Traditional man defense is 1-on-1. You've got your person to defend, and there's no real expectation that you will help or be helped out. And that is its flaw.
1-on-1 defense inherently gives the advantage to the offense - they know when and where to cut. The defenders can only dictate as best as possible, and then react. Sure, if your team is full of uber-athletes who can beat someone to the disc even if they began 5 yards behind, then man defense was made for you. But most teams aren't built like that.
I believe in a better way.
I believe that better, more efficient defense is one that relies on communication between teammates and an understanding of the relative threat level of each cut, and not solely on athleticism. I envision a team that can switch without hesitation, where defenders talk to the mark to take away open cuts, where as a unit they eliminate the best options until the opponent is left with a risky, low percentage throw.
1-on-1 defense inherently gives the advantage to the offense - they know when and where to cut. The defenders can only dictate as best as possible, and then react. Sure, if your team is full of uber-athletes who can beat someone to the disc even if they began 5 yards behind, then man defense was made for you. But most teams aren't built like that.
I believe in a better way.
I believe that better, more efficient defense is one that relies on communication between teammates and an understanding of the relative threat level of each cut, and not solely on athleticism. I envision a team that can switch without hesitation, where defenders talk to the mark to take away open cuts, where as a unit they eliminate the best options until the opponent is left with a risky, low percentage throw.
Clam is a defense that tries to structure this type of switching. It has a bad reputation - most people think of it as a junk defense that may create a few turns, but is fundamentally unsound. I think it hasn't been given a fair shake - think of how many practices you spend working on man defense. And compare that to the, maybe 1? practice that you had on clam. No wonder teams can't run it well!
Furthermore, clam/switching defense is harder than regular man defense to learn. It requires true teamwork, and therefore develops more slowly as the team gels. In the beginning, teams attempting this will likely be scored on a lot because the communication and field sense just isn't ready yet. In order to play it well, takes a commitment that most teams have thus far been unwilling to make.
But with Hatch, I have a certain freedom. We've got no reputation to uphold - we can lose a few games as we work on our defense and no one will be upset. They're also mostly young players who are more flexible in their ways and hopefully more open to trying something non-traditional.
I think it will likely take a season to gain a grounding in this defense, and at least another season after to hone it. But I believe that the rewards of this defense are worthy of the investment for both individuals and teams, and that the current imbalance between offense and defense will be lessened.
Furthermore, clam/switching defense is harder than regular man defense to learn. It requires true teamwork, and therefore develops more slowly as the team gels. In the beginning, teams attempting this will likely be scored on a lot because the communication and field sense just isn't ready yet. In order to play it well, takes a commitment that most teams have thus far been unwilling to make.
But with Hatch, I have a certain freedom. We've got no reputation to uphold - we can lose a few games as we work on our defense and no one will be upset. They're also mostly young players who are more flexible in their ways and hopefully more open to trying something non-traditional.
I think it will likely take a season to gain a grounding in this defense, and at least another season after to hone it. But I believe that the rewards of this defense are worthy of the investment for both individuals and teams, and that the current imbalance between offense and defense will be lessened.
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