Tuesday, December 31, 2013
IO Flicks
Have you ever played a lefty and been killed by his/her high release or IO backhand? If you haven't, you probably haven't played enough. And if you have, you probably wished you were a lefty and had that easy of a time throwing. Well, here's the secret: You do. It's called an IO flick. Learn to love it.
Tips:
- Learn to add touch to a flick. Lots of people have touch on a backhand, very few have touch on a flick.
- Drop your elbow on your flick. Just trust me on this one.
- Throw it in front of where the target will be (i.e. further out to space). If it has touch, it'll give them something to approach
- A shoulder shimmy, however bad, does wonders
- Keep your non-pivot foot a step back; you'll have more of a window to throw the flick. And if your mark comes closer, step through for an easy backhand
- Two angles of release are all you need to keep your mark guessing. If you have only one, your mark will just put his/her hand there. If you have two, the mark moves, and you have more of a lane. That said, more angles of release are always better.
- Exude confidence. You can probably tell when on the mark that the thrower doesn't have much experience. If you act like you've thrown an IO flick 1,000 times, the marker will respect it and other throws.
If for some reason you can't do those, an offhand backhand is fine for many situations, but doesn't have the same snap as a flick.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Goaltimate strategy - Offense
To preface: I am by no means a goaltimate expert. I just love the game.
I've seen, to this day, 5 main strategies for scoring in the goaltimate games I've played. As those who know me are aware, I've actually been playing goaltimate longer than I have ultimate, by a weird coincidence that involved not wanting to quit track before applying to college and a high school coach who loved goaltimate probably as much as I do now. I'll cover D strategies in another post, but since I am an offensive guy at heart, this has to be the place to start.
Important O point (unabashedly stolen from AJ Tiarsmith): There's no reason to turn it if it's not on a goal shot
1. Chaos (not the San Fran team) - This actually works a surprising amount of the time, and I'd guess it's the strategy with which most people start, if they have never played before.
Involves: Running around without clear goal cuts, yelling at teammates to throw it, people fine without thinking about a game
Upsides: Easy to tell others to do, simple for beginners
Downsides: If you think about strategy for a couple minutes, you'll either overthink it or decide that it's a dumb strategy based on luck
2. Post up (half court basketball) - This is probably one of my favorites, though not particularly effective against people considerably taller (of which there are many, considering I'm 5'10 on a good day).
Involves: Standing in the goal, behind your defender. Thrower puts a throw (ideally scoober, since backhands float too much) to either side of you, and you get it at its highest point. It's easy to box out, and if the throw is good, the defender doesn't have a shot.
Upsides: Someone who is good at boxing out is near unstoppable in the goal, and if you have someone who can read/time jumping for scoobers/crazy throws, you have a much bigger goal to work with
Downsides: To get off a good scoober, you need to be in power position (right in front of the goal on the non-scoring side) or to have a great player. You also need someone to know how to box out properly (with their butt, not their arms or body)
3. Fast break (small ball) - Quick movements, even if there is D, early stall passes, windows to score that come from slashing goat cuts
Involves: Moving the O quickly, so that the D can't set up a defense. Quick releases on passes mean you can move off the throw and use the poles to set picks. Don't hold onto the disc if there's an open look, even if it means a worse position
Upsides: Easy, quick goals, and a self-resetting offense, plus it's hard to get into a high stall situation if you're moving it every time you get the chance. Setting picks on the pole (run past it, your defender either has to run with you and lose a step, around it and lose position, or into it and lose time playing) leads to wide open cuts
Downsides: Quick releases are apparently not widespread (though they should be, and the more goaltimate one plays, the better one gets at them). D can be lazy and be around the goal pushing the O out of position, until the O loses patience. Good zones can fluster those who haven't seen them before.
4. Pass and clear (mini throw and go) - Once you throw it, go cut for the goal, and if you don't get a goal, clear until you're a viable dump look
Involves: Theoretically easy dump looks, then those dump looks looking for theoretically easy goal scores, since the person marking them is presumably out of position
Upsides: Creates a clear cut system for what to do no matter who has the disc or when, provides specific times to cut and clear, simple for beginners to learn as their first system
Downsides: Obvious cuts are obvious, and if you don't have at least some element of surprise, you're relying on either being faster or a better thrower than the other team, which are not always the 2 most important parts of goaltimate (though sometimes, they actually are)
5. Tight windows (I'm tired of playing, let's just force it) - Blades and comeback cuts mean there's always a space near the goal, you just have to get to it.
Involves: Lots of fast moving throws into spaces that you'll only have seen if you were looking for them before they were open. After a post up, when your defender gets behind you, come back for an easy toe the line/pull the disc through goal. When your defender takes one step the wrong way, whip a blade to where the cutter should be going
Upsides: Almost unstoppable if it's on
Downsides: Almost impossible if it's not
------------
I've also seen other styles used sparingly: the try to run before you catch it and jump (while catching) into the goal, the no-look pass is always open, the Zone O. I've never found any of them to be particularly effective (not that any of mine are) nor have I seen them very frequently (hence the no long mention).
Personally? I'm a fan of the post up if I can move around (usually no snow, on turf, early games, etc.) or the tight windows if I'm not as mobile (snowy day, late games, etc.)
Further reads:
Parinella on DoG guy strategy - http://parinella.blogspot.com/2007/09/goaltimate-strategy.html
AJ on ATL strategy - http://parinella.blogspot.com/2007/09/goaltimate-strategy.html?showComment=1190075160000#c499205435006523508
I've seen, to this day, 5 main strategies for scoring in the goaltimate games I've played. As those who know me are aware, I've actually been playing goaltimate longer than I have ultimate, by a weird coincidence that involved not wanting to quit track before applying to college and a high school coach who loved goaltimate probably as much as I do now. I'll cover D strategies in another post, but since I am an offensive guy at heart, this has to be the place to start.
Important O point (unabashedly stolen from AJ Tiarsmith): There's no reason to turn it if it's not on a goal shot
1. Chaos (not the San Fran team) - This actually works a surprising amount of the time, and I'd guess it's the strategy with which most people start, if they have never played before.
Involves: Running around without clear goal cuts, yelling at teammates to throw it, people fine without thinking about a game
Upsides: Easy to tell others to do, simple for beginners
Downsides: If you think about strategy for a couple minutes, you'll either overthink it or decide that it's a dumb strategy based on luck
2. Post up (half court basketball) - This is probably one of my favorites, though not particularly effective against people considerably taller (of which there are many, considering I'm 5'10 on a good day).
Involves: Standing in the goal, behind your defender. Thrower puts a throw (ideally scoober, since backhands float too much) to either side of you, and you get it at its highest point. It's easy to box out, and if the throw is good, the defender doesn't have a shot.
Upsides: Someone who is good at boxing out is near unstoppable in the goal, and if you have someone who can read/time jumping for scoobers/crazy throws, you have a much bigger goal to work with
Downsides: To get off a good scoober, you need to be in power position (right in front of the goal on the non-scoring side) or to have a great player. You also need someone to know how to box out properly (with their butt, not their arms or body)
3. Fast break (small ball) - Quick movements, even if there is D, early stall passes, windows to score that come from slashing goat cuts
Involves: Moving the O quickly, so that the D can't set up a defense. Quick releases on passes mean you can move off the throw and use the poles to set picks. Don't hold onto the disc if there's an open look, even if it means a worse position
Upsides: Easy, quick goals, and a self-resetting offense, plus it's hard to get into a high stall situation if you're moving it every time you get the chance. Setting picks on the pole (run past it, your defender either has to run with you and lose a step, around it and lose position, or into it and lose time playing) leads to wide open cuts
Downsides: Quick releases are apparently not widespread (though they should be, and the more goaltimate one plays, the better one gets at them). D can be lazy and be around the goal pushing the O out of position, until the O loses patience. Good zones can fluster those who haven't seen them before.
4. Pass and clear (mini throw and go) - Once you throw it, go cut for the goal, and if you don't get a goal, clear until you're a viable dump look
Involves: Theoretically easy dump looks, then those dump looks looking for theoretically easy goal scores, since the person marking them is presumably out of position
Upsides: Creates a clear cut system for what to do no matter who has the disc or when, provides specific times to cut and clear, simple for beginners to learn as their first system
Downsides: Obvious cuts are obvious, and if you don't have at least some element of surprise, you're relying on either being faster or a better thrower than the other team, which are not always the 2 most important parts of goaltimate (though sometimes, they actually are)
5. Tight windows (I'm tired of playing, let's just force it) - Blades and comeback cuts mean there's always a space near the goal, you just have to get to it.
Involves: Lots of fast moving throws into spaces that you'll only have seen if you were looking for them before they were open. After a post up, when your defender gets behind you, come back for an easy toe the line/pull the disc through goal. When your defender takes one step the wrong way, whip a blade to where the cutter should be going
Upsides: Almost unstoppable if it's on
Downsides: Almost impossible if it's not
------------
I've also seen other styles used sparingly: the try to run before you catch it and jump (while catching) into the goal, the no-look pass is always open, the Zone O. I've never found any of them to be particularly effective (not that any of mine are) nor have I seen them very frequently (hence the no long mention).
Personally? I'm a fan of the post up if I can move around (usually no snow, on turf, early games, etc.) or the tight windows if I'm not as mobile (snowy day, late games, etc.)
Further reads:
Parinella on DoG guy strategy - http://parinella.blogspot.com/2007/09/goaltimate-strategy.html
AJ on ATL strategy - http://parinella.blogspot.com/2007/09/goaltimate-strategy.html?showComment=1190075160000#c499205435006523508
Introduction
I'm a bit disappointed that there aren't that many standalone blogs for people in the ultimate community. So I guess that volunteers me to write one. Not that what I have to say is important, but maybe someone one day will find this, and it will inspire them to either think more or (dare I say it) write their own blog.
There are guys who have won more than I have (parinella.blogspot.com).
There are guys who are better writers than I am (dopacetic.blogspot.com).
There are better sources of news (ultiworld.com).
There are better stories being put out about ultimate (skydmagazine.com).
But maybe, just maybe, I can find a niche.
There are guys who have won more than I have (parinella.blogspot.com).
There are guys who are better writers than I am (dopacetic.blogspot.com).
There are better sources of news (ultiworld.com).
There are better stories being put out about ultimate (skydmagazine.com).
But maybe, just maybe, I can find a niche.
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