Author: Jake

Lanes

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Stay in your laneNow that you know to face the wind and to jam in a line, the next step is learning about lanes in the jam. This is a natural extension to the two previous skills. You might already be using this concept without knowing it. Basically you can think of a lane like a swimmer has a lane in a race. In the jam, the lane moves into the wind.

Each player moving in the line has their own lane going into the wind. As the disc moves between the players, each is responsible only for his or her own lane. So if the disc is in my lane, you do not move in front of me to get it. Rather, you wait for me to set it into your lane, either on purpose of by accident, and then you take over. In the same way, I will never go into your lane. If I lose control and the disc flies into your lane, I won’t step in front of you, even if you are not ready.

Why? This way we don’t crash into each other. This gives us each the opportunity to shine without encroaching on each others space. This keeps us safe. This let’s us know when we should go for it or when we should hold back. We all play better when we respect our lanes. And soon, a whole new level of magic forms because we can read each other’s movement.

I can not tell you how many times someone has jumped in front of me and “poached” a disc that was in my lane. It is very intimidating when someone who is out of control (or even in control) runs at you at full speed trying to save the disc. If you lose it, let it go. The person it goes to will save it and be a star. And when they lose it, you will be the star. Just hang out nearby and wait for your chance.

I’ve also seen newer players be afraid to step up into their lane. Don’t be afraid..that is unless you know the person next to you doesn’t respect the lane. Then look out! But if you’re next to me in the jam, be ready. Stay on my hip, in your lane. I will set it to you and I will expect you to crush a gitis! Nothing is more sad then when a perfect set comes your way and you don’t go for it. If you are properly situated in the line, in your lane, and the disc comes to you, it’s yours. Go get it. This is what lanes are all about.

So how do you know where your lane is? How wide is it? Does it go in a straight line? As a general rule, your lane is as wide as your reach to save and control the disc. So imagine your arm span. Can you brush or catch the disc from fingertip to fingertip? Hint: I can. If you can’t yet, keep working.

Lanes in the Jam

The wind is coming from the camera position.

The direction of the lane is formed by the wind and the jam line. The most basic jam line forms perpendicular to the wind direction. The lanes move directly into the wind. Here there is a small subtlety, based on the tilt of the disc. Since a disc spinning clock will tend to tilt out of the wind to the right, the lanes bend slightly to the right of the wind direction. Also, the people on the left of the disc can be slightly upwind while the people on the right can be slightly downwind. Of course, counter is a mirror image: the lanes bend left and the people on the right can move slightly upwind.

However, this is all based on the current tilt of the disc. If the disc is directly in the wind, your lane goes into the wind. As the disc tilts, so does the lane. And as you become better at predicting how and when the disc will tilt, you can shift your position and direction slightly ahead of time.

Of course, the lane and disc tilt are very subtle and advanced. So if you’re not sure, just run into the wind with the person next to you while keeping your lane width.

If someone comes between you and the person next to you, shift over and form a new lane. Also, you may cross and form a new lane between others is you feel it’s appropriate. Always cross behind so as not to block the run or cause a wind shadow. Also, don’t constantly push others away from the disc. It’s usually best to cross just after you’ve passed the disc, if you see too large of a gap, or if you are planning to hoop.

Speaking of hoops, those are a whole other matter. Keep watch for an article on hoops. But basically, you close the lane gap (get close to the person about to receive the disc) but do not block the wind or their view. Just make a hoop, and get/stay out of the way.

What do you do if someone comes charging into your lane? Well, get out of the way. Then you might yell “poacher” or “encroachment”. At least that’s what you’ll hear in Seattle ;-). I also find that I tend to stay farther away from those who poach or who try to run me over. And, as a result I don’t pass to them nearly as often as I do for those who understand the lane. So, if I’m not passing to you….

Have you ever been poached in a jam? Tell your story in the comments below. And, yes, I poach sometimes. I hate it, but sometimes I just make a mistake. Sorry if I’ve ever poached you. I’ll keep working on it.

Blueberry Pancake to a Goat Hair

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In this video, I show off two newly invented moves. First is the blueberry pancake. This is a catch that mixes the gitis, figure four, and pancake into one. One leg is extended above the disc. One arm reaches around the leg in a gitis like position while the other reaches in a figure four position. The disc is trapped on the palms or fingers on the outer rim. Don’t grab it, just hold the trap. Now you are bouncing around on one leg. The goat hair is a throw from this position. Throw the disc in a manner similar to a two handed throw expect that the hand in the gitis position has to provide extra momentum to send the disc to your partner. The best way to understand is to watch the video. 

Jam in a Line, Not in a Circle

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Jamming in a Line Like Cousin Matt

Jamming in a Line Like Cousin Matt

When I see a jam I can instantly get a sense for how experienced the players are in that jam even before I see a trick attempted. How? By their formation. Most new players tend to stand in a circle while in a jam. As players become more experienced they will tend to jam in a line. So, here’s a hint for the new players who try to form a circle. It is much easier to be in a line, than in a circle. Here’s why.
Imagine you are playing catch with one other person. If one of you is up wind and the other is down wind, the person down wind will have a hard time. That is because the wind will cause the disc to fly faster and drop faster. The ideal position for a game of catch is cross wind. Then both players get equal float. Now image the jam. In a circle some players will always be down wind. In fact, I’ve noticed that the newer players tend to go down wind in the circle as they hesitate to move with everyone else. They don’t realize they are making their lives harder. All the throws going down wind will be harder to handle.
Then there’s the wind shadow problem. Players upwind will be blocking the wind flow from those downwind. So, the flight of the disc will be unpredictable making it much more difficult to complete a trick.
Then there’s the mob-ob. In other words, jams often consist of players passing the disc from one to the next. Just like throws, this most easily accomplished cross wind. In fact, if everyone in the line is facing the wind, one player can set the disc out into the wind and across the jam to another player. The disc will float right in for a catch, pull, brush, or roll.

 

Seattle Jams in a line too!

Seattle Jams in a line too!

Yes, the line is where it’s at in the jam. So what do you do as a new player? Well first realize that the most experienced players will naturally jam in a line. So don’t worry about making the other jammers uncomfortable. Now, when someone has the disc, get cross wind from them. Not to close, but not to far either. Just think of a good distance for a big Z throw. As that player moves, follow them so you stay crosswind. They may set it to you. Or they may catch. Now you are in a great position for a good throw. If they run fast into the wind, you have the option to follow them, or just hang back and wait for the next throw. Basically try to keep the line formation. If you get to far from where you started, go back and then be ready for down wind throw.
If there are many people in the jam, you don’t have to be directly next to the person with the disc. Instead just try to keep of the line formation. And note that often 2 – 4 people may go on a run. If you are part of it, stay in the line until a catch or drop. If not, stay back with the group, in line for the next throw.
Try this next time you jam. You will have more success when in a line vs being in a circle. Knowing where to be in the jam is a skill all it’s own. Please post other positional tips or questions in the comments below.

How to Tip a Frisbee, by Ryan Young

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Tipping a disc is when you poke the disc with the tip of your finger to pop it back up into the air to keep it in flight. Often, this is one of the first tricks someone will learn after the basic throw and catch. One subtle difference, however, is that many people begin by tipping the disc while it is above their head with their palm facing down or out. Here Ryan shows a more advanced version with the palm up and the disc directly in front of you.

Basically, give yourself a flat throw with lots of spin. Then curl under your pointer finger, hold it with your thumb, and point the remaining finger upwards, with the palm up. Then, tip the disc in the center, over and over. Not too hard, just enough to keep it under control and in front of you.

This is a handy skill that can be placed anywhere in a series of tricks. For example, set the disc under your leg, then tip it. Also, this tip can be made more advanced by adding a restriction. Tip it under your leg, behind your back, or in a bad attitude position. If you want to see how far tipping can go, check out this video of Joey Hudoklin. Might be the most hein tipping combo ever.

The Outer Rim Delay

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Paul Kenny explains the Outer Rim Delay.

In this trick, you nail delay the disc on the outside of the rim. The only more difficult nail move I can imagine is a rim delay on the top lip of the disc. Anyhow, the wind can be a key factor so be sure to face the wind before you start. Then give yourself a ton of spin. Rim delay the disc so the nose is up into the wind. With your other hand put three fingers together so the finger in the center is slightly lower than the other two. Now place your nails against the outer rim. The disc should ride in the grove created by your fingers. Try to balance it there and chase after it if it begins to fall. Note that your nails will be between 6 and 7 for clock or 6 and 5 for counter.

Once you feel comfortable with this, try landing the outer rim delay from an airbrush or off of an skid or other restricted angled set. If you can pull that off you will be one of maybe five people in the world who can, and that deserves a 10 on anyones judging sheet.

By the way, does anyone know if this move has a more official name?

The Lacer Pull

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Ryan Young demonstrates the Lacer Pull.

The Lacer pull is a great with the spin move that is easy to learn and can lead to many other consecutive moves. With clock spin, set the disc flat. Then step your left foot forward around the falling path of the disc. With your left hand, bend over and reach under your planted left leg. Watch the disc over your left shoulder and position your body, hand, and nail so the disc lands on your left nail. Now let the disc fall to the rim and do a with the spin crank so the disc comes out between your legs.

From there you can get the disc back to a center delay and/or set it up again for the next trick. Also, you can use more complex sets to get into the lacer pull, like a flat under the leg set. The lacer pull is one of the most useful tricks to have in your bag.

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Don’t Cut Off the Discs Nose to Spite Your Jam

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NoseThe title comes from an old saying, don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. It’s basically when you do something against yourself. Well, like your face, the disc has a nose and how you treat it can make all the difference between success and failure of your next big trick.

The nose of the disc is the highest point of the rim of the disc. Unless the disc is perfectly parallel to the ground, it has a nose. And, the size of the nose refers to how verticle this disc is. A small or slight nose is where the disc is nearly parallel to the ground. So, yeah, maybe you can’t cut it off so to speak. But, where that nose is pointed can dramatically change how the disc will fly. That is, where is the nose relative to the wind.

Imagine a disc flying in the wind. As the air passes over the disc, it will push against different areas of the disc and affect it’s flight. For example, if the nose is pointing towards the wind, the wind will press against the bottom of the disc, helping to lift the disc and keep it in the air longer. If the nose is pointing down wind, the wind will press against the top of the disc and shove it quickly to the ground. If the nose is pointed cross wind then the wind may hardly touch the top of the bottom and the disc will fly more like there is no wind.

So now, imagine you are facing the wind while delaying the disc. You set the disc up into the air so you can do an under the leg pull. As you set it, your (lack of) control will dictate where the nose is pointed. What will make it the easiest to pull disc under your leg? A sight nose into the wind, of course. This will cause the disc to fall more slowly and to drift back towards you so its movement aids in the leg over process.

It’s a very important skill to know how to set any nose amount and direction that you want, but the most important will be a slight nose into the wind. So go practice this set. There are a number of ways to do it, but here are two.

Marco Prati Sets the Disc Into the Wind With Nose

Marco Prati Sets the Disc Into the Wind With Nose

From flat: for clock, take the disc on a center delay. Then lift the disc into the air. As you lift, move your finger slightly to 9 o’clock and then push to 12. The more exaggerated the movement from 9 to 12, the bigger the nose will be. Try this over and over until you can get the nose you want every time. I like to use this to set the disc and going into a spinning pull.

From the rim: for clock, on a rim delay, let the disc rotate to 3 o’clock. Now lift up and let the disc swing on the rim to 6 0’clock. The momentum from the lift will cause the disc to tilt flat. Practice the amount of lift and timing of the rim swing to get the desired nose. I find this easiest on the right hand going from the left side of my body to the right. I like to use it for a scarecrow catch.

How do you set the disc with nose? How much nose do you like for your sets? Let me know in the comments.