Dave Parker 81M

[lifebeginsat40]

Hi all this Vid taken just before the Northern Champs at Woodburn Road Sheffield.

Dave had 3 throws over 78m and this shot was measured at 81m, although going over the line, never the less a great throw.

s62.photobucket.com/albums/h119/ilovetheboro/?action=view¤t=dav80.flv

[wez]

Nice

[Patience]

Thanks for the video.

I don't much see the point in measuring throws as xxx metres when thrown from over the line, or when the follow through is over the line. It doesn't give a realistic figure.

[pj]

I totally agree with you but as you sometimes say that is not the point here. His personal best is 78.33 performed in 2001 using his arm. Five years, a ruptured ACL and five more knee operations later he is beginning to use his legs more. If he could get the right foot around to 2 0'clock we might see the knee in a stronger position resulting in a right hip drive and a better left foot placement. The knees would benefit and so would the throw. Then he can work on a run up again and not worry about the foul line. Hopefully the measurements in competition will start to go back up. Remember he was told he had a very marginal foul of 77.50 approx at BIG. In the Northern's he looked very good at around 75m in good conditions.

[sadiemk]

patience said:

Thanks for the video.

I don't much see the point in measuring throws as xxx metres when thrown from over the line, or when the follow through is over the line. It doesn't give a realistic figure.

just saying that do you think it is a good idea to train throwing over the line as i dont but others seem to, and ive seen them foul out by stepping over the line in comps ! ?? i also see people cheering when they throw a good throw in training yet they are 3 m over the line

[wez]

Good point that,

I atleast stay behind the line in training and in comp i never step over it, but i'm not a great thrower and i know alot of them don't worry about the line in training. Also as you know it really don't matter what you throw in training because its only comp days that count, for example there is a young lad in our group who never throws short of 60m in training and hes even thrown over 68m but his best comp result this year is 54m!!!!!!!!

He clearly can do it as i've seen it enough times but in the comps- its just a different story. I reckon you should try to treat them the same as much as you can except the focus in training is to learn while in comps its to produce big throws.

[sadiemk]

yes totally agree with you wez!

i think that its ok to train over the line , but if your going to be practicing your run up and throwing not to go over the line at all! otherwise what are you putting it into practice for ..!

[Patience]

I would say no to training over the line for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, you should always train, practice and drill what you ARE going to do in a competition. How many people when they are practicing cross overs drop their arm rather then keeping it in the air? Same with athletes drilling 3 srtides or 5 strides, many have a tendancy to drop their arms.

Secondly, if you train over the line you never quite know where your plant foot (or for those who have a lot of momentum, the follow through foot) will land and if it lands on the bit between the run-up and the grass it can lead to injury.

[pj]

Once again I agree. David used to train a lot with Steve and Mick and they always used to run through. They were not working on their run up so did not put their run up down. As you know putting extra forces through your knees in stopping short of the line whilst having upwards of 40 training throws can cause damage. Indeed it probably did. But David threw with them a lot from age 16 and dare I say it picked up some --- habits. But it didn't seem to do them any harm.

I do believe you should throw well back from the line and be discouraged from ever crossing the line. Then and only then are you practising never to foul a throw. How many throwers have their first throw, usually their best, wiped out through fouling?

[pj]

wez said:

Good point that,

I atleast stay behind the line in training and in comp i never step over it, but i'm not a great thrower and i know alot of them don't worry about the line in training. Also as you know it really don't matter what you throw in training because its only comp days that count, for example there is a young lad in our group who never throws short of 60m in training and hes even thrown over 68m but his best comp result this year is 54m!!!!!!!!

He clearly can do it as i've seen it enough times but in the comps- its just a different story. I reckon you should try to treat them the same as much as you can except the focus in training is to learn while in comps its to produce big throws.

Surely it does matter what you throw in training because you would not know what you are capable of during winter training. Only when you know what shape you are in are you ready to go out and throw in the season. But I know what you mean Wes. I think what you are saying is we should not concern ourselves with distances until we are in Competition. That is the only time it matters in reality. I know David has never thrown as far in competition as he has done in training as a Senior. When he was younger he threw 10 metres more in Comp. than he did in training. Something that Steve Backley often seemed to accomplish.

[jeremy]

Quite a bit of negativity going on here. The vid shows an excellent throw.

Yes the line was crossed; most spearpeople that I have known/heard of over the last quarter century or so foul the line when practicing because they are working on other things, such as technique, timing etc etc.

Besides, slamming the brakes on whe you're giving it a bit of muller is not necessarily wise, especially when you're having a few spanks, and are trying to take care of your knees.

I always foul in training and have never fouled (unless intentionally in a comp). Besides at the moment with my injury I can't even generate enough pace to get to the line!

Well done Dave. keep it up.

Jezza.

[wez]

jeremy said:

Quite a bit of negativity going on here. The vid shows an excellent throw.

Jezza.

Just to nip it in the bud, no-one is being negative or critical of people who throw well in training. Just discussing the pros and cons of stepping over the line in training thats all.

As Pj pointed out of course what you throw in training is important because if you are throwing far then it means that you can throw far! The trouble is alot of people do have a genuine stigma about comps, if they throw well in training and then have a bad comp they always get frustrated and that frustration just amplifies the problem because the more annoyed you get the worse your technique and focus tend to be.

Its just one of those psychological things that affects some more than others but it is better to be like Backley really and always throw your best ones when it counts.

I know the distances are alot less so the relevance is less but i always throw my best throws in comp and rarely get within 10% of them during training and thats partly because i'm working more on learning than spanking in training and partly because i know i used to have a comp stigma so i purposefully train hard between throws session so i'll be too tired to give it a spank anyway. I find it easier to focus like that and never get dissapointed by my distances because i know when i'm fresh they will be better.

Don't know if that makes sense to anyone els but its a routine i've fallen into over the years and it suits me pretty well.

[jeremy]

My bud is nipped.

Just a quick thought by those in the know.

If one is throwing well, usually they are full of confidence. Once one starts to throw badly, this tends to effetct confidence. The best way to regain confidence is to regain the technique.

In short, good technique leads to good confidence; great technique leads to great confidence. Lack of confidence is usually lack of technique (or confidence in technique).

Jezza

[wez]

From my experience i would go with your last point, a lack of confidence in technique. The annoying part is it can often be totally unfounded.

[sam]

that looks like a really good throw! love it david!!!