Athletics of To-Day 1929

Throwing the Javelin cumulative effect and the athlete be at his maximum speed in the transition from the run-up to the throwing stance. The speed must be built up gradually and in proportion to the throwing ability, and should never be so great that the man has not perfect control over all his movements. The whole secret of success is to execute the throw with the run and when at top speed. There are, however, very few athletes who master this phase of the sport, merely because they will not take enough pains to practise it. That is why one sees so many men sacrificing all their running speed in a sudden check, or series of hesitation steps, when they are about to throw. The run-up must be straight ahead, and every effort should be made to check the tendency of the left leg to stretch out in a giant stride and to swing out to the left when the left foot is finally stamped down to secure the throwing position. The more walk-like the position of the thrower wh n he makes his throw, the better will be the r sult achieved. The run should be light and springy and consist of a series of short, quick st ps. In the can inavian style the thrower tak s up his position at the standing start line, which may b as far back from the running start line (" h ck No. I " in the first of the three diagrams in Fig. 29), as it takes him to work up to about three-quarters speed. Fig. 28 shows the asy, upright pose from which the run starts. The javelin is carried in the position shown until I( heck No. 2" is reached. As the left foot strikes o. 2 check-mark the speed should have be n worked up to maximum for the transition to the thr wing po ition. On th stride marked LI the right (throwing) hand b gins to direct the javelin straight backward over the shoulder. The drawing back mov ment is made smoothly so that the arm is fully ex– tended backward and the body turned to the right, as shown in the demonstration position (No. I, Plate 39), wh n the left