In Chapter 4 you held the disc and never let go. In Chapter 5 you lay on your back and threw against gravity. Now you stand up, and for the first time in this book, you release the disc into the air while on your feet.
But only a little.
These are self-throws. You throw it up, it comes back to you, and you catch it yourself. The disc never leaves your personal space. You can do every single one of these drills standing in your kitchen, walking down the street, or jogging around a track. No partner. No field. No setup.
What makes these drills special is the math. Every rep is a throw AND a catch. You are training two skills simultaneously with every single motion. Throw, catch. Throw, catch. In ten minutes you have done hundreds of throws and hundreds of catches. That is more disc contact than most people get in an entire pickup game.
And here is the thing that surprised me the most: these drills improved my catching more than anything else I have ever done. When the disc is spinning in weird orientations, wobbling, floating, dropping at odd angles, and you have to snag it out of the air every two seconds, your hands get comfortable with chaos. You stop being afraid of awkward catches. And that confidence carries straight to the field.
Drill 1: The Backhand Quick Spinner
This is the easiest standing self-throw, so we start here.
The grip: Hold the disc in your dominant hand. Thumb on top of the disc. Four fingers on the bottom, under the disc.
The motion: Turn the disc vertical. Wrist down. Snap your wrist up and let go of the disc. Spin the disc counter clockwise (if using your right hand, clockwise if using your left). The disc should go up about one foot, spinning back toward your wrist and arm.
The catch: Catch it with the same grip. Thumb on top, four fingers under. You should feel the spin as it lands back in your hand.
That is the basic version. Simple, rhythmic, and surprisingly satisfying.
The alternating hand variation: This is where it gets fun and where the real training happens. Instead of catching with the same hand, catch with the other hand. Then with that hand, backhand spin it back up. Catch with the first hand. Back and forth, back and forth.
What makes this really enjoyable is the trailing edge catch. Flick it up, and instead of catching it at the top, let it start to fall. Then catch it with the other hand on the trailing edge as it drops, right before it hits the ground. Then snap it back up with your backhand. The other hand catches the trailing edge on the way down. Snap it back up again.
You get into this rhythm where the disc is bouncing between your hands, spinning, falling, getting caught at the last second, and launching back up. It builds ambidexterity, trailing edge catching instincts, and the backhand snap on both hands.
Variations: Try juggling with two discs, one in each hand, alternating throws. Also try increasing the height from one foot to two or three feet.
Game translation: Turn sideways and throw the exact same motion horizontal instead of vertical. That is a backhand. The wrist snap, the spin direction, the release point. You have been practicing it vertically, and now you just redirect it sideways toward your teammate.
Drill 2: The Easy Flick Up
This drill gives you rapid flick reps while standing, with a rhythm that approaches one throw every two seconds.
The grip: Palm facing up. Fingers in your flick format, whatever grip you use for your forehand.
The motion: Uncoil your wrist and fingers back as far as they will go. Then push up vertically, past your head, and release the disc. The disc should pop up above you with spin.
The catch: Catch it with your fingers on the bottom and thumb on top. Then flip it over one handed, bring it back down to the starting position, and repeat. Every two seconds. Fast rhythm.
This is pure flick touch training. The rapid pace forces you to be efficient with your catch, your one handed flip, and your release. There is no time to think about each step. Your hands have to figure it out on their own. That is where instinct comes from.
Progression: Start with 20 reps at a comfortable pace. Build to 50 reps at a faster pace. Then 100 reps at full speed. Both hands.
Drill 3: Push Pass to Yourself
Think of this like a basketball spin, but horizontal instead of vertical.
The grip: Index finger on the rim. Thumb supporting underneath. Other fingers relaxed.
The motion: Spin the disc horizontally relative to your body off your index finger, and lift it up with your arm as you spin. The disc rises with a gentle, floating rotation.
The catch: Catch it with your thumb underneath. Reposition your index finger on the rim. Repeat.
The push pass creates the softest, most floaty descent of any self-throw. Compared to the Gravity Flick which comes down fast and blady, the push pass drifts down gently. That soft float is the easiest thing in the world to catch.
And that soft touch is exactly what matters in a game. When your teammate is five feet away near the endzone, you do not want to fire a bullet flick at their chest. You want a soft, catchable push pass that floats into their hands. This drill builds that touch.
Hand to hand: Once you are comfortable, start passing from hand to hand. Right hand spins it up, left hand catches it. Left hand spins it up, right hand catches it. Back and forth.
Walking and jogging: This drill translates beautifully to movement. Start doing the push pass to yourself while walking. Then while jogging. The timing changes when your body is moving. The disc drifts slightly differently. You have to adjust. And that adjustment is the beginning of learning to throw on the move, which is one of the most important skills in Ultimate.
Drill 4: Behind the Back Toss
This one is a lot of fun and surprisingly challenging.
The grip: Backhand grip. Reach behind your back with the disc.
The motion: Launch your wrist up at an angle so the disc pops up over your shoulder and comes down in front of you. You are throwing blind. You cannot see the disc when you release it. You are throwing based entirely on feel.
The catch: Bring your hand around from behind your back and catch the disc as it drops in front of you. Or catch it with the opposite hand.
This is very difficult to get consistent. The angle has to be right or the disc goes sideways, too far forward, or not high enough. But when you nail it, when the disc pops up over your shoulder at exactly the right angle and drops perfectly into your waiting hand, it feels amazing.
Alternate sides. Right hand behind back, toss over right shoulder. Then left hand behind back, toss over left shoulder. This is a fun drill to do while walking somewhere. You look like you have been playing with a disc your whole life.
Game translation: Behind the back throws are rare in Ultimate but they happen. More importantly, the body awareness and blind release feel that this drill builds carries over to every throw where you need to release from an awkward position under pressure.
Drill 5: The Globe Spinner
This one looks effortless and incredibly cool when you nail it. It is on USA Ultimate's website as one of the skills to learn, and I agree it deserves a spot in your solo repertoire.
Starting position: Stretch your non dominant hand up in the air above your head. Arm almost fully extended but not quite. This is your catching hand.
In your dominant hand, hold the disc with your thumb on the bottom of the rim and your four fingers on the top of the rim. The bottom of the disc faces up, toward the hand that is stretched above your head.
The motion: Push down with your thumb on the rim while simultaneously pushing up with your four fingers. These opposing forces spin the disc like a globe or a ball. Not a blade. Not flat. It tumbles end over end like a spinning globe, rising up toward your outstretched hand.
The catch: Catch it with the hand above your head.
This is very hard at first. The disc flips an unpredictable number of times and you have no idea where to position your catching hand. But here is the secret: the number of flips becomes consistent once your throwing force is consistent. Practice the same push force every time, and the disc will flip the same number of times and arrive at the same spot. Once you learn that rhythm, the disc lands in your hand almost every time.
When you get this dialed in and the disc spins up and drops perfectly into your outstretched hand, it looks absolutely effortless. People will watch you do it and think you have been doing it for years.
Drill 6: The Globe Smacker
They teach this one at the WAFC summer camp for middle schoolers, and I started doing it myself because of how much it helped my game in one specific area: catching discs that are bobbling in the air.
The motion: Smack the top of the disc upward with your palm so it spins like a globe or a basketball up into the air. Think of the basketball celebration where players look like they are shooting a basketball. You hit the bottom (or really the top surface) of the disc and it spins up end over end.
The catch: The disc wobbles down awkwardly. It is not coming down as a clean blade. It is doing the opposite. It tumbles, drifts, and rotates unpredictably. You have to track it and snag it out of the air.
This is hard to catch precisely because it is awkward. And that awkwardness is the entire point.
In a game, discs get tipped, bobbled, deflected by wind, and knocked off their flight path all the time. When that happens, most players freeze because the disc is not arriving in a clean, predictable way. But if you have spent hours catching Globe Smackers, your brain already knows what a wobbling, tumbling disc looks like. You have seen it hundreds of times. You are not surprised by it. You just catch it.
Since I started doing this drill, I am noticeably more confident catching discs that are bobbling in the wind or wobbling from a deflection. That confidence came directly from the Globe Smacker.
Take It Outside: Walking, Jogging, and Wind
Several of these drills become even more valuable when you add movement.
The Push Pass to Yourself is the best starting point for walking drills. Spin it up while walking at a normal pace. The disc drifts slightly different when your body is moving forward. Your catching hand has to adjust. That adjustment is the beginning of throwing and catching on the move, which is a fundamental game skill.
The Behind the Back Toss is natural for walking. You are already moving forward, and the toss over your shoulder plays off that momentum.
Once walking feels comfortable, try jogging. The pace change makes everything harder. The disc goes slightly forward of where you expect. Your timing shifts. That is exactly the kind of adaptation your body needs to learn.
And do these drills outside in the wind. The Push Pass especially. The soft float of the push pass interacts with the wind in ways that teach you more about disc flight in five minutes than an hour of indoor practice. You start to feel crosswinds, gusts, and headwinds in real time. You learn to adjust your throw based on what the air is doing. That is wind literacy, and it only comes from being outside with a disc.
Both Hands, Soft Discs, and Having Fun
Everything in this chapter should be done with both hands. Every drill. Every variation. Your dominant hand goes first to learn the motion, and then your non dominant hand gets the same number of reps.
Use soft discs until you are comfortable, especially for the Globe Spinner and Globe Smacker where the disc is tumbling unpredictably near your face and hands. Once you are confident with the soft disc, switch to the standard UltraStar for game feel.
Try two discs at the same time for the Backhand Quick Spinner and the Push Pass. One in each hand, throwing and catching simultaneously. The dual disc challenge from Chapter 5 applies here too: when you can do 20 reps with both hands without dropping, you have reached a real level of control.
And most importantly, have fun with it. These drills are supposed to feel like playing, not like homework. The Globe Spinner looks like a magic trick. The Behind the Back Toss makes you feel like a showoff. The Backhand Quick Spinner trailing edge catch is genuinely exciting every time you nail it.
The more fun you have, the more reps you will get. And the more reps you get, the better your hands become. It is the simplest formula in the world.
Wrap Up
◆ Standing self-throws give you two reps per motion: a throw and a catch. Hundreds of both in minutes.
◆ The Backhand Quick Spinner is the easiest starting point. The alternating hand and trailing edge variations build ambidexterity.
◆ The Easy Flick Up builds rapid flick touch with a fast two second rhythm.
◆ The Push Pass to Yourself creates the softest, most catchable float. It is the best self-throw drill for wind practice and for walking or jogging.
◆ The Behind the Back Toss builds blind release feel and body awareness.
◆ The Globe Spinner looks effortless and cool once you learn the flip rhythm. It is on USA Ultimate's skill list.
◆ The Globe Smacker trains you to catch wobbling, tumbling discs, the catches that matter most in real games.
◆ Do every drill with both hands. Use soft discs first. Add walking, jogging, and wind when ready.
Action Steps
→ Start with the Backhand Quick Spinner. 20 reps with your dominant hand, then 20 with your non dominant. Then try the alternating hand version.
→ Try the Push Pass to Yourself while walking around your neighborhood. Five minutes. Feel the float.
→ Attempt the Globe Spinner 10 times. You will probably miss every catch at first. That is normal. Focus on making the throwing force consistent and the catches will start landing.
→ Do the Globe Smacker 10 times and practice catching the wobble. Notice how different it feels from catching a clean throw.
→ Pick your favorite drill from this chapter and do it for five minutes today, outside if possible. Both hands.
Mentor's Closing
You are now three chapters deep into drills, and something is happening that you might not have noticed yet. Your hands are getting smarter. The disc feels more natural. The catches that used to surprise you are starting to feel routine.
That is the compounding effect of reps. Every chapter has stacked on top of the last one. Hold the disc drills built your strength and feel. Lying on your back drills built your finger push and wrist snap. And now the standing self-throws are building your release, your catch, and your ability to handle the disc in motion.
Next chapter, we take it to the field. Walls, wind, targets, and wide open spaces. But the foundation you built in these three chapters is what makes those field drills work. You are not starting from scratch out there. You are bringing trained hands to the field.
Keep stacking. Keep spinning. Keep catching. :)