Scientific Athletics

ither cy i or walk into th country, wher a con- v ni ntly larg pac could ea ily be found. Th athl te i again r mind cl that it is very repreh n ible to practi e in the vicinage of any hous s. Th hammer-shaft mu t be ecurely fastened in the ball, for hould it e cape whil t the hammer i being r volv d and fly off at a tangent by c ntrifugal force, casualtie might o cur. tudy the bodily pe uliaritie , the temp rament, tc., and adopt a uitabl hamm r. Th w ight ad– vised in a previou chapt r should be proportionate to the av rag beginner. Obviou ly th haft mu t be of r gulation 1 ngth, viz.: 4 ft. 2 ins., which i adapt cl to the requir ments of athlet from 5 ft. 8 in . to 6 ft. in h ight. om authoriti have advocat d a horter shaft to tho of small tature; but\\' maintain, however, that all hammer-thrower shou]cl u a harnm r of clas ical 1 ngi.h b cau e, by o doing, mor atisfactory r ult can b cv ntuallv attain cl. In ·eriou om– pctition he would, of con/ , b oblige l to u a hammer of thi length, o that if h had b n accu tom d to a hort shaft, h would b at a gr at li advantage. Of our. e, \Vh n th novice is much uncl r m clium h ight, the . tanclarcl 1 ngth of hammer might at fir t prove unwi ldy, but aft r acquiring a little skill through methodi al training, he \\'Oulcl xp ricnce no difficulty with it, but would, on th contrary, obtain b tter r ult . A urning, lwwc\·cr, th beginner i, under m clium height, and cannot, th refor , u a hammer of orclinar 1 ngth and w ight, h can u e a lighter on . This would ultimat ly a u t m him to the 1a.. i al 1 ngth of haft, and afso to the orr ct manner in whi h to quilibrat th hocly whil t r valving the hamm r. Mor ov r, a fm st ,1 would b attain d, which would h impos:ibl \\' r a h av w ight mplo cl. The hamrn r-shaft mu t b infl ,·ibl , omewhat t nuous, and wh n fix <l in th ball mu t not protrud at both sicl s th r of, a thi. would cl stroy the imp tu of the mi ile wh n thrown. Rath r imp 1 th 95