The Backhand

Grip

For the backhand there are a wide variety of grips used, and I’m going to talk about four of them. The grip and snap is less important for the backhand than the forehand, but is still vital. Choosing your grip really comes down to personal preference.

The Power Grip is the most common grip used by high level Ultimate players, though it is by no means the only grip used by high level players. It is currently the grip I use. To use the power grip, you curl all of your fingers around the rim of the disc and make a sort of a fist (all fingers will be at about 45 degrees, not perpendicular to the discs face). The first or second knuckle (depending on comfort) of your index finger is curled on the rim. The disc spinning around this knuckle is what imparts much of the spin on the disc. The thumb runs along the flight rings.

Pros: Learning the actual grip is rather easy and feels quite natural, unlike some of the other grips. It is also very simple to get tons of spin and tons of distance using this grip. It also pairs with the hybrid forehand grip to make for very quick transitions between grips.

Cons: It is much more challenging to execute short throws with this grip. Along the same token, it is very hard to throw with touch (slow throws with high stability - very easy to catch).

The Fan Grip is probably the least common of these grips. It was the first grip I used when learning to throw a backhand properly. To use the fan grip, the pointer finger is curled around the rim in the same way as in the power grip. However, the other three fingers are fanned out to the middle of the disc. The thumb is along the flight rings, but generally further to the center than in the power grip.

Pros: The fan grip offers much greater stability when holding the disc. Less strength is needed to hold the disc, especially if you do not hold the disc in your left hand (see upper body) while you are waiting to perform a backhand. It is also much easier to make short, accurate throw. It is also much easier to throw high release backhands.

Cons: It is much harder to put the same degree of spin on the disc using the fan grip as when using the power grip, as the spin comes more from the jerking motion out of your hand than from spinning around your finger. This makes the disc more susceptible to instability in the air on long passes, as well as decreasing total distance. It’s also harder to fake with.

The Split Finger Grip is a compromise between the power grip and the fan grip. It was the second grip I used for my backhands. The grip is the same as the power grip, except that it must be the first (nearest to the end) knuckle on the index finger which is curled around the rim, and the middle finger is extended towards the center of the disc. This grip also varies depending on the throw - for longer throws, the middle finger isn’t as far towards the center, and the opposite is true for shorter throws. This is not something which you think about when throwing; it becomes second nature very quickly. If it is something you have to think about when throwing, I advise either just sticking with your middle finger at some medium distance, or to choose a different grip.

Pros: It’s the best of both worlds - you get a combination of the pros of both of the other two grips.

Cons: It’s the worst of both worlds - you get a combination of the cons of both of the other two grips.

The Finger on the Rim Grip is the grip which almost everyone who does not play Ultimate uses. It is the power grip, but with the index finger resting on the rim.

Pros: None

Cons: Take the same amount of strength to hold in your hand as the power grip, but loses even more distance and spin than the fan grip because the index finger on the rim actually has a large negative effect. Also, it requires your fingers to be fairly flexible because it’s a stretch to hold the disc in this grip. This also means that the throw will be inconsistent as the pointer finger will press against the disc at different strengths depending on flexibility, which is constantly changing.

It seems at first the the finger on the rim will help guide the disc in the right direction. This is not true. Do not use this grip!

Upper Body

Before you begin the throwing motion, stand with your front shoulder facing the target (you are perpendicular to the target). Hold the disc comfortably in both of your hands (Not everyone does this - some people never touch the disc when they throw with their left hand. I find that using both hands helps stability, conserving strength, and consistency and therefore accuracy in release.) at a comfortable level (probably a little higher than your waist).

Turn your back towards your target and draw the disc back while cocking the disc against your forearm. Bringing the disc forward in a straight line and uncurl from your wind-up. The arm is less important in the backhand throw than getting as much rotation with your torso as possible and snapping your wrist at the end of the throw. 

It is easy to lose sight of your target when you’re throwing a backhand. The further back you can wind-up, the further your throw will go, but also the harder it is to keep your eye on the target. Work on your mobility to get a better wind-up, but do not lose sight of your target. Bad things happen.

Lower Body

Step across your body so that your back faces the target. This lunge is much more natural than for a forehand. Again, do not let your knee lean out! You will get injured. Even more so than for the forehand, most of the power from a backhand comes from the legs, so be sure to unwind your hips as far as fast as possible. Try not to lean to far forward but rather to almost sit back. If you overextend it leads to off balance throws with not nearly as much torque.

Tips and Info

Just as in the forehand, be comfortable with stepping out at different distance and angles, and experiment with different release points and speeds. There are many variations on the backhand which are all very useful, which hopefully I will have a chance to talk about later, such as high and low-release backhands, IO and OI throws, and pulls.

The backhand is probably the second most commonly used throw right after the forehand, and is needed as a fundamental for the same reason the forehand is needed. A great mark can take away a forehand entirely, but even the best mark can’t take away both the backhand and the forehand.

For most new players, they have some idea of how to throw a backhand coming into playing ultimate. However, usually, once they learn how to throw a forehand, their backhand seems to not only not improve as quickly as their flick, but seems to even get worse. Ultiworld, an online magazine, recently wrote an article explaining the phenomena of the “backhand lag.” This seemingly strange occurrence happens for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the biomechanics of a backhand are more complicated. There is a larger range in which things can go wrong, and the throw itself doesn’t have the pinpoint accuracy which flicks often because of it. Also, while you felt like you knew how to throw a backhand before, usually you have to relearn it, which can be discouraging. What I think is the main reason, however, is the fact that most youth teams or teams playing against beginners will force forehand. Because of this, most teams prepare to be forced forehand, and are therefore given many, many more reps throwing flicks than backhands (Katherine Rowe).

Video

Coming Soon!

Michael Laporte