Toilet Paper is essential for dumping

*thanks to kG for inspiring me to write this post*


(paraphrased account, as told by KG)

Picture yourself working at school, at work, or anywhere else. You're hard at work and all you have time and energy for is on your work. We've all been through this before, all of a sudden your stomach grumbles and you know... oh damn I gotta take a dump soon. But you don't have time because work is consuming you. So after holding it for what seems like hours, you finish, drive, bike, or run home in anticipation of relief. You bust through the door, throw your bag on the floor, run to the bathroom, lock the door and settle yourself in. Halfway through all the work, you glance over to your right and what do you see? No paper. All you're left with is one, no, maybe TWO squares left to deal with, and that's it. GG. Game over.


Moral of the story? Don't abandon the dump set. Be the toilet paper for the dump. No half-ass dump sets. BE THE PAPER THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THERE!


And somehow... it makes sense, in some sick, bathroom humor kindish way. But yes, the way KG told it, was anything less than intense and hilarious. The importance of the dump is constantly overlooked when it comes to ultimate. Look at any offense in college ultimate, and you see the importance of dump sets. Some offense run a set in which the dump set is merely a reset of the stall count and/or getting the disc centered and off the line. True this is important but many offenses utilize the two other handlers on the back line as a potent form of attack in that dump sets are not only useful in the reasons stated before but can be essential in gaining advantageous position for a break throw (and we all know what happens or is supposed to happen after a good break throw), and or that huge 50 yard huck on the break side for the score.


In Irvine's second year of post -probationary existence we ran an offense that became known as "insaneulous." Being new to ultimate, I thought this offense was simply a pattern of weaves, up-line cuts, and or back-cuts. We ran this offense several times and granted it wore out the 3 running it, but it worked every single time. In retrospect, insaneulous was the dump sets on HGH and roids. As a dump for the handler with the disc, you're given one piece of instruction: "get your ass open." Which is essentially it because if you don't get open, and the stalls keep on going up, there's really nothing left for the disc handler to do but huck the disc or gift-wrap it and hand it over at the "T" of stall ten.
Dump sets are the last resort. Once that handler makes eye contact with the dumps, he's committed to them and if he knows better, won't look up field even if a cutter is yelling "OPEN OPEN OPEN!" Once the dump set is activated, you've committed and there's no turning back. However; this does not mean the set itself is dynamic. If the dump is being poached, yea throw it. No need to activate. Quick movement, "stall 5" mentality is constantly stressed on our team and it definitely shows when the disc is valued but quickly shared with the other 6 on the field.
We demonstrated this against a good Black Tide team. Quick movements, utilizing the dump sets, and before we knew it, we gained advantageous position, broke the mark, dump dish to roeder, boom, huck to a streaking allen on the break side for the score. ALL 7 on the line touched the disc for less than 4 stall counts, tide walks back confused. EASY as that.


Dump at stall 3. The key to a quick-fire offense is value of the disc, but consistent sharing with the 6 others on the line. Ultimate is not won by one person against 7. It takes you and 6 others to match those 7 to surpass them and break down the defense. Handlers, the dump needs you to be there. Don't give one or two squares of effort, give freaking Brawny two-ply quilted double roll effort. Simple instructions, but fulfill them and you'll find you and your offense in the end zone in no time

-hammy