Discount Pillows

Flying discs (including Frisbees) can be thrown in many ways. All involve spinning the disc to give it gyroscopic stability, and accelerating its mass to a certain velocity. Without spin, a disc will wobble and fall; without velocity, the disc will not go anywhere. Using these two guidelines, any number of throws are possible. Most discs are designed to create lift when thrown with the flat side up.

Techniques

Right-side up

Right-side up throws are all similar in that they react the same way to the tilt of the disc when it is released. A disc thrown right-side up will accelerate in the direction of the low end of the disc. A disc tilted leading-edge up will lose speed at the end of the throw and make a gentle landing; if tilted sideways (known in aeronautics terms as roll), it can curve around objects.

There is a language for describing throws that curve. Both descriptions are relative to the direction the person is facing and intends to throw. This axis is marked in red in the picture.

  • Inside-out (i-o) throws (green paths) occur when the thrower releases the disc in such a way that it initially comes towards the throwing axis (inside-). However, the disc is tilted with the side closest to the body highest, which causes the disc to curve away from the thrower (-out).
  • Outside-in (o-i) throws (blue paths, sometimes also called a bender) follow the opposite path. The thrower releases the disc moving away from the throwing axis (outside-), but with the side of the disc closest to the body lowest. This tilt causes the disc to bend back towards the thrower (-in).

In Disc Golf, inside-out throws are referred to as "hyzer" throws and outside-in throws are known as "anhyzer." "Hyzer" is a reference to H. R. "Fling" Hyzer and the etymology can be traced back at least as far as 1975 . "Anhyzer" is a pun and refers to Anheuser-Busch.

Backhand

This is probably the most commonly learned throw, and also one of the most powerful.

  • Grip: Fingers are curled under the disc's rim, and the thumb is placed on top of the disc to hold it in place. The index finger may either be on the edge of the disc (to help aim), or four fingers may be tucked underneath the rim (to aid power).
  • Throw: The thrower draws the throwing arm across the body to build velocity for the disc. During this movement, the arm straightens out. As the arm becomes straight, the wrist is flicked to impart spin.
Variations
  • The High Release: Used to get around an object (or a person), the High Release is thrown above the thrower's shoulder, and relies more heavily on the flick of the wrist to impart power.
  • The Air Bounce: This throw is released at a downward angle, but with a high angle of attack. This throw will move toward the ground at first before downwash causes it to rise, giving the visual effect of the disc "bouncing" in the air. This is done by pressing down with the thumb, which lowers the trailing edge at the instant of release.
  • The Beach Backhand: Rather than reaching and throwing the disc across the body, the arm is curled and the disc is cocked next to the hip on the same side of the body as the throwing arm. The disc is released by extending the arm straight ahead and snapping the wrist. The term "beach backhand" is considered pejorative, as this release technique is uniformly inferior to a standard backhand.

Forehand

This throw is also known as the flick, two-finger, or the side-arm. Focused in the wrist, this throw takes little time to execute. Along with the backhand, it is one of the two most common throws used in Ultimate.

  • Grip: The middle finger is extended and laid along the rim of the disc. The index finger is placed against the middle finger for power, or pressed on the bottom of the disc pointing towards the center for stability. The thumb is pressed against the top of the disc. The wrist is cocked back, and the arm is extended out from the body.
  • Throw: A snap of the wrist imparts spin as the disc releases off the middle finger, as well as some forward velocity. Extension of the lower arm provides additional power, as does shoulder and upper body rotation.
Variations

The forehand is a versatile throw, and can be adapted to many different situations.

  • Different wrist or arm angles on release can allow for inside-out or outside-in curves.
  • Most upside-down throws (see below) use the forehand grip and use the same wrist snap and release, and are therefore variants of the forehand in some sense.
  • The High Release: Used to get around an object (or a person), the High Release is thrown above the thrower's shoulder, and is powered by the flick of the wrist as well as the rising action of the arm on release.

Push Pass

The Push Pass: A relatively little-used throw, it is thrown with a grip similar to a backhand (index finger on the outer rim of the disc, thumb on top, other fingers curled underneath) but is released on the forehand side from a forehand stance. A pronating wrist snap similar to a forehand release pushes the disc forward, while spin is imparted "backwards" by rolling the disc off the index finger. A final flick of the index finger finishes the release. It is difficult to impart as much spin to the push pass as one can typically impart to a forehand or backhand, resulting in a less stable throw. It is useful in Ultimate for very short throws released to the forehand side.

Thumber forehand

The thumber forehand is also known as a The Beach Thumber, Peach, or in the sport of guts, simply as a thumber. Its primary advantage is that it can be thrown quite hard and with a great amount of spin, and is relatively easy to learn. It is often seen used in a game of Guts due to its power and velocity. It is unpopular in Ultimate due to several disadvantages when compared to the standard forehand. It is relatively difficult to impart different curves or release angles to, it is harder to release extended away from the thrower's body, and it makes for slow grip transitions to a backhand or hammer.

  • Grip: The thumber derives its name from the grip: it is thrown on the forehand side with the thumb under the rim and the rest of the hand against the outside of the disc. The arm should also be tucked against the side, and the elbow bent. The disc is kept parallel to the ground and the wrist is cocked back.
  • Throw: To release, the wrist is snapped forward. Spin is imparted off the flat part of the thumb; power can be gained by rotating the arm at the shoulder or the body at the hips. A flat release is critical to a successful thumber forehand.

Overhand

The Overhand (also known as Hungarian, flamingo, dragonwing, windmill , waffle , discus, wrist-hook, chicken wing, black hand or biscuit) is rarely used among ultimate players, because the alternative, the traditional forehand, allows greater sideways arm extension, useful in moving the disc around defenders. The Overhand is most useful when the disc is caught above the head and must be thrown quickly without changing grips, such as during a Greatest attempt.

  • Grip: The fingers of the hand are spread out over the top, with the thumb under the disc and perpendicular to the rim. For greater control, extend the index finger along the rim, as in the control grip for the forehand.
  • Throw: The arm is held horizontal and behind the thrower, then quickly brought forward, and the wrist is snapped laterally as the disc is released. Typically, release occurs at or above shoulder height, although it is possible to release at waist height or lower. The whole body and arm can be allowed to rotate, and the forearm must move very quickly to impart enough momentum to send the disc a significant distance. For maximum power, the entire body rotates, as in the ancient discus throw seen in track and field events; for a right-hander, the torso starts leaning right, and ends leaning left. Wrist snap is especially important, as the throw has no stability without a strong spin.

Duck

The Duck (also known as a bear claw, a duder, or a useless) is thrown with a similar grip to the Overhand, except it is the backward version of it. While the Overhand is thrown with counter-clockwise spin (for right-hander