Flying disc techniques

Flying discs (including Frisbees) can be thrown in many ways. All involve spinning the disc to give it gyroscopic stability, and accelerating its mass to a certain velocity. Without spin, a disc will wobble and fall; without velocity, the disc will not go anywhere. Using these two guidelines, any number of throws are possible. Most discs are designed to create lift when thrown with the flat side up.

Techniques

Right-side up

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]

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).
• 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 (sidearm)

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.^[2]

• 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

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

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

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.

Duck

Also known as a bear claw, a duder, a biscuit, a bow tie, or a useless. It is thrown with a similar grip to the Overhand, except it is the backward version of it ng 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 disc back into 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

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 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 down.

Thumber

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"

• 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.

Wheel

The wheel (also known as the wheel of death) is similar to a hammer or thumber but thrown with a backhand grip. The flight path is similar to the hammer but starts out more vertical and tends to drop faster.

• Grip: Identical to a backhand.
• Throw: The throw begins with the hand cocked just above the shoulder, rotated so that the disc is near vertical with the upper side of the disc facing the thrower's head. The arm is straightened in front of the thrower with a backhand wrist snap to release.

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.

Table of basic disc throws

SIDE	THROW		PATH			SPIN	HAND
Side	Name	Acronym	Natural	Hyzer	Anhyzer	Spin	Hand
Rightside-up	Backhand	BH	R L	L R	R L	-1 +1	RH LH
	Forehand	FH	L R	R L	L R	+1 -1	RH LH
	Push Pass	PP	0 0			-1 +1	RH LH
	Thumber Forehand	TFH	L R	R L	L R	+1 -1	RH LH
	Overhand	OH	R L	L R	R L	-1 +1	RH LH
Not side defined	Blade	B	L R			+1 -1	RH LH
Upside-down	Hammer	H	R L			+1 -1	RH LH
	Scoober	S	R L			+1 -1	RH LH
	Thumber	T	L R			-1 +1	RH LH
	Wheel	W	R L			+1 -1	RH LH

This table represents the fundamental disc throws with classic technique in the forward form, in fact exist many variations of throws and grips that make the number of pitches quite infinite.

The natural path is the trajectory the disc takes without pre-release tilt.

The hyzer path is the trajectory the disc takes when the outside edge of the disc is tilted downward.

The anhyzer path is the trajectory the disc takes when the outside edge of the disc is tilted upward.

The spin is the rotation of the disc.

Every throw can be done with the right hand or the left hand and this is shown in the hand column.

RH=right hand, LH=left hand, R=the path tends to the right of the thrower, L=the path tends to the left of the thrower, 0 means that the path is quite linear.

So R with RH and L with LH are outside-in (OI) paths; R with LH and L with RH are inside-out (IO) paths.

In spin column numbers represent the sign of the angular momentum relative to the upside of the disc (+1=positive (counter-clockwise rotation), -1=negative (clockwise rotation)).

Throws may be signed as follows: hand acronym+throw acronym+tilt acronym. For example LHBHIO is an inside out backhand throw pitched with the left hand; RHFH0 is a linear forehand throw pitched with the right hand. To have linear paths the disc must be released with a light opposite tilt than his natural path.

See also

• Physics of flying discs
• Ken Westerfield

References

External links

• Ultimate Players Association, teaches skills and strategy for Ultimate.
• The Sport Journal, Ultimate Throwing Techniques