Why? The Science of Athletics

I • DIAGRAM AND DEDUCTIONAL CALCULATION 241 as only one complete set of footprints, either XI, and X2 or YI and Y2 would appear upon the diagram filled in by the vaulter and sentto the coach. The reader must under– stand, therefore, that XI represents a perfectly correct take-off and X2 the correspondingly correct landing ; while Y I shows a faulty take-off, in that the vaulter has taken off· with his right foot away to the left of the path, instead of put– ting it down directly in rear Y' of the p o 1 e- ------------l 12'-Q" a-x2 .. 9 p o in t, t h u s '--~=»<JL..J.J__.._____J FIG. 67 causing himself to spin above the bar and making the incorrect landing shown by the footprints Y 2. Crucial Angles in Athletics In the "Throwing Events", i.e., the Discus, Javelin and Hammer throws and the Shot Put, there are a number of crucial angles to which the evolutions of the athlete must conform, if he is to propel the missile the maximum distance commensurate with his personal strength and speed of action. Footwork, of course, supplies the first and all-impor– tant consideration. For, whatever is the nature of the projectile to be dispatched, the approach to the position of delivery must be absolutely direct, and, in the case of the Shot and Javelin, the missile itself must travel forward directly over the line of direction which is prolonged in the subsequent line of flight. In this connection refer– ence should be made particularly to the Shot Putting picture of Valste, Figs. 29 and 30, Plate 7· As will be seen by the four accompanying diagrams (Figs. 68, 6g, 70 and 7I), the discus thrower (Fig. 68) places his right foot (RI) directly across a line of direGtion bisecting the throwing circle from back to front, while the Q