Athletics of To-Day 1929

JI2 Athletics of To-day hips so that the hands come level with the right knee, thus gaining a longer starting pull. In either case the object should be to start the swinging movement smoothly. If it is begun with a jerk there is a tendency to cramp the arms at the elbows and to swing the hammer in an up and down circle from ground level to a high point above the head. If the arms are cramped the radius of the circle described by the hammer-head is restricted and speed lost. An up-and-down, nearly vertical, swing necessitates a change of direction in the path of the hammer in the transition from swing to throw. Picture No. 3, Plate 54, of Tom Nicholson, Scotland, brings out many important points. First, the disposition of the hands when a double stirrup handle is used should be noted. The body is swaying back to resist the pull of the hammer-head, and the arms are stretched out straight as far as possible from the shoulders, so that they may elongate the length of the hammer-shaft to the fullest extent, thus giving as great a radius to the swing as can be attained. The low point in swing, it will be observed, is when the hammer-head is in front of the right foot. As the hammer-head comes in front of the centre of the body the arms, still perfectly straight, raise it higher above the ground and the thrower leans further back to resist the more direct pull. All this is seen in Picture No. 2, Plate 54, of M. C. Nokes. Note the hand-hold with a single stirrup handle and also that the knees are very slightly bent. As the hammer-head passes to the left side of the body and begins to rise the right hand, at the end of a straight arm, is turned palm downwards, the left elbow and right knee are bent, the left leg is stiffened, and the body turned slightly to– wards the left. Follow out these actions for yourself in Picture No. 4, Plate 54, of John Flanagan. Plates 55 and 56 contain pictures of Flaxman. \Vhen the hands are level with and in front of the point of the left shoulder, the left upper arm is pressed into the body, the right shoulder is raised so that the right forearm and the hammer-shaft come almost parallel to the ground. The hands are lifted well above the head to maintain the biggest radius of swing.