Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

136 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS ground about level with the eyes; the weight of the thrower is now disposed over the right leg, and the whole body sways around from the hips (sketch z), -from this it will be readily seen that the muscles of the thighs, back, and abdomen will get their full share of the work. The hands are lifted up and over the head, passing well to the back to allow the hammer-head to describe as large a circle as is possible (see fig. 45, rA); at the same time the body leans forward to retain the balance and resist the backwards pull. As the hammer begins to · ~l. descend in completing the z ~'J 1 fi!l) circle the hands travel round (~~~ ~ until they are at the right ~·.-,' /..,;\ l side of the head (see fig. 46, IB); ~ QJ ) 1 \/ at this stage the left shoulder (.$\~\ ..:.-..l ~ is raised, the left arm is across \\ \\ 1 the face almost parallel with «'-- . """' the ground, and the right upper arm pressed into the body, which is twisted towards the right; the weight now passes from the right leg to the left as the hammer-head comes down. Care must now be taken to keep the arms out straight as the hammer-head once more comes round in front of the body, and the thrower must lean back to resist its pull, but not sufficiently to diminish the radius of the so-called circle described (see sketch r). It must be borne in mind that the greater the radius of the circle described by the head of the hammer in its circular path, the greater will be the projection, · for the following reason : The formula for finding the circumference of a circle 1s z 7T' r, where r = radius and 7T' = 3·1416; there-