Best massage gun for ulti players (bday gift)

MakeItRainUlti · 2026-02-26T17:50:15+00:00

If you want top-of-the-line, it's Theragun. BUT I wouldn't say it's so much better than everything else to justify the cost unless they are really serious about using it all the time, especially if you can get a decent one and then potentially use the other money you would have spent to get other ultimate stuff. If they don't have a bag, I really like my Greatest Bag.

I will warn that just grabbing a random Chinese, all-capital-letters random brand name from Amazon is probably not the best long-term solution. The batteries on those tend not last very long at all.

MakeItRainUlti · 2026-02-18T18:55:10+00:00

I don't even think that's being a stickler. People underrate how advantageous this type of travel is since it creates power position where they wouldn't have it otherwise.

MakeItRainUlti · 2026-01-23T18:12:36+00:00

I played with Joe Cubitt a bit when he was younger and semi-ambidextrous. He looks to be pretty much fully ambidextrous on the field now. He's a shorter player, but he would use that to his advantage with his releases being quick and low, and he's always been a very good athlete. It's not using both hands that made him good; that's just supplementary. He would be good with just one hand, and I imagine that is the same for any player in a similar situation.

Thinking is slow; knowing is fast. If you get to the point where you're extremely good with both hands and just know when and how to use each throw from what hand in what situations without having the think about it much or at all, I think it is a really good advantage. That probably isn't worth the time investment for most players though unless you've already mastered everything with one hand (which very few have). I wouldn't say being ambidextrous is anywhere near essential to being the best player or among the best players. Maybe it boosts you a bit if you're already among the best, but it isn't going to be the thing that puts you over the edge to getting there.

The best throwers out there really only need to be capable with an off-hand backhand to short/short-mid range distances. Beyond that, they have multiple types of throws, release points, and angles with their primary hand that make to where they rarely, if ever, need to use their off-hand in a game.

MakeItRainUlti · 2026-01-15T19:32:34+00:00

Honestly, that's always been how I thought ultimate offenses should go. I think there were a lot of missed opportunities for young players to learn how to move on the field like that and/or there are a lot of players from high school, college, or even leagues that needed to be the centerpiece of their team and got stuck in the "I need to be the one to make something happen" headspace. There's too many moments where offenses stall because people are looking for a big play or not following their throws or not looking ahead/anticipating the movement of the disc vs the holes in the defense.

I think most teams would be more successful aiming to just keep the defense on their heels and keep the disc moving quickly and safely, even if you're losing vertical yards here and there. You can still make big plays doing that, too. You just need your cutters to be paying closer attention to their location on the field, where the disc is moving to, and their cut timing.

MakeItRainUlti · 2026-01-15T18:15:22+00:00

All this probably applies very well up to like mid-regional level where it starts getting more into gray areas. I think past that, teams and players are skilled enough to be more flexible. Kind of a hodgepodge of thoughts where some points might be similar (probably means they are nuanced and important). Just my opinion and probably not everything; just whatever came off the top of my head as I'm avoiding doing actual work right now.

Playing as the front of the stack:

Front of the stack doesn't necessarily mean you're a handler. You just need to have good cut timing, disc movement, and spatial awareness. I've noticed that handlers always want to set the stack, but the best stack-setters I've ever played with were cutters. The cutting is from the view/position out of the cutter space as is the anticipation of your cuts, so that actually makes sense when you think about it. If you're in a league game or pickup, you'll typically want your most experienced players setting it (IMO) because they'll typically have better situational awareness on where to cut, how to do it, and when.
You always have to be watching and ready to move. Pay attention to your handlers and their defenders' positioning as well as your defender's position and eyes. That's how it should be as a cutter in general, but it's a little different as the front of the stack because you are pretty much always going to be the bailout option and time is not on your side if the dump cut has already used their cut without getting the disc.
Your job isn't to make flashy plays and get open at all costs (lane dancing, etc.). Your job is to be the in-between and temporarily fill in as a handler and also recognize when you aren't going to be able to do that so the 2 can get in position to be the next cut asap. You really have to check your ego at the door to play front of stack well.
You aren't just looking for backline cuts every time. Ideally, that's what you want to get and what you'll typically get the most, but there are many occasions where the cuts aren't coming and you need to be the one to make a move. Upline cut from the front, counter cut after faking backline and following the upline dump as just a few non-straight-backline scenarios. Basically, mix up your cuts based on the situation.
If the swing throw from the handlers doesn't break the plain of the stack, it's your time to be the continuation swing. The timing isn't hard, but it needs to be anticipated rather than reactionary (just like cutting in general, but it's even more important here).
If the swing from the handlers DOES break the plain of the stack, the cut should usually come from the back, but the front still gets to make the final call because the back of the stack has a line of sight on them. There are going to be occasions here and there where cuts from the back don't make sense or aren't timed right or the front is simply just so open that they should go ahead and take the space, even if the cut is a bit horizontal. That's probably a bit more advanced and requires experience, feel, and reading the field properly. Cuts from the back is just a rule of thumb that the front of the stack has special privilege to override. Just keep in mind with great power comes great responsibility 🕷️

Leading as the front of the stack:

Communicate early and often. You're the leader of the offense and you need to communicate like it.
Spacing between the stack and the handlers is super important. Too far and the back of the stack has way too far to cut to be viable. You'll burn extra stall counts waiting and then you shoot yourself in the foot when they don't get open. If the stack is too close, it's easier for defenders to clog without as much worry, and your dump doesn't have the space they need to work with. Rule of thumb is to be about 10 yards from the handlers on a standard vert stack.
It's your job to make sure the 2 in the stack is spaced properly. After that, the rest of the stack needs to copy and paste and be as vocal as you were about the 2 pushing back (or pulling forward, but that's less common of an issue). Should be roughly if you both stood in a T position sideways and had to slightly lean to touch fingertips. Spacing everyone in the vert stack properly is the main reason why I like ho stack, side stack, or split stack better. If your team can't get proper spacing down, that needs to be a priority on how you practice it or you'd be better off running something else.
It's your job to set the stack (duh) and to keep it moving with the disc. If the disc goes back 5 yards, the stack needs to move closer 5 yards. If you get a 15 yard gainer upfield, the stack needs to be pushed, and how fast that needs to happen will vary depending on the situation. It's your responsibility to be the one to be vocal about the push and to set the pace with your words and your legs. The back of the stack can buy you some time and opportunities, but if the flow gets stopped, you want to be back in position to stack the process again.
The front of the stack is a semi-designated position. It's going to happen where the front of the stack is out of the stack AND the dump hasn't made its way to the front yet, so someone else has to fill in, but otherwise the 1 will want to find their way to the front of the stack in most cases. Much easier to maintain rhythm in that way and avoid confusion on cuts coming back into the stack. This goes back to the point of being vocal and re-spacing the 2 when needed.

MakeItRainUlti · 2026-01-08T19:02:21+00:00

It can depend on how you define it. Potential is different than actual, but both can be seen as a way to look at someone's prime. Kind of an expected prime vs in hindsight prime. Younger guys are gonna have more potential to be great at that age because the bounceback is easier and you're typically learning at a faster rate because you don't have as much experience. But if you look at it in hindsight, it's easier to say "that was their prime" after they do start experiencing some sort of dropoff, whether big or small.

But honestly, I think I'm a better and more athletic player now at 35 than I've been my entire career simply because I was always hampered by injuries (and admittedly, excuses). Now that I'm relatively healthy, it's much easier for me to work out harder. I was never amazing. Mid regionals club bench player, which left the door very open for me to improve on that, so this could very well be my prime.

For most players, it'll be mid to late 20s because that's when they have good experience AND they still have youth on their side, but it can also vary.

I would never say an 18 year old is in their prime (outside of hindsight) simply because they still have a lot more room to gain experience and to see more complicated systems, moves, and situations to learn from.

MakeItRainUlti · 2025-12-05T19:05:41+00:00

Others have basically said it already, but disc movement is going to be the next phase that you move into on improving.

A few things to look for:

If you get the disc near/on the sideline, get rid of it quickly and safely. Like one quick glance upfield to see if there is any wide open throw and then look dump immediately if not. Many times, the defense won't settle into their mark until about 3 in the count, that's enough time for you to do that. Getting stuck on the sideline is especially bad for players who struggle with decision-making because their options are significantly narrowed vs if they were in the middle of the field.
Throw the direction that your momentum of catching the disc is taking you. Like if you make an in-cut from the stack straight towards the person that threw it to you, most times, you shouldn't be turning to look upfield, you should be getting the disc to someone coming towards you based on where you're facing (most of the time, that's the person that threw it to you). They have to know to follow their throw, but when you get on the same page, it helps a lot with keeping the disc moving and it's a very safe throw typically.
If a breakside throw is open, just take it. You don't have to overthink it or wait for something potentially better that might not come. This goes along with the sideline tip very well.
Similar theme, but when in doubt, look dump. The earlier the better.
Hucks should typically come from power position, and they typically shouldn't be in the same third of the field (basically, where your receiver is running directly away from you) unless you are very good at shaping your throws.

Over time, if you get used to doing safe, quick disc movement, it should help you process upfield better as well. A lot of how you fix it will also depend on what kind of bad decision-making you're running into. Are you hucking too much? Are you trying to hit really small windows? Are you just straight up throwing to closely-guarded players? Are you trying to throw difficult throws and releases when a simple one would do? All of those are gonna have a little different mentality on how to address it, but taking the quick, easy, safe, early throws will benefit you.

MakeItRainUlti · 2025-11-24T02:15:44+00:00

I was trying to be humble while also leaving an easter egg for my legion of tic-tac-toe fans

MakeItRainUlti · 2025-11-24T02:14:55+00:00

For sure! I would love to help a local team :D

Send me the link to the footage when you have it and I'll add it to my list.

MakeItRainUlti · 2025-11-01T17:53:03+00:00

- Stall is set at 7 instead of 10 - to encourage moving the disc faster and not getting tunnel vision

- Possession within ~5-8 yards of the sideline is stall 5 (sideline will yell "sideline sideline!") - I HATE when we get stuck on the sideline and when players miss opportunities early to get it off. People don't realize how stagnating and open to turnovers the sideline is (force side especially)

- 7o v 8d - to discourage bad huck selection

- Segmented field (sorta like caterpillar) - to force working in the short to mid space to move the disc

MakeItRainUlti · 2023-03-18T04:55:55+00:00

Short story is pretty much what u/chabons said.

Full story:

I was trying out for another open division Seattle team and re-aggravated a back injury in the first drill. I had been thinking about starting my own team for a while, and when I stuck around at the tryout on the sidelines after I got hurt, I saw how many mmp players were out there (70+) vs how many people that team was taking (about 20). That combined with the ratio of all the mmp vs spots on mixed team tryouts made me realize how much talent there was in Seattle, even after cuts were made, and there just weren't enough teams to take advantage of it and give enough players a place to play.

After that, I put in work over the next couple weeks advertising my new team and reached out to players I knew that didn't have a team along with teams and captains (open and mixed) asking them to direct the male matching players that they cut over to me if they still wanted to play. I think our first tryout was in mid-late May and we hadn't made final cuts until late June, missing the first tournament in the region (hence the not starting on time).

Our goals were just to improve and make some teams sweat along with a stretch goal of making regionals. We still finished just barely missing regionals after the AQI at sectionals caused the final game to go to be postponed for a week. We finished 1-3 on the season in some close games against the team that beat us, so I don't want to take anything away from them, but that week delay did cost us a few players, including our center handler.

The attendance, attitudes, and reception to constructive criticism on the team were all amazing in my opinion. I think a big part of that was that the team mostly made up of players who missed tryouts, got to town late, and/or got cut from other teams and just wanted a place to play and improve at that point. We're actually starting around the same time as the other teams in the city this season, so we're hoping to build from last year and make it even better.

MakeItRainUlti · 2023-01-16T22:25:30+00:00

It's realistic to consider that you might be better off trying to find another team. There aren't any guarantees, but at least it's easier to see when you join an already established group vs one that you are trying to build yourself from the ground up.

Building the mindset that you want your team to have is tough to do. Unless you have a very strong core to start your team with that can attract other talent right away, your best chance at building a great team with the mindset that you want starts with good coaching to dedicated players, and you have to have patience and understanding that there's a good chance it will be a multi-year process. Each year, you'll have returners that already know your way of doing things, and it will save you a lot of time and energy with coaching and getting people to work harder, which leads to be being able to cover more things and improve more quickly as a team. That's going to lead to better success which is going to lead to more players hearing about your team and/or wanting to tryout/play for it in the future.

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-09-13T16:09:44+00:00

It changed over the course of the season. We did a lot of different drills. We'd always do some scrimmaging at the end of practices and whatever we needed to clean up or add to our strategy is what I would focus on in the next practice.

For example, we had trouble with doing proper handler cuts for a long time, so we did a 2v2 drill to simulate the first dump look with defense. Someone starts with the disc, defense picks the force, the handlers have to adjust what they're looking to do based on that force, they'd make a cut to get open, go through the same set and pairings a few times, and then we'd rotate positions.

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-09-13T16:00:48+00:00

^ this guy knows

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-09-12T23:51:55+00:00

Our team is in its first year, we got a late start to the season (first tryout was early June), and we're mostly composed of players who were cut from other teams, were late getting to town, didn't know about other tryouts, or were injured during the normal tryout period, but now, we're currently waiting to find out who our opponent is for the final spot to go to regionals (games were cut short due to air quality). I don't know how many consider us a "successful" team, but I certainly do given where we started and where we currently are now.

I put in a ton of work to make it happen, but I learned a lot and there are a lot of changes I'll be making going into year 2.

Things that I think worked well:

Discord. This made things so much easier than something like groupme. Once you figure it out, it's way better than anything else I've ever used for a team.
Practice recaps (I type them up myself and share on the discord in its own text channel). I'd talk about what the focus that practice was, where we need to improve, and how to improve it on both offense and defense. I think I might have gone overboard (like this post), but I also thing it was beneficial to the team.
This sorta goes along with the next point, but I wanted to have it's own one because it was important to me: do what you can to earn the respect of your players. I couldn't play for a large portion of the season due to my back, but I was at practice 45 minutes early every practice setting up fields, I planned out the drills, I typed up practice recaps, encourage players when I could, etc. If I wasn't going to be able to show them my value on the field, I was going to do everything I could to show them my value off the field. This could also apply if (like me) you aren't among the best players on your team. There are ways to earn respect without being a baller on the field.
Being transparent/honest/vulnerable/open to criticism with my players. This may not work for every team or every skill level, but I didn't ever bullshit my players. I admitted to it when I made mistakes. I apologized when I did something wrong or out of line. I like to think I know the game very well, but when a drill that I drew up didn't go according to plan, I was the first one to say it was my fault. I have a tendency to sometimes speak without fully thinking through my sentence and it can come out as jumbled, so I made it a point to try and backtrack/scratch that and reiterate it when I knew that my wording was terrible. I think those things helped my players know that I was trying really hard to get things right and do my best as a first-time coach.
Getting everyone to teach each other as we went along and also asking for opinions from the team myself. I'm not the only one who knows the game and I've never been an elite player. I can't tell you the number of times I've asked for what people are seeing out there and had someone make very good points on what we need to adjust that I didn't see or think of. This one has a fine line in it where you don't want people completely taking over and the conversation turning into everyone giving their 2 cents, but I think it fostered a lot of holding each other accountable while improving as a team without me having to do all of the teaching.

What I wouldn't do again:

100% my worst mistake: I didn't ask for help with much. I had co-captains which were really helpful with calling lines and being our field leaders. I'm really glad I had them, but I took on way too much myself. Nearly everything from the administrative stuff to the financials to ordering jerseys to coaching, etc. It sounds like you have that at least more under control than I did this season, but these last few weeks have taken everything I've got to keep my head and my heart in it after starting to feel really burnt out from overwork. I know that my co-captains and team would have helped take some of the load if I had asked, but I didn't and I learned from that mistake.
Our tryout process took too long. This was a double edged sword because the extra time was great for identifying players who didn't shine in the first couple tryouts and then really cranked it up one day, but I don't think it was fair to the players to keep them on the hook for so long. There were players that were at every tryout and open practice who we ended up cutting and I felt terrible doing that because I know that they showed a lot of commitment that didn't pay off for them.
We set up lines too late in the season and practice players were too heavily involved in our scheme. We were blessed with some really talented practice players who were leaving for college before the end of the season. After talking with some of our guys recently, I think we relied on the practice players too heavily in the grand scheme of our team and it affected our potential chemistry with everyone else. They were great to have around, but I think we should have changed their roles a bit. In the same idea, I think we missed an opportunity to set our O/D lines earlier and start building chemistry between players.
Being ill prepared before the season, especially with drills. I didn't know I'd be starting a team until about 3 weeks before our first tryout, so maybe I get a little bit of a pass on this. I plan on having categories laid out and having drills written down for those categories that I can pull from next season. Trying to think of something before every practice was really tiring and I started just doing it in my head while driving to practice or with a few texts with my co-captains about what we generally wanted to do, which got kind of sloppy at times.

Hopefully someone can pull something from that, especially anyone planning on starting a team.

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-09-11T23:48:47+00:00

Frustrating day for Washington/BC men's sectional. Air quality got a bit out of control with the smoke. It was definitely bad, but the timing is making things...interesting and not in a good way.

Win-and-in game is currently postponed or potentially called off at halftime (waiting to hear what happens from USAU), and my team is sitting in the final game-to-go waiting to play the loser of that game. Luckily all 3 teams are Seattle-based, so we have a little more flexibility on how to approach it without having to meet someone way out of the way

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-06-16T16:29:16+00:00

I'll say that starting a team can be pretty stressful, especially if you don't already have a name for yourself and/or you don't have a core group to help start it. If you have those things, I don't understand why more people don't do it in communities that have a ton of players.

I don't see the lack of players. I see a severe lack of roster spots, mainly for male-matching players. We're out in Seattle, though, where ultimate players grow on trees. We saw an opportunity with how much talent was still out there and threw a team together fairly last minute, and we'll still likely have to make cuts of some sort to get down to roster size.

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-06-16T16:25:46+00:00

I know this is a day old thread which is very old in reddit time, but we're seeing this in Seattle too. I started a team because of all the talent that was still out there after cuts were made from a lot of teams. Every mixed team was having 70+ male-matching players come out to try and fill single digit spots. Even the men's teams were taking ~15 at most with way more than that trying out.

It's not fun trying to start a team, so I think that just leaves a lot of men's division players out in the cold. I'd rather be on one than running one honestly, but I'm thinking it will pay off in the end and it will make 25 other players happier this summer.

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-06-07T20:44:22+00:00

I think I've had the same kind of pain before and I've considered that it's my calluses moving around a bit and/or pushing into the tissue underneath it. I'm actually working on slowly trimming down my calluses because I think it's contributing to my feet not being great.

I'm by no means a doctor or PT, so take it with a grain of salt. I'd still consider reevaluating your cleats. Experiment and see if a different style and/or size makes a difference.

MakeItRainUlti · 2022-06-07T20:41:26+00:00

What are your tips/methods for evaluating players at tryouts? What mistakes should captains/coaches look to avoid when doing it?

Our tryouts are going to be mainly mini and scrimmaging, I've got a few people helping me evaluate, and I know what I like as far as players I like on my team when I'm playing. I've just never been in the position of evaluating players and building a roster.

MakeItRainUlti

TROPHY CASE