Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

SflOT-PUTTING I73 Balancing at both sides of the circle is also most important, for the athlete must learn to kick high before he begins to move across the circle, therefore he must be very sure of his balance on the right leg; he must also be able to balance himself, again on the right leg, when the circle has been crossed, the feet reversed, and the shot has gone on its flight, for he must not overstep the toe-board until the shot has come to earth, or he will have committed a foul and his "put" will not count. As this balancing, although in reality it is the last thing of all, ·forms part of the preliminary training, it will be described here as it should be practised. . The athlete should stand on the right leg and rise up on to the ball of the foot, at the same time swing– ing his left leg up behind him and around to the right rear, while simultaneously stretching out the right arm as if the shot had just left the hand ; the whole outside of the right foot should be pressed against the inner edge of the toe-board, over which the athlete must accustom himself tp lean to the limit of balance without upsetting his equilibrium ; once again it may be said that it is only a matter of practising muscle control. Assuming that the novice has now mastered the preliminary details, we may go on to the more serious business of the "put," preceded by the glide across the circle, and this again brings us back to the question of the "kick." When the athlete has taken up his position at the rear of the circle, with his right foot close to the edge -according to one of the two styles-he gets his weight well disposed over the right leg, the left leg is held loosely with the toes just resting on the ground