There's more than one way to skin a cat.
Chain is gangster.
There are many ways to break the mark. When breaking the mark is brought up, most people imagine the step-around backhand or the zippy flick-break that comes out on a tight angle.
I was at the park with some buddies prepping for the season last weekend. I was talking to one of them about my fondness for the flat break. He asked me what I meant...and thus a blog post is born.
If you picture the 'typical' mark, they are taking away roughly a 45 degree throwing area. You are at the locus of that angle, and it extends from you to the area behind the mark. This is the traditional break area. Flat breaks are those throws that travel from you, the thrower, straight forward, or, minimally infringe on the inside portion of that traditional area.
The throw is still categorized as a break because it travels in the space left undefended by the upfield check. Because it is basically a straight forward throw, it is, A) an easier break for the thrower than the tight flick or stretch backhand, and B) takes very little time to execute, minimizing the ability of the mark and check to defend.
Picture your team in the redzone. You get your stud handler the disc in the middle and have a vert stack stretching all the way out the back. Want to increase your chances of scoring? Employ the flat break. To make the area for the break larger, get the stack to over-shade the open-side. So, instead of the handler looking up and seeing the top of the stack directly in front of him, the top of the stack is off-set. Now the throw can be put up before the offensive cutter even moves. Just flat break to the open space directly in front of you and let your teammate sprint over and devour it for the score. A little lefty backhand or high-release flick is perfect (if being forced flick).
Get in the habit of off-setting your vert stack generally because it opens up the whole break area, not just the flat break area.
Flat-breaks are easier than other forms of breaks and can really open up the field for your offence. Try them out and reap the rewards.
those are some of my thoughts.
tcs
p.s. this is what we get up to at law school these days:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJzyR71WrfA&feature=player_embedded#
