Coaching and Care of Athletes

THE HAMMER THROW the loop of the handle, so that the fingers of the right hand overlap the fingers of the left hand. This hand-hold is clearly shown in Plate LVI, Fig. I83, by Patrick Ryan, the official world's record– holder. Plate LVI, Fig. I83, shows also how the arms are straight– ened and the body leans back to resist the pull of the hammer as soon as it is put in motion. As the hammer passes in front of the body the arms are raised as shown in Plate LVI, Fig. I84, by M. C. Nokes, British Empire record-holder. In the next move- ment the hands rise to the level of the fore– head or actually pass over the head, so that they are behind the body when the pull is exerted upon the de– scending hammer, as shown by Hein in Plate LVI, Fig. I85. Note how the hands have gone back to give the swing of the hammer– head as large a radius as possible; that the hammer-head itself is about 6 ft. above the ground, a normal height during the pre– liminary swings; and FIG. I 8 I. FOOTWORK FOR THE HAMMER THROW the way in which the body is beginning to lean to the left to resist the pull of the descending hammer on the right. During the first two preliminary swings the pull on the descend– ing hammer is about equal. As the hammer comes down to the right for the third and last time to start the turn the pull is con– siderably increased. In Plate LVII, Fig. I86, Hein is seen bringing the hammer down for the third time preparatory to commencing the turn. Note his supple trunk and hips, and that t~e head is square to the front, his shoulders being almost at right angles. The footwork used by the world's best hammer-throwers in traversing the circle is shown in Fig. I8r. The turn is commenced on the heel of a fully straightened left leg, and is continued on 423