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Like most team sports, there are many areas of to focus on when training for ultimate. One area that I think pays great dividends as a part of the off-season/pre-season regimen is agility and quickness training, or said another way, first-step training. Obviously it takes more than a quick first step to have full bag of ultimate footwork tools, but I'd argue that there is no single more important footwork skill. (Just to be clear, the offensive 'first-step' refers to the 'cut' or sharp change of direction used to gain separation between the receiver and the defender, and does not include any set up steps. On defense, it refers to any initial reactive footwork, whether breaking on a disc or adjusting the feet under the center of mass in anticipation of movement). Here's part of the reason why:

In high-level ultimate, throwers can usually tell whether or not to deliver the disc on any particular cut by the relative position of the players and the effectiveness of the first step. Imagine a receiver 30 yards upfield running out toward the force side, then cutting back in. If the first step of the direction change, the stop in this case, is sharp and significantly faster than the defender's, the thrower can throw an early lead pass out to space for a 20 yard gain. The cutter may even be significantly slower than his defender and still get open, because he uses his superior first step primarily to gain position which will force a spectacular play, or a foul, to keep him from catching the disc. Even if the cutter is significantly faster than his defender, but his first step is no better than his defender's, the thrower will have to wait until the separation from the speed disparity is finally apparent and settle for a contested (and generally ill advised) five yard gainer.

On defense, the first step can either come in the form of breaking on the disc or a cut, or simply reactive/anticipatory foot positioning. In the former, the first step mechanics allow for the proper body position to be able to make the most effective break for either an all out sprint (attacking the disc) or a controlled sprint from which you can change directions (guarding a cut). In the latter, your body may not be moving much, but your feet allow you to shadowbox with the cutter: as he tries to create separation with a first step, your feet have not only already reacted to that cut, but leave you balanced enough to be ready for his next attempt. Many times a quicker reactive step or two, along with proper body positioning, will dissuade the receiver from finishing his chosen cut and even make him think twice when his turn comes around again.

Clearly I have strong feelings about the importance of first-step quickness in ultimate, but here's the good news: I believe proper training allows for much greater improvement in first-step quickness, than either multiple step acceleration or top speed, for the vast majority of ultimate players. What is proper training? A comprehensive answer is not possible here, but it certainly includes staples of strength and power training, metabolic work, and speed and quickness techniques. My favorite piece of quickness equipment is the speed ladder. I am happy to see them becoming more and more common in ultimate, but just like with throwing technique, sloppy and improper training does more harm than good. There are lots of programs out there, many of them good, but based on over eight years of training myself and other athletes on speed ladders here are a few overall guidelines:

1. "If you can't do it slow, you can't do it fast." —John Wooden. Master the movement, then progress in speed only when the higher rate can be controlled as well as the slower rate.

2. Look smooth. This goes along with the first one. Athletes should look athletic when training. Speed without control is just spastic. Who was the last spastic athlete you admired?

3. Start small. Start stepping patterns as small and close to the ladder as possible. This allows for neural patterning at a high rate of speed. Range can be increased later.

4. Less is more. In most drills, keeping the center of gravity relatively low, still, or on a line shows better control and mastery.

5. Freeze. In jump or footwork training, all athletes should be able to stop quickly on cue and freeze in a balanced athletic position.

6. Train only the good. Each step we take, proper or improper, reinforces that pattern. When mistakes happen, stop immediately, reset where you are, and continue all good.

7. Train fresh. Agility training should be performed early in a session to pattern maximal quickness and accuracy. Train one way on a ladder, walk back slowly, and recover adequately for max quickness. This is not primarily metabolic training. The better you get, the more demanding it is on your body, and the more rest is needed.

8. Train as a team. The training group should help each other out. Watch and give cues. Give teammates plenty of space and do not rush them. Fix the ladder for one another so no one has to stop their training to do it.

9. Repetition, repetition, repetition. Our goal is automaticity in proper footwork mechanics to maximize our quickness potential. It is better to perform 5 great exercises each week than 10 new crazy ones. It may be hard to break-down, but try to focus on pattens often utilized in ultimate.

10. Take the drills to the field. No ultimate game has ever been won on a speed ladder, it is only a tool to facilitate better performance. Progress from more closed (non-reactive) drills, to more open drills, to applying footwork patterns outside the ladder, to ultimate specific drills, to game situations. Unless the gap from ladder to game can be successfully bridged, what have you really done?

An example progression: Lateral slides-to-sprint with the ladder at you controlled pace, reactive lateral slides-to-sprint in the ladder to auditory or visual cues, 1 on 1 reactive slides-to-sprint on the field, O versus D reactive lateral slides with game type positioning (D starts further toward disc,) and races to a thrown disc. The end result will be quicker first step reactions and hip turns for the defense come game time.

Sanatan Golden, CSCS, is a third year student at the University of Washington Doctor of Physical Therapy program. He played for Bucknell and then in Oregon with Axe and Rhino. He is a phenomenally quick and athletic player, and unlike most great athletes, can show you very clearly how he improved his own fundamental athleticism.