Six Person Team Suggestions?

Question

As we approach the Dallas Kubb Tournament (just 9 days away) and the first six person tournament on US soil, I'm wondering if there are any suggestions players who have played in six person tournaments would have for those of us who have only played in 2 or 3 person teams.

What are the keys to playing successfully in a six person team?

Answer 1

I played on a 7-player team in Rockford this year, and we've traded some emails with European players with a lot of 6-player experience. The biggest thing in my opinion is the need for a team captain. On two (and to some extent three) player teams you can play strategy-by-committee. Everybody kind of has their role, and when something needs to change everybody can talk about it and why, and come to a relatively quick agreement.

On a large team the chances of bickering about which way to stand the kubbs or who should be taking which shot goes way up. I'm not saying that discussion is bad here, but there has to be someone decided upon beforehand by the group that has the authority to just make a call and people follow it. Even if this role changes hands from game to game, SOMEBODY needs to wear this hat and direct the traffic. From what I understand having a good captain is just as important as having a good inkastare. In the elim rounds the first to go are the teams without (or with bad) captains, and then the teams without a good inkastare, and in the finals it's teams with good captains and good inkastares competing to have the best baton accuracy.

 

This was not mentioned by our friend, but in my opinion the inkastare shouldn't be the captain. On a 6p team you should have at least one solid relief driller and the captain needs to be able to make the call as to when to pull the starter. I had a few bad rounds in Rockford and my captain did the right thing to pull me. Our team won the game, I sat out for another, and after a game and a half out I got called back in and was dropping my best groups of the day. This situation might not have happened without a captain, and almost certainly not as smoothly and amicably.

 

Get a captain is my point. If the role will be changing then get a captain's hat that can be work by the current captain. In fact, I am now so convinced by this idea that I think every team needs i big-*** pirate captain hat, or maybe a sombrero. Their power shall be known by the size of their hat, just like the Pope.

Comments

Great stuff Chris! Thank you!

Answer 2

I also played on a 6 person team in Rockford.  I planned on playing this way in preparation for Dallas.  FVK wanted to get some 6 person tournament experience before the big 6 person battle in Dallas.

 

I wanted to play to each person's strengths as much as possible and it took a couple of rounds to get people settled.  Having a team captain is a must.  Say the person throwing 2nd is off and getting a little frustrated with his or her game, The team captain should step in a make a rotation change.    I made a few calls like that with one of our guys and came back to him throwing 2nd again a few rounds later.  He got his throws back.  Without someone making these decisions it  could lead to bigger frustrations for the simple fact that each person is only throwing one baton.

Answer 3

My advice even though I have never played on a six person team is to slow down. don't just step up and throw. This happens alot when players have two or three batons to toss. Take your time, focus, see yourself making the shot in your mind. Take a deep breath and release the baton as you exhale. Do not wast any shots with a hurried throw.