Make Them Make A Play
When it comes to catching a floating 50/50 disc, one of the most important things to think about is that if the other person is going to get the disc then at least make them make a play. Force them to make a great play to catch it, don’t let it be easy. This philosophy most directly applies to playing defence, but still applies to offensive situations.
Too often I see players setting up position behind their opposition. As a shorter player going up against a taller player this is especially detrimental. As soon as you set up shop behind someone you are giving them the advantage. They now have the first shot at making the catch. You will only catch it if they jump and miss it. You’ve given them superior positioning and they won’t feel much pressure from your presence as they are in front with a clear line of sight to the disc and nothing in their way preventing them from making the catch.
Establishing inside position is the first step towards winning the sky battle. Again, if you are shorter than your opponent this is imperative. By establishing inside position you now have a chance to control the situation. You have a better opportunity to find the spot on the field where you can catch the disc at the peak of your jump. If you do this it means the player behind you (who might be taller) has to jump up and reach over you (forward) in order to catch the disc. This is a lot more challenging for them as they have to reach further out than originally desired, and mentally have to worry about you whilst at the same time trying to focus on catching the disc. If they’re four inches taller than you they may still catch the disc, but at least it was tougher than it would have been otherwise and you have made them make a play. However, it is possible you have given them too much to think about and they drop the disc or jump too early and miss it entirely.
Again, this strategy most directly applies to playing defence on 50/50 discs as when no one catches it you still win. However, this equally applies to offense as it is always easier to catch a disc when no one is in your way rather than having to jump over someone. Your opponent doesn’t know what kind of hops you have and getting inside position gives you that little bit of an advantage you need and gives your opponent a few more things to think about when calculating their attack.
For an analogy to other sports, try watching basketball players as they establish themselves to retrieve a rebound. They expel the majority of their effort getting to the right spot on the floor in front of everyone else. Once there the rebound is theirs following an easy jump.