Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

HAMMER-THROWING 145 which it is revolving at a tangent, it naturally follows that, as there is a constant acceleration during the revolutions, the greater the number of turns the greater the speed attained. In two turns it would be impossible to generate sufficient speed. In three turns it becomes possible. Four turns are better still, and it would be even better if five turns could be attained. But it. must be remembered there is only a 7-foot circle to work in, and it may be briefly stated that five turns would be almost impossible to accomplish . for a certainty, and therefore "four turns" are the correct number.· Even this will be found an extremely difficult matter to accomplish, for the centrifugal force exerted by swinging a 16-pound hammer is immense. Reverting to the example just mentioned-viz. a 16-pound hammer thrown 150 feet-the centrifugal force exerted, or, in other words, the pull on the arms, is 366 pounds ; the velocity of the hammer at the instant of release from the hand is 69 feet per second ; the greatest vertical height attained during its flight through the air is 37 ft. 6 in.; and the time of flight through 150 feet is just over three seconds. To attain the maximum distance the hammer ought to be delivered at an angle of 45°, and this is a most important point to bear in mind. As hammer-throwers are usually big, strong, burly individuals, who are likely to run to fat if they are not given plenty of work to do, their training may be summarised as " Throw, and keep on throwing"; but, as a matter of fact, it is rather more than that, for the man in training for this event should do quite a lot of gymnastic work to build up his body muscles, and 10