Shot Put
Written
by Kent and Ramona Pagel
With contributions by Jay Silvester
The concept of throwing a heavy, nondescript object such as a rock held no allure for the aestheticminded
Greeks of the ancient Olympic era, who preferred the elegant lines of the discus and javelin-like throwing events. The organized
forebears of the modern day shot-putter were from the Scottish Highlands, where an attraction to ascetic brute force
outweighed the desire for the flowing lines and artistic movements found in the Greek athletic ideals. If athletics measures
the limits of various forms of human performance, what could be more basic than the simple competition of who can toss a heavy
object, such as a stone, the farthest? Its aesthetic value may always be questioned, but the sheer force and physical explosiveness
necessary to propel a heavy object within a short space has produced a fascination that has lasted and increased into the
modern Olympic era. The shot put is now the most frequently contested Olympic throwing event.
The
Scottish "stone," weighing in at 18 pounds or 8.2 kilograms, is the forefather of the modern Olympic shot.
Records of athletic competition with various forms of the stone may be found as far back as the 15th century in Scotland
and England, and forms of competition using stones can be found on the European continent as early as the 17th century. It
is not surprising then that the shot put was included in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens, along with the
more commonly accepted ancient Olympic Greek throwing events. Throughout the history of the modern Olympics, the Americans
have written the majority of the chronicle in the shot put for men. For women, who entered the event in 1948, shot-putting
at elite levels has been strictly a European affair; most contestants have been from formerly communist states, particularly
Germany and Russia.
Two primary classifications of shot put techniques are used today: the glide,
developed by Parry O'Brien, and the spin, developed by many but made famous by Aleksandr Baryshnikov and Brian Oldfield.
Other techniques, which may be described as partial movements, have merit as either drills or competitive movements.
Normally, only novice athletes would use these movements in competition, but they are frequently part of the training
regimen of the more skilled shot-putters. All throws and movements discussed in this chapter are described for a right-handed
thrower.
Glide
Technique
Parry O'Brien developed the glide technique that is now used worldwide. Most throwers would agree that gliding is less technically
complex than spinning. The world record in shot putting is 75 feet, 10 1/2 inches (23.13 meters) held by Randy Barnes, a spinner.
The women's world record is 74 feet, 2 inches held by Natayla Lisovskaya of Russia, also a glider. The longest throw by a
glider is that of Ulf Timmerman of then East Germany at 75 feet, 10 1/4 inches (23.12 meters). The longest throw in an officiated
competition is 81 feet, 3 inches (24.77 meters) with a 12-pound shot (5A-kilogram) accomplished by Michael Carter---a glider---when
he was in high school. It is common to think that tall, strong throwers might be better gliders and the shorter, powerfully
built persons might best use the spin.
Grip and Arm Position
Holding the shot is not as complicated as many individuals
would like to make it. A simple way to start is to hold the implement in your non throwing hand (your left hand if you are
right-handed). Hold the fingers of your dominant hand together loosely with your thumb extended out from your fingers. Gently
slap the shot with your dominant hand and tip the shot up into your hand (figure 3.1a). The weight of the shot should rest
along the ridge of your hand between your fingers and your palm.
The placement of the shot on your
neck is mostly at your discretion; choose a position based on comfort. However, your thumb should be down and you should push
the shot firmly into your neck (figure 3.1 b). Your elbow should be in a position from which it can rotate back behind the
shot sometime before delivery.
Learning the Standing Throw
The standing throw from a power position is very important when learning the shot put. Knowing how to make a proper
standing throw will contribute a great deal to your success when moving on to the glide or spin technique.
A system of reference is crucial when discussing foot and body positions in the circle. We have found the clock system (figure
3.2) to be very helpful and will use it throughout this chapter.
Power Position
Stand in a shot circle with your feet parallel and shoulder-width apart. About 60 percent of your body weight should
be over your right foot and 40 percent should be over your left foot. Place your right foot near the center of the circle
facing toward 9 o'clock, with your left foot closer to the toe board (figure 3.3a).
Hold the shot
at your neck with your thumb down and your four fingers pressing the shot into your neck. Rotate your shoulders to the rear
of the ring so that there is a relatively straight line from your head to your left foot at the front of the ring, as shown
in figure 3.3a. Your left arm should be loose and away from your body to the side. This is the completed power position. This
basic power position for delivery of the shot is similar, independent of the style of implementation, spin or glide, and a
standing throw should indicate that.
Delivery
To "unwind" and lift out of this position, your initial movement comes from your
right foot. Push your heel out and rotate your knee in the direction of the throw to start the unwinding of your somewhat
torqued and flexed body (figure 3.3b). This forceful unwinding, lifting, and driving somewhat forward of your torqued body
advances up the centerline of your body through your hips, chest, shoulders, and finally to your arm, wrist, and hand, at
which time the implement receives the culmination of these rotational, linear, and vertical forces. Your post or blocking
left leg at the toe board should give only slightly to the load while you shift the forces to the linear and vertical direction.
The blocking side leg resists the rotation so that all forces transfer into the implement, propelling the shot up over your
left side through the delivery (figure 3.3c).
Your right leg pushes your hip plane around and forward toward your left leg, leading the shoulder plane and shot. Because
your body has been maximally torqued and flexed before initiating delivery, your left arm begins to sweep out away from
your body at essentially the same time your right knee begins rotating. When your left arm reaches a parallel plane with your
chest, it rotates with the chest, almost as if you were opening a door with your left arm before moving through it (see figure
3.3b). When your shoulders reach the position facing the direction of delivery, your left arm stops or blocks further rotation
of the shoulder plane. To envision this movement, imagine a pole coming up the left side of the toe board; your left hand
grabs the pole and holds the left side of your upper body in a solid position while you deliver the shot (figure 3.4). Your
head rotates back and locks in place during delivery, again transferring momentum into the implement. Your legs finish their
lift and rotation up into the body as the shot is delivered.
Follow-Through
Two different
finishes may be used for the standing throw: the nonreversing finish, which may be used with a balance step through, and the
reversing finish. When finishing with a nonreverse, you may keep both feet in place if you have learned the balance required
for this technique (figure 3.5a), or you may switch or reverse your feet well after the shot is delivered with your right
foot traveling to the toe board and your left leg sweeping up and back for balance. This is known as a nonreverse or late
reverse standing throw. The reversing finish involves an aggressive jumping action with both legs driving up into the throw.
The shot is delivered as a result of your right side driving forward, up and around into the lifting, blocking left side,
where the summation of forces is directed into the implement. Your right foot comes down near the toe board with your left
leg reaching up and back toward the center of the ring for balance (figure 3.5b).
Starting
Stance: Full Glide
The concept of the "full" glide is to move quickly and efficiently
over the 7-foot (2.135 meter) distance of the shot ring to develop greater momentum than is possible with a standing throw,
thereby applying much greater force to the shot and "putting" it much farther (see chapter 1). Begin the glide by
facing away from the direction of the throw. Stand with your body weight over your right leg/foot at the back of the circle,
with your foot facing 12 o'clock, or away from the landing area (see figure 3.6). You may stand vertically or bend at the
hips. We recommend a bent-over or flexed-hip starting position, because by flexing at the hip the thrower lowers the center
of gravity, thus becoming more stable or better balanced as the throw begins. Your left arm should hang down, and your left
leg should be bent with your toe touching the surface of the circle.
Drive to
the Center of the Circle
The O'Brien glide style shot-putting technique requires the ability to use a single-leg support
while maintaining balance and driving backward toward 6 o'clock. Four forces are being applied during the drive out of the
back of the ring:
1. Unseating
2. Shoulder lift
3. Right leg drive
4. Left leg drive
For maximum momentum development and transfer to the shot, these movements must be made in a rhythmic, coordinated sequence.
Unseating is the term used in shot-putting to describe moving the body's line of gravity beyond its
base of support, the basis of all translation (moving the body from one place to another) of the body on earth. With your
body in the bent-over starting position, initiate the rhythm of the movement by lifting your left leg up and then down and
bending it while moving it somewhat forward toward your right leg (figure 3.7a). Just before your left leg reaches a
full forward position (almost parallel with your right leg), begin the unseating process.
Unseating
is the process of shifting your center of mass from a balanced position over your right foot (base of support) at the back
of the ring (12 o'clock) to a moving position behind your right foot by causing your hips to slide or sit to the rear. You
should feel somewhat of a "sitting" sensation toward the direction of the throw as you begin the glide. The greater
the distance behind the heel of the right foot this line of gravity is forced or allowed to shift, the faster you must move
to avoid falling on your rear. Too much shift of the line of gravity and you will fall; too little and you will not develop
maximum momentum. Many trials of this movement are required to determine the proper speed of movement to enable a successful
throw with maximum force development. As you shift the line of gravity rearward from the front of your foot, move your hips
down and to the rear and lift your shoulders slightly to allow your right leg to drive your body quickly to the center of
the ring. In a move timed carefully with the right leg thrust, kick your left leg strongly toward the toe board (figure 3.7b),
producing momentarily the appearance that you are doing the splits with your legs. This rearward kick, if timed properly,
adds momentum to the throw, keeps your hips ahead of your upper body, and ensures that your feet will arrive simultaneously
at the power position.
Landing at Midthrow in the Power Position
As your right foot is in the air moving from the start position to the power position, rotate it in the direction
of the throw as much as you can, 90 degrees or 9 o'clock if possible. Upon landing there should be a relatively straight line
from your head through your torso to your left foot at the toe board. A majority of your body weight, 60 to 70 percent, should
be over your right foot in the center of the ring upon landing. From this point the technique follows the power position execution
described in the discussion of the standing throw, ensuring that as soon as your foot hits the middle of the ring, you can
initiate the rotation.
Delivery
The delivery of the shot is, according to the name of the event,
a "put" rather than a throw. In a throw the elbow usually leads the wrist and hand into the delivery, whereas in
a put the wrist and hand are always ahead of the elbow throughout the delivery. The rules of shot-putting also state that
the implement must be above the shoulder plane and in close proximity to the neck when the delivery is initiated, which would
make a throwing delivery difficult as well as illegal. The actual release of the shot should occur with the thumb pointing
down and the wrist flexing in a snap with an inside-out movement (figure 3.8).
The lifting
and release angle of the shot result from good body mechanics that include the lift from the legs and hips; upper-body torque
and hip flexion; and shoulder, arm, and hand projection angle. The force produced by the entire body aids in the correct
delivery of the shot. The upper body, particularly the chest, throwing arm, hand, and fingers, must be powerful enough to
handle the force that the whole body delivers into the implement through the release. The upper-body delivery should simply
follow the path through the put that the preceding movements and forces have set up.
Follow-Through
The follow-through for the glide can be extremely varied
depending on the athlete and the type of glider he or she is. The two major forms of finish and follow-through for the glide
are the nonreverse and the full reverse. The nonreversing finish is often simply that. The forces built up through the glide
across the circle meet against a firmly placed left side, and the shot is delivered as a result of a braced or blocked left
leg, shoulder, and arm. A small step through may follow for balance, but the feet, particularly the left foot, remain in contact
with the ground well after the shot has been released (see figure 3.5a). A good image for the nonreversing glide is to imagine
the body as a door with the hinges on the left side. When the shot is delivered, the right side of the door slams against
the frame, which is hinged at the left side of the frame, and the power is transferred to the shot.
The active reverse uses an active left side to transfer the momentum built up during the glide into the delivery. A natural
reverse occurs as a result of a powerful drive up with the left leg as the shot is delivered, so much that a jumping action,
sometimes quite high off the ground, occurs. The remaining rotation takes the right side into the toe board as the upper body
extends into the throwing direction and the left leg sweeps up and back into the circle for balance (see figure 3.5b). A landing
on the heel of the right foot at the toe board is preferred for balance as levers continue to extend and energy not transferred
into the shot dissipates. The reverse is also a result of a powerful right side rotation into a lifting left side.
FROM: COMPLETE BOOK OF THROWS, Jay Silvester Editor--Chapter 3
