Shot put?

[Jay Lee]

Hey, just wondering how many weightlifters on this forum did shot put. I have currently been thinking of doing shotput. Anyone have any insights on how to improve before the season starts, and how to improve in every way? Also, is high benching good for shot put? or related to how far you throw?

[John Schuna]

Hey, just wondering how many weightlifters on this forum did shot put. I have currently been thinking of doing shotput. Anyone have any insights on how to improve before the season starts, and how to improve in every way? Also, is high benching good for shot put? or related to how far you throw?

Perhaps you could tell me how old you are? What level are you entering for competition - high school - collegiate - post collegiate?

To answer your question about benching and the Shot-Put...There has been some interesting correlational research conducted on this very topic

Younger athletes tend to have a very high correlation between high performance levels in the Shot-Put (i.e., they throw it far) and high bench press numbers. However, this relationship becomes less significant as the athlete progresses. That just means that as technique improves over time and the athlete switches from the high school implement (12 lb) to the international implement (16 lb) that bench press numbers become less important. At least in terms of predicting performance in the Shot-Put.

[Alex Klotz]

According to accomplished coach and thrower Dan John, overhead squats are an excellent exercise for improving throwing.l

[Jay Lee]

Ah, sorry I forgot to mention that i'm still in high school, as a junior. The only time I have done shot put was in 7th grade which I threw for 33 feet with a 10 pound ball. My bench is at 335 now and if theirs anything else needed i can add on :)

[John Schuna]

Ah, sorry I forgot to mention that i'm still in high school, as a junior. The only time I have done shot put was in 7th grade which I threw for 33 feet with a 10 pound ball. My bench is at 335 now and if theirs anything else needed i can add on :)

As far as improving your shotputting ability, you're going to have to work technique specific to the shotput. I would suggest looking at videos online to get an idea of what proper technique should look like. www.macthrowvideo.com is one website that has many high quality videos.

Some friends of mine also have a site called www.throwfarther.com. They also have a lot of good throwing clips (usually smaller files than from Mac Throw). I'm not sure if you're going to practice the glide or rotational techniques? but videos of Ulf Timmerman are pretty textbook in my opinion with regards to glide technique (specifically for the type of glide he practiced - the Short-Long glide as they called it). You will see a lot of variation in rotational technique, but in my personal opinion clips of Andy Bloom, C.J. Hunter, Randy Barnes (Pre-Steroid Ban - 1990 and before), and John Godina are all good starting points. I suggest you try and videotape yourself and then compare techniques. Realize though that proper technique is and should be very individualized - just use the videos as a starting point.

As far as training, use a combination of the Olympic and power lifts. Cleans, Jerks, Push Presses, Snatches, Bench Presses, and Squats (Front & Back) are staples of most world class throwers. Deadlifts would also be a good option from time to time (Throwers are notoriously weak deadlifters - probably because many hardly ever train them). Also try to incorporate plyometric work to accustom the body to rapid and explosive force applications.

Lastly, although you may be looking for weight training advice specific to improving the throws realize this......There have been many very strong (and even explosive) individuals who were absolutely horrendous Shotputters. You have to train technique by actually throwing the implement. There is no substitute. When I first started throwing shot in high school I threw 33'9" in my first meet (I sucked). Two months later I threw 47'9.5". Why? I didn't get any stronger in that time period. I took an outrageous amount of throws per day, that's why I got better (Many days of 200+ throws). Now I wouldn't suggest using the volume I just detailed (Will more than likely cause injury) but be prepared to let your weight room work suffer to learn the technical aspects first.

[Jay Lee]

thanks for the advice :D

[Matt Dawson]

I recently earned NCAA All-American honors in the shot-put this past spring so i would like to think i know a decent amount on the subject... With that said there is nothing you can do to improve your shot like PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Honestly the shot is 10% strength 90% technique. The only way to improve your technique is to throw throw throw and throw some more. I had to learn this the hard way....believe me. All i wanted to do was lift and lift and throw here and there. When i started to put throwing as my priority instead of lifting my distances increased tremendously.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

I recently earned NCAA All-American honors in the shot-put this past spring so i would like to think i know a decent amount on the subject... With that said there is nothing you can do to improve your shot like PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Honestly the shot is 10% strength 90% technique. The only way to improve your technique is to throw throw throw and throw some more. I had to learn this the hard way....believe me. All i wanted to do was lift and lift and throw here and there. When i started to put throwing as my priority instead of lifting my distances increased tremendously.


Word.

I think I'd take anything Schuna or Dawson say to be pretty much gospel.

I got up to 61' in HS with the glide, not awe inspiring, but good enough to get a few look ins from US colleges. Practice is key. One of the coaches here who threw 65' back in the 60's in the Matson-Long era recommended throwing until you bleed, then coming back and doing it again the next day. That's pretty much what is required to do well.

I'm pretty confident I could throw the 16lber at least about 52' on no training right now, might make a little comeback and do some club meets. Did a highland games last year and threw 50' with a 16 stone and 57' with a 6kg shot, so all that training done in HS hasn't been lost.

[steve Barkley]

I have to agree with Dawson, TECHIQUE is what will help you a lot. You might not throw as far at first, but once you get the techique down, the distance will come. And practice, as much as you can. Nothing can help you throw farther then actually throwing.

[Jay Lee]

thanks cant wait for the season to start up, i wanna try to get a scholor ship so i gotta try my best

[Justin Blake]

video recording myself once aweek was a big help for me

edit: that didnt quite sound right, i mean well i was throwing

[Jeff Flynn]

61 nothing awe inspiring... yeah

[Jay Lee]

could someone record like a short clip of them doing glide and spin? im going to borrow a 12 pound shot put ball, since i have quite a bit of time ill use all my free time to probably go down to a field and throw :D

[Adam Keep]

could someone record like a short clip of them doing glide and spin? im going to borrow a 12 pound shot put ball, since i have quite a bit of time ill use all my free time to probably go down to a field and throw :D


Just check out macthrowvideo.com home slice. It has everything you will need. There are plenty of instructional clips on there for you to look at.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

could someone record like a short clip of them doing glide and spin? im going to borrow a 12 pound shot put ball, since i have quite a bit of time ill use all my free time to probably go down to a field and throw :D


Youtube as well has a heap of stuff on it.


Jeff, well yeah I guess I stand by that. There would be I guess at least 10 guys in the USA who throw that far every year, its not like I was a 70fter or an NCAA D1 freak like Dawson. Throw 60 and you can play with anyone and you won't get laughed at, but its not a mark out of reach for a guy who trains smart and has decent genetics.

[Ryan Bracewell]

Lastly, although you may be looking for weight training advice specific to improving the throws realize this......There have been many very strong (and even explosive) individuals who were absolutely horrendous Shotputters. You have to train technique by actually throwing the implement. There is no substitute.

I totally agree with this. The field events coach at my school begged me to do shot put because I was the strongest football player in the school, and really good at explosive lifts like power clean. We quickly learned that it takes alot more than strength to do shot. I was throwing 10 feet less than guys that were half my strength.

[Jay Lee]

yea i already watched all the good shoput videos on youtube ;P. what techniques did everyone use that was a shot putter?

[John Schuna]

yea i already watched all the good shoput videos on youtube ;P. what techniques did everyone use that was a shot putter?

I was a rotational thrower my entire career. I threw 63' my senior year of high school after three years of a lot of technical work on the spin. When I first started throwing as a sophomore I was not allowed to glide. My coach actually refused to teach it my first year as a thrower (even though he was fairly well-versed in the technique). By my senior year however he realized that some individuals were just unable to grasp the spin and he decided to teach both techniques.

In college I didn't improve all that much and only threw just shy of 59' feet with the 16 lb (Hampering injuries were really detrimental to my throwing performance my senior year). However, I was fairly proficient with the spin I believe. My coach was a disciple of Steve Forseth (Coach of Ron Backes 21 meter thrower and 2 time USATF National Champion). I also got to work with Steve on several occassions which helped my technique out even more.

I would suggest trying to find the Championship Track & Field video on the Shot-Put. Its an instructional video with Steve Forseth and Ron Backes. From my background I believe it to be the best instructional video addressing the rotational shotput.

[Jay Lee]

who knew throwing a ball could be so much fun ;), did you get a scholership from throwing over 60?

[John Schuna]

who knew throwing a ball could be so much fun ;), did you get a scholership from throwing over 60?

Yes I did get scholarship offers. I took one and ended up hating the university. I left after one semester. After that I went down to the Division 3 level and threw for the rest of my career.

If you throw over 60' your going to get a lot of looks from a lot of schools. Problem is Men's track only has 12.6 (Yes 12.6) full ride scholarships to give out per team. That is the cap that the NCAA puts on the sport. Many teams have 50+ guys though. So at many D1 universities most people on scholarships are on partials. Compare that to DI - Bowl Championship Football - where each team is capped at 85 full ride scholarships. When you have right around 100 guys on the roster. In this case, those who have scholarships are usually on full rides. The rest are just walk-ons usually not receiving any scholarship at all.

Getting back to track though. If your a real stud - throwing 65'+ - your going to get full-ride offers. Just some thoughts.

[Jay Lee]

sweet! ill try my hardest and train throughout the 2 years i have left. hopefully my 315 reps will help me throw farther :D :BP:

[Jay Lee]

i kinda got psyched out today. i was looking at my weight rooms records and i saw the shotput. its only 57.7 feet, i cant really say its too little but seeing highschoolers that throw 60+ is kinda yea...

[John Schuna]

i kinda got psyched out today. i was looking at my weight rooms records and i saw the shotput. its only 57.7 feet, i cant really say its too little but seeing highschoolers that throw 60+ is kinda yea...

57'7" is a respectable record at any school. For the most part, you have to be a good athlete to throw that far. I've always felt that those who threw over 50' at the high school level made a real accomplishment. Throwing over 60' is a huge accomplishment. So if u hit 60+ and even if u don't get every university knocking down your door, realize that you're better than 99.9% of those who currently are (or were) high school shotputters

[Jay Lee]

Ah, it was kinda weird cause i watched diffrent highschoolers on like youtube, and such with like 3-4 seniors throwing 60-63 feet. Do you think i would be able to throw over 60 by senior year ;P

[Tony Moses]

Ah, it was kinda weird cause i watched diffrent highschoolers on like youtube, and such with like 3-4 seniors throwing 60-63 feet. Do you think i would be able to throw over 60 by senior year ;P

There is all the reason in the world to try. If you work hard enough, some people can and some people can't. It's obviously do-able for certain people, so try like hell and whatever happens . . . at least you tried like hell.

[Jay Lee]

yea ill give it my all until senior year. theirs just something about shot put that sparks my interest like weightlifting. anyone else have this too? O_o

[dave barron]

theirs just something about shot put that sparks my interest like weightlifting. anyone else have this too? O_o

Definitely. 12 years old, picked one up at summer camp and loved it ever since. I threw 52+ in high school without really knowing what I was doing - coaching is really important, as is watching video of your throws to see what you're doing/not doing. The high school shot is only 12 lbs, so speed and power are the MOST important factor. You can always get stronger, but you really have to work on driving hard out of the back and hitting a strong power position. Check out this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN9TWuEzTSo) kid for a great example.
This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT8_AiPVMG8&feature=related) is pretty awesome too.

[Jay Lee]

ive thought about it for a while, and havent really found any answers on the internet. about diffrent styles, i heard from the shotput coach at my school that glide and spin are the most used methods. what happens if someone uses their own style or glide+spin?

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

ive thought about it for a while, and havent really found any answers on the internet. about diffrent styles, i heard from the shotput coach at my school that glide and spin are the most used methods. what happens if someone uses their own style or glide+spin?


It means they won't throw 60 to save their lives. Find a coach, learn to glide or spin and keep doing it.

Seriously dude, you have to love this sport so much to do well at it. I highly doubt focussing on some scholarship is going to motivate you on those days when you're throwing badly. I had to coach myself for over 6 months of my senior year and it was hard work. I filmed myself twice a week and watched film for an hour after training.
Must have watched that Kev DiGiorgio vid a thousand times. I wound up going near 57' with 6kg/13.5lb shot as a senior (with a long-short glide) because I love throwing and wanted to get better at it. Technically I was useless without coaching help and video, so I'm surprised I ever got past 52'.

It's easy to get discouraged if you don't love the sport. If you just go out and be a strong meathead, then you probably won't get much past 50'.

[Jonathan Macfarlane]

Definitely. 12 years old, picked one up at summer camp and loved it ever since. I threw 52+ in high school without really knowing what I was doing - coaching is really important, as is watching video of your throws to see what you're doing/not doing. The high school shot is only 12 lbs, so speed and power are the MOST important factor. You can always get stronger, but you really have to work on driving hard out of the back and hitting a strong power position. Check out this (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN9TWuEzTSo) kid for a great example.
This (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT8_AiPVMG8&feature=related) is pretty awesome too.


Have fun at the Celtic? ;)

[Mike Landrich]

I recently earned NCAA All-American honors in the shot-put this past spring so i would like to think i know a decent amount on the subject... With that said there is nothing you can do to improve your shot like PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Honestly the shot is 10% strength 90% technique. The only way to improve your technique is to throw throw throw and throw some more. I had to learn this the hard way....believe me. All i wanted to do was lift and lift and throw here and there. When i started to put throwing as my priority instead of lifting my distances increased tremendously.

If you guys think Dawson can put the shot, you should see him with a 35 lb field stone. I was whooping some butt at this event at a contest in Pa, until Matt cut loose and beat me by 4' (25' vs 29'). :F:

[Scott Markowitz]

Forget 50' - if you don't love it and have good coaching you won't likely get near 50. I went out for track my senior year just for something to do, had essentially no coaching, and was awful. I benched about 330 but never broke 40 feet in the shot. Now, some of that is due to my utter lack of a single explosive muscle cell anywhere in my body (I also had a fairly useless glide, so it was sort of like step-step-standing put), but I can't imagine that with some coaching and some drive I wouldn't have done much better than I did.

[Jay Lee]

yea im getting coached off season right now, to do reverse lunges for the glide and such after heavy lifting. i just go straight to shot put essentials. and on off days i throw the shot put for a hour or two (tuesday/thursday)

[matthewvincent]

Jay-

i threw discus, shot, and hammer while in college. I think that the reverse lunges are good for strength building. but over all i would spend time doing oly lifts. Such as clean and jerk... It is a real good lift to replicate the timing of the glide. with the clean being the drive out of the back of the ring and the press being the hip drive and release. There are lots of drills out there. I enjoyed and got a lot out of starting with a single knee down drill. (start in your normal front of the ring stance. Rotate back keeping your left arm out and lower your left knee to the ground... your shot and right hand should be over or behind your right knee/hip. From there explode up and turn...make sure that you block hard with the left and drive the right hip into the left, all the way up through the hand.) This drill should give you some better sensations of the timing of the release. I would stay away from the reverse till you are capable of throwing non reverse... the reverse will give you an extra foot or so as is but if you can finish your throw all the way before going in to the reverse then you can add 3 to 5 feet.

how far are you throwing now...and how old are you.

[Jay Lee]

yea dont worry haha i think its called bear? but its a clean/jerk/squat in i guess 3 motions. that might be the wrong name but yea. i consider that one of my heavy lifting now cause everyone badgers me how my legs are so small compared to my chest ;( im probably going to start throwing on saturday and sundays now too since i just finsihed writing the constitution in my own words and made it into a book >.>

[dave barron]

Have fun at the Celtic? ;)

Hah ha. Actaully, yeah. Once you realize you're going to come in last you can lighten up and enjoy it.