For players and organisers

Ultimate frisbee drills for beginners and pickup groups

Ten drills that need nothing but a disc, some cones and the people who turned up. Grouped by what they fix — throwing, cutting, marking and catching — with the time each one takes.

Throwing drills

1. Pairs throwing — 10 minutes

Two people, ten yards apart, alternating backhand and forehand. It is not glamorous and it is the single most valuable thing anyone does all session. Rule: call out what you are about to throw, so your partner practises catching both.

2. Kneeling throws — 8 minutes

Both partners kneel on both knees, twenty feet apart. With your legs and most of your arm out of the equation, the only thing that can generate spin is your wrist. This is the fastest known fix for a wobbly forehand. More on the forehand.

3. The flat-line drill — 5 minutes

Throw along a fence, sideline or path and watch whether the disc tracks parallel to it or curves away. Straightness becomes something you can see rather than guess at. Have your partner call “flat” or “dropped” on each release.

4. Break-mark throwing — 10 minutes

Add a third person as a passive mark who counts the stall but does not fully commit. The thrower has to step around them and release. Start with the mark at half effort; a full-speed mark against a beginner just produces frustration.

Catching drills

5. Pancake practice — 5 minutes

Short, soft throws to the chest, caught with one hand above and one below, clapping the disc between them. It is the most reliable catch in the sport and beginners routinely skip it in favour of one-handed catches they will drop under pressure.

6. Over-the-shoulder catches — 8 minutes

Receiver runs away from the thrower and catches a disc thrown over their shoulder without breaking stride. This is what every deep cut in a real game feels like, and it is the catch new players find hardest.

Cutting and movement

7. The go-to drill — 12 minutes

A line of cutters, one thrower, two cones. The cutter runs deep to the far cone, plants hard, comes back to the near cone, and catches the disc there. Everyone learns the same thing: the change of direction is what beats the defender, not the speed.

8. Give-and-go — 8 minutes

Throw a short pass, immediately run past your defender, receive it straight back. It teaches the habit of moving after you throw instead of standing and admiring the pass, which is the other great beginner sin.

9. Three-person weave — 8 minutes

Three players move up the field passing and crossing behind the receiver. Good for conditioning, good for teaching people to look up while running, and it warms everyone up without feeling like fitness work.

Marking and defence

10. Mark and pivot — 8 minutes

One thrower pivots to throw; one marker tries to stop one side, counting the stall out loud. Swap after each count. Both roles improve: the thrower learns to use the pivot, and the marker learns that arms and position matter more than lunging. What the force means.

A 20-minute warm-up for a pickup session

If you are the person running a beginner-friendly pickup group, this is a warm-up that works with any number of people and does not leave newcomers standing around.

1. 0–3 min — jog and dynamic stretches. Two lengths of the field, then leg swings and lunges. Skip static stretching; save it for the end.
2. 3–13 min — pairs throwing. Pair every newcomer with someone experienced. This is also when introductions happen, which matters more than the throwing does.
3. 13–18 min — one cutting drill. The go-to drill is the best single choice: it involves everyone and teaches the most transferable habit.
4. 18–20 min — rules refresher and teams. Two minutes on the stall count, travelling and calling your own fouls, then split light shirts against dark. The rules worth saying out loud.

Drill questions

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