Athletics (British Sports Library)

174 ATHLETICS hand holding the shot is kept close in to the shoulder and that the shot is thrust out and up directly to the front and that the right hand does not break away to the side. Try also to keep the elbow in rear of the shot all the while. While the outdoor (or indoor if a gymnasium is available and one does not mind the expense of purchasing an indoor shot) standing put practice is in progress, the athlete must be mastering also the glide across the circle. This can be done, even in one's bedroom, if a 7-foot circle is marked out upon the floor. The initial position is as shown in Sketch A, the leg swing as in Nos. I, 2, arid 3. The glide commences with a pendulous swing of the left leg, followed by a 30-inch jump from the right foot as the left leg swings forward to full extension of the thighs, but not of t~e entire legs, as both knees remain bent. During the jump the right foot must pass close above the surface of the ground, the right foot should take the ground a fraction of a second sooner than the left, otherwise there will be a check when the arm is bent back over the shoulder. The movement of the left, or leading leg, is more rapid than that of the rear leg. The bending of the right knee in the initial position and the sharp swing of the left leg must both be made to contribute to the glide. As has been said, the glide must be made with speed. At first, how-