Track Athletics in Detail (extract)

84 TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL Ihe careful athlete will always spare his right arm as much as he can. For instance, when he picks up the shot he will hold it in his left hand, and he will do the same while he steps into the circle and gets his footing. After this has been secured he will roll the shot over into his ricjht palm as shown in illustration No. 3 on page 83 —and then he is ready to start. Assuming aseasy a position as possible, let the shot be well balanced in the right hand. Do not grip it tightly. In starting off, as shown in the fourth illustration, place the whole weight of the body upon the right leg, holding your left arm for­ ward as a balance. Then take a quick hop with the right leg, all the time keeping theshot as near the shoulder as possible. Upon alighting after the hop, touch your left foot to the ground—and it ought to fall very close to the board rim. This is the position shown in the seventh illustration. The eighth shows the next movement, which is the transposition of the feet. The correct attitude forgetting across the circle on this hop is crouching. Then, as soon as your left foot touches ground, youbring it swiftly back­ ward, throwing the entire right side of the body forward; and you turn half around, so that the right shoulder will be in the exact direction in which the shot is to be put. After the impetus upward has been given by the legs and body, shoot the arm outward with all the force at your com-