Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

r84 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS fore try to accustom himself to springing straight into his stride from a standing position, but should not, however, dash off at top speed, but increase his pace until he is travelling his fastest when about seven yards behind the throwing-board. In conjunction with his sprinting work he should train to get his marks right for throwing- that is to say, he should learn the distance behind the throwing– board at which he begins to draw back his arm and the point at which he puts down his foot for the actual throw; the former should be about seven yards and the latter about two yards behind the board. The javelin-thrower has no cause to complain of lack of diversity in his training. Besides the body exercises, sprinting, and learning to judge the throwing– marks, he must also accustom himself to the use of the weapon. It will be as well for him first to learn to hold the javelin properly, and next to throw ·it from a standing position. The way in which the javelin is held materially influences the distance thrown, and is therefore worthy of careful consideration. It is of the first importance that the javelin should leave the hand smoothly, without shaking or tremors, and from this it will be seen that the athlete must find out how best to place the weapon in the hand. Eric Lemming always gets the grip right at the back of the binding with the thumb and first finger; Saaristo 1 gets the first finger right behind the binding and the thumb a good deal in advance of it; but to get the weapon away from the hand smoothly, and so that the tremors, which are bound to arise, will not 1 NOTE.-Saaristo broke Lemming's World's Record in 1912