Thoughts.

I’ve been doing this since my freshman year, and I didn’t realize until recently what a help this can be for the burgeoning cutter-type (or really any type).

I’m going to give a fairly simple picture demonstration of what I mean. For me, at least, it’s absolutely perfect for those times when I get bored in class–the margins of the pages make an excellent setting.

So, Cutting Schematics(TM?):

Start off with a fairly simple field setup. Start with the basics–one thrower (the O), one mark (the line, indicating which way he’s forcing).

In this case, we have a force flick.

Then….

…a straight stack, complete with dump set up slightly upfield (your team’s offensive set may vary). Note that I’m only adding two extra defenders here–for this particular cutting schematic, we’re only concerned with the last guy in the stack and the first dump. This particular schematic is working through a situation where the handler cuts upline…

…while the last cutter in the stack, recognizing the imminent power position, sets up a continuation with a good, hard in cut.

When the handler gets the disc in power position…

…the cutter, whose defender is at this point chasing him and likely not in a good position to defend the deep (or at least compromised enough that it can be attempted), plants and makes a good deep cut into the space he’s just set up–heading straight backwards to leave a lane for the huck to go into, rather than flaring out into the lane and making the huck more difficult.

It’s that simple. I’m positive I’m not the only one who does this, but I’m also fairly sure that there are lots of people out there who could make good use of it if they knew to.

Other situations you might want to consider using a cutting schematic in:

• As a general thought experiment for situations you don’t normally see/aren’t used to yet–what if the force is straight up on the mark? What if your man is forcing you out to the point that you have to run around him to get in? What if there’s a poach in the lane? What do you do if you’re the second-to-last in the stack and the power position huck doesn’t come?
• For handler cuts–again, run the various situations through your mind. When do you throw a juke to get open effectively (i.e., at a position where the throw to you is easy to make)? When do you clear out, hard?
• Defensively. What situations should you expect to see when playing a force-middle defense, when you’re guarding a downfield cutter? What sorts of adjustments do you have to anticipate making to compensate for these situations? When are the situations in which a smart poach can get a D? When are you most vulnerable, and why? When do you have to just buckle down and beat your man?

It’s very versatile as a tool to guide visualization. I’ll elaborate on the general notion of visualization and how it’s one of the most powerful tools you can use to improve yourself in any sport (e.g., ultimate) in a later post.

Related posts:

1. Cutting Thought: On Being the Primary Cut, and Not Cutting
2. Cutting–"Threat Points"
3. Cutting Thought: A Mind for Adjustments
4. "Heels," Roles, and Basics (Response to Issue 12, "Endzone Cutting")
5. Cutting Thought: The Juke