After your athletes have a very basic insight of the issue mechanics, you want them to grasp the significance of the feet and hips in the throw. In order to do this, move on to a power throw progression with three phases.
In the first phase, called hip pops, the thrower stands with both feet, the shoulders and the hips all facing the direction of the throw.
The thrower winds up slightly. As the disc goes back, the left arm comes up to allege 180 degree separation. The thrower will then push the throwing hip (right hip for right handed thrower) into the direction of the throw and allow the disc to sling nearby the left side and be thrown in a right line. The athlete should feel the left side block as well as the weight shift from the right to left side.
Things you should be looking for as a coach are:
- the athlete is foremost with the hip
- good posture is maintained
- head and chest are up
- long level arm activity
- left side block
- index finger pointing at the flying disc
- a tall finish.
After 4-6 repetitions of the hip-pop drill, move to phase 2. The thrower will set up exactly as the former drill. The only disagreement is going to be that now the athlete steps back approximately 2 feet with the right foot as he winds the discus back. This creates a more dynamic position to throw from, allowing for more hip rotation and prolongation into the direction of the throw. As a coach, you are looking for the same things as the former drill, with more aggressive hip activity while holding both feet on the ground in a heel-toe relationship.
Now it is time to strengthen to phase 3, which is the actual power throw. The athlete should now turn her feet perpendicular to the direction of throw, with the power foot being the back foot. Once again, as the athlete winds the discus back, she should step back approximately 2 feet with her power foot.
As soon as the power foot (right foot) comes into experience with the ground, the athlete should turn aggressively on the surface of the ball of the foot, until the foot is fully turned to the direction of the throw. This foot drive is followed by the knee and hip with the upper body and throwing arm arrival nearby last.
It is crucial that the athlete understand that in order to turn the foot wholly in the direction of the throw while holding the shoulders back, the thrower must keep the majority of his weight on the surface of the power foot until it has turned as far as possible.
As the athlete winds up, you should see a right axis of rotation from the crown of the head to the blocking heel. The athlete should not be bent at the waist or have too much bend in the front knee.
This axis/posture is highly foremost to faultless an efficient movement. The athlete will then aggressively turn the right foot and knee into the direction of the throw, turning the hips in the process. As the upper body unwinds, both arms should remain long and perpendicular to the body, maintaining 180 degree association until the blocking phase. When the toes, knees, hips and chest have reached the direction of the throw (180 degrees), then it is time to block the left side. The left hand should be at approximately 200 degrees, at which point the athlete should visualize a pole is firmly cemented there for them to grab onto with the left hand. This should stop the rotation of the left side, creating a strong axis for the implement to be thrown around.
This power throw progression is principal for beginners, and is also a good warm-up for athletes of all levels. It reinforces the basic fundamentals of the power position, while preparing the body for more explosive movements.
In the next post I will cover the entry more in-depth
Discus Power Throw Progressiontomahawk throw Video Clips. Duration : 3.00 Mins.
