One of the BIGGEST misinterpretations in the rotational technique for the shot put and discus throw is what to do out the back. I've seen several throwers make the mistake of allowing their hips and shoulders to sit back, creating a falling sensation when turning out the back of the circle. Today, we will discuss how to avoid this error and provide you with cues to fix your technique!
If You Fallin', You Aint Ballin'
What does it mean to fall into the circle? Falling in basically means that the thrower is setting up their rotational axis properly. Most of the time, an athlete will either not get their weight shifted over their left side, resulting in the hips falling back into the middle, or be short rotating on the left, resulting in the right having to come over the left, leading to over- or under-rotation.
When assessing a thrower's technique, we first examine what they do out the back of the circle. Most technical errors stem from out of the back, so if we can address that area of the circle, the probability of the throw improving is higher.
The Cue to Fix Falling
When addressing the error of falling, we have used the cue "Shift over, then rotate." Slowing down the entry and emphasizing getting the weight shifted over the left side (for a right-handed thrower) puts the athlete in a position where the hip will remain over the left foot, allowing the athlete to get a better rotation on the ball of the left foot.
Using visuals to help further the understanding of shifting the weight over the left, we have told athletes, when setting up the left unit (the left foot, knee, hip, and arm), to get the knee to track over the toe and the armpit to track over the left knee. Doing those two actions will put more weight on the left foot, putting the hips in a position to be stacked on the left foot.
When the left unit is set up, the right side should follow. The right knee tracks over the right toe, with the hips starting to open counterclockwise towards nine o'clock, the same direction that the left unit is pointing. Doing so will further establish the weight getting over the left side and cheat the hips ahead, making rotating around the left easier. One additional piece Dane has mentioned is the right pec working its way over the left unit. This is another indicator of the weight getting shifted over the left.
Drills to Help!
One of the drills we have implemented to help athletes develop the skill of getting their weight over is the opening drill. We do this drill with a PVC pipe to reduce the upper body's activity, allowing the lower body to do most of the work. When executing the opening drill, we will have the athlete open towards nine o'clock with the left side. As that happens, the right side will start following the left. Once those two positions are established, we will have the athlete step out with the right foot, pivoting on the left foot, landing in a position facing the direction of the throw.
Jobs not finished, FIREMEUP - Sam
"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."
- Dane, Trevor, and Sam
