How to Play Ultimate in the Wind
A Guide for Adjusting Throws in Windy Weather
Jun 23, 2009 Kenneth Burchfiel
Executing a good disc throw is hard enough when the weather is calm, but especially difficult in gusts of air. Knowing just how different wind conditions affect forehands and backhands will help one excel on the Ultimate field.
Disc Throws in Headwinds
Headwinds may be excellent for pilots trying to land or take off, but are less favorable for Ultimate players. Nevertheless, players can easily adjust their throwing style to the condition.
Forehands often come apart in headwinds; a strong gust towards the player can destabilize the disc and send it flopping off to the right. Whenever possible, players should try to stick to their backhand—a more stable throw—when headwind conditions persist. When a forehand is necessary, one strategy involves releasing the forehand more to the right than usual. This counters the wind’s tendency to curve the disc to the right, resulting in a more accurate throw. (Left-handed players should adjust their release to the left.) Because greater spin results in a more stable release, throwers should make sure to add plenty of wrist snap when throwing in headwinds.
Backhands are less vulnerable to the wind, as they have plenty of spin and have a more stable release. If one throws the disc at too high an angle, though, the wind can catch the object and push it back towards the player, thus giving the opposing team an advantage. Thus, players should avoid making high throws, and may wish to employ short or medium-length passes as well. (This strategy also works for forehands.)
Because a headwind may interfere with high-angle pulls, teams throwing off should keep their throws relatively low to the ground.
Throwing Discs in Tailwinds
Tailwinds usually benefit the throwing team in Ultimate, but they present a few challenges of their own. While forehands and backhands thrown in tailwinds are generally more stable and travel a farther distance, they receive less lift from the air – thus coming to the ground earlier than if they were thrown in calm weather. Players should adapt to this tendency by keeping throws relatively high.
Forehands and backhands released in tailwinds can also travel faster, so players attempting to lead players (by throwing in front of their path) should experiment with smaller leads than usual.
Adjusting Disc Throws for Crosswinds
A crosswind is simply a wind that blows perpendicular (rather than parallel) to the direction of a throw. This challenging condition should be recognized and adjusted to by each team.
Right-handed players may find that a crosswind from the left benefits their forehand, as it helps counter the left-turning-tendency seen in many forehands. However, a crosswind from the right can make a solid throw very difficult unless the release is stable and level. Because long throws can be pushed to one side by a strong crosswind, players should try throwing shorter forehands than usual.
Backhands, just like forehands, will encounter trouble if the release angle is not level. Beginning players (and advanced players, in certain situations) will often release backhands at a tilted angle, causing the disc to curve. Crosswinds can catch these tilted throws and push them well off the desired path.
Players should make an effort to throw level backhands in crosswinds, lest their throws get blown off course. For information on how to do so, try referencing the article Improving Throws for Ultimate Players.
The Benefits of Checking the Weather
Although a scan of the weather for an Ultimate game is not essential, it is worthwhile to know how the winds will affect play. Especially strong winds (20 miles an hour or more, or gusts of 30 miles an hour) may be cause to postpone a match until later—though they may make for an exciting game!. Teammates who do check the meteorological conditions for their upcoming game should brief their players on the wind, along with strategies on how to adopt to it.
Few sports are affected by the wind as much as Ultimate is. Knowledge of the current wind conditions and strategies for adapting to them will make the game more enjoyable.
It can be difficult to throw discs in the wind.
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