Category: Learn to Jam

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Rim Delay Practice Technique

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Ryan Young gives us a great practice technique for the rim delay. Basically, try to keep the disc in the same location in front of you while keeping the disc sliding on the rim, on your finger nail. To do this, rotate your hand in a circle the same direction as the disc is spinning. Also, move your wrist and finger so the disc does not touch your skin, only your nail. Lastly, move your elbow and other body parts out of the way so the disc will continue to rotate freely.

This technique is a stepping stone to mastering control over the rim delay, being able to give yourself any nose you desire, and to learning to go from the rim to the center delay.

 

The Precession

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Paul Kenny teaches one of his tricks called the Precession. This trick requires two discs. It is almost like an endless cuff, where one disc is cuffing the other in an endless precession. The disc on top slides on it’s rim and rotates around and around.

To perform this trick, hold one disc with a backhand grip. Throw the other on with lots of spin at about a 45 degree angle. Then let is softly land its rim on top of the disc being held. Now rotate the held disc in the opposite direction of the spinning disc. The spinning disc will rotate it’s nose opposite of its spin direction. Keep the held disc at the lowest point of the spinning disc to keep control.

Then, you have options. Pushing upwards at the right moment can cause the spinning disc to turn over. Stopping the rotation can cause the spinning disc to grip the held disc and roll off into a chest roll or other trick. And, I’m sure there is much more to be created here since this is a new and unique trick. So go invent something cool and post about it in the comments.

How to Spin

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In this video, Ryan Young teaches us how to spin. Spinning is a way to add a restriction to a trick. If you attend a Freestyle Frisbee competition, you’ll often see competitors spinning before a big catch. It is one of the most common tricks in the game after the nail delay, air brush, and a few throws and catches.

While the disc is in the air, spin around before you catch or take control of the disc again. The more spins you do, the harder the trick so spinning fast without getting dizzy is the key. Also, you need to track the disc as you spin. Ryan explains how to practice these skills.

How to Mac

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Paul Kenny teaches us how to perform a MAC (Midair Attitude Correction). Note that in the video, we erroneously identify it as a SUB (Speeded Up Brush). What Paul is demonstrating is actually a MAC. Here’s a video on the SUB, and another video of Tom Leitner’s SUB throw.

A MAC is when a player touches the frisbee in flight to change the angle or direction of flight of a flying disc. It can be done by touching the disc on top, or on the outer rim (a brush), or the bottom of the rim (a cuff). Does a tip qualify as well? Chime in if you know.

The top touch MAC as Paul demonstrates is useful to cause a disc to airbounce as it passes by you, or to flatten it if it’s too steep.

To perform a top touch MAC, touch or hit the disc on top as it is in flight. Paul demonstrates hitting a disc as it flies by. Where to touch it depends on spin of the disc and the desired outcome. To bring the nose up, hit a clock disc at 3 o’clock and counter at 9 o’clock. To bring the nose down, hit counter at 3 o’clock and clock at 9 o’clock.

Also, note that using downward force will aid gravity in pulling the disc to the ground. So, care must be used as to when and how hard to use a top touch MAC. A top touch MAC makes the most sense when its use will cause the disc to airbounce into the wind. Otherwise thetop touch MAC will just push the disc to the ground. Of course, that may be a trick of its own…MAC it down fast and then kick tip it back up. Or MAC it down and cuff is up. Or…let you imagination run wild.

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Another Easy Combo to Practice

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Ryan Young shows us another easy combo to practice. This combo is a good one in that it included consecutive moves of multiple skills.

Set the disc flat under your right leg, then tip it under your left leg. Then pull it under your left leg and do a rim set to a piccolo catch. If you can do this one, make a variation and post a video of yourself doing it…link in the comments below.

Catching Multiple Discs

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If you can do tricks with one disc, imagine all the tricks you can do with two or three or ten. Paul Kenny explores the world of multi-disc tricks and gives away a few of his secrets in this video. Mainly, how he is able to catch so many discs in one hand.

The secret lies in transfer. The disc is caught between the fingers and the thumb. Then it is moved and helded between two fingers, leaving the thumb ready to catch another one.

I believe Paul’s record is 9 (Paul, please correct me). How many can you catch in one hand?

How to Get Better at Catching

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Ryan Young outlines how he got so good at doing trick catches with a frisbee. Basically its practice and repetition. In the video Ryan goes over a great target, 5 catches in a row for each trick catch you want to master. Ryan suggests under the leg, behind the back, chair, and flamingo are the best to start with.

One interesting observation I’ve made about doing drills. I play freestyle frisbee for the jam. It’s so much fun to succeed with your friends in the jam. Drills seem like work, not fun, and the jam is never about doing repetitions. However, my desire to be a better jammer overcame my distaste for work. I did the drills. In my living room, bed room, at work, on walks, I just kept trying skills. It turns out, the better I got, the more fun I had in the jam. Because of that, the drills never really feel like work. And yes, I still do them. As does Ryan.

What drills do you do to get better at Freestyle Frisbee?

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.