Re:New Throwers - Teaching Technique? - Throwing Events Discussion

I am reviving this post from a while ago because I have heard many questions related to it recently. Any comments or thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. There are many high school coaches and athletes out there struggling with this question.

I'm struggling with an approach to teaching Shot and Discus technique to new high school throwers. In the past I've always drilled aspects of the throw and taught the throw in small pieces, after they learned those pieces I had them move on to a full throw. I no longer think this is an effective way to teach new throwers (by focusing mostly on technique). I believe that the throwing season is too short in high school and that a thrower just needs to start throwing right away and rely on their athleticism, strength and the ongoing technique you are teaching them (or at least I think this is going to be my new approach). I was thinking now that I would coach some fundamental aspects of the throw and move right into doing full technique throws. By doing this the thrower can take the fundamentals and use their athleticism to help them throw farther right away and we will be working to refine their technique as this is done. I am thinking this is a better way to go because I have seen too often when a kid focuses too much on technique and loses their ability to really compete and throw - the season usually ends up being a dissapointment to them then.

I am curious about the thoughts that are out there on this. I am just planning to teach 1-2 days of technique and then jump right in to practicing full form. If the high school season were longer I would definitely spend more time coaching the 'right' technique up front, I do not think this is very effective though.

If you have any thoughts, criticisms, or suggestions based on your experience I would really like to hear them.

I am stuck with the same questions. How long do I spend on technique vs. getting in to the action of throwing itself. Last outdoor was my first year coaching and I did the technique progression drills and waited like you said to move on. What I got were athletes who were afraid to move on because their distance would suffer on initial trials of the full glide or rotation. I tried to preach patience but it took along time for them to get comfortable with it. This Indoor and now outdoor season I introduce the basics and we work on them but we do the full technique as well. All tell them we are working out the kinks right away and not waiting until may to work them out. If you can video them so they have a visual of what they're doing and then save that video so that they can see their progress I think that helps validate your training in their eyes.
I hope I gave you more answers than questions?

I agree that high schoolers don't get the time they need on technique. The first thing I teach them are the stand throw progressions. That is the only technique I teach them until they either are able to perform it almost perfect without thinking or they actually ask for another part of the throw to learn. In this cause I am able to work with that one individual and at thier comfort level. I too did the technique thing all the time and after my first year this is what I have come up with. Video is always great, the kids I coach see me do it all the time and now they get each other to film them so they can look at it later. Keep in mind girls think too much about the technique so doing what I said above is really important for them, so they only concentrate on one part at a time, the rest will come later expecially if they are freshmen.

I am reviving this post from a while ago because I have heard many questions related to it recently. Any comments or thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. There are many high school coaches and athletes out there struggling with this question.

The way I coach athletes, even at the collegiate level, is to first teach them a solid power position. From there I move to a half turn (wheel drill). I have them wheel into the power position, stop to check position, then throw. When they get consistant, take out the pause in the middle.

Once they are doing half turn/wheel drills well, I move to South African. I again start with a S. African to a stopped power position to check postion, then eventually take out the pause. Same thing for full throws. My focus is always making sure the power position is solid.

As a high school coach, you have a shorter seasons so my thought is consider having freshmen throw only with a power or wheel. Sophomores with Wheel or South African (from inside the circle). It is OK to throw in a meet using a progressional drill, as long as you start from inside the circle. Avoid the need to push through things and sacrifice. They may throw a little farther initially, but in the long run athletes will always struggle improving technique.

My suggestions are stick with the old plan and teach it step by step, just because it takes a little while to get to the full throw doesn't matter. I didn't start throwing rotational untill after one year of throwing out of power and the shuffle then another year of glide. I still go back to where I started with just training and throwing out of the standard power position each day. Also just because the athletes aren't throwing from the full throw doesn't mean they won't do good. I throw 46-50 out of power with a 12 pound shot.

Practice makes perfect and drilling the steps of the throw into their brain will do the same, One of the big things with throwing is Muscle memory and that only comes from Repitition.

Im a sophomore, 15 years of age.

To answer your questions I teach both techniques based on the ability of the athlete and body structure, quickness and over athleticism. In teach new throwers I start form the very basic from day one and it goes for all my throwers no matter their experience. Then when they improve I have my most experienced kids work with them as they practice and I also do a lot of drills in mass. There isn't ever enough time in a day to teach both but there are days that we work on techniques and emphasize the similarities in the events, especially the power position. I am currently using the 13 week program and trying to implement some the training with discus. I know the lifting and conditioning will help as well as the med ball work, I would like more specifics on number of throws for discus vs. shot.