What Are the Two Types of Catches in Ultimate Frisbee?


What Are the Two Types of Catches in Ultimate Frisbee

If you already know the basics of Ultimate Frisbee, you will find that this team sport is not only extremely fun, but also not difficult to play as you may think.

However, if you want to play it effectively, you must practice the involved skills.

Regarding the essential skills related to Ultimate Frisbee, you will not ignore catch and throw skills. The good news is that mastering them is not difficult.

So, you can wonder: ‘what are the two types of catches in Ultimate Frisbee?’

Let’s read on to discover right now!

What Are the Two Types of Catches in Ultimate Frisbee?

There are 2 types of catches in Ultimate Frisbee, the one-handed catch and the two-handed catch.

It is undeniable that catch skills are essential for every player in a Frisbee game. 

The type of catch in this sport can come in two basic types, depending on the use of the player’s hands. Both styles are worth learning and practicing.

You can use one or two hands to catch the frisbee. Those are also the two types of catches in Ultimate.

One-Handed Catch

As its name suggests, this type of catch refers to you catching the frisbee with just one hand.

The one-handed catch type is common in many situations, and you can easily see professionals holding a disc with one hand in various matches.

It would be easier to use two hands to hold the disc. Yet, in many cases, you will have no choice but to catch the frisbee with one hand.

So while not as popular as the two-handed type, sometimes using your nearby hand to catch the disc is your only way.

In most cases, you can’t approach the frisbee too close to the frisbee’s location to catch it using your two hands.

Even if you can hold this disc with your two hands easily, it is hard for you to reach your second hand to this disc in time.

But the frisbee is typically quite large, and it’s not easy to deliver enough pressure to stop its motion using one hand.

Learning and practicing utilizing both hands separately is essential to catch a running frisbee timely. 

The catch kind depends on where it is thrown. For example, the one-handed type will be beneficial when the frisbee is thrown towards your ankles. 

When the frisbee is flying above your head, holding the disc with one hand is your only way.

Two-Handed Catch

It is easy to understand that the two-handed type refers to catching a disc with both hands.

However, the two-handed catch differs from its one-handed counterpart because it comes in different styles.

Two-handed catch types will depend mainly on how you use both hands. Generally, it’s the best and most famous catch in the Ultimate Frisbee world.

The two-handed type includes four different types, and the following are brief descriptions of them.

Pancake Catches

It is the type when referring to the two-handed catch in Ultimate Frisbee. 

It will require you to attempt to reach the frisbee with both hands unless both of your hands can’t get it. 

This catch style is the easiest type, allowing it to be popular with players. The name of this type is based on the shape of your hands while you catch the disc.

The palms of your hands should face each other while the frisbee is in the space’s middle.

To make things easier for you, imagine a sandwich with the frisbee as the filling.

If you want to use two hands to do a pancake catch, you will need to get a particular position. 

You need to get your body behind the motion’s direction of the frisbee.

It helps you to reach the disc with both hands. If so, there is a chance that a disc will hit your body if you cannot catch it correctly. The disc should stop.

It is true to say that applying the pancake catch type will minimize the chance of missing the frisbee, thanks to your position.

If you miss the disc, chances are it will hit your body before stopping. Generally, many players love the pancake-style catch and often apply it in the match.

Crocodile catch

The crocodile-style catch is also popular and favored by many players regarding two-handed catches. 

The type’s name is also derived from your hands’ shape while holding the frisbee. 

This catch type is also safe, like the pancake cousin, allowing it to be popular and preferred by many players.

If you want to hold the frisbee in a crocodile-style catch, your body and arms should be in a parallel position. You can apply this pattern in different situations. 

Mostly, you will have to attempt to apply this way to hold the frisbee when it is running at speed compared to you. In this case, your forearms should provide a larger area to decelerate your disc more easily. 

Then, it has to be a hard throw and is less likely to drop this frisbee by mistake. So it’s easy to understand why so many players try to get the frisbee this way.

However, this type of catch also has disadvantages.

As your arms should be parallel, a frisbee may flip sideways when your arms do not move directly down and up. Hence, you tend to miss this disc and catch it. 

That is why this style can be a risky type out of all kinds!

Layout Catches

The layout-style catch is one of the hardest when it comes to the two-handed catch in Ultimate Frisbee.

We believe it is more complicated than catching the frisbee with one hand.

However, sometimes you still have to apply it to catch the frisbee, such as when you find it hard to approach the frisbee. 

This catch style is considered to be similar to its crocodile cousin. But it tends to be tougher and different at some points, especially to the Frisbee ground’s impact. Then the impact should simultaneously dislodge the frisbee.

Here, as a catcher, you must avoid being ground stripped anyway. Instead, you have to attempt to keep both arms from being hit by the ground. 

Besides, you must utilize the rest of your body to get the impact. Finally, remember that dislodging the frisbee is a rather tricky process.

Rim Catches

The Rim catch is the riskiest type. Therefore, players rarely apply it, and you should not do it often unless there is no other way.

This catch style will not happen if the frisbee is running towards your body.

Players often use this type in a few situations. For example, when the frisbee is well above your head, you can only catch it with one hand or use this method.

Otherwise, you can also catch the frisbee by applying this catch type when it’s around your ankles, or you cannot slide or dive to receive the disc.

If you want to apply this technique to receive frisbee, you must use both hands to catch it and ensure you use your palms’ leading edge. 

Here, one hand would be on the frisbee’s either side, making this catch type fairly different and rarely used.

Remember that this catch type is complicated. The frisbee may spin out your palms sideways, increasing the chance of catching the disc failing.

FAQs

How Many Types of Throws in Ultimate Are There?

There are three common throwing styles in Ultimate, namely  hammer throw, backhand throwing, and forehand throwing:

Backhand Throwing: Backhand throwing is one of the most common ways used in this sport.

Forehand Throwing: It is also known as a flick. Forehand throwing is another commonly utilized throw in Ultimate. This throw is done swiftly and effortlessly.Hammer Throw: It is also known as overhead throw. It would help if you only tried this technique after mastering the two primary throws forms.

What Kind of Catch Is the Easiest in Ultimate Frisbee?

The pancake catch is easily the simplest catch technique in Ultimate Frisbee.

How Many Types of Jumping in Ultimate Frisbee Are There?

There are two kinds of jumping in catching a frisbee. The first is simply getting your body off the ground to catch the frisbee easier.

The second option is where you need to get as high as possible to have a chance of receiving the frisbee.

Conclusion 

What are the two types of catches in Ultimate Frisbee? It is the one-handed catch and the two-handed catch.

You don’t have to master all of them in no time. Instead, start with the easiest and go up to the harder ones over time.

Patience is key to mastering something, and the catch skills in Ultimate Frisbee are no exception. So don’t expect to see results overnight, even if it’s not too complicated. Thank you for stopping by!

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James Lopez

James Lopez is a lifestyle journalist. In addition to working as a journalist, he also takes courses in landscape design. He is pretty focused on the outdoor space, especially the backyard.

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