Free Take off in throwing events

As a decathlete´s coach, I used to fix the technique of all events. When took the main parts of each event I try to find the main commune components. This work helps decathlon´s coach to design a technical approach for the multi-events athlete.

Usually, multi-events coach takes commune components for event groups (throw, jumps, races). But I treat to go further and take elements commune in events of different groups.

Some years ago, a former discus thrower, David Martinez (pb: 65,54), talk about this idea in a forum about throwing technique in Madrid (Spain). The idea, proposed by Martinez, talk about the legs action in the final phase of the discus throw. Martinez shows a picture (similar to fig.1) where the legs of the thrower move as a pole vaulter jumping (right leg) and a pole bending (left leg).

Following  this (right leg as pole vaulter, and left as pole) I propose a transfer to throws of another jump´s technical model. Refer to Vitaly Petrov´s model of “Free take off” also called pre-jump for others pole coaches. This model consist mainly in perform the jump BEFORE the pole hit the vault pit.

Transferring this concept to throwing universe, we were talking about begin the final phase a whistle before the left leg touch the floor (and hit the board in the case of shot put). Some throwers coaches teach to wait for the landing of the left toe, but, as we can see in slo-mo images, the best throwers begin to move their right leg and hip earlier than the left touch-down.

In the throwing case it´s a bit harder, it´s harder because you must do all this things with your legs (push the block leg as pole with the other leg) without move the upper side, trying to keep the ball (or the javelin, discus or hammer) as far as you can till your “pole” (block leg) hit the board.