Frisbee is supposed to be the ultimate in chill-out summertime fun for everyone — everyone, that is, who can make the frisbee go where they want. Some are born with the ability to throw a gentle arc that drops out of the air within arms’ reach of its intended human target. Others, not so much. There is hope, though. “Frisbee Rob” McLeod is a Calgary-based motivational speaker and frisbee ambassador who travels the world competing, teaching and breaking records (he holds the Canadian distance record for throwing a golf disk, at 712 feet), and if you take his advice, you should be able to assume your rightful place in the sacred circle of summertime fun.
First things first, says McLeod, it helps if you’ve got a good disc: “If it’s super light, if it’s really stiff, if you paid a dollar for it, it’s not a good disc,” he says. For basic catch-and-throw, he recommends an ultimate frisbee disc (they cost around $15 at Lifesport). Hold the frisbee like you’re shaking someone’s hand: thumb on top and fingers underneath. When you go to throw it, step toward your target, pulling your arm back to wind up and snap your wrist as you pull your arm forward. While throwing, make sure that the disc is flat. “The frisbee is part airplane wing, part parachute,” McLeod says. “They’ll get the most glide when the disc is flat.”