USA Ultimate teaches backhand and forehand basics for new players

On a 70-yard by 40-yard field with 20-yard end zones, every throw is a choice about space, angle, and whether the offense can keep the disc alive long enough to score in the end zone it is attacking.

The field sets the problem

Ultimate is a non-contact, self-officiated game played by two teams of seven players, and the object is straightforward: score goals by catching a legal pass in the attacking end zone. A point begins with a pull from the defense to the offense, which is why the first catch and the first reset matter so much. Because the disc can move in any direction, possession on a full field is less about brute force than about using the right release to solve the shape of the defense.

Catch first, because every throw depends on it

The pancake catch is the most secure way to receive a disc between the waist and the chin. The crab catch takes over when the disc is above the chin or below the waist, and pancake is usually the first catching technique players learn. A throw only becomes possession when the catch is clean, and a clean catch keeps a stalled point from turning into a turnover.

The practical lesson is simple: if the disc arrives in your window, catch it in the safest shape first, then think about the next throw. A secure receiver can preserve a lane, reset under pressure, or finish a possession in the end zone.

Backhand is the default release

The backhand is the most common throw in ultimate, taught as a Grip-Step-Snap motion. The grip sits in the palm on the rim, the thrower steps across the body, keeps the disc flat, and snaps the wrist through the release. That motion is the sport’s base layer because it lets a player move the disc quickly without asking the body to do anything exotic.

On the field, the backhand is the answer when the offense needs routine movement, a stable reset, or a clean first pass after the pull. It is the throw most new players pick up first because it teaches the core relationship between grip, footwork, and angle.

Forehand gives the offense a second plane

The forehand, often called the flick, is taught with a middle-finger-inside-rim grip, the thumb on top, a step on the same side as the throwing arm, and a sharp wrist snap. At higher levels of the game, it is the most common throw, and USA Ultimate’s basic skills materials call it arguably the most important. The teaching cue is Grip-Step-Elbow-Wrist, which gives beginners a simple sequence to repeat until the motion becomes automatic.

The forehand solves a different problem from the backhand. It lets the offense threaten both sides of a mark without changing the entire throwing motion, which is how good handlers break open lanes, attack space to the open side, and keep the defense from settling into one shape.

Hammer changes the angle when flat throws are sealed off

The hammer sits in a different category. In USA Ultimate’s teaching manual, it appears in Level 3 alongside intermediate forehand work, which marks it as an advanced skill rather than an entry-level throw. It is a high overhead throw that delivers the disc upside down and uses the forehand grip before the disc is turned over and lifted overhead.

That over-the-top release solves the problem a flat mark creates when the near side is locked down. It lets an offense attack space that a backhand or forehand cannot reach cleanly, including crowded lanes and end zone looks where a defender has overcommitted to the flat side.

Why the basics stay central even as the sport grows

Ultimate began in 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. It expanded to colleges around the Northeast and then across the country, and it is now played worldwide across three primary disciplines: grass, beach, and indoor. The World Flying Disc Federation updated the ultimate rules for 2025-2028, effective January 1, 2025.

USA Ultimate has built a teaching pipeline with youth and coaching materials meant for educators, coaches, and organizers. Its rules working group sits inside the Spirit, Officiating and Rules Committee, and its US Open Club Championships, along with youth international and youth club components, draw more than 130 teams and about 3,000 participating athletes and coaches.