How to Throw an Ultimate Frisbee

Reid Attaway: Hi, I am Reid Attaway of the Madison Bumblers Ultimate Frisbee team and I am here to show you how to play Ultimate Frisbee.

In this segment, I will be discussing several throws that you will need to be an effective Ultimate Frisbee player. First, let's start up with the most basic Ultimate Frisbee throw, the backhand. You hold the backhand with your hand inside the disk, now the fingers that want to put in depends on how powerfully you want to throw it. Ideally, you would hold it with two fingers for a mid-distance throw, with a lot of accuracy. To execute the throw, you step across your body with your lead foot, not your pivot foot, and get as much as extension out of way from the defender as you can.

Complementary to the backhand, is the forehand or flick throw. With this throw you hold the disc on the inside rim, with your middle or index finger. Now you step out away from you pivot foot, to get extension away from the mark and then flick your wrist and roll the disc off the end of your finger.

Next, I will demonstrate the hammer. The hammer is the exact same grip as the flick, typically, however, you won't use your index finger on the inside of the rim, just your middle finger. In throwing a hammer you also don't need to worry about footwork because this is a quick throw meant to be thrown directly over a defense. Throw the hammer, you step back and use the same release as a flick except you throw it upward and to your left. Next, I would demonstrate the scoober. The scoober uses the same grip as the flick and a hammer do, except you release it more off to the left of your body. The only difference in the hammer and the scoober is that the scoober is quick and it is out across your body instead of above it. Those are four of the most common throws in Ultimate Frisbee and they are the ones which you will need the most. You can all use of these throws in different ways, however, by changing the angle that you release the disc to throw out around defenders or entire defenses.

Next, we will be discussing some of the rules and strategies involved in playing ultimate Frisbee.

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