Technique Help - video

[rmarmiroli]

*the begin of the videos are some discus, but then comes the javelin throws


Hi guys

In a session of training last week i filmed some throws so that you could help me. My main competition is in April, so there´s some time for me to work on improvements.

Looking at myself, i see one of the biggest problems i have is that my left knee if flexed, not all straight as it should be.

I try to think what´s the cause of that. Is it because the cross step is to slow, or too short? What should i think in the moment of the throw to make it right?

Also, i see that my arms come too early

In these and other mistakes ( feel free to point it ), the best help i could get from you guys is:

1) What to think to make it right?
2) Wich drills i could do?

Thanks for the attention...


cheers, Rafael

[rmarmiroli]

anyone? =/

[sam]

I did have a look at the video when you posted it.

It's very difficult to offer any real adive to you because every throw you do is so different.. eg you do a million xsteps in one and then you do 5 on another.. there appears to be no consistency in anything you are doing to be able to offer any real tips other than.. get yourself a coach who can manage your technique from A to B.

it also doesn't help that every single throw is with a different camera angle.

If you want to get some good advice you should get the advice you can give yourself.. compare your own throwing to what you see around you.. does what you are doing look like 99% of the best in the world and if not why? what can you do to change things.. be it.. holding your hand up.. keeping your left side high and throwing over it rather than dropping it or how do the rest place their left leg plant when they are going to throw.. how many xsteps do they do... do they do a million or do they tend to do about 9 forwards running steps followed by 7 x steps?

[Administrator]

I'd agree with Sam that the first thing you need to be sure of is that you do the "simple things" the same every time.

Always set your body up in the same way before each throw. If you are throwing from a sideways position in cross steps, set your upper body up right first. Nice and tall, upper body relaxed, throwing arm long and high. If you are running into cross steps, try and make sure you do the same or a similar number of steps each time.

If you are not set up the same each time then there will never be any consistency - sometimes you might do things right from the wrong position - other times you might do things wrong from the right position but its then very hard to tell. If you always set yourself up the same and then end with the right number of steps and a similar throwing stance it will be eaiser to adjust other technical areas of the throw.

I think a lot of this may be because you are throwing in a field which appears to have no lines. If nothing else, put a couple of shoes or bags down about 4/5 metres apart so you have a "line" to throw from. This will help you to manage the number of steps you take.


I'd say key things to start:

Set out a throwing area or line

Find a comfartable starting position and decide before the throw on the type of approach; full run, cross steps only etc

Cut down the number of cross steps (will be helped by the above)

Watch videos of the pros - look at what they do and how they do it - this really helps

Keep at it and enjoy it!


James

[lusis]

Good advice admin, can you explain the comFARTable position

[sam]

it's a bit difficult to explain a comfortable position as each person is different.

[Administrator]

Since the position I throw from is less than comfortable I'm not best equipped to say!! However I think the following things help you to set up nicely into a start position - this is assuming a sideways start to do a throw from cross steps:


Upper body is tall, not leaning forwards, not leaning back.

Upper body is relaxed as possible. A wise man once told me to smile, its hard to have tension accross the shoulders and chest when doing so! Also - look at any pic of Zelezny in his cross steps - mouth open, face relaxed.

Left arm (non throwing) is high, crossing the body, almost as if you were looking at your watch in front of you at around about shoulder height - again this should be relaxed.

Right arm (throwing) is long behind the body, elbow rotated upwards so that the little finger is turned upwards to the sky.

Head position is again relaxed at the neck, looking in the direction of the throw above the body not forwards or backwards.

Then the legs can start to work, emphais for the right hander on driving off of the left leg.


I hope others can add to that. The fact that i cannot stand still in that kind of position comfortably shows an issue with flexibility. I do think that its key to set up the same each time and I would hope those pointers can help to find that position. More than anything, it should be comfortable and relaxed and in that respect it will differ from one person to the next.

James

[Administrator]

D'oh

Missed the point/pun of Lusis post then!!

Hope my last one wasn't in vain!

[lusis]

James,Sam
sorry you missed the pun but i'am sure the description of a comfortable position you provided wont go to waste

cheers

[wez]

Hi Rafeal,

I think if you take what James said as a start then you will improve, i will add something i noticed to that.

You seem to be pushing off your right foot and then you lunge forwards before the javelin is released. i guess you have seen some famous throwers lunge and fall like that too, but what you are missing is what they do before that.

You need to create an upright bowed position between you right leg and right shoulder where the body is being stretched. Like an elastic band it then springs forwards and the javelin is launched over a straight left leg shortly followed by the athlete. (as you see with Tero Pitmamaki)

The athlete falling is the result of an extreme elastic power reaction, so don't fall by choice! stay tall and deliver the javelin in as tall a position as you can.

Now to the right foot, you are using it to push yourself off like in a jump, what you need to do is to turn it from the toes in a circle so that your knees face together and your outer right thigh snaps forwards bringing the right hip in line with the left. It is this first movement from the right foot which begins the whole throw and is the most important part to learn. There is no use to run fast until you have learned this.

So think about turning you right foot around as fast as possible so it does not have to hold your body weight even for a moment. The rest of the throw should then start to be more natural- deliver the javelin at your maximum height with your eyes fixed on the horizon.

You can practise this drill anywhere, just get into the cross steps with a javelin or stick behind your head across the shoulders in a sideways position with arms outstretched and practise turning the final right foot while keeping the upper body sideways. You can do it standing at first and then from a few cross steps.

Good luck, post us another video when you have practised these things

[slinger]

hi rmarmiroli,

here's a little video of me throwing in training last year sometime and i think it describes what wez is suggesting with the right foot and one or two little aspects wex mentions - sam and james too.

i posted this here for you as the intensity of the throw isn't all out trying to throw as far as i can, but more so that i can think about my technique and what i'm doing...

hardly perfect, but the legs are quite good and has good rhythem into the throw, it's also from a mere mortal like me and not some superstar athlete like andreas thorkildsen - so it shows you what anyone can achieve with some practise....hope it helps you.

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xhOckU8inXo&feature=related

[rmarmiroli]

Hi!

Thank you all for the tips guys!

*first, i´d like to say sorry for the ones who pointed problems with my videos, as diferent angles of cameras and things like that.


I´m trainning now for a competition that will hapen in April. For now, i´m training for myself ( the sessions with our coach returns only in February ). So, i´ll work basically for now on these points you told me.

One problem i recognize i have is that i´m sometimes giving too much attention on how far the javelin is going and forget about the technique.

I´ll work on these points you all told me, like:

1) A better starting position
2) Making a precise number of steps ( 3 or 5 )
3) Turning the right knee down/in, without putting my weight on right leg at the soft step
4) Running smoothier with all the body relaxed


Now, i all i got to do is hard work and in some weeks, i´ll post you a new video to see if i made improvements.

Again, thanks!

cheers from Brazil,

Rafael