Cutting is a Race

Cutting is a race to a spot.

And only the offense knows when the race starts.

And only the offense knows where the race ends, something that may change at anytime during the race.

So how can the defense possibly ever win this race?

By guessing when and where the race will go or by just being a very very fast racer. The only advantage the defense really has is that they many start anywhere on the race track they please.

Heaven help the offensive cutter who, before the fact, tells a defender when the race will start and where it will end.


Offense: Dont give up your advantage by telling the defender the race specifics beforehand.

Defense: Accept that you can only win races through the mental skill of guessing the race details - a skill that can be trained.

Its especially hard to win the race if the guy you are guarding is a track star.

R.I.P. "Clearing" Dec 3 2008

Never "clear" ever again.

Many players know the perscribed cuts taught:
-back of the stack in-our or out in
-front of the stack fill
-front of the stack continuation
-ect...

and they feel that the way ultimate offense works is that they make these cuts and then stop cutting, start "clearing" and wait until they are supposed to cut again.

This is the wrong mindset. This is the mindset of : "I decided what cut to make, did it, didnt get the disc so now i go to the place where I que up till the next time I can get to decide what cut to make." This is the mindset of : " Now im ON, now im OFF, now im ON, now im OFF."

Let me clear this up: from the pull to the score, YOU ARE ALWAYS ON. You are always an option. It is critical for you to always be involved, attentive and aware. No more jogging back to the stack- tunnel vision set on exactly where you are suppose to end up.

No more "Clearing". The word implies that you are just getting out of the way. Saying "make the clearing cut fast" is redundant at best and defeatist at worst. How 'bout this: after your cut, make another cut and then another ect. all the while setting up the cuts with head fakes, jab steps, misdirection moves.

This is not to say that you should be sprinting always. There is a time for physical rest, but there is no time for mental rest aka being lazy. When it is obvious to your defender that you are taking that mental rest [and it is obvious to any good defender] he is able to play off you, poach the lanes and better adjust to cover you when you do decide to go back "ON". If you are always cutting, even if its purposeful walking, your defender's job is all the more hard and the offense flows better because all its players are paying attention.

break on through to the other side,
pumba