Technique and Throwing Speed

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   I thought I would share a post from The Ring by "Lomsy".  This post really emphasizes well the priority of technique and the absolute necessity of hitting the right positions over the course of a throw, especially a good "power position", in order to utilize one's power. 
Being able to execute a throw with greater speed is definitely better, but ONLY if and to the extent that the speed and power generated is being transferred to the implement. This is something many have struggled with using the rotational technique in the shot and the stone - one can develop lots of speed, but without very solid technique, the speed is often hard to control, resulting in poor positions and sub-par throws.  
The bottom line is - train to be fast and explosive, but only throw with as much speed as you can handle given your current technique.  A relatively slow moving throw in which you hit an excellent power position and achieve an effective block will almost always be preferable to an extremely fast throw in which you blow past the power position and let your left side collapse at the finish.
As far as the general speed discussion goes, I think speed thing can be a bit of a trap when it comes to actual throwing. 

We all know that good technique produces speed better than anything else. For example, if a coach has a dollar for every time he had to say "slow down out of the back" he wouldn't need to work, he could coach full time. 
And thus we have the great paradox of throwing - going "slow" and deliberate creates the balance, straight lines, the positions and the timing (i.e. the waiting, not the rushing) that creates IMPLEMENT speed at release. 

My big challenge at the moment in both the rotary shot and discus is summed up in a few simple questions 
i) Am I on my left at the back 
ii) Am I on my right in the middle 
iii) Am I going straight and balanced 
iv) Am I 'settling' on my right as the left comes down 
v)Can I initiate the hip to face the throw on my left, then get a little time gap, then release. 

Unfortunately the answer for each throw routinely is no for 4 or 5 of these points. No technique, no balance, no positions = no speed. In one shot throw, going as slow as I possibly could, and I mean SLOW, I got a yes for about three of these questions and the result was a throw about 75cm further than my masters best, and only a metre short of my lifetime best. 

Of course, then came the old "if I threw that far going so slow, how much further am I going to throw going faster!!!!!" I'm sure you know the rest......... 
Maybe a better way to describe these issues could be WAIT e.g. "WAIT until your weight is on the left before you drive into the ring," "WAIT for the hip to initiate the throw before you throw." I'd never really thought about it before but it is probably a better way to describe it. 

I find going slow as a training drill helpful because you can feel your mistakes more clearly - you can get more accurate feedback and you also see some mistakes you might not know existed. It sort of shines a spotlight on your habits, good or bad. I also believe if you can't do it slow, you can't do it fast. (& I can't do it slow!!!) 

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Pingleton Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Postaholic Highland Games' virtually straight legs Joined: 11/28/06 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 2747	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pingleton Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Technique and Throwing Speed Posted: 1/10/08 at 5:02pm
	I thought I would share a post from The Ring by "Lomsy". This post really emphasizes well the priority of technique and the absolute necessity of hitting the right positions over the course of a throw, especially a good "power position", in order to utilize one's power. Being able to execute a throw with greater speed is definitely better, but ONLY if and to the extent that the speed and power generated is being transferred to the implement. This is something many have struggled with using the rotational technique in the shot and the stone - one can develop lots of speed, but without very solid technique, the speed is often hard to control, resulting in poor positions and sub-par throws. The bottom line is - train to be fast and explosive, but only throw with as much speed as you can handle given your current technique. A relatively slow moving throw in which you hit an excellent power position and achieve an effective block will almost always be preferable to an extremely fast throw in which you blow past the power position and let your left side collapse at the finish. As far as the general speed discussion goes, I think speed thing can be a bit of a trap when it comes to actual throwing. We all know that good technique produces speed better than anything else. For example, if a coach has a dollar for every time he had to say "slow down out of the back" he wouldn't need to work, he could coach full time. And thus we have the great paradox of throwing - going "slow" and deliberate creates the balance, straight lines, the positions and the timing (i.e. the waiting, not the rushing) that creates IMPLEMENT speed at release. My big challenge at the moment in both the rotary shot and discus is summed up in a few simple questions i) Am I on my left at the back ii) Am I on my right in the middle iii) Am I going straight and balanced iv) Am I 'settling' on my right as the left comes down v)Can I initiate the hip to face the throw on my left, then get a little time gap, then release. Unfortunately the answer for each throw routinely is no for 4 or 5 of these points. No technique, no balance, no positions = no speed. In one shot throw, going as slow as I possibly could, and I mean SLOW, I got a yes for about three of these questions and the result was a throw about 75cm further than my masters best, and only a metre short of my lifetime best. Of course, then came the old "if I threw that far going so slow, how much further am I going to throw going faster!!!!!" I'm sure you know the rest......... Maybe a better way to describe these issues could be WAIT e.g. "WAIT until your weight is on the left before you drive into the ring," "WAIT for the hip to initiate the throw before you throw." I'd never really thought about it before but it is probably a better way to describe it. I find going slow as a training drill helpful because you can feel your mistakes more clearly - you can get more accurate feedback and you also see some mistakes you might not know existed. It sort of shines a spotlight on your habits, good or bad. I also believe if you can't do it slow, you can't do it fast. (& I can't do it slow!!!)