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FAST FREESTYLE TH STORY BY: KEN
In the early days of Frisbee before disc sports, the original attraction was just to watch the Frisbee fly. At first, this was enough; the sheer joy in watching the Frisbee fly, not at all like a ball. Then, because it’s in our nature to compete, came the Frisbee games. If you enjoy playing one disc game, chances are you’ll enjoy them all.
Disc freestyle is an excellent non-competitive, unique athletic disc activity.
Having grown up in the fifties and sixties playing and competing in a variety of traditional sports, what attracted me most to playing with the Frisbee was that it didn’t have to be competitive to be athletically challenging. Disc freestyle play is an endless variety of throwing and catching possibilities with skills that can be displayed. Freestyle accomplishments can be as challenging and satisfying as a win/lose, competitive “keeping score” game. Accomplishments and rewards are based on nothing more than your ability to improve; gratifications come from accomplishing the goals you set for yourself.
Play Catch—Invent Games.
My first disc sport was freestyle in the 1960s. Then came new disc sports like disc golf, Ultimate, double disc court and over-all events. I quickly adapted and did well in these new sports because many skills transferred from freestyle. The throwing and catching skills used in today’s Ultimate are not so different from the throwing and catching skills we used in yesterday’s fast-freestyle. The fast throwing variety, layouts and skies makes Ultimate one of today’s most exciting sports. Without the use of nail-delay aids (plastic nails and silicone spray), freestyle, like Ultimate, becomes a similar game of fast throwing and catching. I think today’s Ultimate players would not only like this type of fast-freestyle, but also benefit from it.
In the 1960s and early 1970s, freestyle catching possibilities would depend on the throw you were given; it was always spontaneous, unpredictable and very fast. Fast-freestyle was performed with two players standing 30-40 yards apart. The throws were fast and varied and except for the occasional kick or slap-up, the catches were right off the throw with rarely a pause in between the catch and the throw back. At advanced levels, it wasn’t about what you did as much as it was about
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how you did it. The throws and catches would become a that was created once you mastered the basics. The flow style would then become your play. It was fast and fluid, similar to martial arts and dance.
Adding fast-freestyle to your Ultimate training can fun way to add variety.
Freestyle play in professional sports is common. Before baseball practices, players sometimes play a game called pepper, basketball practice can look like a Harlem Globe Trotters exhibition and now have freestyle dunking conte Soccer even has freestyle competitions. Downhill freesty skiing and snowboarding are very popular. There are the known but mostly secretive instances where figure skatin coaches are brought in to teach figure skating techniques professional hockey players. Most sports have a fun free component, evolving from the competitor’s natural tende to challenge their own abilities. No sport is more accepti a freestyle activity than that of throwing and catching a fl disc. In the early days of Ultimate, some of the best play were also some of the best freestylers. A coincidence? I d think so. Many athletes add weight/strength training, ma arts and many other activities to improve their physical abilities for their sport. Freestyle is a great way to add a different but complementary exercise to your sport.
Fast-freestyle play will increase your over-all confidence. A baseball player will warm up by swinging two or three bats together before stepping up to the plate. Mentally, it makes the batter feel stronger and therefore more confide when swinging one bat. Similarly, playing and progressin in your freestyle practice will give you that same additio confidence in your disc skills when playing Ultimate. Wh welcoming for new players in the sport of Ultimate is tha you don’t have to have great disc handling skills to be an effective player. As a beginner, vertical leap, speed, and b willing to layout, will find you a place on any Ultimate te If you decide that you want to make Ultimate your sport, then you’ll want to have the best disc skills you can get. play championship level Ultimate, you must have confid in all of your playing abilities. If you have any disc relate weaknesses, it will be noted and exploited by an experien opponent.
Ultimate Canada Magazine -
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