Posted: 04/3/10 at 6:13pm | IP Logged

Dave,

I PROMISE the field at the Thistle is about as flat as you are going to find.  Looking at the roster you are in some excellent company, and those guys will be able to offer you some advice.

Breaking it down for what I do (and I'll watch your film when I get home)  Throw light hammers at a tire at 80 feet until making 80 is effortless.  Seriously, practice winds, heel-toe and knee drive, and good releases and just drop that hammer into a tire or bucket or something at 80 feet.  If your form is bad at 80 it will be worse at 100 when you really try to get all crunk.

Drills drills drills.  I used to go entire practices without releasing it...make sure you are hitting your low spots and driving the hammer head with each wind...otherwise you are just wasting your time with the extra spins.  Once you get to where you can hit those points on the ground (figuratively of course) and make 80 feet all the time, move the tire or bucket to 90 feet.  Now you can start to pull the hammer on the downswing.

As far as tracking your throws is concerned, don't worry too much about it.  In this sport, consistency counts, and sure, you may drop one 115' and then on the next go 90'...so are you a 110'er or a 90'er?  Who cares?!?!  Fundamentals over and over and over.  And over.  In your region, 90 to 105 feet will keep you in most A Games.  Might not win it, but it will keep you in the hunt.  There are just enough raw athletes in the area to keep it interesting, but 90-105 will do.

With an hour or an hour and a half you can drop 20-30 good light hammers.  Nice and consistent.  Put the HH in the garage and leave it there!!!

Posted: 05/3/10 at 8:25am | IP Logged

Huh...no heavy hammer?  Should I only put it in occasionally?  I find that the difference in weight REALLY impacts my form.  I'd love to just focus on the light weights in practice... would do my ego good. 

But then I have read that idea a couple times on the board...LWFD for practice and HWFD at comp and now your idea about hammers.

U'r right that with just one hammer I'd get more throws in, probably upwards of that 20 number.  Hmmm

Posted: 06/3/10 at 7:37am | IP Logged

I don't think there is a right answer.  I asked Bruce Aiken, probably the best hammer throw of all time, about throwing the heavy hammer and he said he didn't own one.  But I know that when I was throwing the hammer at my best I threw both hammers, a lot.  I think the heavy forces you to hit proper positions b/c if not it won't accelerate.  I know Big Paul prefered the heavy.  I think you need to throw the light more often b/c in the end, you want your heavy to move like your light, not vice versa. 

You need to figure out what works for you!!!

Posted: 09/3/10 at 7:51am | IP Logged

Silverback wrote: Have you ever considered it is not you?  I threw away my first hammer as it would not fly far.

AH!!!  I knew it.  Couldn't be me, my hammer is not aerodynamic.  Dang!

Posted: 09/3/10 at 7:55am | IP Logged

back to the top.  Glad I saw this.  Today I am making my first hammer, and I will only make a light one #16.

How long do you wait between throws when training?

Posted: 09/3/10 at 8:24am | IP Logged

I throw 'close' to what I would in a games.  I wait close to 2 minutes between throws.  But I am moving and stretching and working the form and shagging my own hammers in there.

No need to make it an aerobic workout as you don't throw that way.  (At least those are my thoughts and I have only thrown for three years now...this year my 4th.)