Learning Shot Put Technique

Article by Gudrun and Losch (”The Thrower” editor Max Jones)

There are several ways to approach teaching the shot put technique to young beginners. The following article outlines the part-whole method for the glide technique as it was recommended in the former Germany Democratic Republic.

INTRODUCTION

A well planned development of shot put technique should include multifaceted throwing exercises in which emphasis is based on the delivery action that stresses a full extension of the whole body. The development plan should naturally take into consideration adjustments required to balance the development of technique with improvements in physical ability. This means that the joint angles in characteristic positions are gradually changed and the path of the shot extended to correspond to the physical development.
Because of the considerable differences of single movements and positions the development of shot put technique is best approached by using the part- whole method. It is usually divided into four stages:

1. The development of the extension-delivery action.
2. The learning of the standing put.
3. The learning of the gliding movement.
4. The learning and development of the total shot put action.

EXTENSION-DELIVERY MOVEMENT

The task: coordinative preparation, development of general throwing capacity, learning of the whole body extension combined with the delivery action.
Preliminary exercises in this stage include medicine ball relays (Fig. 1), medicine ball puts from different positions forward-upward, medicine ball throws forward over the head, backward over the head and from between the legs forward- upward. Emphasis in all these exercises is placed on the extension of the whole body that starts from the legs. It is particularly important to observe leg extension in all backward throws.
xx

Figure 1: Medicine ball relay.
Basic exercises that follow the preliminary drills are composed of frontal puts with both hands and single-handed from various positions and using different weight implements, upward-forward puts from a stride position and from a slight knee bend, single- and double-handed puts from sitting and kneeling positions, puts for higher targets, etc.
All single-handed throws are performed alter nately with the right and left hand. Competitions can be introduced in the formats of aiming for accuracy or attempting to reach target zones. For safety it is important that only medicine balls are used for partner relays (Fig. 1).
Emphasis in the standing put is based on a technically correct stance with the centre of gravity over the right leg (knee angle about 12°, hip angle approximately 900), the start of the delivery action from the right leg, a distinct movement sequence of leg-hip-shoulder-arm, and a delivery with a complete extension of the body with both feet in ground contact. The left side of the body must form a straight line at the start of the delivery.

THE STANDING PUT

The task: establishment of a technically sound delivery movement from an optimal position with gradually changing joint angles (lower hip and knee angles).
Preliminary exercises in this stage include learning to handle the shot (Fig. 2) and the placement of the shot on the neck. This is followed by the introduction of standing medicine ball puts from the correct standing put position. The following must be observed in the correct delivery position:
• a sideways feet astride stance with the left side towards the delivery direction and the body’s centre of gravity over the right leg.
• the trunk rotated 90° to the right.
• a backward lean of the upper body forming a straight line of the body’s left side (Fig. 2).
Basic exercises include imitation deliveries against partner resistance (including resistance against the delivery arm and against the left hip— to avoid a weight shift onto the left leg). Next come standing puts from a correct delivery position, first without and later with preliminary movements, stressing the correct delivery direction and making use of light and heavy implements to stabilize the technique.

Figure 2: Learning to handle the shot.

Emphasis in the standing put is based on a technically correct stance with the centre of gravity over the right leg (knee angle about 12°, hip angle approximately 900), the start of the delivery action from the right leg, a distinct movement sequence of leg-hip-shoulder-arm, and a delivery with a complete extension of the body with both feet in ground contact. The left side of the body must form a straight line at the start of the delivery.

LEARNING THE GLIDE

The task: learning and development of a technically sound gliding movement into an optimal delivery position with a gradually lengthened acceleration path of the shot and increased movement speed.
Preliminary exercises include games and drills with emphasis on the action of the driving and leading legs. Typical examples are backward hops with a partner holding the lead legs, backward glides that finish with a forward push of a medicine ball, backward bounding and double-legged backward hops (Fig. 3 and 4).
Basic exercises that follow aim to establish a deeper starting position, first without preliminary movements and then with preliminary movements. Emphasis is on a distinct temporal separation between the start of the driving and lead leg movements. Imitation exercises include a partner-assisted gliding drill in which the partner holds back the trunk (Fig. 5) and imitation gliding movements with a sandbag.
The following points must be observed in all the exercises:

Figure 3: Partner assisted glide exercises.

Figure 4: Backward bounding exercises.

• An optimal starting position with the centre of gravity over the right leg, the back turned to wards the throwing direction, shoulders parallel and a stable push-off position.
• An active and flat lead leg extension that should not exceed the height of the hips.
• A flat push-off from the support leg over the heel that is followed by a glide and not a hop.
• No changes in the trunk position during the glide.
• A rotation of the foot, knee and hips towards the throwing direction without any changes in the shoulder axis.
• An introduction of preliminary movement in the upright position only after the starting position has properly established.
• Start with a relatively slow gliding action before gradually increasing the speed.

Figure 5 – Partner Assisted Glide

LEARNING THE TOTAL ACTION

The task: joining the part elements mastered in isolation into a complete shot put action with the correct speed structure. Lengthening and improving a straight-line acceleration path through gradually changed joint angles in the main position.
Basic exercises include the following variations:
• Throws with competition-weight implements to establish and stabilize the complete movement structure.
• Throws with lighter implements to improve the speed of the complete movement structure.
• Throws with heavier implements to develop a “feel” for the delivery and to improve speed strength.
• Imitations of the complete movement to stabilize the spacial movement structure.
It is important that a relatively slow movement speed is used first in all basic exercises. The movement speed should be increased only gradually, always stressing acceleration and avoiding jumping-type glides. The delivery movement must take place without a pause after the glide is completed, with both feet in contact with the ground until the legs are fully extended (Fig. 6).

Figure 6: the complete shot put action.

COMMON FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS

• Body weight after preliminary movements not over the right leg at the start of the glide.
Correction: Repetitions of glides from a bent right- leg position without preliminary movements.
• Insufficient lead-leg action at the start of the glide.
Correction: Repetitions of partner-assisted lead-leg drills.
• Jumping-type glide action.
Correction: Repetition glides with stressed ground contact of the support leg. Exercises against partner resistance where the partner pushes against the back to prevent upper body lift.
• Upper body rotates during the glide towards the throwing direction.
Correction: Exercises where a partner holds the hand to prevent forward rotation (Fig. 4).
• Right leg fails to rotate forward during the glide.
Correction: Repetition drills stressing the correct right-leg action.
• Left leg lands too late after the completion of the glide.
Correction: The use of acoustic signals to indicate correct timing. Partner-assisted lead-leg drills,
• Glide too short.
Correction: The use of markers to indicate correct length.
• Insufficient extension of the legs in the delivery action
Correction: Imitation extensions with a sandbag or
a barbell on the shoulders.
• Left side of the body fails to provide a bracing action.
Correction: Partner-resisted trunk rotation drills. Shot puts for height.
• Shot leaves the neck too early in the delivery action.
Correction: Putting of heavy implements. Partner resisted imitation drills.