A word or two on cutting

When I started playing, I was not a very good cutter. Aside from not being anything special in the speed, quickness, or leaping ability categories, certain concepts that were thrown around when I was taught usually left me more confused than open. Older players would tell me where to line up, when and where to cut, and where to clear, but once the disc was tapped in I usually wound up feeling like a chicken with my head cut off. In other words, no matter how many times cutting was explained or drawn out on paper, I still wound up clogging lanes, cutting off others, and clearing to the wrong place.

Over time, I've developed a better understanding of the skill. Some of this has come practicing and refining my own cutting while some has come from seeing the field as a handler. For anyone trying to get better as a cutter, the following basic guidelines have proven themselves handy for me.

1. Use the space
When I coached at camp this summer, this was one of the most basic and common concepts that was stressed to the kids. Very often do all four of a team's cutters wind up on one half (usually the force side) of the field, dragging all four of their defenders with them, and more times than not this can be remedied with the simple reminder that the other half exists. There's a whole lot of space out there, and as a cutter, you should be looking to use it. Regardless of what any formula, strategy, or play says, if you are looking to cut somewhere and there is someone already there, you should find someplace else. Aside from avoiding the formation of a blob of offensive players all wondering why they aren't being thrown to, cutting to open space is nice because it's a gift that keeps on giving: by going to space, you're clearing the space that you were previously in, meaning that someone else will fill that space, which will lead to someone else filling that space, and so on. SPACE. Which leads me to my next point...

2. Recognize that you're cutting not as an individual but as a memeber of a unit
What this truly means is this: not every cut you make should result in you getting the disc. Since you have to focus on where you need to be and what you need to be doing, it can be really easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your objective is to be receiving the disc at all times. Not true. Yes, you want to sell your cut, and yes, you absolutely want to be running your ass off, but it's important to note that a cut that makes space available for a teammate to get open contributes just as much to the offense as the cut made by said teammate. For a really basic illustration, picture the ho stack set up off of a stopped disc. The middle two cutters are likely to be the first to move. It's also likely that one will go in and one will go out, giving the thrower two options. In this situation though, throwers are generally looking to throw to the in cut, meaning that the cutter going out is really serving two purposes: obviously, he's a deep option, but, more importantly, he's clearing space for the in cutter. If he didn't move, his defender could poach in the lane and the defense could clamp down on the single cutter in motion. This idea also goes for clearing: when you've been looked off, it does a whole lot more good to move quickly out of the lane so that the space you were just in can be used by the next cutter than it does to clog it up, expecting to get the disc because you think you're open.

3. Look around
In the spirit of cutting as a unit rather than an individual, make sure to take a glance at where the other cutters on your team are and to note what they're doing. This will help you see both the space that is immediately available and what's about to become available, as well as what's about to be occupied. I've often heard the mantra "if you don't know what's going on, run harder," and while I generally agree, looking around will give some purpose and direction to that running. A bit more on making adjustments while cutting can be found here.

4. Dont. stop. running.
If my last point was self-evident, this one should be coming in loud and clear. Whatever you do, do it at full speed and with every intention of getting to wherever you're going before your defender does. As a cutter, your own sense of timing regarding when to move, when to look around, and where to go will come, but one thing you can do at all times is run as hard as you possibly can. At the very least, you'll tire your defender out and eventually get open because of it. Once you've decided on where to go, go there, and go fast.

The first half of the latest Clip of the Day does a pretty good job of illustrating these concepts. Watch Sockeye (in blue Team USA jerseys) cutters (in order as they appear in the play) Mike Caldwell (#20), Sam C-K (14), Ron Kubalanza (25), and Moses Rifken (10). After the pull is brought down and Wiggins is looking upfield, Caldwell immediately streaks in under, and after seeing that he's not open for a backhand, plants hard and clears, getting the disc on his clear cut. As Caldwell catches and turns upfield, C-K is streaking in, his man a few steps behind him. Even though he appears to be open, he immediately plants and gets out upon seeing that he's being looked off, cutting to the deep space that is open behind him. This clears room for Kubalanza, who moves in and gets the disc. As he looks up, who is coming in? C-K, whose deep cut for Caldwell set up his in cut for Kubalanza. As for the rest of the point, things kind of deteriorate and wind up in an overthrown huck at a tough angle, but the ideas of cutting to space, clearing room for teammates, and being aware of where things are developing are all there. Also, the speed at which they're doing all this is pretty high.

As with any kind of strategic thought, there's always both the really basic and the extremely detailed. Some stuff on the finer points of cutting can be found here (along with everything else Parinella has to say, I really like the phrase "coordinated mayhem") and here.

For our rookies, I hope this helps. If it doesn't, take solace in knowing Robert's self-given animology as well as his favorite sauce.

GM