hammers/ distance in general
Anja Haman
I am in the process of working on two throwing problems:
-- understanding and using hammers appropriately
-- getting more distance on all my throws, esp forehand and hammers.
The following is a summary of thoughts, trying to understand the hammer,
and throwing in general. Please read if you have the time, and comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* HAMMERS *
There are several different hammer throws, as there are forehand throws.
FOREHAND THROWS:
The standard ultimate forehand throw is an outside-in, with the intention
of having the disc curve away from the defender but come back into
the receiver, preferably "hovering" momentarily in front of them
(as opposed to bulleting), making it easy to catch.
There are (many) other types of forehand throws, needed for special
occasions, and one can alter various flight attributes to attain different
effects:
* alter the disc's angle
* alter the disc's speed
* alter the distance covered.
Angle:
Sometimes the best throw is a flat (no curve/tilt) air-bounced throw
meant to hover in one spot as the receiver outruns her defender and
makes it to the disc first. This buys her time, and makes the catch easy.
Speed:
Sometimes, usually on the endzone :-), a bullet to your teammates
midsection is called for, because she's open and facing you, but has 5
screaming poachers running toward her from all directions.
Distance:
Used when someone on the sideline yells "HUCK IT!!!" after a phenomenal
layout catch, and your brain isn't functioning yet to know that you
don't really have a huck.
RELATING THIS TO THE HAMMER:
The same way in which one alters the forehand for the above scenarios should
apply to the hammer. A nice, standard hammer to a cutting receiver should
not flip over completely, but should rather curve around the defender
like a standard forehand (only higher up), and end up coming right into the
big, white underbelly of the receiver, as they run "into" it.
Speed: But, as with the forehand, sometimes you need to bullet
the hammer into your teammates' ribcage (slicing through
that underbelly ;-) In this case you want a lower altitude on the disc,
a faster moving disc, and I think the release is closer to upside down than to
vertical. I've seen this thrown a few times in a zone, with great accuracy
and success.
Distance: I've added a few metres to my hammers (doubled the distance :-)
by using weight transferral (assume right handed):
I have my left foot forward, lean back on my right, and as i
throw I move my weight from right, back foot to the front, left foot.
The timing takes a bit to learn, esp not to travel as a previous poster
alluded to. But it seems to help.
I've also seen a hammer airbounced. That was impressive. It does NOT
float like other airbounces, but it does "skip" like one. Anyone
do this consistently?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, my questions:
Do you agree with the above? Comments?
How CAN I get more distance on my hammers?
How can I get more distance on ALL my throws?
I keep thinking there might be a golden rule for acquiring more distance
on throws. I know more spin helps, but I think it must also be in
weight transferral (ie. use the body vs. use the wrist/arm). I esp.
need more distance on forehands, because on a backhand I feel like
I use my shoulders more whereas I "whip" my arm doing a forehand, which
doesn't seem to use my shoulder at all. This would likely be why my hammers
are weak.
HELP!
Post or reply to:
ha...@mprgate.mpr.ca
-- anja
DLH
>Subject: hammers/ distance in general
>From: ha...@mpr.ca (Anja Haman)
>Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 01:16:21 GMT
>
>I am in the process of working on two throwing problems:
>
>-- understanding and using hammers appropriately
>-- getting more distance on all my throws, esp forehand and hammers.
>
>The following is a summary of thoughts, trying to understand the hammer,
>and throwing in general. Please read if you have the time, and comment.
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> * HAMMERS *
>
>There are several different hammer throws, as there are forehand throws.
>
>
The hammer, topper, or blade from hell [tm] can be used to a)
really impress people who have never played ultimate; b) test the
disc reading abilites of new players; c) ensure a 911 situation
on an end zone huck; or d) get a disc to a reciever positioned
directly behind a defender.
if you chose (d) move on
The drawback of the hammer are a) it doesn't work well into the
wind; b) it is difficult to catch; c) it curves in only one
direction; or d) people who throw it think they can overcome a), b)
and c).
if you chose (d) move on
(sexism alert) Men generally can throw hammers further than womyn
because they have been throwing other sporting objects overhand
ever since David nailed Golieth ( yes really ... biblical scholars
assure me that the slingshot in question was not a forked tree
branch with a piece of inner tube attached. It was a single piece
of leather and was thrown much like the modern day hammer)
The asthetics of the hammer IMO feel much liek the forehand except
that it is thrown upside down over your head...not as crazy as it
sounds. The pressure you feel on your middle finger is waht gives
the disc its spin which keeps it flat and make it go further.
DLH never take the swing when a hammer is available
Michael K. Tamada
[...concise and witty description of when to throw hammers (short list)
and when not to throw hammers (longer list) deleted]
>they have been throwing other sporting objects overhand
>ever since David nailed Golieth ( yes really ... biblical scholars
>assure me that the slingshot in question was not a forked tree
>branch with a piece of inner tube attached. It was a single piece
>of leather and was thrown much like the modern day hammer)
^^^^^^^
attached to two strings
Well one article that I read suggested that slings were slung (fired,
launched, whatever) underhanded...the key was to twirl the sling around
real fast (kind of like needing lots of Z's) to get velocity. Then
simply let go of one of the strings and voila` ... the rock (or ideally
metal slug) would fly off and smite the foe. Range and accuracy were
reputedly as good as the best bows and arrows of the day.
Anyway, good article about hammers.
--Mike Tamada
Occidental College
tam...@oxy.edu
Anthony Brown
generally has enough of).... but it also requires technique. For a disk
to fly well (which includes distance and direction) the force you put into
pushing the disk down the feild must be matched by the amount of spin.
A rule of thumb is you can't have too much spin.
So... if you are throwing a backhand for distance you need lots of spin
so the disk will cut through the air rather than wobble and fight its
way through half the distance you are capable of throwing. Really cock
disk; what will be the trailing edge once the disk is away, should touch
the inside of your forearm. If you really want to cock it, raise your
elbow to nearly in front of your face and wrap-up your wrist until the
disk protrudes beyond the outside edge of your forearm. This is how
freestylers get "revs" on the disk.
With practice you can meld this new found spin in with your arm strength
and deliver smooth accurate throws the length of the field.
The method works for forehand throws and hammers also. Spin is necessary.
Cock this disk farther back before you throw it. As for hammer technique,
it is just damn near the same thing as throwing a baseball except that
you need to cock that disk and spin it as you release it. I can throw
a hammer up to 40 yards quite accurately when the wind is not blowing.
Hammers are oh so difficult in the wind because the entire area of the
disk is being pushed by the wind whereas in a normal flat throw only the
cross-sectional area, or the edge, is being blown against.
Remember PRACTICE DOES NOT MAKE PERFECT. Practice make permanent. If
you practice the wrong things, you will be able to do the wrong things
perfectly. Practice correctly.
Don't forget the BRICK rule as you huck it out the endzone.
Tony Brown, Idaho - can you believe they play Ultimate in Idaho?
Stephen Zelazny
Brown) writes:
Don't forget the BRICK rule as you huck it out the endzone.
What is the BRICK rule? I don't remember seeing it in the 9th ed.
Steve Zelazny
--
********************************************************************
Steve Zelazny szel...@ic.sunysb.edu
Dept. of Physics
Suny @ Stony Brook Room: S-141 and S-210
Stony Brook, NY, 11794-3800 Phone: 632-8141 (W), 474-2176(H)
********************************************************************
sl...@cc.usu.edu
> ha...@mpr.ca (Anja Haman) writes:
>>Subject: hammers/ distance in general
>>I am in the process of working on two throwing problems:
>>
>>-- understanding and using hammers appropriately
>>-- getting more distance on all my throws, esp forehand and hammers.
>>
>>The following is a summary of thoughts, trying to understand the hammer,
>>and throwing in general. Please read if you have the time, and comment.
>>
>>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>>
>> * HAMMERS *
>>
>>There are several different hammer throws, as there are forehand throws.
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
> The hammer, topper, or blade from hell [tm] can be used to a)
> really impress people who have never played ultimate; b) test the
> disc reading abilites of new players; c) ensure a 911 situation
> on an end zone huck; or d) get a disc to a reciever positioned
> directly behind a defender.
>
> if you chose (d) move on
>
>
> The drawback of the hammer are a) it doesn't work well into the
> wind; b) it is difficult to catch; c) it curves in only one
> direction; or d) people who throw it think they can overcome a), b)
> and c).
>
>
> if you chose (d) move on
>
>
> The asthetics of the hammer IMO feel much liek the forehand except
> that it is thrown upside down over your head...not as crazy as it
> sounds. The pressure you feel on your middle finger is waht gives
> the disc its spin which keeps it flat and make it go further.
>
>
> DLH never take the swing when a hammer is available
Hammers.
There are many good comments in the previous posts on Hammer Horror and
Hammers / distance in general. For the record here is a summary of my hammer
thoughts:
1. Preparation. Think about the throw.
In a game ask youself this question: Is it really a high percentage
throw for you in this situation? Be honest. If you have practiced it
thousands of times, it is within your range, the wind conditions do not
make the throw unlikely to get there (i.e. you can put the disc where you
intend it to go and you are certain the wind will not gust and move it
out of range of your receiver), the receiver is capable of catching
the hammer you intend to throw (is it raining? = don't throw it), and is there
another throw available to you that is of higher percentage?
In practice you can throw more hammers but if you throw so many your
teammates get sore you will not get the opportunity to throw many more
and maybe get killed if you throw one away in a game.
How do you want the disc to arrive? If you are right handed you have
an infinite number of choices on the following continuum:
| \
| \
| \
| .................. \ ..................... ________
Blade 45 Degrees Flat
/
The disc can arrive over-rotated: / But as pointed out by another
/ poster the disc will helix:
/ going very slowly and breaking
to the left. It is difficult
to read and a defender can
more easily catch up.
In theory however the over-rotated disc could allow the righthanded thrower
to throw a hammer that breaks left at the end of the trajectory. No one
will ever believe you intended to do it unless you are able to reproduce
you results hundreds of times.
Anyway back to choosing how you want the disc to arrive. In general, the
flatter the arrival the more slowly the disc will be traveling when it
arrives. And, the easier it is to catch because it can be more easily tracked.
Remember you have about 1/2 of a second to choose if a hammer
is appropriate and how you want it to arrive. Only thousands of hammers
thrown to your teammates in throwing practice will allow you to gain
this ability.
The grip.
A forehand grip is the correct grip. If you have to change your grip
it can work but using the forehand will allow you to deliver the throw
with less time between decision and release. The middle finger should
be in contact with the inner rim of the disc. Some throwers believe
the middle finger should touch both the inner rim and the underneath
surface equally. Others think only the inner rim should be contacted. It
is a matter of personal preference ... my finger touches the inner rim
and barely rests against the underneath surface.
Footwork.
If you are not throwing just for show but are playing ultimate remember
that you will probably be marked. Thus stepping forward for the throw
will probably result in you fouling your defender. So while you may be
able to use a bit of weight transfer you should practice without
stepping forward.
Delivery.
Begin with the disc over your head, at an angle appropriate for the
delivery angle you want. Nearly straight - the disc will begin
as a blade and will slowly turn over as it travels. For long hammers
this is a good place to start, it will provide the most distance.
Start with the disc at about 45 degrees left of vertical if you
want a medium length hammer to arrive flat. Start with the disc nearly
flat for a short hammer that you want to arrive flat.
Bring your arm back, and then forward. While your arm is traveling
forward flick you wrist as you release as you would a forehand. To
avoid flutter you want the disc to leave your middle finger last. Try
to feel that middle finger just a little longer than your other fingers
or the rest of your hand.
Distance.
Transfer your weight from the ball of your foot to your heel as you
release. The more you can transfer this weight the further you can
throw the hammer.
Above all.
Practice this throw with a friend - a hundred of each delivery type
each day you throw. Do it about 1000 times before you unleash it
on your friends and teammates.
Zip.
P.S. Ask an ultimate player you respect to critique your choice of
when to throw it, if you should throw it, and how to improve.
Anthony Brown
Keywords:
The BRICK RULE is one of those backyard school day rules (like tie goes to
the runner - baseball: I'm also an umpire and there is no such thing as a
tie) that still gets used - it is not in the official rules.
But the BRICK RULE...
is commonly used during tournament play and has some similarities to the
"MIDDLE" call. The Brick Rule is used only on the initial throw-off. If
the person who will receive the disk, realizes that it will go out of the
playing field before it hits the ground (within the following lattitudes)
he may yell "BRICK," and then put the disk in play from not only the center
of the field but also 10 yards up from the goal-line.
The lattitudes are:
out of the endzone - either side or the end itself,
out of bounds within 10 yards in front of the goal-line.
I feel it is a good rule and takes away any advantage a team may gain if
they have someone with a Herculean arm that can huck it a hundred yards
(out of the endzone) and give all of their team opportunity get down the
field and pick up their man prior to the first return throw.
HUCK IT!!!!
Tony
Paul Socolow @ Machine Ultimate
>The lattitudes are:
> out of the endzone - either side or the end itself,
> out of bounds within 10 yards in front of the goal-line.
Actually, one can call brick anytime the disc lands out on a pull. Of
course, it would be a strange call, as you would lose yardage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RRRRRR U U Paul Socolow, Rutgers Univ. Machine Ultimate HURT!
R R U U soc...@math.rutgers.edu AGONY!
RRRRRR U U PAIN!
R R U Ultimate Mid-Atlantic CRC LOVE-IT!
R R UUUUU Rutgers' Captain
Craig Fielding
In a previous article, a...@gem-vme.inel.gov (Anthony Brown) says:
>
>Keywords:
>
>The BRICK RULE is one of those backyard school day rules (like tie goes to
>the runner - baseball: I'm also an umpire and there is no such thing as a
>tie) that still gets used - it is not in the official rules.
>
>But the BRICK RULE...
>is commonly used during tournament play and has some similarities to the
>"MIDDLE" call. The Brick Rule is used only on the initial throw-off. If
>the person who will receive the disk, realizes that it will go out of the
>playing field before it hits the ground (within the following lattitudes)
>he may yell "BRICK," and then put the disk in play from not only the center
>of the field but also 10 yards up from the goal-line.
I have found Tony's comments IMHO to be one of the commonest misconceptions
regarding the Brick rule. "Brick" can be called by the player taking the
pull any time before they touch the disc; it does not have to be called
while the disc is in the air.
Craig Fielding, General Manager
Ottawa-Carleton Ultimate Association
--