Topic – Shot Put: Glide Style
Preparatory
All weight on dominant leg (leg of the arm you are throwing with)
Start on ball of foot so all the force and power is on the quadriceps
Shot is on neck, held hovering over palm, on the fingers and inside knuckles
Dominant elbow always held high and up
Non dominant arm is used for balance
Torso is parallel to ground (bent over)
Back flat
Toes of dominant foot facing back of circle
Non dominant foot toes down facing the back of the circle
Execution
Non dominant leg brought up towards dominant knee and then kicked to forward part of circle very forcefully
At the same time you drive off the dominant leg
Torso still parallel to floor
Shot still held on neck and elbow is still high and held out
Non dominant arm facing floor and dangling down
Land on ball of dominant foot
Non dominant foot toes down facing back of circle
Jerk dominant leg forward to front of circle while moving hips in same direction, the body actually leaves the ground (jump)
The jump is a backwards jump, there is no twisting of the body once it has left the ground until both feet are back on the ground
After you land from the jump you are still with your back to the front of the circle
Non dominant toes straight and turning toward front of circle
Upper body comes up
Release shot from neck pushing with your 4 fingers in an upward and out motion
After the release the weight of the dominant leg lands on ball of foot towards the front of the circle
Follow Through
During the release the body is in a fast turning / twisting motion that follows through to the follow through
During the follow through it is important to spread your arms wide in order to catch your balance (this is like a parachuting effect and will allow you to stay on your feet)
The Head
- As you put the weight on your neck between your head and your chin, your head must stay steady and doesn’t move much if at all.
The Torso
- As you hold the weight at your neck your torso rotates downward so it can rotate back to normal for power.
- As you throw the weight your torso rotates fully to the other side because of all the force
The Lower Body
- Standing there getting ready to throw, you keep both of your knees bent. The back leg stays a little more bent than the from one because as you come back your lowering your body and using the back leg for more force
- As you throw the follow through of your legs will bring them around so your body almost turns around and you will be having your back to the field.
5 Teaching Cues
1) All weight on dominant leg
2) Dominant elbow always help up and high!!
3) Back and torso parallel to ground
4) Drive on dominant leg
5) Release shot from neck pushing up and out with fingers – like you are trying to get something away from your face
2 Lead Ups – Modified Game Activities
1) High School – Medicine Ball Drills – Start with ball on hip opposite of the throw/delivery side. Start transferring weight from backside to delivery side by turning back foot, while twisting body’s core. Finish by throwing/delivering ball at shoulder height with your weight balanced over delivery side. This throw can also begin at the shoulder height instead of at the hip.
Another Drill for High School – Have the students stand at the front of the circle with their body in a half turn so that they are no directly facing the front of the circle. Let them have an actual shot in their hands. Have the students practice the final twist and throw of the actual glide style. Have them do this for repetitions. This will help them with the distance they can throw the shot.
2) Middle School – Throw vs. Air – Showing proper technique. You don’t have to worry about how far the shot goes. The young throwers are not embarrassed and are able to work on improving technique. You can use a towel balled up and throw it. It is safe and everyone can throw at the same time safely. You get a lot of throws in a short period of time to keep students interested. With a towel you can be sure that the weight of the object being thrown isn’t too heavy, so the students can to multiple repetitions.
Another Drill for Middle School – have the students stand with their back’s to the front of the circle. Give them a light weight ball that is about the size of an actual shot. Have them practice the technique of actually jumping backward, landing, twisting on the ball of their foot and finally throwing the shot. While they do this stress the fact that they stay low on the jump and the twist and at the last possible second their body extends to a more standing position. Also stress that they keep the shot on their neck with their elbows raised in the air to keep the shot in place. Have the students do this for multiple repetitions and have them actually throw the shot. Observe and give feedback to the students on their technique.
Resources
1) Ryan, Frank (1993) Shot-Put, (New York), Viking press.
2) Lasora, Rob. 2008, NTCA Throws Handbook (2008) Partners Publishing Group.
3) Glide Shot Put Coaches can Coach the Rotational Technique on the Shot Put. (n.d.) Retrieved February 10, 2009. http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/
Preparatory
All weight on dominant leg (leg of the arm you are throwing with)
Start on ball of foot so all the force and power is on the quadriceps
Shot is on neck, held hovering over palm, on the fingers and inside knuckles
Dominant elbow always held high and up
Non dominant arm is used for balance
Torso is parallel to ground (bent over)
Back flat
Toes of dominant foot facing back of circle
Non dominant foot toes down facing the back of the circle
Execution
Non dominant leg brought up towards dominant knee and then kicked to forward part of circle very forcefully
At the same time you drive off the dominant leg
Torso still parallel to floor
Shot still held on neck and elbow is still high and held out
Non dominant arm facing floor and dangling down
Land on ball of dominant foot
Non dominant foot toes down facing back of circle
Jerk dominant leg forward to front of circle while moving hips in same direction, the body actually leaves the ground (jump)
The jump is a backwards jump, there is no twisting of the body once it has left the ground until both feet are back on the ground
After you land from the jump you are still with your back to the front of the circle
Non dominant toes straight and turning toward front of circle
Upper body comes up
Release shot from neck pushing with your 4 fingers in an upward and out motion
After the release the weight of the dominant leg lands on ball of foot towards the front of the circle
Follow Through
During the release the body is in a fast turning / twisting motion that follows through to the follow through
During the follow through it is important to spread your arms wide in order to catch your balance (this is like a parachuting effect and will allow you to stay on your feet)
The Head
- As you put the weight on your neck between your head and your chin, your head must stay steady and doesn’t move much if at all.
The Torso
- As you hold the weight at your neck your torso rotates downward so it can rotate back to normal for power.
- As you throw the weight your torso rotates fully to the other side because of all the force
The Lower Body
- Standing there getting ready to throw, you keep both of your knees bent. The back leg stays a little more bent than the from one because as you come back your lowering your body and using the back leg for more force
- As you throw the follow through of your legs will bring them around so your body almost turns around and you will be having your back to the field.
5 Teaching Cues
1) All weight on dominant leg
2) Dominant elbow always help up and high!!
3) Back and torso parallel to ground
4) Drive on dominant leg
5) Release shot from neck pushing up and out with fingers – like you are trying to get something away from your face
2 Lead Ups – Modified Game Activities
1) High School – Medicine Ball Drills – Start with ball on hip opposite of the throw/delivery side. Start transferring weight from backside to delivery side by turning back foot, while twisting body’s core. Finish by throwing/delivering ball at shoulder height with your weight balanced over delivery side. This throw can also begin at the shoulder height instead of at the hip.
Another Drill for High School – Have the students stand at the front of the circle with their body in a half turn so that they are no directly facing the front of the circle. Let them have an actual shot in their hands. Have the students practice the final twist and throw of the actual glide style. Have them do this for repetitions. This will help them with the distance they can throw the shot.
2) Middle School – Throw vs. Air – Showing proper technique. You don’t have to worry about how far the shot goes. The young throwers are not embarrassed and are able to work on improving technique. You can use a towel balled up and throw it. It is safe and everyone can throw at the same time safely. You get a lot of throws in a short period of time to keep students interested. With a towel you can be sure that the weight of the object being thrown isn’t too heavy, so the students can to multiple repetitions.
Another Drill for Middle School – have the students stand with their back’s to the front of the circle. Give them a light weight ball that is about the size of an actual shot. Have them practice the technique of actually jumping backward, landing, twisting on the ball of their foot and finally throwing the shot. While they do this stress the fact that they stay low on the jump and the twist and at the last possible second their body extends to a more standing position. Also stress that they keep the shot on their neck with their elbows raised in the air to keep the shot in place. Have the students do this for multiple repetitions and have them actually throw the shot. Observe and give feedback to the students on their technique.
Resources
1) Ryan, Frank (1993) Shot-Put, (New York), Viking press.
2) Lasora, Rob. 2008, NTCA Throws Handbook (2008) Partners Publishing Group.
3) Glide Shot Put Coaches can Coach the Rotational Technique on the Shot Put. (n.d.) Retrieved February 10, 2009. http://www.everythingtrackandfield.com/
