Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

138 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS through allows of the maximum period of application of the force applied. The throw from the standing position is made as follows: The thrower takes up his position as already de– scribed, and swings the hammer about his head three times loosely and fairly slowly at first, and with more vigour and concentration as the swinging continues. As the hammer starts to come up for the second time, and the power is coming from the left arm, the weight is shifted off the left leg on to the right and the body is turned a little to the right ; the hammer passes over the head as described in the paragraphs on pre– liminary swinging. As the hammer head begins. to come downwards at the right side for the last time, the thrower jumps around with it, and as the left shoulde,r comes round puts all his force into a heave upwards. At the same time straightening out the body from the toes, he carries the arms right through and releases the hammer from the fingers (fig. 52, no. 4), so that it continues its upward flight at a good elevation and without any divergence in its path; the thrower does not check his own momentum, but follows the movement through, and, letting the arms fly up, he allows the force generated to turn him so that he is facing the direction of the flight of the hammer. It is, of course, under– stood that at the commencement of the swing the athlete had his back turned to the direction in which it was proposed to make the throw. This preliminary throw should be done from behind a line or the edge of a circle, so that the novice may learn not to overstep the boundary. At first it is quite likely that the beginner will fall