Smart Defense for Old Men

I've never been a defensive oriented player. After a lifetime of playing cello, eating Chinese food, and a smoking habit picked up at 14, I never had the athleticism and endurance to be an all-star defender. But I had good throws and a natural sense for the sport of ultimate and I think that's why Northwestern ultimate players didn't shoo me away as quickly as possible.

So I plugged away at it; quitting smoking, conditioning, hitting the gym, learning to lay out, studying the game, losing weight, and here I am ... still not a defensive oriented player.

Though I am a more advanced version of Panda (we like to call it Uber-Panda or Panda 2.0), I still wouldn't put myself on starting D-line. But that doesn't mean I don't play good defense, that just means it's not my strong suit. Every offensive player worth his salt can get the disc back if need be. I hope you young, athletic defenders out there read this, because the reason I can defend you is not because I'm faster it's because I'm smarter.

"Old man tricks" is a term used to describe a set of skills a player of veteran experience possesses. It is a term used to describe a player who is able to get open/play defense via deception, trickery, and knowledge of the game and field. This a term used to describe me. Old man tricks don't always belong to just post-college, 30 and over players. It mainly applies to someone who relies on their brain rather than their brawn when playing ultimate.

Handler defense. This is one of the most underrated and most difficult aspects of the game. Being able to put consistent pressure on a team's best handlers will eventually win you the game. To frustrate an opponent's ability to get a reset is a priority. But the first thing you have to realize, is that your opponent will be getting open on you. The important thing is to contain him and make him go where you want him to go.

It can be broken down in a few steps:

1) Upline cuts are unacceptable, STOP THE UPLINE. A successful upline cut gives the handler a power position and the best hucking opportunity, downfield cutters will strike at this moment. In high-level club ultimate, giving up an upline cut in the backfield will be a huck-to-score 60-70% of the time. Even if your mark comes around and makes the handler holster the huck, you are out of position and open to be broken. SO DON'T GET BEAT UPLINE.

2) Contest the dump/reset. You can stop an upline with somewhat ease by positioning yourself up the field, but to contest the dump is much harder. So many people just let the handler have the back reset easily and give up a huge swing. You have to be tight enough to contest a badly thrown dump (if it floats, is not out to space enough, etc.). A good handler will get open on this option most of the time, but it's a percentage game. If you are close enough to D a small error, then you are close enough to ...

3) Cut off the swing. This supposed good handler will get open on the back dump most of the time. If you can force him to lose yards, lose midfield position, or clear out for the next handler cut than you've succeeded on step 2. Now you must cut off the swing. You have to come all the way around and stop the O/I around swing. This swing resets their whole offense, it can't be allowed to go off. If you can force a handler to get a dump, but no swing 20 times in a row the offense will eventually make a mistake. In fact 20 times in a row would be remarkably consistent on the offense's part.

4) Cut off the break. The next look the handler has is the I/O break up field. Because you're going to be slightly out of position to stop the around swing (and that's if you're quite agile) a good thrower will quickly throw downfield to the breakside. Now that look is a) not always there because it's a hard communication between handler and cutter, and b) a hard throw in general, prone to turnovers, especially in wind. So if you've gotten to step 4 and that's the only option your handler has, then you as a defender have won.

Good handlers will beat you upline occasionally, will beat you on step 2, 3 and 4 often. The point is being able to force them back and take the hardest look most of the time. As I previously mentioned, it's a percentage game with handler defense. They will get open, but if you can force them to the worst position, to take the hardest throws most of the time, you will get turnovers and affect the game. It may not be glorious or attention-grabbing but it's EXTREMELY important. (Thanks to CK @ Force Flick for schooling people in handler D)

Now all the handler defense in the world won't save you if an offense can fundamentally get downfield cuts all the way to the endzone. Though cutting defense is definitely not my strong suit, I can definitely dominate an inexperienced player, or someone that is not using their brain. There are plenty of young, athletic cutters who just like to run deep and catch Frisbees, but I can prevent them from getting open because of positioning.

Let's just talk horizontal stack. Ho-stack cutter D is a very one-on-one operation. Vert stack depends on handler and team defense a lot more, so yeah ... ho-stack.

The defense you're going to play depends on the position of your cutter. If they are in the primary lanes in the middle of the stack, then you have your work cut out for you (pun ... unintended .. I suck). But the exterior lanes can be exploited for their weakness in position.

Let's say the disc is centered, the handler's primary looks are the 2/3 mid lane cutters. The cutter on the far breakside can't do much. They can't cut across the 2/3 lanes to get in to position, so for him to get the disc there has to be a break throw or a deep shot to space. The best place to position yourself in my opinion is a few yards off your man, shading him deep. A deep look to this cutter is actually the preferred look so you can't risk letting a huge throw get around you, so play him deep. But you can play off a few yards and "allow" an under. As long as you watch what's happening up field with the handlers, you can prevent a gain. The only way the disc is going to the breakside guy is if the disc swings all the way around to the breakside handler (or a break throw, but let's assume our marks are tight). If you see the disc swinging all the way around now you have to be ready to attack the under that's coming. The deep look will rarely come from a swing, and if it does it won't be the best throw. So 80% of the time it will be an under cut that allows a great angle for a lay out D attempt.

Now let's talk about the 4 spot, the cutter trapped against the line (forcing forehand). This cutter has a decent under look, but a bad deep look. So that means you should shade under. Obviously this will have to depend on respective skill/athleticism as to how much you can cheat in, but you can give a few steps deep if you're quick. The most important thing here is that if your cutter does get the disc, to force him as much to the sideline as possible, and to put a huge trap mark on (what we in Chicago, call the "hardest" mark). The deep look to this cutter is a bad look. It has to be an exceptional throw to go out of bounds, come back in to catch the cutter in stride. If it even comes back in play at all, it will usually come in high, at which point you can contest it, or too far out and low where it cannot be caught. So stop the under here, and force them outwards toward the line.

The primary cutters are going to be a tough place for the defense. The beauty of the horizontal stack is that the under and deep options are kept open. So the primary cutters will probably be the strongest cutters and they have several places to go. This is where athleticism and decision making will have to be utilized to the fullest. If you've got yourself a tall, fast cutter that likes to stretch it deep, you'll have to force him under and try to contest an in-cut. If they have weak throws (as tall, deep receivers tend to have), then you can hope and probably get turnovers that way. If they're not terribly fast, or if you think you can beat them in the air with confidence, force them deep. These cutters tend to be mids for their offense, getting under and doing damage with smart throws. If you force them out of their comfort zone deep, then the handlers will be less likely to throw to them, and you can get turnovers that way. If you have an exceptional cutter who can go deep, and move the disc under (ex: Kurt Gibson, Will Neff, etc.) well ... you're going to have a tough time, but that's what makes them good players.

These are just guidelines. Defense depends on knowing good habits, smart positioning and being flexible. You could play defense strictly by these guidelines and have decent success, but the only true way to dominate is to account for your opponents' strengths and weaknesses. This is an experience thing. The ability to evaluate your opponent just by watching them for a point or two, and then adjusting your defensive measures accordingly. Quick I/O forehand break? Adjust to a wide inside mark, play physical on stopping the backhand around break, get the foul called. Cutter is faster than you? Body him up, get in his way, keep some contact with him so you know where he is at all times. Huge thrower? Straight-up mark, downfield defenders have to be alert and know that all options are open, that a goal could be coming when the disc is in his hands. There are thousands of adjustments to be made in any given game. In a match of equal athleticism and talent, this is the difference maker. As I heard someone on Sub-Zero once say, "Johnny Bravo is a team like Sub Zero, fast and with good skills, but with way more intelligence."

Alright well... I've been meaning to get all that off my chest for a while. I wanted to give my 2 cents to NUT during the season on handler defense, but it may have been a little late to implement. I hope you younglings read this and start working hard on building these good habits this year. You're going to need them.

So you guys still enjoy the frisbee part of the show? I know not many of you can relate to, or even understand half the terminology in these posts, but I hope they are at least .. insightful? Ultimate is a true sport that requires athleticism and extensive strategy. Just because it isn't always played at the highest competitive level doesn't mean that it isn't. Anyhow, ultimate and Asian-American men are probably two things I try to change everyone's opinion on the most. I'll keep giving you anecdotes from the "Year of Food Training" as I've come to call it. Blu Sushi Lounge has proven as hilarious as I could have hoped.

EP #6