How to avoid choking - strangers and sports edition

October 3, 2018 2:37 PM

I'm trying to get into ultimate frisbee. I'm not very athletic in general, but I can throw okay and know how to make cuts. But when I play with new people or teams I get very nervous and in my head and throw terribly. To the point where people think I've never thrown before. I lose my spin, and often throw in the wrong direction. How do I keep my composure so when I start throwing with a stranger I do my best?
posted by earlsofsandwich to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

Drills are likely the most direct route.

I always found it useful to get me into doing rather than thinking too much was to do a throwing drill where you stand about 5-8 yards apart from a partner and just catch and throw rapidly to each other. Nothing fancy, just to get you locked on the actions. This basic drill also takes the other actions out of the equation.

You could also practice going through the motions of receiving, planting a foot and then taking the action of throwing, even on your own. Its just trying to set up a rhythm of following the motions.

Really though the ideal would be to go to a club session with a lot of beginners, if that's possible. Its a lot less stressful if everyone is throwing some crap, it makes you feel less pressured. It should mean that someone is leading you through some drills to build up skills with the disc including catching and setting up to throw the basics, but then eventually also on setting up and making decisions about what kind of throw you want to select and to eventually build that into a repertoire of throws as a more automatic process.
posted by biffa at 3:02 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

Throw every day. I know that sounds impractical, but it's the advice i give every new player (because every old player already knows to throw every day). But what it really means is that throwing and catching is the heart of ultimate, and the more you do it the better you get.

I'm going to assume you play in a pick-up, or some other informal game. go early, stay late, there will always be someone to throw with. But don't always throw with the same person if you can manage it.

Ultimate is a very inclusive community. I'd bet someone in the group you play with would be eager to help you. Ask if anyone can critique your form. Losing spin is often a matter of grip (there are good resources online to learn the proper grip for forehand and backhand) as well as the mechanics of your throwing motion.

If it's just a matter of not throwing properly under pressure, have one of your throwing partners set a mark on you and start at stall 6. That will simulate late stall pressure and teach you that even with only 5 seconds to release the disc you can do it fluidly, with proper mechanics. Then, when you are in a game situation, listen to the stall count and remember that 10 seconds is an eternity, and your teammates will work to get open for you or even give you a dump option.

Tell your teammates you want to work on throwing under pressure. tell them that you want to be a better handler. my bet is they will cut for you, and give you good open looks.

keep playing, throw every day!
posted by OHenryPacey at 3:04 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

More throwing. It needs to be muscle memory so you're just deciding what throw to do (what curve, how high, hammer or regular throw, etc) and the throw just happens. Like someone suggested - arrive early and just do a bunch of throwing with someone. Or meet up on a lunch break or after work for some throwing. We used to do the Golden 70 drill - throw with a partner and do 10 each of:
backhand outside-in throws,
backhand straight throws,
backhand inside-out throws,
forehand outside-in throws,
forehand straight throws,
forehand inside-out throws,
hammers.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:39 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

This book is all about why we choke (in sports and in other situations) and has a bunch of suggestions for what you can do to overcome it.
posted by asterix at 5:03 PM on October 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

I’m 100% with team throw every day, but want to underscore how important it is to practice while being marked. So many poor handlers are so afraid of the hand block that they grip the disc too hard, hold on too long, fail to follow through, and so on.
posted by advicepig at 5:27 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

There's an old Michael Jordan quote to the effect of "practice so hard that the games are easy by comparison". Practice throwing under pressure. Throw in public where strangers can watch you. Have a friend try to distract you as you throw, and focus on your technique. The idea is that pressure becomes normal and expected, and thus not stressful.

Drills are good, but at this point it sounds like your fundamentals are good. You won't get much marginal benefit from just throwing against air.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:42 PM on October 3, 2018 [2 favorites]

For me, the main difference between throwing in practice and in a game is how quickly you need to make the decision to throw the disc.

The drill that helped me most:
- Stand ~15 ft apart from a partner
- Each of you starts with a disc
- Throw the discs back and forth, such that both discs are in the air at the same time.

The pressure of having a disc coming at you that you're going to need to catch is a good simulator of the pressure you'll be under in a game. It forces you to develop a quick release without thinking about it.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 2:19 PM on October 4, 2018 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: As a followup I ended up hiring a coach for 6 or so lessons. Worked much better than more practice. I just had some fundamental misconceptions about how to throw the frisbee. For instance, most of the energy coming from the hips instead of the flick
posted by earlsofsandwich at 4:33 PM on February 24, 2019 [1 favorite]