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Getting An Extra Foot Of Space
by Miranda Roth
I think that for me, the main catching technique that can be practiced (and that I have learned from coaches and taught to players) is attacking the discs with two hands, thumbs down claw-style. When I was in high school, my coach Michael Baccarini used to always say that any catch you can clap, you can catch at least a foot further in front of you if you reach out with your pinchers. I didn't really understand why this would be important until high level college games and especially now in club when there are big time defenders on your hip, contesting, bidding, getting Ds. Now that extra foot makes the difference between a catch for me and a D for the other team.
Practicing this and drilling for it can be done in pretty much every drill involving come-to catches—when coaching I often specify the type of catch when doing simpler drills like come-to or break mark so that we work on two hand pincher catches as well as one-hand pincher catches. Just like any skill if you don't practice, your body and mind will have to do much more work in a game to succeed.
Something I've also found particularly helpful when practicing this type of catch is to not only think about putting your hands out to catch the disc, but to also think about where your body is in relation to your defender when you are making this type of catch. You want your body to be between the defender and the disc at all times—practicing this by adding defense to any come-to drill or doing the two-person (no defined O or D) will really help gain an understanding of this skill. If a defender not only has to go that extra foot you are gaining by extending your arms but also has to go around your body, you will be much more difficult to D and your catching percentage will increase dramatically.
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Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 |
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