Re:Shot put spin kick - Throwing Events Discussion

I'm a senior in high school now throw 43 in shot and i'v been doing the spin in shot for about 3 months now. My question is is the kick in shot put more of a sweeping kick incited of a straight kick like in discus. I'm asking this because i mix up the spins all the time and i don't know what is right and wrong.

i really dont think it matters, as long as you drive your leg forward during that part of the rotation. im sure that if you think of a leg drive rather than a sweep or kick, more power will result

its a wide low swing movement of your right leg. (i'm assuming that you throw right handed, if not just reverse this) for shot put everything is outside of the ring, except your left foot.

#1 The spins should be very similar to one another. Your question is the old Wilkins vs Powell technique. Wide low sweep vs lift the right knee and lead with the inside of the right knee. Discover what works for discus and do the same, if successful, in the shot. Good luck!

I agree, both spins should be very similar. I have always been trained and have trained to let the left leg do the majority of the work out of the back of the circle. The right leg for me has never really been kicked. Kicking could cause you to slow down due to landing in a more angled postion, or cause you to over rotate. It should almost be like a jump to the middle with your right foot practically tripping your self as it comes through the instep of the left foot out of the back, never a sweeping motion which takes more time. Watch some of the really fast throwers out there, they keep their feet really close together out of the back.

i always teach my guys "wide to inside". i have them point their left hip out, lead with the inside of their right leg until they reach the 3/4 position. Once their left foot is pointed towards the front of the ring, they change the path of their right leg in order to "sprint" to the middle.

I like to start out "slow" so as to avoid slowing down somewhere during the throw. Every thrower is different and can handle different speeds, but no matter what level they are at, one of our goals is to build speed through each phase of the spin and reach max velocity at the point of release.

as far as mixing up techniques, i say keep your shot technique consistent with your disc technique..just compact it a little.

I agree with all that. Mac Wilkins talked about the hips "Up, Down, Up, Out". Another phrase that might make sense is "Exit every turn faster than you began the turn". I have also tried Dave Dumble's verbal cue which is to think about pushing off your right foot as you enter your first turn. Many get caught up with stacking the left side and forget about generating torque.
Good Luck!

I have found that if you keep your right foot as close to your body as possible until it is time to drive through the center of the circle then not only are right down the middle of the circle but should be on balance, at the center of gravity, and most importantly have not over rotated. In a swinging motion young throwers even experenced throwers can and will over rotate and end up off balance. Be carefull with that if swinging from the back of the circle.