Sunday, December 4, 2016

Middle Drills for Discus Throw

In the previous 2 blogs we have discussed the release and power position of the discus throw.  In this blog we will address the middle drills for a discus throw.  Coach Harsha has some great drills to improve the full throw by focusing on the middle part of the discus throw.

Basics of the middle drill:

  • Body position for a middle throw1:
    • The athlete is facing the throwing direction.
    • The athlete's right foot is placed in the middle of the ring.
    • 80 percent of the athlete’s body weight is put on the right foot.
    • The athlete’s body will go into an athletic position in relation to the right foot.
    • The athlete’s body alignment should be chest-right knee-right toe.
  • Throwing from the middle of the ring1:
    • Swing your right arm back.
    • The athlete’s left arm will be pointed towards the throwing direction of the ring.
    • Begin with a 180 degree turn (pivoting on the ball of your right foot)2
    • The left leg will remain in the air, and the leg will reach for the front of the ring while the right foot is pivoting.
    • The athlete will then complete the throw when they reach the power position.
Drills to master the middle throw1:

  • “Reverse 180’s”- the athlete will use the middle of the ring to pivot
    • The athlete places the ball of their right foot in the middle of the ring.2
    • Thrower will complete the 180 turn, focus on picking up the left foot and trying to keep both knees as close as possible during the rotation.
    • The right foot must remain pivoting during the throw.
  • “Wheels”- The drill focuses on balance and right foot turning.
    • The drill is the same as the “reverse 180’s, but the athlete continues for 5 reps before stopping.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog! Next week we will discuss South African drills.

References:
1Harsha, M. (n.d.). Discus Training Progression. In National Throws Coaches Association. Retrieved from http://www.nationalthrowscoachesassociation.com/basic_technique_for_discus_throwing.htm

2Mackenzie, B. (2002) Discus [WWW] Available from:https://www.brianmac.co.uk/discus/



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