Hive Takes Over @being_ulti!

Felix recently got his hands on the Being_Ulti twitter account. In case you missed it: here are the tweets gathered in one place for your viewing pleasure! (Click on the “Read the full conversation on Twitter” button to read the rest of each thread).

Hi, Felix here – this week I’m going to talk about my cat Roo, frisbee, and myself. Roo has her own camera on my livestreams. In 2021 I coached 33 sessions, released 25 YT videos, and livestreamed for 52hrs. I’m all about hex/flex and I analysed the USA vs Japan 2016 turnovers. pic.twitter.com/MsQtoe2IQX

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 10, 2022

Roo is 10 years old, shy around strangers, but affectionate towards me. She cuddles under the covers to wake me up in the morning, and follows me around the house. She makes little chirrup noises and likes the smell of chocolate and coffee. [1/4] pic.twitter.com/2wPbm148Zw

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 10, 2022

After a few years of teams from around the world sporadically getting in touch to say they were playing Hex, I started putting a list together. It’s currently 113 teams strong, but by no means exhaustive. If you know a team that plays hex/flex, @ them on this thread. [1/3] https://t.co/1eHuhRqwmG pic.twitter.com/28DXNEnmBK

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 10, 2022

[1/2] Ultimate is fun and I love being creative with it. I’ve kicked up a disc going to ground to get it up and over a defender. In universe point indoors I threw a JC assist I’d never seen before. I like to think outside the box and try new things, occasionally I hit gold. pic.twitter.com/Tzk9ezeeiW

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 10, 2022

I often talk about my views on ultimate frisbee strategy and get mixed reactions. Hex Offence / Flex Defence – what’s your take? (https://t.co/f9vzlj1AVz for info)

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 10, 2022

Watching Ted Lasso before bed counts as professional development for a coach, right?

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Roo made it to the front page of reddit once. https://t.co/bUDu27tEGs https://t.co/pMWqZ7XmzC pic.twitter.com/J9hpFTi0EN

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

1/5 I film for @ulti_tv at tournaments when I’m not playing/coaching. Overview cam for Euros / WU24s, replay cam for WUGC 2016. I aim for perfection when it comes to tracking/zooming in ultimate, to try to do the plays justice. When you do things right… pic.twitter.com/6tfrbDhMmj

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

My main project – @hiveult Hive Ultimate release video clips, YouTube videos, training content, and work directly with coaches, teams, and content creators internationally. Our website is https://t.co/f9vzlj1AVz and we publish through patreon, YouTube, Discord and Instagram. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/LaX9UFOnQN

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

One of the reasons so many youth coaches are picking up hex is because it fosters a culture of inclusion and growth (let’s learn how this works as a team), whilst giving all players more opportunities to get involved and get the disc in and out of their hands. Happy to hear it! https://t.co/ddR0XYxsyb

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

When teams come for advice on how to improve their hex, the most common responses are: Take the open pass. Yes, even that one. Don’t look for a good fake, look for the stall zero pass. Accelerate out of your throws. Look for the return pass – as a thrower and as a catcher! https://t.co/55nnjjX9zN

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Easiest players to teach hex to are beginners, particularly if they have experience in other field sports like football (soccer). Beginners want to catch, throw, and run – guiding these instincts is relatively easy. Next easiest group is Masters… 1/5 https://t.co/MrGZEjf2aF

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Every downfield pass out of a side stack feels like it’s made under huge amounts of pressure. For decades players have agreed throw’n’go / give-go moves are effective, powerful, and fun, but stacks setups have always been geared towards supporting the max-yards-per-pass style. https://t.co/ZN1ILVtamZ

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

That time I crossed mohawks with Mike Caldwell @jockeyethefish at the WUCC 2010 party! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ktk1t7ZsTQ

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Agree- side stack is an extreme, which (a) maximises unoccupied space on the field, (b) minimises the number of passes needed to score, and (c) simplifies athletic matchups. Sounds great! Until, that is, the defence plays anything other than strict 1-to-1. https://t.co/Gt6ShoCUpG https://t.co/41ez5lWRZI

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Photo time! 1. I adopted this stance as soon as I knew the disc was fading back in.. 2. This photo won a competition & I won MVP! 3. Better luck next time, punk.. 4. Jumping with @Pentadact in ’99 in Chichester – moshing at gigs as a teenager gave me good ups in frisbee- not gym. pic.twitter.com/A9K1ClEfXC

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Passing triangles in soccer, Guardiola’s Genius, Total Football, Tex Winter’s Triangle Offense (basketball).. Most free-movement field/court sports have a mainstream strategy which spreads players efficiently around the field as a starting point, for good reason. #hexisnothingnew https://t.co/4qCOBMPL2P pic.twitter.com/cIDUumQMWL

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

1/2 Taking open passes is always good – we all know it. Keeping the disc moving – of course! So why do so many drill reps start from a static disc/mark, and why are so few coaches looking to diagnose a problem when the stall count goes above 3 seconds? #sustainedflowispossible https://t.co/segfnvyGjk

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Indeed – players shouldn’t waste time on Hex if they can’t transfer those skills into higher-tier systems. The skills needed for hex are the basics – catching, throwing, spacing, and field awareness. Other systems sit on top of those with no problems. 1/x https://t.co/ewWzPXxxJ0

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 11, 2022

Roo’s ability to be cute amazes me every day. pic.twitter.com/cMU05uKyU4

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

USA v Japan 2016 [1/5]: Hive publish fresh YT content every couple of weeks, but this 2017 video never leaves the “most viewed (365 days)” list: https://t.co/djJ6Wyswjy pic.twitter.com/rtoNhZbJNG

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

Achievement today. Hark back to when we hosted a Rocket League tournament for Ultimate players during lockdown: https://t.co/DJQ1FPfkvA pic.twitter.com/kIhGP3yOjk

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

Have you tried adding feeders or initial uncontested passes to start regular drills off? Can help with off-disc timing, and encourages players to develop smooth catch-balance-throw technique. 1/2 https://t.co/iU5g87iEgh

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

It isn’t possible for all positions in an offence to be equally advantageous, but it is possible for players to be equally spaced/spread, and this helps maximise options. Just trade straight lines for equilateral triangles, keep the disc moving, and forget about the end zone. https://t.co/KBozlarXz7 pic.twitter.com/ID0q8Xok6y

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

1/3 What’s usually the cause when the stall goes over 3? Good defence / poor spacing/timing? If a deep cutter fakes hard under, goes deep and gets picked up by a switch off the back, you’re looking at stall 3-6. If they can’t hit the poached player then it’s reset time. https://t.co/9VxFeuyCkQ pic.twitter.com/Pr6fv8Mzc7

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

Dusty dropping some truth bombs about strict stack sets this morning. Doesn’t apply so much to horizontal, but then we can start talking about the disparity and division created by handler and cutter roles… https://t.co/pWHw0LzXNX

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

What does your coaching kit look like? Adding a megaphone was a game-changer for me, coaching 20-60 player sessions. Plastic for matches because WFDF Rule A11.2: Players must not use any form of electronic communication devices to communicate with other players or team members. pic.twitter.com/YiJXNXhcjm

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

I ❤️ being in the backfield and moving forwards into a catch. If the pass comes early, you can bounce it back and keep your momentum for the return. If the defence stops the quick one, you can burn downfield or slash across. Building attacks from backfield movement is underrated! https://t.co/2KB5e2RHF9

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

Hex is sometimes just a swarm of players buzzing around with a disc. pic.twitter.com/sum8yhko4R

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

Coaching history [1/8] I’ve been coaching Sussex Uni since captaining in 2002 – weekly for 20 years – we’ve won 3 Men’s Outdoor National titles, 5 Women’s (within 8 years), and a few indoors & mixed along the way. pic.twitter.com/wXYAzTwNPc

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

Dynamic team defence is one of the most under-trained aspects of the game. In this clip, Chicago Machine are doing it really well! Principle-based situational play, with high levels of communication and awareness… pic.twitter.com/tPq5MGvGa9

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

The living is ultimate. I get paid for coaching at Sussex, doing Hive work, and filming events. I also do a bit of crypto trading on the side. https://t.co/M8sKr38IOv

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 12, 2022

How does Flex change when you play mixed? In this clip, 3 women from “Sweet” surround the 3 women in the “Spice” vert stack, whilst the 2 men play 1-to-1. This is just an example – gender division lines aren’t necessary, switching and surrounding are more nuanced in mixed. pic.twitter.com/vAFohvkhz5

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

Exciting message I received yesterday from a soccer coach who specialises in the tiki-taka / Cruyff / Total Football / Guardiola approaches. Connecting with other coaches is one of the most rewarding parts of Hive work! pic.twitter.com/AtpFCJJp4V

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

Let’s talk defence. 1/5 You probably faced a vertical stack in one of your first competitive games of ultimate. It’s awkward to mark 1-to-1 against a tight vert – tons of space on the open and break sides, you hope the force does a good job and maybe you’ll get some deep help.. pic.twitter.com/wIC9cmOSmt

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

Team defence isn’t a lazy option. Surrounding a stack should involve as much – preferably more – concentration and physical movement as 1-to-1 D. The most common cause of total team defence breakdown is one player thinking you’re playing zone and poaching off the back. 1/3 https://t.co/Vk6wWOFHO5

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

I imagine quick disc movement and not as many drops as you think. Here’s the England Rugby team playing ultimate: https://t.co/931g3iVfz7 https://t.co/9piGZ668xy

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

Awareness and communication are core defensive skills which open the door (and remove the ceiling) for player and team development. Learning to surround can be challenging for a team used to 1-to-1/zone, but the skills you learn from *just trying* will stay with players forever. https://t.co/S5iupzftDh

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

When a player poaches deep without actually covering anyone specific, it totally wrecks a good bit of team defence by allowing someone on the other team to be totally free. The opponents have the same number of players as us – and one of them isn’t allowed to move!

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

Here’s video I filmed yesterday and started editing today. Competitive players should be able to get good at this exercise in two or three reps. To get as smooth as the guy on the left, whilst catching safely and not travelling, requires more skill. Useful or nah? pic.twitter.com/rJ8UK8660t

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

Where are you more comfortable experimenting / trying out new tactics or ideas – offence or defence?

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

If you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at? pic.twitter.com/p31nNPSDjL

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

COVID-19! 1/3 I run a Covid data retweeting account called Too Much Information @toomuchinfo37. Started it when the first sequencing of Omicron appeared. I find tracking the virus – and predicting the future impacts on the world – very interesting. pic.twitter.com/jRPw0ejSaX

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 13, 2022

Some people have an elephant in their room: Frank Huguenard. I think he’s a delusional asshole, but was way ahead of his time when it comes to frisbee thinking. I’ve learnt as much about how NOT to behave from him, as I have about how to look at ultimate in a different way. 1/4

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

I battle addiction and depression every day. “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about – so be kind.” 1/3

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Sloppy, sloppy footwork. A beginner with 4 weeks training can do better than this. It’s possible I’m the worst dribbler in the game. Still, I think training this way will make me a much better ultimate player. pic.twitter.com/K0x5Hv94Hl

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Travel or nah? Also what’s the name for this play – 2 person dominator? Double dribble? Chained give-go? pic.twitter.com/5l60Q3d21z

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

How do you coach hex/flex in 6 weeks?
– technique, movement, awareness, communication
Throw’n’go / marking.
Flow passing / spacing.
Switching / surrounding.
No set plays, no predefined roles, no strict structures whilst the core skills are being built up.

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

That time I taught Ultimate to 43 Inmates at a Juvenile Prison in Albania for @10MillionDiscs https://t.co/m0Na1Rkszb pic.twitter.com/dUF09J8481

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Unexpected. 10/10 on the catch. 2/10 on the throw. pic.twitter.com/QDuBDAXxhc

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Stylish goal. pic.twitter.com/Rf6a0mvfhm

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

The world’s most mediocre game-winning Callahan ever pic.twitter.com/QbHGSlr6G5

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Get creative with your drills and exercises! Add restrictions which make it necessary for defenders to switch/surround to succeed, then tweak them so the players have to make stick/switch judgement calls and react to fluid surrounding situations. Designing the right drills… 1/3 https://t.co/NvdtfWiXpR

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Coaches should trust their players more. Don’t present a complicated answer, present the complex problem and help the players develop tools to solve it. Set plays and patterns with a/b/c variations can be comforting in their simplicity, but are not robust!

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Some of my personal principles:
– share what I’ve learnt
– encourage and facilitate others to share
– be the difference I want to see in the world
My purpose is to apply my skills and talents to their best effect. To make full use of the product of my environment and experiences.

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 14, 2022

Nice drone clip from New Jersey. Ends with something familiar to me – a coach trying to get players to set up in shape (equilateral triangles) rather than in a line. Distance between all players should be equal – a balanced use of space and good interconnectedness. pic.twitter.com/CYdDqAMG00

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

What is your strongest offensive position?

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

You know when one player sees their teammates working together and they start randomly poaching? It can start a chain reaction leading to total breakdown of the defence. Make sure every poach is active, has purpose, and has support from teammates if possible. (example next) 1/2 pic.twitter.com/5Dxm6tjWfJ

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

“Surrounding / clam against vert stack is a high-level tactic, which requires a team full of experienced players” – this is not the case – beginner defenders can surround a beginner’s stack to good effect. If you repeat and train the situation and movements, you improve. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/krATFg2Slh

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

If you want to *casually* suggest a bit of hex/flex on the line, try on offence: “Let’s spread out and move the disc quickly”, and on defence: “If they stack up again let’s surround them – mark whoever cuts towards you” https://t.co/lhwvawZkWo

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

Roo time! ❤️🐱 pic.twitter.com/0VE1acYLnZ

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

If you’re interested in long-form content, I’ve done livestreams with Bryan Jones, Darryl Stanley, Miranda Roth-Knowles, Mauricio Moore, Justin Foord, and many more. We usually chat and analyse a full match together! https://t.co/wFTtFLJUAW https://t.co/dLEsNfdrhh

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

How did I end up pushing new O/D strategies as my day job? Why do I dedicate hundreds of hours to making videos explaining my thoughts on how this game can be played? What’s the whole deal with that? 1/15

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 15, 2022

“This only works because the defense is bad” – lazy criticism, I know right? One rant on that theme generally: https://t.co/KtNGCyOZsO Another response to a specific example of hex making defence look bad: https://t.co/Xx2SHoiTZy. https://t.co/b6g1P3igDL

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 16, 2022

I went on Sin The Fields and @DickAndSauce asked a simple question: “How important is figuring out ideal strategy, compared to getting everyone on the same page?”. I stumbled through my non-answer and unfortunately it’s become something I regret every other day. 1/5 pic.twitter.com/Q7mUOFWGpT

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 16, 2022

Anyone ever get out of the shower after training and realise they need to get back in to wash mud off their lower leg?

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 16, 2022

Tried this exercise again today and was much improved. The balance control, pivot point discipline, and ambidextrousness involved mean I’m definitely going to do these types of exercises regularly. Making a full video on them for training tier patrons this month. pic.twitter.com/lAra6EPbeo

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 16, 2022

Here’s a thing which happens on the ultimate field all the time, but seems strange to me. When the disc is passed downfield and towards the sideline, doesn’t matter what offence you’re playing, most peeps spend a couple of seconds repositioning downfield. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/oi3XXfqQHx

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 16, 2022

Roo doing quality control for Push Pass ten years ago! pic.twitter.com/izLk4Hba9S

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 16, 2022

Poll: There are video analysis breakdowns of 4 recent matches you played, each with very different scorelines. You can only choose to watch analysis of one match – which do you choose?:

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 16, 2022

My time as being_ulti is coming to an end. 1/5 I hope you’ve enjoyed the show. If you’d like to keep the content coming then follow @hiveult and subscribe to the Hive Ultimate YouTube channel: https://t.co/11h4jaADxD

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 17, 2022

One thing I meant to talk about this week but didn't get round to – the USA. Polarisation is going nuts. If CNN/Fox continue to rile everybody up, with all the racism / sexism / guns mixed together, 2024 will be bad, and climate control impossible. I hope a good path is found. https://t.co/TE4QCexPYf

— Being Ulti (@being_ulti) January 17, 2022

Manuela Cardenas Dribbling Technique https://t.co/H7VV5BzJ8r – Manuela Cardenas uses dribbling to work the disc the length of the field, and Felix provides a breakdown of how her technique makes her so difficult to stop, & what everybody can take away to add to their game.

— Hive Ultimate (@hiveult) February 23, 2021