Monday, January 28

bend your mind...

and use other sports to shape your mental model of ultimate:

http://coachingbetterbball.blogspot.com/

Not to do the whole Frank Ultimate=Basketball thing, but the notions that they explore strategically versus the notions that we explore strategically are similar. Not a true 1-1 relationship, but the methods and the representations are useful.

Think strategically instead of "play-oriented."

Making the plays and having the skills are the prerequisite to playing good ultimate. Work on them and then train your mind to see the field to take advantage of your skills. One without the other is really kinda useless.

Now, if we could just get a fucking NFL crew to show all 22 players and all of hte Ultimate Videographers to show all 14 players we'd have something. I'm sick and tired of losing track of the most important parts of all of the games that I watch. I was watching the 2006 UV coverage of the finals and I had to keep notes to myself about which players started where, where they went when they went offscreen and what they were likely doing in the space between when I first saw them and then when they were wide-open gaining 30 yards or going for the goal.

Just like when watching football, I have to imagine the pass coverage based on the defensive line and a couple of linebackers while pretending I know what routes the receivers are running based on where the QB is looking and what portions of the defense i can see. I just can't fucking comprehend how this became the standard. I don't want to watch Tom Brady stand around for 4 seconds and throw to someone I can't see. I want to watch the whole play develop. Why is he looking where he is looking? Why is he pump faking? What does he know? What does he see? How is he reacting to the coverage? What sort of sight-adjustments are the receivers making? When is he knowingly throwing into coverage and when does the coverage shift at just the right moment?

GODDAMNIT I LOVE SPORTS AND I WANT TO KNOW MORE!!!!!!!

4 comments:

gapoole said...

Which is why the internet has so much potential for Ultimate coverage. Get an overhead view for analysis and digitally put a small colored circle underneath one player, another beneath his defender--you'll follow his movements, watch how he gets separation, etc. Want to see the same tracking for another player? Press a button, presto.

Have multiple windows showing simultaneous footage from different angles--behind the thrower, facing the thrower from further back, overhead, sideline angle. You can replay or slow-mo them at the same time to see how a thrower and receiver make eye contact, or how the thrower reads his teammate's openness and breaks the mark. All it takes is more cameras, web hosting, and somebody willing to throw together the code.

Unfortunately, I have the talent/money for none of those, so I have to wait.

NJ State Youth Coordinator said...

AM: "you want to handle?"

DR: "i don't care..."

AM: "you're a handler, right?"

DR: "i guess..."

AM: "okay, you'll handle."



no real comment here other than to say it was slightly surreal to be on the line with one captain of PoNY and one captain of Pike, and overhearing this exchange on strategy.

dusty.rhodes said...

Well, to be honest... I'm just a contrary person. That exchange would have been identical if the word "handler" had been replaced with "cutter."

That "pickup" game is also the only one that I've been to that *always* calls positions. You'd think I'd get used to it, but I haven't.

Anonymous said...

Come on Lenny, take charge! "Masulis, catch the pull. What do you think of that Jody guy, by the way? Rhodes, catch the first pass underneath. So how old *is* Trey? I'm going deep!"