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Tue Oct 03, 2006 3:35 am

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Senior Masters Athlete
Joined: Sun Oct 01, 2006 11:13 am
Posts: 13
Location: Huntsville, Al

First time poster so I hope this comes out ok.
Came back to throwing this year after many years away (m50-54). I taped my self throwing the disc and my throwing arm is always even with my body when I start into the first turn and throughout the spin. When I try to hold it back and up I can feel a real tightness in my delt and I'm really limited on how high I can get it up.
1. What is the best exercise for flexibility and to practice keeping the disc back?
2. How high should you try to keep the disc up behind you?

P.S. If anyone even thinks about mentioning the "skin the cat" move a javelin thrower tried to get me to try, forget it.



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Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:37 am

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Location: Chico, CA

While flexibility exercises may help, your problem most likely stems from technique. You are probably (99 percent sure) not turning your right foot in the center of the circle enough, so you end up throwing with your arm and the discus stays even with your feet.

To keep the discus back, you have to hold the "X" position out of the back. This involves turning at the waist clockwise but drive your hips around counterclockwise. Feel a stretch across your chest during the entire throw. Hold the X until the last possible moment, turn your feet vigorously, and only then throw with your arm. This will keep your arm back and result in an incredible stretch-recoil. Flexibility will not help unless you can hit the proper position. You will develop flexbility doing the motion. After that, hold a fence or post and try to mimimic the throw. This will develop strength and flexibility.

As for the height of the discus during the throw: This depends on your style. John Powell and Al Oerter carried the discus low on their hip and relied on the right foot pivot in the middle of the circle to bring the discus to shoulder level. John pendulated the discus upward and used it to create rotational velocity. In the European style, athletes hold the discus high and level and use the stretch created across their chests. You have to play with this and see what works best for you.

The most important thing is to turn your feet— in the back and in the middle of the circle. Learn to do this and you can throw far with no improvement in fitness. Improve fitness, flexibility, and technique and you will throw even further.

Tom Fahey

Tom Fahey



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Tue Oct 03, 2006 12:01 pm

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Master Masters Athlete
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:11 pm
Posts: 76
Location: Peekskill, NY

I think I need a little more explaination on this position. This is an X looking down from above? Dan John writes about this as well and I'm not sure I got it-I always think of the lower body racing ahead of the upper through relaxation of the upper but this seems more like an more intentional holding back-
I think I also have a problem with keeping the feet moving. What I find some of the time is that somehow I jam the right leg (right hander) and that blocks the throw rather than the left. The discus can go pretty far this way but often out of the sector on the right or into the cage.
Even though this isn't correct it seems like a more potent block than the one I get from my left leg. I just tend to spin over the left and I don't think I get as much as I should out of it.



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Wed Oct 04, 2006 9:29 am

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Master Masters Athlete
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Location: Chico, CA

You are holding the upper body back, but you have to be relaxed when you do it. This seems like a contradiction but you can do it with a lot of practice.

When you hit the center of the circle, make a conscious effort to reestablish the X as you make the turn.

The transition from back to front is easier if you accentuate the turn on your left foot out of the back. Try to keep your right foot close to the ground as you drive out of the back. This will also help keep your hips in front and speed the transition.

If it were easy, they would call the event the shot-put (just kidding)

Tom Fahey M59



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Thu Apr 12, 2007 11:56 am

 
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Junior Masters Athlete
Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2007 6:34 am
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Location: Chesapeake Bay, formerly Arizona

Is there any type of drawing or photo, or whatever, that shows the correct placement of the feet during the throw. Like a shot from overhead, maybe.Thanx

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Tue Apr 17, 2007 6:55 pm

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Master Masters Athlete
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 2:01 pm
Posts: 250
Location: Chico, CA

See this website for free throwing films:

www.macthrowvideo.com

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Thomas Fahey
Dept Kinesiology
California State University, Chico
Chico, CA 95929-0330
discusdoc@aol.com



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