In ultimate frisbee, an airborne player is allowed to throw the disc back into play as long as the player’s last point of contact was in bounds. This is called a “Greatest” and is one of the most exciting plays possible in the game of ultimate frisbee.
How to Throw a “Greatest” in Ultimate Frisbee
There is no one way to throw a greatest, and in fact there are many ways – but I personally find the “Thumber” to be most effective because the grip is almost exactly the same as the position my hand is in when I make an overhand catch.
Being able to throw immediately upon catching is crucial for executing a “greatest” throw successfully in ultimate frisbee because the instant your foot contacts the ground, you’re out of bounds. So you need to get that throw off pretty much as soon as you catch the disc!
Another element which is less intuitive for improving your success rate when throwing “greatests” in ultimate frisbee is your vertical jump. The more time you have in the air, the more time you have to set a throwing grip and make the throw.
Even if you know there are no viable players to throw to, it’s always worth attempting a greatest if only for the purpose of punting the disc downfield. This will give your team more time to set up defensively while improving field position and who knows – maybe one of your faster players will chase that thing down and score!
