Athletics (British Sports Library)

HAMMER THROWING 185 the left foot is immediately drawn back to L4 (Sk~tch 6). The original position has now been regained ; but there must be no break before one pivots on the left foot and makes the second turn, the third is made in exactly the same way. The knees are kept slightly bent and the hammer-head reaches its highest point during the turning movement (Sketch 7). The second turn is the most difficult, as there is always a chance of getting the hammer swinging too quickly, so that there is no more speed left for the final turn. Each succeeding turn should be faster than the last. The body carriage in the first turn affects the whole of the subsequent turns and is a decisive factor. The throw is made at the end of the third turn, all the power coming from below upwards, i.e. the moment the arms start their final pull from the hand position by the right hip (Sketch 3), with the most powerful swing they can manage, and with the pull coming from the left side, the whole body is straightened. The arms must be held perfectly straight. At the last instant the body stretch is completed by the athlete rising high on his toes (Sketch 4). The hammer must not be jerked away, but must leave the hands perfectly smoothly at the end of the powerful upward swing, in which the arms have travelled with the hammer until the crucial instant of delivery.