Teach throwing & catching quickly and easily so students can go try it right away.
There are 3 parts to every throw: Grip, Spin, and Power. There is no wrong way to hold a frisbee, but there is a right way to throw every single throw.
- Grip: The grip will determine what throw is being thrown. For every throw, the grip of the disc must be tight, so that you can get the most amount of spin and power.
- Spin: To make the disc fly, we need to put lots of spin on the throw. We do this by snapping/flicking our wrist. Spin gives the frisbee lift and helps create glide.
- Power: Power control is important no matter what disc you’re throwing. We do this by slowing down our motion or using less force from our arms and/or legs.
Once you have the 3 steps figured out, you’ll want to get into an athletic stance.
Stance
Every throw is diferent, and the stance for every throw is diferent as well.
- For the backhand, you’ll step with the same foot as your throwing hand.
- For the forehand, you’ll step with the opposite foot of your throwing hand.
- Step towards your target and release the disc towards your target.
Catching
There are two parts of the frisbee you can catch:
- Top and bottom (with 2 hands) OR
- The rim (with 1 or 2 hands)
Teaching Basic Throws
Traditional Backhand
- Place thumb on top of the disc with 4 fingers underneath the disc. It’s as though you are shaking hands with the disc. You do not want the index finger along the rim for the backhand.
Traditional Forehand
- Fingers in the shape of a gun – two fingers underneath, thumb pinches on top of the disc.
- Squeeze disc predominantly with those 3 fingers, but also with other two fingers to stabilize disc in your hand.
- IMPORTANT: focus on keeping the forearm and palm up to the sky when throwing.
Troubleshooting
Wobbling Disc
- Use more wrist snap and less arm movement. You can throw the disc further than you think with just a snap of the wrist.
Disc not going straight
- Point at the target you’re throwing to after you release the disc.
Disc not staying level
- Keep disc flat throughout the whole throwing motion. For the forehand throw, keep palm and forearm flat up to the sky.
Skill Games for Throwing & Catching
- Partner Catch – Have students high five and take two steps back. This game isn’t about distance, but rather about power control. The goal of the game is to get 30 catches in a row. Throw the disc to your partner with appropriate power that they can catch it. Not too soft and not too hard. If you’re having difculty catching, move closer. If you’re catching everything, keep going as you are.
- Throw How You Catch – this time, you’ll throw to your partner the same way that you catch the disc. If you catch with 2 hands, throw it back with 2 hands. If you catch the disc upside down, throw upside down. If you drop the disc on the ground, throw the disc exactly how you pick it up. The key is that the grip will constantly be changing, all dependent on the catch. So every throw will have a diferent grip, and the challenge will be to always have spin and appropriate power on the throw to your partner.
- Invent a Throw – only 2 rules for this game – the throw has to be safe, and has to be catchable. Have each partner make up a new throw. Could be one throw that they keep trying, or could be a diferent throw every time.
- Throw Under the Leg – instead of throwing a flat backhand, turn the disc sideways and throw a gentle vertical backhand. Spin and power control will be key in this game. Throw under the same leg as your throwing hand towards your partner.
- Catch Under the Leg – the same throw as the previous game but this time, instead of throwing the disc under your leg, your partner will be attempting to catch the disc under their leg.
- Dueling Throws – going back to the Partner Catch, except this time, everyone will have a disc in their hand. Both partners will throw at the exact same time, throwing and catching a backhand.
- 2 Disc Throw – this time, one partner will have both discs in their hand and will either throw both discs in one hand, or throw one disc from each hand. Either way, they will throw both discs at the same time to their partner, who will attempt to catch both discs.
Speed Flow
Objective
- Pass the disc back and forth as many times as possible between partners in 1 minute.
Purpose
- Used to gauge the improvement throughout a week of the Flying Disc curriculum . This activity should be done on the first and last day of the week to measure success.
How to Play
- Two students of the opposite gender will line up 15 feet apart facing each other.
- With a third-party starting a stopwatch, the pair will begin to pass the disc back and forth.
- The pair can use a backhand, forehand, or other creative throw that allow them to get the disc back and forth as quickly as possible.
- The third-party will signal a stop at the 1 minute mark, and the number of times each student caught the disc will be the total of their score.
Helpful Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4yiyOpkH2s