Hey, sorry for the delay in responding. Tuesdays are a heavy teaching day, and I'm coming down with some sort of flu. Have a fever and feel like crap. Very slow-moving, everything is an effort. Poor doggies won't get much running and playing today, I don't have the energy for a long walk.
Maya, great throws, nice variety. Keep practicing for accuracy so Bri can catch them more easily. Your under the leg sidearm was superb. You can try a variation of that, basically the same move, but body position is a bit different and it looks like you're throwing backwards. I can show you if you like.
For the flips, try to place your throws higher and more vertically instead of straight back. She'll get more time in the air. I liked the multiples, Bri caught them well, though I was concerned at first because it looked like you were throwing pretty hard and low right at her. Usually multiples are very short throws. But she caught them well, so maybe you don't need to change that.
I took the liberty of posting both your videos at a US-based frisbee forum (Ron Watson's operation) and asked for feedback. Here are some comments (I'll forward more if people make them):
From Tracy:
hi Jean,
I've only had a chance to watch the Bode video. Nice work! You should do well at a Skyhoundz event since your dog is a HOOVER! Catch ratio is important and you didn't have a single drop! (ah! I dream of those days)
Tracy & Angus
From Chris:
Hi Jean,
There are probably people here that can give a more detailed feedback, but here are a couple of points I noticed:
Manca and Bode:
- General disc placement is good. But the placement of the flips needs to get polished up a little. It’s not bad though.
- The dog seems to have a reliable retrieve, which is good. Watch out that he isn’t going to drop the disc too early, that will cause difficulties on the disc management.
- I noticed that the dog doesn’t always pull up his rear legs very high. It’s not very bad here, but it might become more serious on a more vertical jump, then he is more likely to crash. Again, it really isn’t much, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Do you know how to train on this?
- It lacks creativity. Experiment with different grips and releases. An overhand wristflip is a basic throw which is a good addition on your arsenal.
Also try to vary your throwing length and directions. They’re mostly 15 yard throws. You might try to get some work on a quicker inside game, to get some contrast in the game.
The flips, overs and weaves are quite standard. I’d like to see a little more personality in those moves, try to make them more dynamic. The over for example isn’t really an over, he hardly jumps over the foot. You might find a body position where he clearly jumps over the body, with a little more height. That makes the move a lot more impressive.
- Music choice. I know, this is very personal, but I mention it anyway. This song fits great for Tracy Custer for example, but doesn’t seem to fit you guys (in my opinion). Experiment with different kinds of genres and rhythms. Music choice is very important if you’re going to compete.
Maja and Bri:
- Disc placement and timing is a little off. Keep working on this, it’s VERY important. When practicing, find a spot where you can aim on (like a tree or so), and try to hit it. Train it with every grip/release you know. 100 throws a day until the competition and you’ll rock Wink
On the flip placement, I recommend to throw it back a little further. A good point to aim at is above the dog’s rear legs, about 2-3 times the dog’s height. Of course, the ideal spot varies per dog.
- Retrieval. I’ve seen far worse, but definitely keep an eye on this. An instant drop of the disc on 20+ yard throws can mess up your disc management pretty badly.
- Your dog is awesome! His/her jumps look very clean Smiley and he/she has a good drive.
- Dynamics. The presentational thingies (is there a name for such kind of moves/tricks??) like your opening session and the part where the dog jumps over your arm look a little static. Loosen up a bit and try to find a little showmanship, that will really highlight these moves.
- You have some nice moves in your arsenal. The multiple session looks cool (but you might try to make it a little more dynamic by taking a different body position to make it look even better), and the overs (or were they vaults? Hard to see) are really nice! Next time try to throw the disc instead of holding it, then it looks awesome!
- The music fits well to your dog. The rhythm corresponds to the rhythm of your dog’s stride. However, don’t hesitate to experiment on this.
Overall I think you guys are doing really well! You’ve definitely accomplished a lot for beginners! Good luck at the competition Smiley
Chris