Athletes in Action

241 HAl\11\I; R THR \VI (z) TIIE method of carrying the hammer ab v the head and around th body during the preliminary swings is all-important. If the preliminary swings ar made jerkily, r if one forgets t lift the hands well over the head, a the hammer-h ad is swinging ut behind the b dy, as sh wn in ; ig. 3 opp site, the su cceding turning movement cann t be perform d moothly and, moreover, the head f the hammer will swing high in front of the body during the preliminary wing and will stril.e th ground, and poil th throw, during the e\ luti n f turning. tc in •ig. 3 opposit the way in which the throw r has li ftcd his arms to allow his hand to pass ver his head, turning his lb w out and giving the hands just enough lift to allow the hamm r- haft to pas v r th h ad almo t parallel t the gr und. ote, al , in both • ig. 3 and } ig. 4, that the w ight of the b dy is being leverly dispos d tor sist the pull f the rotating hammer-head. I~ ig. 4 portrays th fini h of one f the preliminary swing and it should be n ted that the hammer-h ad is no\ at the lowest p int of th wing, tha the athl te has all wed his knc s to giv a little and that his arms are fully straightened. The eyes mu t watch the path of th hammer-h ad s 1 ng as it is in ight, as, thus, the movem nts and balance of the body will conform automatically to the swing and pull of the hammer.