Ultimate Frisbee is accessible to everyone of all ages and abilities. It is a fast-paced team sport that is easy to learn and fun for the whole family. This article will give you comprehensive insights on ultimate frisbee, including different possible throws with excellent flying discs like the Innova Starlite 175g Sport Frisbees.
We’ll go through the fundamentals of throwing an ultimate frisbee backhand and forehand, suggestions for strengthening your throw and a collection of reputable links to a myriad of resources and other excellent backyard activities like Kan-Jam and Frisbee golf.
What is Ultimate Frisbee
Ultimate Frisbee is a team sport with no physical contact. Two teams of seven players. The game’s object is to score points by catching a pass (frisbee throw) in the opponent’s end zone, similar to American and Canadian football. Unlike other sports that use an oval ball, ultimate frisbees are designed to make them easy to throw to catch and achieve a spiral flight.
How to throw an ultimate frisbee (Backhand)
Grasping the frisbee with your left hand, press up hard against it. You’ll want to grip tightly and ensure that there is no slipping for this practice session to go as planned!
Your Grip
A thumb should rest on top of one side while an index finger lurks beneath its rim near the centre of the disc; slide them outwards until they meet (but not too much!) Push those fingers towards each other so we can get started.
I like to place my index finger on the outside of the frisbee, my middle finger closer to the centre and my ring/pinky pressing hard against it.
Step Forth and Snap
The initial practice for the backhand is you’ll want to stand approximately 10 yards away from a target or between you and a partner. Focus on the fundamentals of wrist movement by standing with your left and right arm on the disc and releasing your left arm.
Start with your wrist, back into your body, and then go ahead with your arm while snapping with the wrist, so strive forward and then snap. Practise this motion until the frisbee moves steadily and reasonably straight toward the target.
Kinesthetic Awareness
Now the frisbee needs to be where your elbow creates a 90-degree angle. You’re going to turn your shoulders, twist and rotate your hip so that you’re facing your shoulders down inline to where you’re trying to throw.
Take the lead with your elbow and snap your wrist and your hips and legs from the left side.
You don’t want to be turning your body completely. Your hips and stomach are essentially facing your target when releasing, and then your body will be a driving component of the force and the snap that propels the throw.
In a single fluid motion, the thrower should turn their hips and shoulders at just the right time to provide maximum power. The release of this frisbee will be fantastic!
How to throw an ultimate frisbee (Forehand)
The Grip
To keep the frisbee stable, we need to maintain as much tension on the inner rim as feasible. I keep it in place with my middle and ring fingers, then apply force with my pinky and forefinger.
You must close the gap between the palm behind your thumb and the disc. Otherwise, it will come out and become unsteady.
You’ll want a stronghold on the frisbee. However, we might not want to keep our wrists too rigid. We want to wiggle and flick our wrist, but we don’t want the disc to go beyond.
We’ll curl our fingers a little bit to start, and you may find it easier to move this pointer finger up to the centre of the frisbee like an L shape to give a little more stability. The primary reason grip is essential is to generate a little more snap, and the frisbee doesn’t spin and slide while throwing it.
Wrist Movement
Keeping our palms towards the sky as much as possible produces a horizontal plane stretching back and snapping forwards. Thus thumb back pinky forwards palm flat is an excellent signal to maintain a flat hand flat. You should now be able to toss the frisbee a great distance with just one motion.
Explosive Elbow
Working on our power first, we want to move that elbow off the body rather than resting it on it, subsequently concentrating on short, accurate throws. You want to take the elbow off the body to begin, bring it back, and push it forward.
You’re increasing the range of motion on this disc so that the frisbee is coming forth with speed and velocity when you unleash.
So that without exerting pressure on the arm, drawing the forearm as far back as comfortable, driving it backwards, then bringing the elbow forwards.
By the moment my arm emerges through the vicinity, my wrist is traversing, and I’m ready to place that snap at the end. My elbow is thrust rearward, then with the forward drive is just how you generate the torque and boom, the frisbee will fly.
Complete Motion
We can step out to the side and upward, beginning with our feet as the framework. Moving up provides us with a bit of power while hurling and out to the side allows us to leverage that shoulder and push back to add a slight rotational twist to the throw.
As a result, we mustn’t utilise our lower body and our core and twist as we push forwards; we don’t want to over twist as we start flinging the frisbee and popping and whipping it to launch.
TIP: The forehand throw, by contrast, calls for the disc to move as little as possible, so when we release it, we don’t wish it is doing anything wacky during your throwing. Occasionally, we will throw the frisbee a bit off-kilter, However, as the frisbee continues, it should be on the level upon which we shall throw it, and it will glide smoothly.
Once you’ve learned and practised the basics with the forehand, try throwing various trajectories and angles.
As an instructor, Rowan McDonnell excels at helping others learn how to throw a Frisbee. Rowan is the perfect option for anybody considering taking up this activity or just learning more about what it takes to succeed with his engaging personality.
Excel Ultimate.com [Excel Ultimate]. (2019, September 26). How to Throw a Frisbee for Beginners [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNQexzgzvw4&t=65s
Types of Ultimate Frisbee Throws
Ultimate is a fun, fast-paced game with soccer, football, and basketball elements. There are many types of throws that you can use in the game, including:
The scoober
A high arcing throw is the inverse of a forehand but uses the same posture with the palm down. It is a flick up of the disc and leading with the elbow over another player that gets past defensive players’ frisbee pitches that may be employed during an ultimate game.
Blade
It is A forehand throw that arcs left and rises high in the air. In-flight, the disc is vertical. an extreme form of the reverse curve – a lateral pass that soars high in the air and curves to go past an opponent in tight quarters
The Hammer
As the name suggests, it is comparable to the blade throw but a little more arm over the head like a hammer.
We’re going to squeeze it as tight and far away from us since the hammer is all about spin, just like every other throw. The ultimate we are going to pull our elbow straight back. This will start an opening that allows for more whip up top, but if you want your throws further, then arc them out in front of yourself or let go earlier, so gravity has time to do its job by bending toward the target instead!
Huck
Huck is an aerial frisbee throw with a forehand grasp wherein you hurl the disc at an angle such that it straightens out and glides upturned. The name “Huck” comes from old English, meaning to loop or curl back on itself, similarly to how this skill lets players launch their throws upward into the sky before curving down towards its target like some airborne boomerang!
Boomerang
A frisbee boomerang requires wind. You’ll throw up at a 45-degree angle, so the disc will naturally curve right when you throw. Adjust the disc’s angle to rise straight up, catch the wind, and return to its original place. Prosper from every favourable breeze and keep refining your strategy. Keep twisting and snapping your wrist at the very top to obtain the beautiful spin and additional power. It’ll come back to you if you practise enough.
Thumber/Forehand
Thumbers are the ultimate frisbee throwing method that involves holding it in front of you. To release, press between your thumb and index finger or both! It’s best to use a Thumber with plenty of throw heights because there may be times when high throws aren’t an option for whatever reason (like if someone is chasing after you).
Okie Doke
A throwing technique where the disc is held in front of the body with one edge facing you and your arm cocked above shoulder height. The side with an edge is colloquially known as “the flat”. Bring your hand down and slap your thighs with the rim before throwing.” It’s an impressive display of talent under duress. I’ve included footage of this throw from the AUDL, the top professional ultimate frisbee league within the United States and Canada.
American Ultimate Disc League [ AUDL]. (2015, December 1). The Okie Doke [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com
Techniques for Improving Your Frisbee Throw
You can’t expect to be an ace Frisbee thrower overnight. You will need to practise your technique repeatedly, preferably daily, before you see any progress – it’s not like learning how to ride a bike where you only have to do it once every few years!
Focus on those Fundamental Throws
You may have noticed that one of your throws is better than the other. Don’t fret!
This isn’t a problem at first; make sure you switch sides with regularity and focus on both forehand and backhand equally when practising so they can even out eventually.
Work only on whichever side needs more attention while also focusing on rotations for improved precision, throwing from either arm by rotating their wrists carefully. It’s all about putting pressure where we want it most, which means ensuring a firm grasp combined with careful movement/rotation habits will give us our best results here (and having good form helps, too!).
Throwing Activities for Greater Skill
A few drills to practice:
- It is hard to keep everything in balance when you’re on one leg. Keeping the core strong and snapping fast while throwing both forehand and backhand with some twists or wrist flicks will help improve your stability!
- Even if the frisbee throws are tricky with your off-hand or non-throwing side, it may help balance and strength on both sides. Do this while stepping out to throw a backhand at the same side – getting into good throwing form from different angles can be challenging but worth all of that hard work!
- To isolate the wrist snap and spin, we may move shoulder-width apart or even wider to create more of a square base. With both hands stationary and facing forward at chest height with arms locked straight out in front (think Tiger Woods), use only your wrists for power – no pivoting! Focus on snapping as quickly but powerfully.
Types of Ultimate Frisbees
Types of frisbees include the ultimate disk, also known as a “pro” disc. These discs are usually more expensive and have different designs printed on them. They can range from $20-$90 depending on how much money someone is willing to spend or what type of design they want their disc to have.
The manufacturers for these types of discs are Discraft and Wham-o. There are also youth frisbees or mini discs, which can cost from $20-$40 depending on the age group they target, such as a junior disc for children ages 12 and under who do not have the strength or accuracy to throw a regular disc.
Assortment of Frisbees
There are many different types of frisbees to choose from.
- The Discraft Ultra-Star Sport Disc has a multi-purpose design that’s great for players of all skill levels.
- Flying Rings makes an excellent training tool with its durable nylon composition and beach-friendly, thanks to its rubber grip exterior textures.
- Chuckit! ‘s two sizes make it easier TennisBall Throwers (or those just looking)to find one that fits their needs – whether recreational or competitive play. We’ve got you covered.
- The Innova Pulsar Ultimate disc is an excellent choice for competitive or recreational space. Made of hard plastic, this flying saucer can go up to 1,330 feet high!
- Throw it in the air and see how far your Aerobie Pro Outdoor Flying Disc will fly-you just set a world record too!
Great backyard activities – Ultimate Frisbee, Kan Jam, and Frisbee Golf.
Ultimate Frisbee
The great thing about backyard activities is playing them with your family and friends. There’s no reason to abandon your backyard. to enjoy playing these games, making it even more fun. For example, there are different types of throws involved in Ultimate Frisbee, like backhand or forearm.
The game has become increasingly popular because people love how fun they have when they practice together and engage in friendly matches against other teams. Different players progress at their rate, but there’s no doubt that this pastime will remain among the most enjoyable outdoor ones ever!
Kan Jam
Kan Jam is a fast-paced game that requires extreme precision and will surely provide you with hours of fun. It’s easy to learn how to play, but mastering the art of throwing those discs into the can won’t be as simple as it initially seems. The best part about this backyard activity is the two different ways you can win: scoring points by making your opponents miss or reaching 21 first if you want an easier way out!
Frisbee Golf
The sport has remained established for a considerable period, and it’s slowly becoming more and more popular than ever before throughout the entire world. People love spending their leisure time practising something they enjoy doing without having to leave home – especially when we’re talking about an activity that the entire family can play. Frisbee Golf is pretty easy to learn, but mastering it will take time and patience!
Why is Ultimate Frisbee a fun activity for the whole family at home?
Ultimate Frisbee is a fun sport and family activity because people from different backgrounds can enjoy it. It’s also great.
- For youngsters and adults of all levels, play
- you can tailor it to your family’s needs
- You will require no gear other than a disc and some space – perfect for those days when you’re feeling lazy!
- The American Ultimate Association (AUA) has over 45,000 members in 35 countries.
- Because there are many benefits to playing this game, including better fitness and increased socialisation with friends and other players
- To burn up about 400 calories while also improving hand-eye coordination and reflexes.
Experts & Tricks at your Fingertips
This post has hopefully brought to light the fantastic potential of the frisbee as an affordable activity you can practice and play in your backyard.
Fortunately, many experts and tips and techniques are available online from some well-known frisbee throwing gurus. I’ve included a link with their names beneath:
- Rowan McDonnell
- Brodie Smith
- Marques Brownlee
- Ryan Lowe
- Claire Chastain
- Emily Cohen
- Paul McBeth
- Hannah McBeth
Final Thoughts
Furthermore, kids can even learn how to play Ultimate Frisbee in school. It is that easy when it comes to understanding the game. With this many benefits and fun factors attached to running around on a field chasing frisbees, I genuinely wonder what you are still waiting for? Get ready for some good old family time!
Sources of Information
EISENHOOD, C. (2021, April 1). How to Throw a Backhand in Ultimate Frisbee – Features. Ultiworld. https://ultiworld.com/feature/how-to-throw-a-backhand-in-ultimate-frisbee/
Ultimate Frisbee HQ. (2018, March 6). How to throw forehand. https://ultimatefrisbeehq.com/how-to-throw-a-forehand-frisbee/
Delucia, A. (2020, March 5). Ultimate Frisbee Throws: Basic And Advanced Techniques. SportyGen. https://sportygen.com/ultimate-frisbee-throws/
Luff, C. (2021, May 5). The 9 Best Frisbees of 2021. Verywell Fit. https://www.verywellfit.com/best-frisbees-4158049
Brodie Smith. (2011, August 15). Advanced Frisbee Throws | Brodie Smith [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdlpyazJxfQ
Excel Ultimate. (2021, September 24). COURSES. https://excelultimate.com/course/
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