The importance of testing...
What do you want to accomplish next season? Have you set goals? What plan of action have you put in place to reach those goals? The off-season is just as important in any sport as the actual season. During the off-season, you
have the chance as an athlete to assess your current strengths and weaknesses and then work to improve on those for
next season.
As part of any off-season program the first thing you should do is establish a base level or starting point. You have
to know where you are in order to establish a plan to accomplish your goals. With an established base level you can
objectively evaluate your weaknesses, your strengths, and your progress throughout the off-season as you work to
improve. Testing yourself at the beginning of the off-season accomplishes these objectives in addition to the ones
below:
- assesses fitness levels
- sets baseline for programs and schedules to be developed
- helps to study the effects of training programs
- helps turn weaknesses into strengths
- motivates players and gives you objective feedback
- makes you better as a player
There are literally an infinite variety of tests that you could perform as a player. However, as we all know ultimate is
a multi-directional and multi-paced explosive game, with both anaerobic and aerobic aspects. Therefore, your testing
should cover those aspects of the game. Testing is important, but it should be kept simple.
Below is a list of tests that will help you assess your physical strengths and weaknesses. For additional help, click on
the blue hyperlinks to take you to a video of each test.
Speed/Agility
● 40 yard dash – Speed and explosion from a static start. If possible, it is also helpful to test your 10 yard, and
20 yard interval times to get an idea of your explosive quickness
● 70 yard dash - The ability to maintain your speed over an extended distance. This test helps spotlight your
potential as a deep threat.
● 3 cone drill - The 3 cone drill tests an athlete's ability to change directions at a high speed. Three cones in
an L-shape. You start from the starting line, go 5 yards to the first cone and back. Then, turn, run around
the second cone, run a weave around the third cone, which is the high point of the L, change directions,
come back around that second cone and finish.
● Shuttle - Also known as the 5-10-5, it tests an athlete's lateral quickness and explosion in short areas. You
start in a three-point stance, explode out 5 yards to your right, touch the line, go back 10 yards to your left,
left hand touches the line, pivot, and turn 5 more yards and finish.
Power/Explosiveness
● Vertical Jump - All about lower-body explosion and power, you stand flat-footed and measure your reach.
Once a good, accurate measure of your reach is obtained, you perform a vertical jump as high
● Running Vertical Jump - Highlights your ability to transfer speed into explosive vertical motion. This test is
important because you are not always jumping from a static position to catch a disc.
● Broad Jump – The broad jump tests an athlete's lower-body explosion and lower-body strength. You
start out with a balanced stance and then explode out by jumping as far as you can. It tests explosion and
balance, because you have to land without moving.
In addition to the above tests, an athlete can also benefit from spending some time in the weight room during the off-
season. Listed below are the major lifts that will help an athlete develop the needed strength and explosive power
to take his/her game to the next level. Just like with any training program that you start, you first need to set a base
level to know where you stand at the beginning. Therefore, it would be wise to test yourself in the following major
lifts, and continue to assess your progress in these lifts throughout the off-season.
Weight Lifting
● Bench Press – The bench press tests the maximum amount of weight that you can push away from your
chest while lying on your back. In ultimate, this lift may not seem like it is necessary. However, careful
breakdown of the game reveals that an athlete uses his/her chest muscles all the time, and that added
strength in this area can potentially improve aspects of your vertical jump, if only ever so slightly. How?
Imagine the motions your arms and upper body go through as you jump in the air with maximum force.
The arms typically start from behind the body and swing rapidly forward to the front of your torso as you
begin to reach high into the air.
● Squat – Probably the single most important lift for virtually any athlete where power and explosion
through the legs are needed. The squat not only tests the strength of an athlete’s legs, it also tests balance,
coordination, and core strength. The squat also increases an athlete’s leg power so that he/she has the
ability to accelerate faster and jump higher.
● Deadlift – Similar to the squat, the deadlift engages a lot of the muscles groups needed for an athlete
looking to improve his/her leg strength and power. However, unlike the squat the deadlift requires an
athlete to lift weight off of the ground to a standing position rather than starting from a standing position
and squatting to parallel with the floor. The major muscle groups that the deadlift engages include the
hamstrings, butt, core, and back.
● Power Clean/Clean and Jerk – The ultimate Olympic lift, the power clean and its many variations require
you to put together many aspects of major lifts at one time including the deadlift, squat, and potentially the
overhead push. The power clean will test the body’s explosive power, core strength, and balance. It truly is
one of the most complex lifts that an athlete can perform.
The lists above concerning tests and lifts are definitely not an all-inclusive list. In fact, there are an infinite number
of tests and variations that you can come up with to assess your strengths and weaknesses at any given time. The
important point is that before you begin any program, you need to know your starting point. A starting point will
allow you to set goals and track your progress throughout your training.
