Coaching and Care of Athletes

THE HAMMER THROW keep his weight over his left leg; he does not travel across the circle in a direct path, because he fails to complete each turn fully; the arms are cramped in; the knees do not remain bent until the throw is started, or the turns are not made at increasing speed. (3) In the delivery action: The throw is made too soon-i.e., before the right foot has obtained a firm hold-the left knee does not bend enough to allow for full power going into the final heave; the left leg is not fully straightened and stiffened to provide a proper fulcrum; the throw is not made with the arms fully extended; lack of rapid hip rotation from right to left in the horizontal plane fobs the delivery of its proper speed, or the upward swing of the arms does not complete the follow-through after the hammer has been released. As in other~ events, the coach should correct major faults before he starts looking for small mistakes. Here are suggested schedules for one week of training in each of four periods. The 'day's work either in training or competition m:ust start with the limbering-up process which has been proved ;nost suitable for each athlete individually. PRELIMINARY-SEASON TRAINING In the winter a big, upstanding hammer-thrower should keep himself active, or he may put on fat and become sluggish, in which case he will need a long preliminary-training period to get back into (orm. Football keeps a man fit, and boxing develops that sort of pugnacity and. co-ordination which is needed by shot– putters and throwing-men. This does not apply to older athletes who are approaching middle age. They, and, indeed, all heavy– weight field-events men, should do plenty of walking and work in the gymnasium during the winter and preliminary-training season. Hammer-throwers must remember that there is nothing to prevent them from mastering a great deal of their technique in a hall or gymnasium. Their throwing power out of doors will, indeed, be greatly increased and good results come far more quickly if they will spend a month or two during the winter in perfecting the preliminary swings and mastering two or even three turns without throwing. In I936-37 I achieved excellent results with an Army class at the Garrison Gymnasium, Colchester. We worked with ship's fenders weighing 8 lb., 10 lb., and I2 lb., the weight being increased with the proficiency of the athletes. 429