In physics, the flight of a flying disc, a Frisbee[1], is best characterized by gyroscopic stability and aerodynamic lift. During flight, the weight of a disc is not centered. Angular momentum upon throwing counter acts the torque caused by this uneven distribution of weight, gravity and other forces (Morrison 2005). In studying of a disc’s flow dynamics, it has been demonstrated that air flow over the stop of a disc creates two vortices which allows for flight. Research also shows that constant spin results stronger a longitudinal force behind the disc as well as a longer, more stable flight (Nakamura and Fukamachi 1989). Without this explicit knowledge of why and how a disc flies, players are able to “read”, or predict its path, and make successful catches. 

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[1] Frisbee is a registered trademark of Whamo-O Inc. The flying discs used in official USA Ultiamte competitions are white, 175-gram Discraft discs. 

Getting the most out of playing indoors

Specific things to take advantage of indoors:

• 5/7 stall count.  The goal of playing with a stall count to 5 is to speed up the overall pace of our game, indoors and outdoors (think about Michigan’s offense).  If you have the disc – make smart upfield looks, and decisive and timely dump looks.  If you’re cutting – set up your cuts with plenty of time (before the disc is tapped in, before the disc is caught).
• Conditioning.  Really try to push yourself to build that speed and endurance that we won’t have the time to work on nearly as much once we go outside.  Know your limits, but really try to stretch them.
• Experimenting with your throws.  There is nothing more frustrating than trying to learn how to throw on I-O flick when you are at the mercy of gale force winds.  Since we don’t have to worry about those inside, try to fine tune your throwing now.  Think about things like the angle of the disc, your grip, etc.  Use our daily throwing warm-up as a time to broaden your throwing abilities.

What aspects of ultimate are not directly dependent on the surrounding environment?

• Aggressive mark – it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing cleats or tennis shoes, you can still be a very active mark and on your toes for the entire 10 stall counts.  Marking someone is not a time to rest!
• Faking.  Let’s throw past all of the aggressive marks.
• Defense.  Same idea as having an aggressive mark.  Staying on the force side and defense in general is something we can always work on.  Defense is all about the effort that you put into it, and defense wins championships.

What things are you going to need to alter once we switch outside?

• Be in tune with what throws you do and don’t have, especially if wind is a factor.
• Keeping your spacing.  Playing on a fraction of the Veale courts is obviously going to clutter a game up slightly more than a full 120 x 40 yard field will, regardless of the number of players.  When you’re making downfield and handler cuts, and when you’re looking to throw to these cuts, be aware of this change in spacing and make sure you’re giving everyone the appropriate space.
• In cuts vs. out cuts.  Indoors, everyone is a hucker.  Throw in 20 more yards of depth and 30 mph winds, and this changes a bit.  Use this in your judgment when deciding what cut you’re going to be making.

Ultimate Resolutions and Reflections

Welcome, Gobies, to 2011!  We hope that you are welcoming the new decade and everything that it brings – resolutions, aspirations, goals – with anxiousness, anticipation, and hopefulness, in ultimate and every other aspect of your life.

As we approach the threshold of our spring season, we also hope that you begin to fully own the ultimate goals that you’ve developed and set for yourself over the past four months with an enthusiasm that only the start of a new decade can bring.

But the dawn of the new only comes after the dusk of the old, and in order to fully grasp and face goals for tomorrow, you have to understand all that happened yesterday.  The New Year is not merely a time for resolutions, but also of reflection, understanding, and appreciation for where you’ve been.  As a team, we cannot fully accept the expectations that we’ve set for ourselves without the pride that comes with being aware of past expectations that have been set and have been achieved, and sometimes even exceeded.  It is this pride that will encourage us to work toward our goals as a team and as individual players.    

Whether your resolutions for 2011 include a higher GPA, better sleep habits, learning to throw a thumber, improved flutter skills, or being on a winning jello disc team – we hope that you accept this challenge with high aspirations and dedication.  Enjoy your last bits of break and we can’t wait to see everyone back in Cleveland.