There’s nothing quite as exciting as skying your opponent – and nothing quite as demoralizing as getting skied. It’s time to level up at skying in Ultimate Frisbee.
When a huck goes up in a game of Ultimate Frisbee, three phases can give you the best possible chance to sky your opponent.
The first, is reading the disc.
Second, is getting to your spot.
Finally, third is finishing the play.
Reading the Disc
The most critical part of skying someone in Ultimate Frisbee is reading the disc. You can be the tallest, fastest, most athletic player on the field. But, if you don’t read the disc well, none of those advantages matter.
Reading the flight path of the disc faster than your opponent gives you a few key advantages:
- It allows you to find out where the disc is going, and where you have the best chance to catch the disc
- It also helps you recognize where your opponent will be unable to catch the disc
- Because you were able to read the path of the disc first, you can be the first to maneuver downfield to get to your spot, before anybody else does.
Getting to Your Spot
The spot on the field that gives you the best chance to catch the disc is “your spot.”
If you can get to your spot first, that gives you the best chance at catching the disc.
Keep in mind, that your spot may differ depending where you are on the field, and who else is on the field. If you’re in front of everyone, your spot may be the place you can catch the disc while jumping. If you’re behind everyone, your spot may be behind others, so you can make a play on a tipped disc, or a mis-read disc.
Getting to your spot first also puts your opponent at a disadvantage. Not only does it put you in the best possible position to catch the disc, but now your opponents have to navigate around you to get to their spot!
Finishing the Play
Once you’ve successfully read the path of the disc, reached your spot, there is one thing left to do – finish the play!
In almost every case, this means catching the disc.
Even on defense, the best thing you can do is catch the disc. This ensures that your team gets possession, reduces any chance of a deflected disc being caught, and gives you the chance to start offensive momentum.
Level Up at Skying in Ultimate Frisbee
Check out this short skying highlight over an incredible defender that embodies the three phases mentioned above. I’d also like to point out that the title of the video is not appropriate to the content. While Lien’s throw was good, it was Hettler’s play that makes this a highlight.