Wall Throws Drills for Shot Put and Discus

As an experienced track and field coach & athlete, I know the importance of hitting key technical positions when throwing the rotational shot put, glide shot and the discus throw.  In this article, I’ll be sharing a powerful hack to get the most out of a throws practice that teaches athletes from beginner to advanced how to perfect proper technical positions.

Shot put drills for beginner to advanced throwers

One of the most important aspects of throwing is developing proper technique… it’s pretty much a no brainer.

The most basic drills are simple stand throws:

Shot Put basic drills for beginners to advanced throwers

1. Standing shot put throw

Begin by standing in the throwing circle with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the shot put at your neck level, with your elbow tucked in and your wrist cocked back. Shift your weight to your back foot, then shift your weight forward as you extend your arm and release the shot put in a forward motion.

2. Reverse standing throw

Start by standing with your back to the throwing area, holding the shot put at your neck level with your elbow tucked in and your wrist cocked back. Take a step forward with your back foot and shift your weight forward as you extend your arm and release the shot put in a forward motion.

3. Glide shot put throw

You will start by standing in the throwing circle with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the shot put at your neck level, with your elbow tucked in and your wrist cocked back. Take a small step forward with your non-dominant foot, then shift your weight to your back foot and slide your dominant foot forward. Shift your weight forward as you extend your arm and release the shot put in a forward motion.

Discus basic drills for beginner to advanced throwers

Discus throwing requires a lot of technique and precision. So keep that in mind when performing these drills for discus that can help you improve your form and accuracy:

1. Standing discus throw

This drill begins by holding the discus in your throwing hand at your waist level. Take a small step forward with your non-dominant foot, then shift your weight to your back foot and rotate your shoulders and hips to the back of the throwing area. Shift your weight forward as you rotate your shoulders and hips back to the front, and release the discus in a forward motion.

2. Half-turn throw

Here we’ll start by standing in the throwing area with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the discus in your throwing hand at your waist level. Take a small step forward with your non-dominant foot, then pivot your back foot and rotate your shoulders and hips to the back of the throwing area. Shift your weight forward as you rotate your shoulders and hips back to the front, and release the discus in a forward motion.

3. Full-turn throw

First stand in the throwing area with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the discus in your throwing hand at your waist level. Take a small step forward with your non-dominant foot, then pivot your back foot and rotate your shoulders and hips to the back of the throwing area. Pivot your non-dominant foot and shift your weight forward as you rotate your shoulders and hips back to the front, and release the discus in a forward motion.

Common mistakes to avoid in shot put and discus throwing

As a beginner, it’s important to be aware of some common mistakes that can hinder your shot put and discus throws. Here are some mistakes to watch out for:

1. Gripping the shot put or discus too tightly & cupping the discus

Many beginners make the mistake of gripping the shot put or discus too tightly, which can limit their range of motion and reduce their power. Instead, try to hold the shot put or discus with a relaxed grip, using your fingertips to guide the direction of the throw.

Cupping a disc is one of the most common technical mistakes I see from beginners to pro! This is when the athlete is not comfortable with holding the disc and to prevent it from falling out of their hand, they bend their wrist so the discs is supported on the lower wrist.

It will crush your results forever until this is corrected- guaranteed!

2. Not using your legs

Another common mistake is relying too much on your upper body strength and not using your legs to generate power. When throwing, make sure to shift your weight forward and use your legs to push off the ground.

3. Over-rotating

In discus throwing, over-rotating can cause you to lose balance and reduce the accuracy of your throw. Make sure to rotate your shoulders and hips just enough to generate power, without overextending your body.

How to Maximize these basic drills for fast results

Repetition. Repetition. Repetition.

Throwing is not natural. Therefore, as a coach and as a thrower, your goal is to do your pillar drills, throwing drills & progression drills over and over so you are developing muscle memory.

in a sport that only takes 2 seconds or less to do, you don’t have time to “think about it”.

It’s just GO TIME!

WALL THROWS IS HOW YOU GET IT DONE!

So, how do you get in a ton of drill work?

Wall throws.  It takes time to throw an implement, then go out to the field and retrieve it. Rinse and Repeat.

Therefore, wall trows come in clutch for this demand.

You don’t need anything fancy, just some soft med balls ( see resource below) and a wall that can take a beating or a net.

DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE

Now, you can take this awesome throws coaching hack and mess it up by teaching key positions and drills incorrectly!

If you do this, you will be learning how to throw all wrong, and then it takes an even longer time to get the body (muscle memory) to unlearn what you

just did and correct it.

Don’t do that.

Inside the TCR system we have over 300+ videos teaching you step-by-step all about the key technical positions, the biomechanics of the throw, and

how to address any technical mistakes and transform them into technical masterpieces.

Below is a video showing you a crucial technical point in the block using wall throws.

Check it out.