Advice on developing skills by yourself over the offseason

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Solo training is, in my experience, the biggest untapped opportunity for ultimate
players. Very few players do it consistently, and of those very few do it well. I
think that for anyone that wants to be an elite competitive player it’s essential.
It’s always been weird to me that ultimate players do so little work by themselves
- it’s so natural for other sports that you would go out with a ball and practice
by yourself - that’s the only real way to achieve mastery over the game object.
Benefits of Solo Training
The best thing about solo training is there is only one person to consider -
yourself.

• You’re not constrained by anyone else’s availability

My ideal flow of learning would look something like the image below. That’s not
intended to be completely linear, but the starting point of skill mastery should be
solo practice.
What is good solo practice?
I mentioned in the introduction that a lot of the solo practice I see isn’t great.
I don’t want to say that what I see people doing has no value - because it does
have some - but I think players can do a lot better than chucking stacks of discs
into an empty field. Here are some straightforward ways to add value:
a) Targets
Using a target is the most helpful way to measure progress and stay focused and
engaged. In some ways, having a static target is better than throwing to another
person - even small adjustments by your throwing partner can cover a large area
which isn’t reflective of the accuracy you need to have when throwing in
games. Here’s some suggested targets

• Crossbars – good for practicing hucks, not good for practicing any other throw as
they’re too high
• Flags/sheets. You can draw a target on it and hang it in lots of places
• There’s plenty of targets made for hurling/gaelic football that work great like
this one. If your throw it flat and hits the centre bounces the disc back towards
you which is pretty efficient.
• GAA/Rugby posts – can be great for practicing pulls, particularly if you pull
from different angles and practice getting a particular shape on your pull
• Goalposts – these can be good for accuracy, but only if you mark the part you are
trying to hit i.e. hitting the very base of a post isn’t functionally an accurate
throw. Put some tape on the post between waist-neck height and you’re golden.
• Basketball nets – excellent for practicing scoobers or blades – this one in
particular is possibly better than throwing with another person. Ideal for getting
good and accurate and getting the disc up and down quickly which is perfect for
busting zones and poaches.
• Dogs. Dogs are great and love catching frisbees.

b) Movement
Practicing getting a disc off cleanly and quickly after catching is a vital skill.
There’s a lot of ways to add this once you’re accurate with your static throws.
Throwing a 20m flat forehand - easy. Throwing a 20m flat forehand after faking a
backhand - harder.
However, you’re not limited to pivoting to create movement. Throw the disc up for
yourself, then throw your flat 20m forehand - it’s harder again. Throw it further
away from you, throw it low or high, throw it so you’re running away from your
target - all these different setups will allow you to throw your lovely 20m flat
forehand no matter how off-balance you start.
c) Obstacles
Something that will force you to pivot and release in certain ways can be very
beneficial. This is both better for your learning, with the added bonus of being
significantly more mentally stimulating. My favourite training tools are these dog
agility hurdles. These are fantastic – light enough that you won’t hurt yourself
hitting them, adjustable height so you can really work on release points while
ensuring your angle of release is flat. They are FANTASTIC.
d) Greater Stimulus > Greater Volume
In order to build strong neural pathways you need to be challenging yourself. This
is exactly the same as getting stronger in the gym - doing the same exercises and
lifting the same weight over and over will see initial progress but after a few
sessions you’ll only have slow progression if any at all.
Look for ways to test yourself and make measurable progress. This is more work
initially, but once you’re outside it’s a lot more stimulating and motivating to
have the sort of test and progression like in the image below. Possibly more
important, it also focuses your mind on repetition without repetition. This means
focusing on being able to achieve the outcome you want repeatedly, rather than
trying to have a ‘perfect’ technique that you can always repeat. Nobody actually
throws the disc the exact same way every time.
e) Catches Win Matches
Don’t neglect catching practice too. Although you can’t practice catching a flat
disc coming towards you, there’s still plenty of technical elements you can
challenge yourself with.
f) Self Observation
Try to “observe” yourself when you are throwing.

• How do the good ones feel? Can you use that feeling to help cue good reps?
• How does your wrist snap play a part in the throw?
• How is your balance when throwing it?
• Where is your follow through going? Is it consistent?
• What is your wind up? Is it consistent? Do you lose sight of the field? (eg most
players’ backhand hucks)
• What happens when you try and put more power into it?
• What happens when you are trying to release it faster?

Those are some things to consider when throwing it. Be present and allow yourself
to notice things about the throw without changing anything. Anytime you find
yourself thinking too much and changing your throws, mix it up to random throws so
you don’t have to think and your mind switches off.
g) Video Observation
Setting up your phone to film a few reps can be a useful way to check if your
technique looks right - also a great way to look for feedback from a coach.
PS: This wasn’t intended as an ad really, but I am working with a handful of
players developing their solo training over the offseason and I can take on a few
more - if you’re interested register your interest via this form-
https://forms.gle/RWcnxSvPy7RKDJCb6

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© 2023 Ian French
548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104
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