Proper shot put & discus throws technique
is crucial to the success of any athlete who participates in these track and field events.
It not only helps to maximize the distance that can be achieved, but it also helps to prevent injuries and improve overall performance.
Hitting those key technical positions in the spin shot, glide shot & discus throw involves a combination of proper footwork, balance, and throwing motion. When these elements are executed correctly, it can help to generate more power and momentum, leading to greater distances.
Additionally, proper shot put and discus throws technique can help to prevent injuries such as strains or sprains, which can sideline an athlete for weeks or even months.
Today, I’m going to touch on a few technical positions I get asked about a lot.
Let’s start with the spin shot ( or rotational shot put) and the block/ finish.
A common technical mistake I see is over rotating at the finish and not smashing that block arm.
Think of the block arm as the breaks. You gotta hit those brakes as hard as you hit the brakes on a Big Wheel like when you were a kid.
Below, is a short, 28 second clip of how to set up the block…. and what happens when you let your block arm continue to rotate around.
The discus throw’s finish is very different than the spin shot put.
Funnily, the discus isn’t so much as thrown, as it is a sling, or a whip.
This is a throw that demands an athlete to maintain separation til the end, as the bottom half of the body leads the top then- BOOM!
… and because of this balance, speed, and strength become the trifecta to hit that big throw.
I believe the discus is the toughest of the throws to learn, so you’re the KING of throwing if you’re a discus thrower… and I’m not just saying that since I was a discus thrower, hah.
Hitting the finish in the discus throw is a part of the throw I coach with athletes as much as the set up!
Why? Because nothing, and I mean NOTHING will show you how critical it is to hit all 6 pillars of a throw correctly to allow the throwing chain reaction to play out then in the discus.
If the start of the throw – Pillar 1 of the TCR System- is not set up technically on point, then as the athlete moves throughout the throw, it ends with the throw being short, or a foul, or both!
Below is another quick video where I was demonstrating how to make the necessary adjustments technically to hit the finish.
This was at one of our Summer Throws Camps.
How you set up the throw in the discus (the wind-up), or the path you set up during the wind on the spin shot, impacts the finish
Set it up right and things go right…
- Set it up wrong, and things will remain wrong throughout the throw.
- Start short and choppy, and the throw will be short and choppy.
- Start the throw long and fluid, enter and execute long and fluid.
So Simple, So powerful.. and almost always over looked.
Mastering throwing technique is mastering your body’s mechanics.
If you are a young thrower, you need to be long and fluid no matter if it’s the discus, rotational Shot, or glide….
If you are 5’8, make yourself look 6’8” by hitting all the right positions in the throw!
I mean it, I’ve seen kids that are 6’ tall and throw like they are 4’8”- Everything is short, tight, off-balance, and the wrong speed.
Simple tip for today:
Set up all details in the throw to be long and fluid. Do that and your throw will be long and fluid.
The majority of coaching focus on the results that happened due to the effects of poor technique or distance, and not the causes or whys of poor technique and distances…. and this approach will result in minor improvement.
What you set up, is what you see in the throw
Short set-up, Short Movement. Long, fluid set up, long fluid movement.
Boom!
Coach Johnson.
