Space Time Continuum

Space and Time

Everybody knows that disc placement is key to making disc dogs look good. One thing most people don’t think about is the timing of that placement. Timing is just as important as placement, if not more so. A disc can be thrown with perfect placement, 4.5 feet in the air, 12 yards away, on the dog’s line, and if she is not there at the proper time, it’s all for naught.

Last week’s flatwork patterns were not only about learning how our dog moves and how to move her around the field, they were also about space and time. We were trying to get discs placed to the dog at the proper distance at the moment she was going to be there so we could hit her on the run and make her look good.

This Space and Time concept is in effect throughout the entire game of the game of Disc. Heck it’s in place throughout sport in general. Placement and timing are inseparable when it comes to all sports. One without the other and the whole thing falls apart.

Stopping Time

Try to increase the amount of time that the disc hangs in that space where the dog is going to make the catch. Throw a disc to the appropriate distance at the dog’s maximum leaping height and try to make it stay at that point for as long as possible. The longer it stays at that point, the more apt the dog is to jump up and snatch it out of the air. A well placed hovering disc is irresistible to a disc dogs. Their eyes bug out of their head. It’s just sitting there, as if it were on a table, waiting for the dog, daring the dog, to snatch it.

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Throwing With Intent

Throwing with Intent is throwing a disc to your dog with the intent to make them look good. Throwing the disc to promote a big leap, to hit the dog in stride on the run or throwing a disc that your dog is going to flip for 10 yards away, is the sign of a mature handler.

Patron’s Choice: Shaping a Leaping Catch | Creating a Late Read

Reading the disc is a skill that astute dogs and humans pick up rather quickly. The float, the spin, and the speed can reliably be gauged and predicted after several reps. Of course this changes with wind, disc choice, and throwing ability but, generally speaking, the flight path of a disc is easily predicted.

Patron’s Choice: Shaping the Leaping Catch | Freestyle and the Leaping Catch

Shaping a Leaping Catch can, and should be a full time job. Always throw with the intent to deliver the leaping catch unless working something specific that requires a specific approach, speed or distance that is incompatible with a leaping catch. Out throws are glory, not afterthoughts.

Within a game of disc dog freestyle there are many opportunities to reinforce and shape the leaping catch and to turn the speed regulation required for the leaping catch into a habit that is ever present in your freestyle game.

Responses

  1. Hi Ron
    In collage I use to toss disc with some friends we would do freestyle type stuff, in particular nail delay (disc spinning on the fingernail). We would have to spin the disc really hard with an air bounce type toss. This would get the disc to hang in the air in front the other player so he could catch the disc on his fingernail with the most amount of spin. Hard to do in close! Say only 1 or 2 yards apart.
    Is this the type of toss that we’re trying to achieve with respect to float and spin? It is a little different at about 5 to 10 yard away with an Intercepting toss to keep the disc floating. I seem to throw the disc up in order for it to drop to right height for the dog on approach to jump and catch. Is this sort of what you mean?
    Jeff

    1. Hey Jeff!
      It is similar, but not congruent. 😉

      Ideally the disc flies out there and just sticks. The dog then has to make the decision to go up and get it. The longer it sits in that hover position, the better.

      So yea, that’s sort of what I mean. 😀
      peace

      1. We use to try and spin the disc as hard as we could for the nail dally but I know there is not quit as much spin here. How’s this thinking, when hitting a golf ball the ball will have an arc to flight path. It’s at the top of the arc that of interest! Some golfer will image this arc and flight path to help make the right shot. It’s this imaging I should use to meet the dog in the air out there i.e. top of the fight path or even toss and float the disc at this point where the dog can collect, jump. I’m not too great at this. My toss has been a lot like low flying bullets and Brodie doesn’t get to jump to high. I’d like to work on this!
        Jeff
        .

  2. Ron
    I’ve just watched the video. I then went out and tossed some disc without the dog. I noticed that when trying the floater that the trailing edge (say 6o’clock on a spinning disc) is slight angled down. I seem to get this buy putting a little pressure with my thumb on top disc just at the release of the disc. Now it has a flick sound. More like a quick thud, it’s the sound of the plastic coming off the thumb. I’ve heard you say that there’s no flick in Frisbee. Can you please elaborate? Anyway this toss goes out 7-10 yards and then drops. When tossing the runner not as much thumb pressure and the disc goes past were the floater landed. I think this what we’re after. Hey is that the first snow?
    I miss the stuff sometimes!
    Jeff

    1. Almost ready to talk about this Jeff. Please see the latest blog entries, they dance around the subject very well. 😉
      peace

  3. You are about a day ahead… too much information for instructional purposes at this time.

    Let’s table this discussion until I put out the “There is No Flick in Frisbee” or “The Flick Myth” article (not sure what I’m going to call it for class purposes).

    Not trying to be cryptic or anything, it’s just that we have a progression on this. Normally the steps of this progression take place over the course of a single morning in a seminar environment after some hands on experience, but in this online environment it’s important to ensure that everyone has experience with each piece of the instruction before we move on. That means a bit more time… Patience Socha-san…

    And yes, you are right on all counts.

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