Alpha Squad '12/'13 (Updated 11/30)

2013 A Team Selection

• We will not be having a tryout weekend this year.  We will be selecting the final A team some time in February based on performance and attendance at all practices and tournaments.  Update: We will be making a round of cuts after the first week of practices in January.  We will take approximately 25 players on the A team squad, and everyone else will start practicing with the B team.  We will select the final A team of approximately 20 players by the end of February.
• Coach Lerman will be making the selections with input from the team leadership (Spencer, Daniel,  Sam, Elliott, PGL, Jonas).
• Other than the team leadership, the returning A team players are trying out along with everyone else.
• We likely will be attending a tournament in California prior to making the final A Team selection.  We will be selecting a squad for this tournament in November.  Update:  Pres Day hasn't been announced yet, but we will be figuring this out soon.
• We also will have a B team that is open to anyone who wants to play.

Alpha Squad

• Starting September 28, all Friday night practices will be Alpha Squad practices (i.e. closed to non-Alpha Squad players).
• Between now and Beaver Brawl (October 13/14), Alpha Squad is open to all returning/advanced players.  Following Beaver Brawl, Alpha Squad will be open to all players.
• No players will be cut from Alpha Squad for being bad at Ultimate.  Players may be cut if their commitment is lacking.

Expectations for Alpha Squad Players

• Attendance at all Friday night and Saturday morning practices.
• Attendance at at least one throwing practice per week.
• Doing two lifting workouts per week.
• If you are unable to attend a Friday or Saturday practice, go to http://imgoingtomisspractice.upsultimate.com/ and follow the directions.

Week 9 Throwing (11/5)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - ?4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - ?4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Come-to breakmark cutting drill, both forces, active (no hands) marks. (10 min)
• Sideline dump sets, trapping and FM. (10 min)
• Horizontal (diamond) breakmark cutting drill, both forces, active mark (10 min)
• UBC huck drill (10 min)

Week 8 Throwing (10/29)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Come-to breakmark cutting drill, both forces, active (no hands) marks. (10 min)
• Dump-swing, 3-on-3, run both middle-of-the-field dump sets. (10 min)
• Horizontal (diamond) breakmark cutting drill, both forces, active mark (10 min)
• UBC huck drill (10 min)

Week 7 Throwing (10/22)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Lines, cut open side, break side, break side and deep. (10 min)
• Come-to breakmark cutting drill, both forces, active (no hands) marks. (10 min)
• Dump-swing, 3-on-3. (10 min)
• Horozontal (diamond) breakmark cutting drill, both forces, active mark (10 min)

Week 6 Throwing: Around Forehands (10/15)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Lines, open side backhands and forehands (10 min)
• Lines, force backhand, breakside cut for around forehand, PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• Horozontal (diamond) breakmark cutting drill, force backhand, throw around forehand, PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• Come-to breakmark cutting drill, force forehand, active marks.  Throw IO backhand or around forehand (10 min)

Again, I strongly suggest you download the video (that means you need to register for a free Vimeo account). There are a lot of things you can see more clearly when you watch frame-by-frame.

Quick comment on Around Forehands: See comments for Forehands and  IO Forehands.  Don't pivot to the backhand to set up the around forehand.

Week 5 Throwing - Inside-Out Backhands (10/8)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Lines, open side backhands and forehands (10 min)
• Lines, force backhand, breakside cut for IO backhand (LOW RELEASE), PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• Horozontal (diamond) breakmark cutting drill, force backhand, throw IO backhand (LOW RELEASE), PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• 2-on-2 dumps - force-middle sideline dump (give-and-go) (10 min)

Again, I strongly suggest you download the video (that means you need to register for a free Vimeo account). There are a lot of things you can see more clearly when you watch frame-by-frame.

Quick comment on IO Backhands:  See Low-Release Backhands post.  Everything from there applies to IO backhands too.  The high-release backhand can be an effective IO break, but for now, focus on low-release IO's.

Week 4 Throwing: Around Backhands (10/1)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Lines, open side backhands and forehands (10 min)
• Lines, force forehand, breakside cut for around backhand, PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• Horozontal (diamond) breakmark cutting drill, force forehand, throw around backhand, PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• Come-to breakmark cutting drill, force forehand, active marks.  Throw IO forehand or around backhand (10 min)

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Again, I strongly suggest you download the video (that means you need to register for a free Vimeo account). There are a lot of things you can see more clearly when you watch frame-by-frame.

Quick comments on Around Backhands:

1. Pretty much all the technique is the same as for regular low-release backhands.
2. Think about stepping through as much as stepping around.  If you're releasing the disc from behind your marker's arm, there's no way you'll get blocked without a foul.  Gspence is stepping backwards to get around the marker, and that results in his throws being pushed far wider and gaining fewer yards.

Week 3 Throwing - Inside-Out Forehands (9/24)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Lines, open side backhands and forehands (10 min)
• Lines, force forehand, breakside cut for IO forehand, PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• Come-to breakmark cutting drill, forehand force for IO forehand, PASSIVE mark (10 min)
• 2-on-2 dumps - our normal, middle-of-field set (10 min)

Again, I strongly suggest you download the video (that means you need to register for a free Vimeo account). There are a lot of things you can see more clearly when you watch frame-by-frame.

Quick comments on IO Forehands:

1. You create space for the IO forehand with the threat of a big step-around backhand.  All that takes is a small shoulder fake.  Pivoting across and faking a backhand to set up the IO forehand is something you should never do.
2. Square up to your marker and step forward through the mark to throw (rather than stepping out to the side).  Both Gspence and I are take a big step forward.  I'm releasing the disc almost behind my marker.
3. Throw early.  Put a soft disc to space as the cutter is taking his first step out of his cut.  Both Gspence and I are releasing our throws a little bit too late.  That forces either a more difficult throw that needs to go farther across to the break side, or results in a throw behind the cutter.

Individual Defense - 9/21/12

Two thoughts:

1. Of the teams I saw at D-III Champies last season, we played the best defense.
2. If we want to compete with elite D-I teams, improving individual defensive play is our top priority.

The following video shows three plays.  Watch each play and think about what the defense does right and wrong.  This should involve watching each play multiple times, looking at what each player does.  After you've done that, take a look at what PGL and I have to say below.

2012-09-19 Defense.mov from Adam Lerman on Vimeo.

Play 1 (Postmen-Kenyon Prequarter):

Coach says:

• Game situation: Fourth game of the day.  We are up 13-6, game to 14.  Kenyon is receiving the pull going into a ~15mph wind.
• We are running flat marks, with poaches in the lane for the first few passes.
• The cutter PGL (#14) is marking goes deep.  There's never a lane for a huck, and the offense is going into the wind.  PGL correctly stays under his man.  Also note that he checks where the disc is over his right shoulder at 0:34.
• The disc swings to the handler on the left side of the field.  Luke (#20) correctly stops the around continuation and forces the disc back to the right.  It's Spencer's (#31) responsibility to be in the lane stopping the upfield pass.  He probably should have shuffled over faster, but this isn't really a throw he should have been expecting.
• The Kenyon player puts up one of the best hucks I've ever seen.  Again, there's no lane to huck into, so he bends an IO forehand that keeps its edge and is going to hit the perfectly in stride.
• We get a loud "UP!" call.  Because PGL looked back a couple seconds earlier, he knows where the huck came from.  He knows to look over his left shoulder, and is able to get a read on the disc.
• PGL can probably tell that he has almost no chance of getting the D.  In this situation, you sometimes see the defender give up on the play.  PGL accelerates hard to the disc.
• The receiver is trying to milk the disc into the endzone, so PGL gets really close to the D.  He also makes the receiver go up early.  If PGL doesn't bid, the receiver catches the disc two steps later in the endzone.
• PGL's man dumps the disc to the open side.  This is a give-and-go situation where the thrower can cut upline.  As soon as the dump is thrown, PGL gets on the open side and takes away the upline cut with his body.
• We switch a lot here.  Elliott (#7) is slow running downfield, so Spencer picks up his man (#11), who catches the dump.  Luke runs to Spencer's cutter (#25), then tells Elliott to pick him up.  Luke finds his cutter (#22), who is out of the play on the far side of the field.  
• Eric (#23) is poaching on the open side the entire time.  His cutter is way off on the left (off the screen).  He's watching the disc, and takes a step towards the play when PGL's man goes upline. At that point, Eric should turn back to look at the stack, but instead he keeps watching the disc.
• Jonas (#1) is bodying up in the stack 25 yards away from the disc.  He'd probably be better off taking a couple steps off to the open side.  His cutter gets by him, but he should have help from Eric in the lane.  Because Eric is facing the wrong way, the cutter can run right by him.
• PGL maintains his position with his body between his man and the disc on the open side.  As his cutter turns his back to the disc to clear out, PGL turns to see the open cutter.  He makes a good bid, but he's half a second late and Kenyon gets the goal.
• Summary:  I chose this play because what PGL does is the best example of great individual defense I saw in our film.  

PGL says:

• What I did wrong: I made a late bid at a disc I didn't have a chance at, which could have hurt Eric (on the goal line). My mark looks ridiculous and I think it's one of the weakest parts of my overall game.  I could have made a stronger play at that floaty disc. I was quite a few steps off my man when the disc when up and if I had been tight, I would have had a better chance at the D.
• What I did right: It was an IO flick huck to the open side, so I was in correct positioning (my man was a wing cutter, or at least seemed like it and I was between him and the disc) aside from being too far off. I set the mark as soon as my man caught the disc. I shut him down for the one cut he made (even though the thrower wasn't going to throw it anyway).
• What everyone else did wrong: They got two free swings to center the disc (we need to run down on the pull harder), Sparrow did not keep up with his man going down field allowing for an easy reset, 20 got beat to the open side even though he saw the cutter coming and could have easily gotten his body in the way.
• Maybe the worst thing: No one was hustling while the disk was in the air, allowing Kenyon to have a solid step or two ahead of every defender.
• What everyone else did right: 20 was ready to pick up people cutting to the open side (this is good because our match ups were not set and he was taking away the biggest threat).

Play 2 (Postmen-Kenyon Prequarter):

Coach says:  This is pretty simple.  After Luke throws the dump, his defender watches the disc instead of finding Luke and establishing position.  Luke can go wherever he wants and the defender has no idea where he is.  Easy score.

Play 3 (Postmen-North Park Pool Play):

Coach says:  This is almost the exact same situation as Play 1.  PGL's man is in the open side lane, PGL has his body on his man, he sees the cut coming, and this time he's early enough to get the D.

Week 2 Throwing - Low-Release Backhands (9/17)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• 3-man marking drill, open side low-release backhands, passive mark (10 min)
• Come-to cutting drill, open side low-release backhands, passive mark (10 min)
• Lines, open side low-release backhands to 45 degree in cut, passive mark (10 min)
• UBC huck drill, backhand force (10 minutes)

How to Throw a Backhand:

Again, I strongly suggest you download the video (that means you need to register for a free Vimeo account). There are a lot of things you can see more clearly when you watch frame-by-frame.

I don't have a whole lot to add to the video, but here are a couple things I'd like to emphasize.

The Step

Step out and forward and plant hard on your heel.  Shin points towards your body, point your toe towards your target.

As you complete your throw and follow-through, your lower body should stay almost motionless.

Throwing with a Mark

You can create space to throw your backhand with the threat of a big pivot to the forehand side.  The farther away from neutral you go, the longer it's going to take you to get across to throw the backhand (i.e. I like what I'm doing more than what Gspence is doing).

Again, I suggest going through these frame-by-frame to get a better idea of what's going on.

Week 1 Throwing: Flat Forehands (9/10)

Practice schedule:

• Monday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf
• Tuesday - 2:00-4:00PM, Turf 
• Wednesday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park
• Thursday - 4:00-6:00PM, Jefferson Park

Here's the general plan for throwing practices (+2 hours on Wednesday/Thursday):

• 2:00-2:29pm - Unstructured throwing
• 2:29-2:45pm - Dynamic warmup
• 2:45-3:30pm - Throwing drills
• 3:30-4:00pm - 3-on-3 games (keep-away, mini, box, double box, etc.)

Drills for this week are:

• Teach forehand grip, pivot foot. Throw blades in pairs (10 min)
• 3-man marking drill, open side forehands, passive mark (10 min)
• Come-to cutting drill, open side forehands, passive mark (10 min)
• Lines, open side forehands to 45 degree in cut, passive mark (10 min)

Why are we starting with forehands?

90% of the time you have the disc in your hands, you should be in a forehand grip. The sooner you get comfortable with it, the better.

How to Throw a Forehand:

I strongly suggest you download the video (that means you need to register for a free Vimeo account). There are a lot of things you can see more clearly when you watch frame-by-frame.

Grip

The pad of your middle finger goes in the grove between the rim and the underside of the disc. Your index finger rests next to your middle finger on the underside of the disc.

Grip the disc on top with your thumb pointing towards the middle of the disc, and with your ring finger on the outside of the rim.

Stance

In your neutral stance, hold the disc in a tight forehand grip with your arm at your side.  Your feet should be flat on the ground about shoulder-width apart, with your weight slightly shifted to the balls of your feet.  This stance puts you in the best position to quickly throw any throw.

The Step

Step out and forward and plant hard on your heel.

As you complete your throw and follow-through, your lower body should stay almost motionless.

You should be externally rotating your foot and making sure that your shin points back towards your body.

Throwing with a Mark

Starting at 2:32 in the video, there are a few open side throws with a mark.  Here's what I see:

1. Marking is protecting the break side.  No fake.  I just step out and throw quickly enough and with enough extension that the marker is nowhere near the release point.
2. I do a very small shoulder fake.
3. No fake.
4. I do a slightly bigger shoulder fake.  I get the marker moving to protect the backhand side as I'm already moving to throw the forehand.  When you need to move the mark to throw a forehand, this is what your fake should look like.
5. Another small shoulder fake.
6. Gspence does a pretty exaggerated shoulder fake.  He'd be better off starting in a narrower stance, and keeping the disc by his side instead of bringing it across his body and touching it with  his other hand.
7. There are very few situations where it is a good idea to pivot across to a backhand to set up your forehand.  Throwing an open side forehand is never one of those situations.  In the time it takes Gspence to pivot back and forth, the marker can easily recover to his original position.
8. Gspence doesn't mess around and just steps out and throws the open throw.

Again, I suggest going through these frame-by-frame to get a better idea of what's going on.

Summer 2012

Here are some suggestions for what you should be doing if you want to be a better player when you get back to school in the fall.  In no particular order:

• Do a written self-assessment right now.  Think about the things you do on the field and identify your strengths and weaknesses.  Ask teammates whose opinions you respect what they think you need to work on.
• Spend lots of time doing focused throwing.  Take 5 discs and go out by yourself and work on a single throw for half an hour.  The two most important things to be working on are: (1) get your entire body in the right position to make the throw you want to make, and (2) attempt to control the entire flight path of your throw.  Here are the videos from last fall:
• Forehands
• Backhands
• IO Forehands
• Around Forehands
• IO Backhands
• Around Backhands
• Get in the gym.  The actual workout you do isn't that important.  What is important is to find a workout and follow the workout.  I'd recommend Westside for Skinny Bastards.
• Go play as much as you can.  If you can find a real team to practice with, that's great.  If you're just playing pickup, put yourself in a position to work on your weaknesses instead of just messing around.
• Think about your mental game.  You can get a used copy of The Inner Game of Tennis for $4.  Read it.  Understand it.
• Watch Ultimate and read about Ultimate.  There is a lot of great information available at The Huddle, Skyd Magazine, and lots of other places.  If you find something useful, share it with your teammates.
• Set goals for yourself.  Think about what your Outcome Goals are.  Pick about 5 process goals that will help you achieve those outcome goals.  Write them down somewhere where you will see them every day.
• Outcome Goal:  Something measurable.  For example: "I want to be able to throw a 70 yard backhand huck," or "I want to be able to squat 250 pounds."
• Process Goal:  Something that is 100% within your control.  For example: "I'm going to throw for at least 20 minutes every day," or "I'm going to lift three times per week."