Ulf Timmermann, Tomasz Majewski, Daniel Storl, Valerie Adams, Michelle Carter, these are some of the best gliders of all time. What makes these athletes the best? They all do these three key concepts out of the back of the circle. In today’s blog, I will discuss the three key things every glider should do!
First Key: Unseat the Hips!
Unseating is the process of shifting you center of mass from a balance position over your right leg (base of support), to a moving position behind the right foot, allowing the hips to rock back towards the toeboard. Unseating is important because it's lowers the hip and shoulder level, and creates linear momentum when transitioning from the back to the front of the circle.
When unseating, one should feel a "sitting" sensation towards the direction of the throw. I had a coach once say "imagine you get home from a long day of work and you go to sit on the couch, how you let your butt rock back, that's the same sensation as unseating".
Second Key: Extend the Left Leg to Toeboard!
Once the athletes center of mass passes the right heel, the left leg extends so that the left foot moves long and low towards the front of the circle.
When driving to the front, fully extend the left leg as fast as possible and keep the left toes moving just above the cement. Shoot the left foot directly towards the toe board or the left foot stays below the left knee joint.
Third Key: Drive Off the Heel!
Once the athlete's center of mass unseats pass the right heel and the left leg extends, the right leg pushes forcefully so let the body drives as one unit towards the front of the ring. This push uses the entire surface of the right foot so that the heel is the last point of contact with the surface as the right leg is extendeds towards the front.
When driving off the heel, curl the toes up towards the shin, and use the extension of the quad to generate force into the drive.
Implement these three key concepts into your glide, so one day we can talk about you when discussing the greats of glide shot put. Keep up the good work and keep the glide alive!
FIREMEUP - Sam Weeks
"Our aim is to provide concise and concrete education and training on the throws, helping coaches and athletes learn what they need to do to succeed and become champions."
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