Im a female freshman in high school and i currently throw the discus 74 feet…im wondering what i can do to make my throw go farther…also, if you are a girl who threw discus in high school, could you tell me what you threw as a freshman?
do you think i can throw about 120 when im a senior?
Melissa Lynn,
My freshman girl throwers are between 70 and 100 feet (70, 75, 86, and 99′ 6). I also have a sophomore girl who made it to 88′ last year and will probably hit 110 this year. How far they will go will depend on how much progress they make in their technique, strength, and size. Most of that will require offseason work (throws camps, lifting, etc.). For the sophomore, it’s really been about a change in her confidence as much as her technique. Just knowing that she can throw it far allows her to concentrate on her technique without worrying if she can be really competitive. So, raw determination can be a powerful asset – don’t let anyone else’s performance limit you.
If you’re not on a lifting program, find someone who can help you design one and get started. Look into throwing camps or at least ask if you can borrow a discus for the summer (even if you can’t they’re only about $20). And try to improve your tecnique.
You should concentrate on control and trying to use your body to get good leverage. Try this drill: from a standing position (from sideways to the direction you’ll throw) rock back onto your throwing-side foot while turning your shoulders completely away from the field and raise the discus to just above shoulder height. Start "pulling" with your non-throwing hand towards the front and push with your throwing side leg so that your hip starts moving towards the front and pulls your throwing arm forward. Keep your hand so that (if you were standing straight up) it would be level with your shoulder. Then make sure you step forward into the throw and release the discus at eye level or above. That’s how you want your spin to work – to get you in a position where you can throw just like that. It means you have to go a little slowly in the first part of your spin by using a big turn at the back of the circle and then let yourself speed up naturally as you tighten up your body position. Most throwers have trouble getting their throwing-side foot to pivot, so stay on the balls of your feet and keep your weight on that foot UNTIL it has pivotted. Good luck!
Melissa Lynn,
My freshman girl throwers are between 70 and 100 feet (70, 75, 86, and 99′ 6). I also have a sophomore girl who made it to 88′ last year and will probably hit 110 this year. How far they will go will depend on how much progress they make in their technique, strength, and size. Most of that will require offseason work (throws camps, lifting, etc.). For the sophomore, it’s really been about a change in her confidence as much as her technique. Just knowing that she can throw it far allows her to concentrate on her technique without worrying if she can be really competitive. So, raw determination can be a powerful asset – don’t let anyone else’s performance limit you.
If you’re not on a lifting program, find someone who can help you design one and get started. Look into throwing camps or at least ask if you can borrow a discus for the summer (even if you can’t they’re only about $20). And try to improve your tecnique.
You should concentrate on control and trying to use your body to get good leverage. Try this drill: from a standing position (from sideways to the direction you’ll throw) rock back onto your throwing-side foot while turning your shoulders completely away from the field and raise the discus to just above shoulder height. Start "pulling" with your non-throwing hand towards the front and push with your throwing side leg so that your hip starts moving towards the front and pulls your throwing arm forward. Keep your hand so that (if you were standing straight up) it would be level with your shoulder. Then make sure you step forward into the throw and release the discus at eye level or above. That’s how you want your spin to work – to get you in a position where you can throw just like that. It means you have to go a little slowly in the first part of your spin by using a big turn at the back of the circle and then let yourself speed up naturally as you tighten up your body position. Most throwers have trouble getting their throwing-side foot to pivot, so stay on the balls of your feet and keep your weight on that foot UNTIL it has pivotted. Good luck!
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