In the past few years, Midas has had a very specific dump routine. You set up on the break side whenever possible. The thrower looks to you on stall 5, fully turning their body and squaring up against the mark. This is the dump's cue to make a cut back (generally you only need about 5 hard steps). If the thrower cannot get this throw off fast enough or if the dump D is just on their toes, the thrower will fake, and the dump will cut up the line. If, again, the D is great, the mark shifts over, or for some other reason the throw cannot get off, the person at the front of the stack, the "fill," will run straight down to where the dump had originally set up for a fast break throw. By now, if none of these throws occur, it will probably be a high stall count and the thrower will be forced to jack it as far as possible. When forced to set up on the open side, do the exact same routine, except since the up-the-line cut is no longer viable, so we have to rely on the dump either getting it back, the fill getting open, or a cross-field swing to an open cutter.
Experienced players will read over this and be able to point out how flawed this routine sounds.
1. It is literally a routine. This is what we did, EVERY TIME.
2. Teaching to wait until stall 5 is incredibly limiting, especially when running a vert stack, an offense that easily lends to handler domination.
3. It requires that all players involved be very aware of what is happening and the skill level of each thrower. Unfortunately, this is probably not 100% realistic on a women's B team.
4. Settling for jacking it at stall 9 is not okay. In my opinion, the disc should never get over stall 6. I think it is wiser to assume that every turnover will result in a point.
5. What is with the crap designed for the open side?? This was actually a serious issue of confusion on the team last year, to the point where a teammate and I decided to adopt a completely different dump set than told.
So this year, I decided to switch to what I recently discovered seems to be a more common vert stack dump set, THE OPEN SIDE! The dump will set up on the open side whenever possible, at about a 45 degree angle and 5 yards back from the thrower. The first cut is horizontal, straight behind the thrower, and past them. This allows for the thrower to turn their back to the dump and give a simple dish to the cutter. If the disc is received back here, the "fill" can quickly swing and the defense is successfully broken. Let's say the dump is super agro and commits or lays out, or somehow that throw becomes unviable. The dump then changes direction, cutting at a 45 degree angle back the way they came, aiming to be on the same plane as the thrower. Because we are on the open side, this allows for a lefty backhand or slightly more complicated but also possible IO flick. The cutter is now in a power position on the open side. Such an offense also allows for the "fill" to be a third option when the initial dump doesn't get the disc, and is undoubtedly an easier throw since the thrower just has to float it out to their side and let the "fill" run on to it. Finally, if the dump is forced to set up on the break side, the previously stated dump set can work just fine, it just should not be the first choice.
Cool, now I've got my new dump set. Here's the challenge: how do I teach this to girls who have been running the same routine for at least a year? The new players probably haven't seen this much, so they will just take what they are taught. But we all know how amazing it feels to cut up that line and use all that momentum to huck the crap out of a disc; this is the sentiment I need to break in the more experienced handlers. Stop relying on the up-the-line cut and work the disc a few more times, and the options will come i.e. STOP BEING LAZY! As a handler, we have the power to dictate what happens on the field. If I want to break a mark and swing it, I can do that. I choose what cutters to throw to, I choose when to throw deep or to reward that awesome in cut, I choose what plays we run, etc. While this isn't literally true at all times (I would love if I only had to touch the disc once and the flow was so amazing I never touched it again during the point), this mentality has helped me gain confidence to take over a stagnant moment on the field, to create plays, to motivate my cutters through my actions.
But enough about why handlers are so great (haha). What do I plan to do to teach my teammates this new technique? We are planning on running a practice in the coming week that is solely offense focused, which will involve splitting the group into cutters and handlers and working on specific skills. Yes, another post will come about my opinions of such a teaching method, why splitting people might be more detrimental than helpful, etc. Be it "good" or "bad" it has worked for Midas in the past so we will follow the same trend this year. We start off with a team warmup. Then we split into handlers and cutters for a half hour of role specific drilling. I will be doing the following with the handlers.
1. Start off with a short (5 min) game of keep away (4 v 4 in a 20 x 20 ft box, start on stall 4, 5 completed throws is a point). This forces people to get used to moving the disc quickly, being creative with throws, and short and hard cuts.
2. Take a minute to discuss the game. What worked (give and gos, hammers, etc)? What didn't (standing still, holding on to the disc for more than 3 seconds, etc)?
3. Break out the whiteboard and diagram the new dump set.
4. Physically display the new dumpset lifesize! With players! On the field!
5. Take questions.
6. Break up into groups of 5 (thrower, mark, dump, dump D, fill) and run it until everyone can complete 80% of throws. At this time I'd walk around giving tips and answering questions.
7. Reconvene and teach the breakside dump set, but on whiteboard and lifesize. Emphasize this is a second choice.
8. Break up into groups and run the breakside dump set until everyone can complete 80% of throws.
9. Conclude with the following points: the breakside is a second choice, moving the disc before stall 5 is not only okay, it is encouraged, do not be afraid to completely ignore the cutters and gain as much yardage between handlers as possible, eye contact is key to any completion, and should be held at any point where a throw might go off, and respond to any final questions.
The next drill back all together is one that puts together what the cutters and handlers learned separately: the dump, swing, continue drill! This will allow the handlers to get a feel for anything new the cutters intend on implementing, and the cutters to learn how to work off the new dump set. We then break up into teams to scrimmage and continue learning from each other. In this way, the teammates teach each other through their actions and it's not just the captains holding their hands throughout the whole process. We may decide to also end practice with taking feedback from players about the other group's new techniques: what worked for them, what didn't, how can we work better together to produce effective flow, and whatever else comes up.
The idea of splitting up handlers and cutters and doing focused workshops is one that we might repeat bi-weekly, or never again. There are obviously more skills to be taught, but I think the key is to make sure that those skills are quickly implemented with the team as a whole, and to get everyone confident in working together to score.
Opinions? Got any great drills for handlers? Totally hate how I intend to teach things? Feel free to let me know! This girl's learning process is definitely a long and hard one, and any feedback is always appreciated.
