Random comments

Just a few random comments come to mind after reading Tyler's post...

On offense: I agree with Tyler's assessment that our dump sets could use some work. The whole point of having a dump is that it gives your offense a safe reset at all times. If we can't rely on the safety of our dumps, then our whole offense will struggle. I also agree that our upfield cutters have been getting too close to the disc. I think both of these things will improve with practice. We also seem to have trouble with defenders poaching on our in cuts. I hope that this will get better as our offense becomes more fluid and we can punish people for poaching.

Personally, I'm still a little uncomfortable with the horizontal offense because I just haven't played it enough. What I've been able to figure out so far, though, is that the HO creates inside lanes and outside lanes and as a cutter, I'm looking to shift from an occupied lane to an unoccupied lane, then make a strong in cut or deep cut when there's an opening.

On defense: I have always felt that having a good defense will improve your offense because you practice against it all the time. I also think that even if you're not an active offensive player, you can always help the team by being a good defensive player. I've noticed at DUI and at practice, we tend to give up the deep throw a little too easily. We need to learn when to take away the underneath cut and when to take away the deep cut. For example, if the offense is going downwind, a handler has the disc after a stoppage in play, and you're guarding a tall or fast person, take away the deep cut first.

As far as marking goes, you pretty much have to assume that an experienced player is going to be able to break a mark. As a marker, you can make it uncomfortable for them by forcing a less accurate or floating throw, or disrupt their timing. You also need to make adjustments if you do get broken so they can't just do the same thing the next time. As a defender, you have to respect the break mark cut and be in position to contest a floating disc or establish a mark immediately after the catch is completed.

Addressing aches, Strength and Conditioning

I've been digging the Snertz workout as of late and can see the benefits already. That said, I am also starting to get some of those classic aches and pains that come with lots of ultimate. I was thinking it would be great to compare good exercises and stretches to strengthen and soothe problem spots. Having all of us stay healthy and strong throughout the season is a good thing.

Maybe a good way to do this would be to start a google document where people can put stretches, strengthening exercises, and remedies, categorized by problem area. It seems to me there are a few chronic injuries associated with ultimate, like hip flexer, IT Band, shin splints, and everything to do with the knees.

Ultimately (ahem) I think it would be awesome to mix it up with one day a week of work outs associated with building strength. I'm not in a gym, but if we compile enough good exercises we could maybe put together something nice.

Strong muscles make for happy joints.

2011 Davis Ultimate Invite Recap

In Capitol Punishment’s first tournament, the 2011 Davis Ultimate Invite, we took our first steps toward our team’s destiny, including our first and second wins ever.  As the first generation of teammates, this destiny is entirely in our hands.  My goal is to maintain a fun/positive/competitive environment throughout the season, with all three aspects peaking in September and leaving us all wanting more.

In the days following DUI, while constantly processing what had happened over the weekend, I made a few pages of notes that I think will be beneficial to share.  Due to the time constraints of practice and the interest constraints of emailing the entire team I think a team blog is a reasonable solution to the lack of communication amongst ourselves.  It will serve as a more permanent record of our progress and allow us to share more of the flood of thoughts and feelings that arise over a season and especially after tournaments.  

Almost all my previous tournament experiences were directly followed by team talks in which every member who was present (whether playing or not) was given time to say what was on their minds.  This team decompression ensured everyone was on the same page regarding the team’s accomplishments and short-comings while also helping to avoid unspoken resentment.  In a practice-world ruled by player-captains and cameo-coaches it was the most democratizing of our team institutions.  Sadly, such a ritual, which would often take more than an hour, is impossible to fit into Capitol Punishment’s practice schedule.

Nevertheless, I believe the sentiment behind the ritual is worth saving, so I made this blog and this here initial post.  If you have something to share about the team that deserves more than an email, no matter how long or short, you can post it here for posterity.  Anyone on the team is welcome to read and write this page but nobody should feel obliged to.  In fact, only people on the team can read and write this page.  

On to DUI.

Throughout the weekend, the weakest aspect of our offense I thought were our dumps, in both positioning at a dead disc and connecting with the thrower.  The dumps are what should always give the offense an advantage in ultimate; a free reset.  Also from a dead disc, our handlers frequently lost potential yardage by not being ready to throw when the cutters were deepest and most open.

Once our initial stack broke down we had some trouble maintaining order in our cuts and positioning.  Cutters must remember to keep their distance from the throwers by clearing to the sidelines after the first few (no more than 10) steps of their under cut, never closing to within 5 yards of the thrower.  While cutting it is also helpful to run with one’s head up scanning the field for space, not trying to run a prescribed path across the field.  

Cutters also had difficulty becoming throwers themselves.  First, by not catching the disc.  It’s my belief that catching the disc is the single most important skill in this sport.  One can win a game without throwing but not without catching.  I have already introduced my recommended remedy to the team (the pancake-rim catch), so we’ll see how that progresses.  After a catch, one must remain calm, conveying confidence with the disc whether or not one has the disc skills to back it up.  Offense should be relaxed, after-all, they know what’s going to happen.  When scanning the field for potential passes, it’s my opinion that a thrower should look primarily for throwing lanes and not receivers.  It’s when one’s eyes lock onto an intended target that one frequently loses the ability to detect alternatives.  

It was when we were trapped against the sideline that all of our weaknesses seemed to add up to our most difficult challenge.  First, the handler must remain calm while taking one quick look up-field for an easy continuation before squaring their body entirely to and initiating their dump.  Too often we would look to our dump and then look back up-field, catching both the cutters and the dumps off-guard and almost inevitably leading to a turnover.  You may have already noticed some of these things being addressed in practices.  

On the positive side, by the end of Sunday, our offense was operating at least twice as efficiently as it was on Saturday morning and it was this obvious improvement that I think kept us going through our grueling schedule.  We had finally begun to settle into a rhythm in our offensive flow and at a dead disc our horizontal stack looked damn-near perfect.  Also, there didn’t seem to be any hesitation to throw to female cutters which will be good for the long-term development of our team and spoke to our team chemistry.

On defense, at least in man-to-man types, ultimate is a much simpler game.  Meaning there are less aspects to focus on and meaning each aspect is that much more invaluable to a successful team.  Our dump defense was good but sometimes a little poachy, to little gain.  Our up-field man defense showed signs of brilliance and what I would most like to address here is the defensive mind-set.  Defense is in all ways the opposite of offense.  It is not relaxed it is anxious.  It is not reacting to what the other team gives, it is anticipating what they will do.  Unlike offense, which can be dominated by a single player, a defense is only as strong as its weakest link.  Nowhere is this most evident than in the other half of man-to-man defense, the mark, in which we improved significantly over the weekend but again the marking mind-set should be clarified.  The burden on the mark is heavy and its job is crucial and singular; do not get broken.  Hand blocks are nice bonuses that come from an entire day of shutting someone down and are in no way a necessary element of the perfect defender.  

Some final notes: Our zone defense looked incredibly promising and I think with a little cup practice we could have a dominant defensive set.  In terms of conditioning I want to give my endorsement to the Snertz workout.  It addresses important aspects of ultimate conditioning such as explosiveness and durability and will serve as a good reference point for our initial physical training.  See how much of it you can do, and then do it faster.  In between tournaments I’d like to try to maintain the team vibe by encouraging people to hang out together outside of practice.  Invite a teammate you haven’t gotten to know over for dinner or to a party.  Most of us live within bike distance of each other.  Team house bike tour anyone?