.
- Grip: Fingers are curled under the disc's rim, and the thumb is placed on top of the disc to hold it in place. The index finger may either be on the edge of the disc (to help aim), or four fingers may be tucked underneath the rim (to aid power).
| |  Backhand Grip, Bottom View |
- Throw: The thrower draws the throwing arm across the body from the left to the right (for right-handed throwers) to build velocity for the disc. During this movement, the arm straightens out. As the arm becomes straight, the wrist is flicked to impart spin. For backhands, the thrower should step with his strong leg (the same side as his throwing arm) forward or across the body to allow a smooth, accurate throw.
Variations
- The High Release: Used to get around an object (or a person), the High Release is thrown above the thrower's shoulder, and relies more heavily on the flick of the wrist to impart power.
- The Air Bounce: This throw is released at a downward angle, but with a high angle of attack. This throw will move toward the ground at first before downwash causes it to rise, giving the visual effect of the disc "bouncing" in the air. This is done by pressing down with the thumb, which lowers the trailing edge at the instant of release.
- The Beach Backhand: Rather than reaching and throwing the disc across the body, the arm is curled and the disc is cocked next to the hip on the same side of the body as the throwing arm. The disc is released by extending the arm straight ahead and snapping the wrist. The term "beach backhand", or "barbecue backhand" as it is sometimes called, is considered pejorative, as this release technique is uniformly inferior to a standard backhand. It is also sometimes referred to as the "chicken wing" as it involves an awkward cocking of the elbow, mimicking a chicken wing.
Forehand
This throw is also known as the
flick, two-finger, or the
side-arm. Focused in the wrist, this throw takes little time to execute. Along with the backhand, it is one of the two most common throws used in
Ultimate, as it allows throws from the opposite side of the body from the backhand.
Forehand Grip, Bottom View
- Grip: The middle finger is extended and laid along the rim of the disc. The index finger is placed against the middle finger for power, or pressed on the bottom of the disc pointing towards the center for stability. The thumb is pressed against the top of the disc. The wrist is cocked back, and the arm is extended out from the body.
- Throw: A snap of the wrist imparts spin as the disc releases off the middle finger, as well as some forward velocity. Extension of the lower arm provides additional power, as does shoulder and upper body rotation, although too much reliance on arm movement can lead to "floaty" throws with little spin.
Variations
The forehand is a versatile throw, and can be adapted to many different situations.
- Different wrist or arm angles on release can allow for inside-out or outside-in curves.
- Most upside-down throws (see below) use the forehand grip and use the same wrist snap and release, and are therefore variants of the forehand in some sense.
- The High Release: Used to get around an object (or a person), the High Release is thrown above the thrower's shoulder, and is powered by the flick of the wrist as well as the rising action of the arm on release.
- The Pizza Flip: Used primarily in faking, the Pizza Flip is executed by starting a standard forehand throw; but at the last moment rotating the disc counter-clockwise (for right handed players), under the throwing arm, using only the middle finger and the momentum of the spin to hold the disc. The Pizza Flip is then released towards the dominant side of the thrower, perpendicular to the direction of the standard forehand throw.
Push Pass
| |  Push Pass Grip, Bottom View |
The Push Pass: A relatively little-used throw, it is thrown with a grip similar to a backhand (index finger on the outer rim of the disc, thumb on top, other fingers curled underneath) but is released on the forehand side from a forehand stance. A pronating wrist snap similar to a forehand release pushes the disc forward, while spin is imparted "backwards" by rolling the disc off the index finger. A final flick of the index finger finishes the release. It is difficult to impart as much spin to the push pass as one can typically impart to a forehand or backhand, resulting in a less stable throw. It is useful in
Ultimate for very short throws released to the forehand side.
Thumber forehand
The thumber forehand is also known as The Beach Thumber, Peach, or in the sport of
guts, simply as a thumber. Its primary advantage is that it can be thrown quite hard and with a great amount of spin, and is relatively easy to learn. It is often seen used in a game of
Guts due to its power and velocity. It is unpopular in
Ultimate due to several disadvantages when compared to the standard forehand. It is relatively difficult to impart different curves or release angles to, it is harder to release extended away from the thrower's body, and it makes for slow grip transitions to a backhand or hammer.
- Grip: The thumber derives its name from the grip: it is thrown on the forehand side with the thumb under the rim and the rest of the hand against the outside of the disc. The arm should also be tucked against the side, and the elbow bent. The disc is kept parallel to the ground and the wrist is cocked back.
- Throw: To release, the wrist is snapped forward. Spin is imparted off the flat part of the thumb; power can be gained by rotating the arm at the shoulder or the body at the hips. A flat release is critical to a successful thumber forehand.
Finn
The Finn is an extreme version of the high release backhand whereby the disc is released at a very high point. It differs from the regular high release in that there is less emphasis placed on spin and the release point is situated above the thrower's head. The lack of spin ensures the disc drops fast making it a favoured quick placement throw for dump passes. Good throwers can send the Finn long distances making it a favourite deep throw against straight up marks and zones often replacing the hammer due to the stability associated with the disc movement.
- Grip: The Finn is gripped in a regular backhand fashion with slight variations. The index finger is loosely positioned along the outside rim and the three remaining fingers are pointed towards the centre on the underside of the disc as opposed to gripping the inside rim. This ensures that the disc remains parallel to the ground even at great heights.
- Throw The majority of momentum is built up from the vertical motion of the throwing arm. When the arm is almost fully extended vertically, a slight circular motion imparts forward velocity. The disc should be released in between the index and middle finger. The amount of spin created by snapping the wrist dictates the length of time it remains floating in the air and should be altered according to the situation.
Overhand
The Overhand (also known as
Hungarian,
flamingo,
dragonwing,
windmill ,
waffle,
discus,
wrist-hook,
chicken wing,
black hand,
boda,
Hibernian, or
biscuit) is rarely used among ultimate players, because the alternative, the traditional forehand, allows greater sideways arm extension, useful in moving the disc around defenders. The Overhand is most useful when the disc is caught above the head and must be thrown quickly without changing grips, such as during a
Greatest attempt.
| |  Overhand Grip, Bottom View |
- Grip: The fingers of the hand are spread out over the top, with the thumb under the disc and perpendicular to the rim. For greater control, extend the index finger along the rim, as in the control grip for the forehand.
- Throw: The arm is held horizontal and behind the thrower, then quickly brought forward, and the wrist is snapped laterally as the disc is released. Typically, release occurs at or above shoulder height, although it is possible to release at waist height or lower. The whole body and arm can be allowed to rotate, and the forearm must move very quickly to impart enough momentum to send the disc a significant distance. For maximum power, the entire body rotates, as in the ancient discus throw seen in track and field events; for a right-hander, the torso starts leaning right, and ends leaning left. Wrist snap is especially important, as the throw has no stability without a strong spin.
Duck
The Duck (also known as a
bear claw, a
duder,, a
biscuit, a
bow tie, or a
useless) is thrown with a similar grip to the Overhand, except it is the backward version of it. While the Overhand is thrown with counter-clockwise spin (for right-handers), the duck is thrown with clockwise spin. It is usually thrown with the arm out to the side or above the head. It is called the duck due to the shape of the gripping hand during the throw, as if making a duck shadow puppet. This throw is used in attempts at
The Greatest (jumping out of bounds and throwing the Frisbee back in to play while in the air).
Upside-down
A disc thrown upside-down has a very different flight path than one thrown right-side up. The lift force does not enforce stable flight as it does on a right-side up disc, resulting in a more of a
parabolic arc in flight. As with a right-side up throw, however, the flight path of the disc will curve toward the lower edge. This banking effect is most pronounced when the disc is at a 45 degree angle, and less pronounced when it is near-vertical, or near-horizontal.
Gyroscopic precession causes the disc to rotate toward horizontal through its flight path. Unlike a right-side up throw, however, an upside-down disc will not precess toward a stable flat state, and will in stead
oscillate past horizontal and begin to bank in the opposite direction. This
shuttlecock-like effect is known as "helixing", and is generally avoided due to the difficulty in controlling a helixing flight path. For this reason, an upside down throw is typically released with either clockwise rotation and the left edge up, or counterclockwise rotation and the right edge up. The longer the disc is expected to remain in the air, the closer to vertical it must be at release to avoid the helixing effect.
Hammer
The Hammer is gripped just like a normal forehand throw, and is generally a mid-range, high and arching throw.
- Grip: Identical to the forehand.
- Throw: From an open stance, the throwing arm is swung over the head in a similar motion to an overhand throw or volleyball spike. The disc is released using a wrist snap identical to that of a forehand. The angle of the disc on release can be anywhere between vertical and nearly upside-down, depending on the flight path desired.
A hammer, when thrown by a right-handed thrower, will arc up and to the left as it moves away from the thrower, and will bank towards the right in flight. The banking effect will be more pronounced if the disc is thrown higher and spends more flight time near a 45 degree angle. It should be noted that there is a variation of the hammer called the "Horseshoe" where the thrower takes a step towards his dominant side and throws the disc over and somewhat behind his head. This is used primarily for fake-outs in short to mid-range end zone passes, and it is effective because of it appears to go the opposite way that the defender expects. One may think of this throw as the hammer equivalent of a behind-the-back throw.
Scoober
Another upside-down variant of the forehand, the
scoober (also known as the
spoon pass or
hiawatha) is similar to a hammer, but released away from the body from a backhand stance, instead of over the head from a forehand stance. The scoober travels in a path similar to the hammer, although the initial release is typically more flat than a hammer release. Although it is more difficult to impart power to a scoober than a hammer, a scoober can be an effective short-range (10 to 20 yards/meters) throw and is used in
Ultimate for breaking the mark and to throw over defenders in a zone defense.
- Grip: Identical to a forehand or hammer.
- Throw: The thrower steps towards the backhand side, holding the disc upside down and bringing the throwing arm across the body. Leading with the elbow, the throwing arm is swung forward, and the disc is flicked off the middle finger (as in a forehand), releasing the disc upside doThumber
The
Thumber (not to be confused with the
thumber forehand) is a throw that is rarely used in competitive play, compared to the Hammer or standard forehand. It has a flight path that is the mirror-image of the Hammer (arcing high and to the right for a right-handed thrower). It can be useful when the disc needs to drop quickly and fly with an opposite curve to a Hammer in order to avoid defenders. In disc golf, this throw is also referred to as the "hook thumb" or the "tomahawk"
[2]
| |  Thumber Grip, Bottom View |
- Grip: The thumber derives its name from the grip: the disc is held with the thumb tightly against the rim and the rest of the hand against the outside of the disc. The wrist is cocked back in a similar fashion to a forehand.
- Throw: Cock the arm backwards, then bring it forward in a similar motion to a baseball pitch. The disc is released by a forward wrist snap.
Blade
The
Blade is a throw that can neither be classified as right-side up or up-side down, because instead of the flat plane of the disc being relatively parallel to the ground, it is instead relatively perpendicular to the ground. With this throw the disc cuts through the air like a blade and does not float or have the same lift that most other throws do.
- Grip: The grip is normally like a forehand or hammer grip.
- Throw: The throw is like a forehand except the disc is held straight up and down instead of flat to the ground. It is thrown up and forward and it flies similar to a regular projectile motion path. It is used to throw up over someone but in a way so that the disc gets back down to the receiver quickly.
General Advice
When throwing a disc, it is important to remember that it is
not a ball, and must be thrown differently. Because a disc needs spin to fly, a thrower should focus more on imparting
torque rather than forward momentum. This is accomplished by a flicking of the wrist. Also, rather than stepping out with the opposite foot, which gives power to throw with the arm, it's best to step with the same foot as your throwing arm, which provides for more stability and spin and therefore a better flight.
