Thoughts.

Watch good ultimate.

One of the best things about ultimate, as it’s currently constructed, is that the UPA series has no arbitrary cutoff for playing. Everyone, from the repeating champ to the pickup squad of you and your buddies, can play. And anyone can show up to a regional (this is admittedly easier in the Northeast than in other regions) and watch.

Since I started playing at Dartmouth 4 years ago, one of the things I’ve enjoyed most is being able to go to Northeast club regionals–first in div. 2 with an 08 frosh squad, than later in div. 1 with Chuck Wagon and Dartmouth–and play against and watch some of the best players in the country compete. From watching DoG my freshman year, wide-eyed and amazed (after all, DoG’s run of dominance in the ’90s was all I had heard about of ‘pro’ ultimate as a high schooler), I’ve found as I become more and more experienced in this sport that, rather than simply being astounded at the level and a simple observer, I’ve come to appreciate a lot more nuance of how play goes.

Watching two good club teams play each other is a really special treat. If you haven’t broken in to that level and had the opportunity to train in a system that creates those kinds players, the nearest substitute you can get is attentively watching. Something as simple as watching the players throw as they warm up can yield some wisdom–players throw hard, but confidently, to their target.

You can observe a lot at the team strategy level, too–zone sets in particular, how teams communicate and what they do to adjust, etc.–but I think the biggest or quickest gains to your own game can be had from simple imitation. I watched some DoG players going through their warmups and noticed how they stepped and threw, quickly and effectively, to their target, and shortly thereafter was working on my own throws attempting to do the same thing.

We all imitate at some level, whether we realize it or not. Mirror Neurons will activate when you observe an action, and the simple act of watching can lead to learning if you’re sufficiently trained. The better you get at ultimate, the easier it is to get better at ultimate–a rookie watching a high-level player might simply observe, “Wow, they’re fast,” while a more experienced player might noticed a subtle shift in the primary cutter’s hip motion that sets up their exploding into their next cut so effectively and seemingly quickly (and then be able to incorporate that same technique into their own game with a little practice).

Watch ultimate. Watch GOOD ultimate. Learn from the best. Ultivillage is a godsend, though you’ll pick up a lot more from the real thing in person. If you don’t have the chance to watch the really good players, find good players who are really good at at certain things (for example, that guy at pickup with the huge forehand). Figure out how they do those things so well. Amalgamate the best in others and you’ll make yourself into a hell of an ultimate player. (And then do the same for people you meet and life skills and become a great person, too).

Related posts:

1. Veteran Presence?