Last Updated on January 3, 2023 by Andrew Pirie
Throwing Shotput
How can I become very good at Throwing shot put?
Shot put is an ancient Olympic sport that involves the “putting” of a weighted ball for distance. For a thrower to properly put the shot, it is more important to have the specific form in the throw-over muscle or speed.
The easiest form of putting is called the stand-and-deliver and is used to teach beginners proper upper and lower body movements.
This involves standing inside the ring with the shot in hand over the middle knuckle
After the shot is placed in the crook of the neck, the thrower rotates the upper body and feet back while bending at the knees and then rotating back while exploding upwards.
The next form is more advanced and requires more speed than the stand-and-deliver technique, called the glide.
The thrower begins at the back of the ring, facing the back with the dominant leg forward.
After adjusting, bring the other leg up into the air while remaining crouched; after such a time, immediately bring the leg in the air back and then kick your entire body back to the toe board.
The dominant leg should land first, and then the body should rotate while shooting the body and arm upward with the shot.
To become better at the shot, put form is key; that being said, you should also not disregard the weight room to train the entire body.
Olympic lifting styles can help with speed and strength, especially the power clean and snatch.
What is a “college shot put weight”?
The standard college shot put weight is 16 pounds or 7.26 kilograms for males and 8.8 pounds or 4 kilograms for females.
Why are shot put throws longer in outdoor competitions than in indoor ones?
There are a few different factors, but I would say the top two are as follows:
- Timing
- Conditions
Here’s what I mean by both. Timing is a huge factor. Remember that indoor track and field is held months before the outdoor season. So what happens, is that athletes can train and compete for several months, working to develop their fitness levels as well as refining techniques. By the time the outdoor season rolls around, they are primed to dig deeper into technical precision and throw harder.
Secondly, are conditions. While indoor tracks are great because you can control the conditions such as wind. It’s not nearly as exciting as outdoor. There’s a psychological effect of being outside in the sun. I’ve been a part of it myself as an athlete and watched countless athletes. I’ve coached noticeably surge in energy the moment outdoor season starts. There are physiological responses to being in the sun. The sun increases your levels of serotonin which is a natural mood enhancer. Also increases melatonin production which helps you sleep better. It’s also much less stuffy and we know that wide-open environments are far more enjoyable than smaller, closed-off ones.
That’s why you will generally see outdoor records exceeding indoor ones in nearly all events in track. Running indoors will always be worse. Given the tight curves and multiple laps you have to take. Outdoor you will also get helping winds and more, but those are certainly large contributing factors for shot put!
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“In 2020, Andrew advanced to the position of Vice President with the Association of Track and Field Statisticians, having devoted seven years as an active member. His impressive track record includes roles such as a PSC Consultant and Research Assistant (2013-2015) and a distinguished stint as a Sprint Coach and Consultant at the renowned Zamboanga Sports Academy (2015-2017). Today, he offers his expertise as a Consultant Coach with VMUF, starting from 2021.
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