The only way to get good at something is to practice! While we will get as many touches on the disc as we can at school practices, students will benefit greatly from practicing at home as well. Here are several ways they can do so - we will go over all of these at the first practice.
Students do not need to come to practice with their own frisbee. However, if you are purchasing one, look for the official Discraft disc that is 175g. They run $8-$10. Students should write their name in Sharpie on the back of the disc so it does not get misplaced.
Throwing & Catching (1-2 person)
In order to move the disc down the field, students needs to get really good at catching and throwing.
If alone, students should set a target about 10-12 feet away (e.g. a small soccer net) and hit the center of the net with 15-30 forehand and 15-30 backhand throws. A cone could also be used as a target (just don’t aim at the ground!).
If with a partner, students should start about 10-12 feet apart. Throw 15-30 backhands and then switch to forehand and repeat. When catching, students should practice alligator catches and getting their bodies behind the disc for maximum success. If catching high or low, students should practice 1-handed grabs with their dominant hand, whenever possible.
When comfortable and consistent (90% of throws are to target, 90% catches are completed), partners should spread out to 15-20 feet and repeat above. If alone, student should move away from the target to 15-20 feet and repeat above.
Isolate the Wrist Snap (1-person)
Lie on your back and throw into the air. It'll isolate the wrist snap portion of your throws and self corrects your disc angle to be flat (otherwise the disc will fly away from you and you can't catch it). Works better for backhand, but forehand can be done if you're lying on a bench or other raised surface so that your arm can be pulled back.
Grip Switch (1-person)
This is not a throwing drill at all, but simply a grip switch practice. Start with a forehand grip and practice rotating between forehand and backhand grips as swiftly as possible without dropping the disc. This can be done inside, outside, while watching TV or doing chores. It’s great practice!
Flutterguts (4+ people)
Flutterguts or Flutter is a game that is all about the catches. It’s great for mastering one-handed grabs with both the left and right hands. Start with 2 teams of at least 2 players lined up across from one another, about 10 feet apart. The main rule is that, when serving, the disc must be thrown such that it does not rotate about its central axis (i.e. it can flip, but it cannot spin). This restriction makes fast throws impossible, but catching is still challenging.
The receiving team must catch the disc cleanly in one hand, and may not move from position until after the disc leaves the hand of the thrower. The disc may not be trapped between the hand and any other part of the body, including the other hand. This frequently results in a challenging sequence of "tips" or "bobbles", which are rebounds of the disc off of receivers' hands or body to slow the disc down and keep it in play until it can be caught. This often involves multiple players on the receiving team. Watch this to see an example of Flutterguts in action.
Pivots with a Tree or Lawn Chair (1-person)
Find a tree and pretend it’s your mark. A lawn chair works great, too. Starting with forehand grip, practice stepping around the tree to the right to throw a forehand, all the while maintaining your pivot foot firmly on the ground (don’t actually throw the disc). Keep your forehand grip on the disc, bring it into your body while switching to backhand grip, lunge with your right leg and practice stepping around the tree to the left and line up for a backhand throw. Goals: get used to pivoting and switching the grip at the same time, as well as lunging to give space while throwing.
Shallow Vs (2-person)
A big part of ultimate is to throw to a person on the run, as well as catch the disc on the run. This drill is designed to help practice that. Click the red link below to see the drill in action.
Take turns making shallow V-shaped cuts* in a triangle about 10 yards between thrower/cutter. The cutter focuses on warming up footwork and catches and the thrower works on touch Outside-In throws to space. Imagine making small dump cuts and resetting the disk to the cutter. Recommended: 15 throws/catches for each player.