Cutting


When you cut, you run to an open space on the field to attempt to receive a pass. This is done by some combination of running as fast as you can and faking to make the defender think you're running to a different area. Cuts should accomplish one of three things:

Most passes should be type 1, where the receiver is relatively far downfield. Type 2 passes will get the frisbee away from the sideline or else go to an unmarked thrower. Type 3 passes should be for high stall count dumps or else for weaker throwers. Usually you want a handler making the type 3 cuts. [1]


Know Your Thrower

One of the first things to remember when cutting is who are you cutting for. It is not much use being ten meters free on the break side if the thrower is a beginner who is not even going to try to break the force. If you have a thrower who likes to throw the break throw, sometimes an effective cut consists of heading straight for the break side, assuming your defender will be a few steps behind. This is more effective the more your defender marks on the open side. Try and know what throws the thrower likes and make your cuts accordingly.

Outsmart your Defender

The next thing to look at is your defender. There will be some times when you can simply run past your defender. This is not great practice for when you are being marked by a good defender, but hey...open is open. Other times you may be being marked by someone who is fast, but slow to change direction. A hard run one way followed by a quick direction change always loses them. In general, though, you will be marked by someone of roughly your own ability, and the rest of the section will assume that.

Chances are your defender will set up a few meters in front of you, and slightly on the open side. The defender's aim is always to be able to watch you. As a result, an effective cut generally makes the defender have to turn around. The best way to do this is to run directly at the defender. The defender will back away, but assuming you can run faster forwards than they can backwards, they will eventually have to turn. When this happens, put in a fake or two until the defender, who should be looking in the other direction, goes the wrong way. You should then be open.

The mistake a lot of cutters make is to start faking sideways while their defender is still able to watch them. The defender can just stand and watch and when the cutter finally goes one way the defender will follow without any trouble.

Defender Proximity

The closer you get to the defender the more difficult it is for them to react to your movement. If you make your cut out in front of them, the defender can see which way you are going and take a step to the side to be right with you. If you run right up close to the defender and break to one side or the other, then by the time the defender can start moving you will be past them.

Short or deep?

When you do what your defender expects it makes it a lot harder to get open. Forcing the defender to choose what cut to cover gives you the advantage. One good way to do this is to start running deep. By running down the field you force your defender to cover you since they don't want you to catch a huck. Once you go deep the defense will often run past you to cover the deep throw, or will at least be running near you at a high speed. Either way you can hit the brakes and turn around to cut in towards the disc and usually end up with your defender behind you. This technique can be especially effective with good timing. Try to run deep at a point where you could actually get a huck. Then catch the huck if you get it, or wait until the next throw happens. Turn around right as that throw goes, so you will be open running in towards the disc right when the person with the disc looks downfield for a receiver.

This can also work in the reverse direction. If you don't get open cutting in, turn around and run deep. Again, with good timing you could be open deep just at the point when the next catch is made and the receiver is looking downfield.

Distractions everywhere!

Cuts can also be useful in distracting the defense to help other cuts get open. I often make cuts against the force to give the marker something to worry about. This can make it easier for the thrower to get off a good throw with the force or up the middle.

Where is the disc?

This is an advanced technique which is one of my favorites because you get to mess with your defender's head. As I mentioned above I usually get front guarded with my defender looking at me. This means that they don't always have firsthand information about where the disc is. Waiting patiently in the stack I look at where the disc is. After the next throw I don't shift my view to where the disc went. If my defender doesn't look to see where the disc went they may get caught out of position (and if they do look, make the cut when they aren't looking). Then I wait for an opening and make my cut.

Always Be a Threat

The best way to improve your cutting skills is to learn a great variety of cuts that go in many directions. Then based on where your defender is and where the disc and the force is going you can choose a cut with the best possibility for success. And even better, when your defender knows you can cut in any direction, it makes it easier to get open even on the simplest of cuts. [2]

Various Cutting Techniques

It is important to build up a repertoire of cuts. Everyone has a couple of favourite cuts they make successfully over and over. But in top competition or against difficult defenses, the old favourites may not work. You need to be able to adapt your cuts to the game and your particular position and, most importantly, to keep the defense guessing.

Basic Cut

The basic cut to the disc is a side-to-side variation. The cutter fakes going to one side and then turns hard to cut to the other side. If you can disguise your direction then the defender will have to react quicker to stay with you. As you make your cut you can tilt your head and/or shoulders in one direction while planting your feet to cut in the other.

To turn as rapidly as possible, remember:

Run Fast

Either taking off quickly or running fast can simply get you past your defender.

Shoulder Cut

This involves getting your inside shoulder and leg in front of the defender and then protecting you cut with your body.

Banana Cut

When the defender is overplaying your forward cut, you can fade out to the open side and away from the disc at about 45 degrees. The throw is a high, loopy, slow, leading pass which you run down. The defender is stuck in no-man’s land, and is often unsighted.

Goose Step

This simply involves a rapid change of pace and/or direction, which the defender fails to respond to quickly enough.

From the Back

From the back of the stack, fake to cut deep (and away from the stack to avoid a pick), and then turn sharply back to the disc and run parallel with the stack. The throw should be slow enough to make it a simple catch and allow a larger margin of error.

From the Front

From the front of the stack, fake forward to the open side and then turn sharply to run up the break side of the stack and then look for the huck down the open sideline. You should be attacking the disc with a good sight of it coming over the shoulder, not watching it floating over your head.

747 Cut

This is a head fake. Watch the imaginary disc going up-field and past you. As soon as your defender looks around, make the cut to the disc.

Eclipse Cut

This is similar to the cut from behind the disc. Run towards the thrower and end up close and on the break side, effectively eclipsing the thrower with the marker. Then button-hook around and flare out on the open side to receive a leading pass.

Fake the Catch

Run to one side, jump and pretend to receive the disc at about head height, then turn and cut in the other direction.

Isolation cut (Moose)

Start off standing out on the open side of the stack and at least 10m from the stack proper. Make sure you are reasonably close to the thrower (15m at most). You then have the freedom to make any cut you like to get free. The most usual cuts are to fake short and cut long, or vice versa. This is EXTREMELY difficult to stop if the cutter makes hard turns. It is especially useful in a line trap situation, and can make for massive gains with a good huck down the line.

From Behind the Disc - Break Side (Cooee)

Stand behind and to the break side of the thrower. Fake going for the dump and then run forward and slightly across to the open side. The throw should be early and slow, so that the receiver can easily run it down. Alternatively, fake the cut forward and come back for the easy dump. This is a valuable cut for when the thrower is trapped on the line where it is called the "cooee" cut. [2]

References

[1] Jim Parinella http://www.tiac.net/users/parinell/tip4
[2] Tom Brennan and Jonathan Potts http://www.afda.com/skills/