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Trick
Throws
The grip is essentially the same as for the forehand.
The
significant difference is that the hammer throw is released upside-down, so
that support underneath the disc is not as important as for the forehand.
A tight grip with the thumb is important, since it is the digit which is doing
the supporting. This makes the power and hybrid grips the better choices for
the hammer. The harder the disc is thrown, or the more wind you throw into,
the more vertical the disc should be when released. [2]
When an airbounce is thrown correctly, the disk
leaves your hand, approaches the ground at a point a short distance in front
of you, and then mysteriously rises. When I throw, I keep this in mind. As
near as I can figure one of two things is happening when you make this throw.
First, look at it like you are taking a huge trashcan lid and compressing
a whole lot of air, between it and the ground, and this compressed air, then
expands, and propels your disc back upwards.
Second, view your disc as an air plane wing that has it's front edge tipped
upwards so that as air passes under its surface, it has the tendency to get
lift and rise.
When you make your throw:
1. Use your thumb to push the rear of the disc down, leaving the front edge
slightly higher and allowing for the airplane wing lift effect. As your arm
propels the disc forward, this angle will give it lift.
2. Standing sideways with your Right foot out in front, toward your catcher
and maintaining the disc angle with your thumb, start your (right handed)
throw, high up near your left shoulder. Now, using your thumb to keep the
disc angled up, sweep your hand and arm down (diagonal motion) low toward
your right knee and out to an imaginary point about 4 to 7 feet in front of
you. (place another disc in front of you as a target if necessary.) This motion
needs to be fast, so that you compress the air, instead of just "fanning"
it out of the way, the way you would fan yourself on a hot day. By moving
downward quickly, you will compress the air you need to get a good "bounce"
off it. Hence the term "Air bounce"
You have been told to push hard with your thumb. You need to push with your
thumb to keep the tail of the disc down as you compress air. I often start
with my disc 45 to 65 degrees up from horizontal and often nearing vertical,
This allows me to grab a lot of air and then I flatten out to more like 30
degrees as I release. Your friends have been trying to tell you to use that
thumb to create pressure and air compression as you try to shrink a square
foot column standing air 3 to 4 feet high into a 1' by 1' by 1' layer of air
that the Frisbee can ride up on.
A good air bounce can be thrown under a park bench and come out the other
side rising. I have heard urban legends about greats who can put one under
a car and have it float back up to catchable height.
This throw uses a standard backhand grip. The
disc is flipped over so that the dome of the disc is resting on the wrist
and forearm. The throw is from the forehand side. The disc is brought back
towards the shoulder and then thrown forwards at an angle of about 50 degrees.
The flight path is the reverse of a normal hammer.
This throw uses a reverse grip. The thumb is
inside the lip of the disc, the outside edge of the thumb (the side away from
the fingers) is pushed against the disc and the fingers are supporting the
dome, but the grip is fairly loose. The throw is from the forehand side. The
disc is brought back towards the shoulder and then thrown forwards at an angle
of about 50 degrees. There needs to be a good amount of spin to get the disc
to fly properly. The flight path is the reverse of the hammer.
This throw uses a backhand grip with the disc
held upside-down. The thumb is inside the disc, with the inside edge of the
thumb (the side closest to the fingers) pushed against the rim, and the fingers
are curled against the dome. The throw is from the backhand side. The disc
is brought back towards the shoulder and then thrown forwards at an angle
of about 45 degrees. The flight path is similar to a hammer, although it tends
to fly at a low height, and it will usually fade towards the backhand side
at the end of its flight.
This throw uses a backhand grip. The throwing
motion is similar to bowling a cricket ball. The arm is brought over the shoulder
with the thumb and forefinger leading. The disc is near vertical. A large
amount of spin needs to be given to the disc as it is released, and the throw
follows the reverse of a hammer flight path.
There are a couple of different grips for this
throw. The disc is the right way up, and the outside edge or pad of the thumb
is against the rim. The palm is facing up and the fingers are curled onto
the dome, although one version has the index finger inside the rim as well.
The throw is from the forehand side of the body, and the action and flight
path is identical to that of a forehand. Another variant on this throw starts
with the disc held out in front, fingers facing forwards on top of the dome,
and thumb facing forwards underneath. The disc is then whirled around the
thumb (anti-clockwise from top for right-handers) and projected forwards at
the right moment.
The grip for this throw has the pad of the thumb
inside the rim and the index finger along the outside edge of the rim. The
throw is from the backhand side of the body. The disc is brought back flat
across the chest and then thrown forwards. Lots of flick is required at the
moment of release to get the disc to fly straight.
This throw can also be thrown from very low, both straight and as an air bounce,
and from above shoulder height. Only the angle of the wrist at release need
change.
The grip for this throw has the inside edge of
the thumb against the inside of the rim, the index finger along the outside
of the rim, and the remaining fingers flat on the dome of the disc. The throw
is from the forehand side, and is released at or above shoulder height. The
disc flies the right way up. The wind-up is again similar to a bowling action
in cricket, with the disc is brought back upside-down at about waist height,
the arm looping around and releasing the disc the right way up above the shoulder.
The wrist needs to be cocked in such a way that the outside edge of the disc
stays down, and so that plenty of spin is imparted to the disc on release.
References
Tom Brennan and Jonathan Potts http://www.afda.com/skills/
Drew Cope Captain and Webmaster of the 1999 Eastern College Exiles
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