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I use the glide to throw the shot. I have been infrequently called for moving the shot away from the neck or rather for not throwing from the neck. I do not move the shot but my neck and chin move away from the shot to face the throwing direction. There is a gap of about 4 inches between the neck and the shot when I move but the chin touches the shot when I start my movement.

I read the rules and can't find anything to back up what they say to me. Any comments?

J.P. Mayer

JP, what the rule says is that the shot must remain 'in close proximity' to the neck. That is open to interpretation and 4" sounds right on the boundary depending on who the official is making the call. If I see it happening during warm ups I'll usually warn an athlete that if they let it get that far out in competition I'm probably going to call a foul. Most athletes manage to keep it a lot closer after the warning.

How does your elbow feel after you throw? The further away from your neck you let the shot move while you are gliding prior to release, the more strain and pressure on your elbow joint, and even if maybe you are using a 3k or 4k shot, which is why you haven't complained of elbow pain, your distance won't be as effective.

The fact that you're able to pull your head and neck away from the shot, tells me you are probably not placing and tucking the shot properly into your neck. The shot can be tucked into the neck at various spots. Some gliders like the shot placed and tucked under the jaw, just outside of their adams apple. Some tuck the shot more to the side of the neck, under the jawbone close to the ear lobe. Anywhere in between those two points is fine. Either location you like, you still must tuck the shot into your neck with the elbow out. The arm (wrist to elbow) should be close to parallel with the ground from the standing position out of the back before you bend down to drive across the ring. Sometime it helps to think your pointing your elbow just below the horizon where the sky meets the earth. Do not hold the shot with the arm alignment (wrist to elbow) pointing up and down, from the sky, to the ground. I call that poor placement the "Waiter", because it tends to look like how a waiter would hold a restaurant tray. Always remember it's called the Shot put. The "put" means to push or shove... not throw. I always tell athletes that they're pressing the shot out, similar as you would press a bar in the bench press, or do a push-up, with your elbow aligned behind your wrist, to push the shot out explosively, not throw it. Hope that helped and good luck!