Athletics of To-Day 1929

Putting the Shot 335 and side muscles. A hop of about 3 ft. forward was then taken, and the landing made on both feet with the weight on the right leg, and the body right back. The left leg did very little work, for the right at once started a spring for– ward in which the body was twisted to the left so that the right leg and side were in front when the right arm shot out to effect the put, and the left leg was swinging free with both feet off the ground. But when the boxer leads with his right he does not have his foot off the ground, nor the right foot in front. On the contrary, the boxer's left foot is forward and the power of his right hand punch is generated in the sole of his right foot. As soon as this mechanical principle was appreciated, there began a marked improvement in shot putting. In rgo8 the 7ft. square, as the putting area, was replaced by a 7 ft. circle. This gave the shot putter the advantage of delivering his missile in any direction, since the put was measured from shot mark to circle edge on a line with the centre of the circle. Then the Scandinavians hit upon the notion that the left leg and stiffened-up left side should be used as a means of resistance to the effort. This introduced a definite check, producing the jerk referred to in hapter XIX (Throwing the Javelin). Horgan added a slight shoulder swing combined with a mighty heave up from a low point to the technique. But this was corrected later to a cross twist of the shoulders from right to left to start the delivery, and the preliminary leg raising also was altered. Older generations had been accustomed to raise the left leg and carry it across in front of the right leg to start the glide as shown in Picture No. 3, Plate 58, of W. E. B. Henderson, O.U.A. ., and L.A.C. In later days it became customary, however, to dispose the body as shown by Herman Brix, U.S.A. (Picture No. 4, Plate 58) with the shot held close into the ear, elbow directly behind it, and weight resting on the right leg. The left leg was then raised and swung to a position behind the body, as the left arm was allowed to fall to commence the glide across the circle, as shown in A of the accompanying