Shot Put

Luke Sullivan

Spin vs Glide

• Spin
  • Longer path of acceleration
  • Compliments discus
• Glide
  • Less complicated
  • Quicker to learn

Considerations

• Time
• Athlete’s physical characteristics
  • Height
  • Strength
  • Weight
• Athlete’s abilities
  • Explosiveness
  • Rotational awareness

Grip and ball placement

• Ball balances in hand where fingers meet the palm
• Keep fingers fairly close together while thumb may touch side of ball
• Place shot underneath the jaw just below the ear
• Throwing hand is behind the ball and not underneath(elbow up-Bench press)
• Some stretch should be felt on forearm and hand

Foot Placement

• Reverse 7

Pre-Power Drills

• Squat and extend - Hips under shoulders, balanced (weight 50/50)
• Squat, Rotate, and extend - Hips under shoulders, balanced (weight 50/50)
• Stand throw, no-torque rotate and extend (Weight 70/30 on load leg/block leg)
• Stand throw, torque, rotate, extend

Power Positions

• Begin in stand throw position
  • Position 1- Rotate L arm and R foot and hip to 10 o’clock
  • Position 2 – L arm and hand face sector w/ R foot and hip, shot/disc behind, loaded right
  • Position 3 – Block with L arm, L fist to shoulder, negative block
  • Position 4 – Finish as a non-reverse
  • Position 5 – Reverse – Teach athlete to drive hips up. Block with Left side should create energy to switch feet. DO NOT lean forward in Reverse.

Non reverse & Reverse

• Rotation of the hips initiated with the legs
• Keep driving right hip forward, and left hip back with block
• Separation
• Left Arm
• Finishing position
  • Right foot placement
  • Long reach after the throw

Power Drills

• Up and Over
• Pop Up
• Negative Block
  • 2 super bands around waist- Coach assists
• Puppet master
  • Super band under R foot-connected to L hand

Glide

Start

• Facing rear of ring
• Right foot facing back of the ring

Drop

• Bend right knee and place left leg straight behind you
• Bend at waist, place shoulders down over right leg
• Left arm is long and loose, dangling towards the ground

Initial Shift

• Bring left leg in towards right leg
• Don’t let left foot pass right foot
• Once left foot is even with right, sink hips down and begin moving backwards

Push Phase

• Kick hard with left leg to toe board
• Push off with right leg at same time
• Leave shoulders and head back while you move across the ring

Touchdown

• Both feet should land almost simultaneously
• Before right leg touches, pull hard with the right adductor to get right leg underneath you in the middle of ring
• Turn right foot in the air- land with 45 degree angle

Power Position

• Land heal-toe
• Drive up with right leg
• Snap left leg to extension as right leg is turning in
• Jump off of both legs and cross hip to the left side of the toe board

Rotational shot put progressions

• Begin with stand throw progression as stated at beginning of power point
• Rotational throws create large amounts of rotational energy to set up the stand throw. If balance, timing, or rhythm are off, the throw will be affected.
• Longer and Faster, not Shorter and Quicker
• Separation is KEY!

Rotational Concepts

• Glorified stand throw
  • Get here and it will go far
• If you can’t stand throw well what are the chances your spin will help it?

Wheel

• Tuck
  • Squeeze knees with loaded right leg, keeping weight on right
  • Knees should try to touch, left ankle height of mid-calf
• Reach
  • Left foot reaches for stand throw position of left foot while right foot turns to 9 o’clock.
• Stand Throw Position & Finish

Drive Phase

• Creating a linear & vertical component to the throw
• Learn to take upper body out of the throw
• Learn how to generate power from static positions
• Begin to feel what it is like to gain torque and separation

Step-Ins

• From back of ring
• Step-In to wheel position
• Eccentric load of Right Leg (acts as pivot)
• Complete wheel
  • Tuck, Reach, Finish with stand throw
• Teaches athlete to handle mimicry of entry
• Can be done as Non-Reverse or Reverse

Push Off/South African

• Starting at back of ring similar to Step-In
• Static and Dynamic
• Static – No extra energy added
• Dynamic – Energy from longer wind

Full Turn

• Stance- Slightly wider than hips
• Shift 70% of weight to left leg
• Pivot left foot closed as shot put winds back
• Shoulders and hips level
• L arm loose and relaxed
• Push off R ft to assist with L ft pivot
• Kick R ft out (wide) in a low sweep
• L ft pivots to 11 o’clock w/ L arm inside L knee
• L leg extends as R leg continues an arcing sweep(low to high)
• Left arm, shoulder, upper body, and eyes face the throw (sector)
• Right leg lands in wheel position, tuck, reach, finish
• Can be completed as Non-Reverse or Reverse

Full Turn Drills

• Entry drills
  • Train left leg balance and timing of entry from Full throw into South African
  • 90, 180, 270, 360 drills
  • Teach left leg and foot as stationary pivot, and right leg and foot like pushing a skateboard. Only the right foot and knee move to accelerate the athlete’s entry.
  • Complete with winds and no winds

Line Drills

• Float, float, sting - Focus on continuity, tempo, and float phase
• Static South African
• Step-Ins
• Dynamic South Africans

Other Drills

• Wall Drills
  • Wall Catch – find center and lead with right hip, wide right
  • Wheel Wall drill– Complete wheel into wall. Allow left foot to hit wall where middle of sector would be. Trains left arm, tight tuck, and balanced right leg into center allowing right hip ahead.
  • Static South African Wall drill – do same wall drill, focusing on right foot landing in center 6 inches from wall.
  • Dynamic South African Wall drill
  • Full Rotation wall drill
  • Pivot-Lift– allow right foot open to hit wall first, lifting as approach wall, right goes low to high
• Stop-Check – Full throw – Stop and check positioning in power position

Med Ball Throws

• Medicine Ball Throws
  • Best used with stand throws
  • Teaches firing progression of feet, hips, torso, left arm, right side
  • Main focus is to initiate and train muscle memory in hips