A Throwing Workout

[Alan H]

Well, I've assembled the following:

....a "dead stick" sort-of caber. It's a 14 foot 6 x 6 that I've somewhat rounded off the ends, to (very) vaguely circular. Bill tells us that picking it is about like picking the real thing, and if you can pick, you can at least attempt a toss. It's about 80 pounds.

A 16 pound hammer. It's three five pound weights and a 1.25 pounder on the end of a 4 foot piece of abs pipe, held there by the threaded pipe cap and and a LOT of duct tape.

A 16 pound river stone, care of the local garden supply

A 28 pound weight for distance/height. This is two 10 lb weights, a 2.5 pound and three 1.25 weights all set on some threaded plumbing fittings. It's much like the various pictures on the 'net about how to make this stuff. I couldn't find a handle, so I finally bought a big galvanized ring (that weighs 1.5 pounds) and used a 3/8ths inch anchor shackle to attach it to the eye bolt at the top of the weights. All up, it's proabaly just a shade over 28 pounds.

So today I went to the park and threw stuff around. I left the "caber" at home and just took the other weights. It took a tape measure and used my towel for a trig.

Seems like I'm pretty good at hammer. It seems to come naturally and I'm tossing them out there around 60-65 feet, and this is my second time at it.

the 16 pound stone...I'm doing "form throws" to get the feel for it back again at 25-27 feet, and when I go for it and do 'em mostly right they're out there around 31-33 feet.

Weight for height also comes fairly naturally and I'm guessing I toss the 28 pounder about 14 feet??? If I'd drive up with my hips better and work my back less I bet I'd get another foot to a foot and a half out of it.

Weight for distance is hard for me. It's really hard to keep centered with all that weight flinging you around. My best throw today was about 37-38 feet and most were in the low 30's. I was all over the freaking trig.

None of these will win me anything around here, but I won't go out and look the fool either, from what I'm reading on the Scottish Heavies web site.

If anyone has any hints about how to improve on the weight for distance, I'd love to hear 'em!

Bay Area X-Markers, let's get togethr for another throwing session with Bill in early February!

[Alan H]

Actually, looks like I'm gonna need to make a 42 pound weight here pretty quick.

..........and do a heck of a lot of sit-ups.

[A Hay]

Good for you Alan!
I don't have the body type for strength events, but they are fun to watch.
Tom

[McMurdo]

Good luck with it Alan, not something I would attempt, but good luck with it.

[N. Campbell]

Sounds like you are off to a good start.

Having not seen you throw I can only speculate that you may be starting out to fast in your spin for weight for distance. You have to force yourself to start slow and begin the spin just when the weight gets by your hip. If you set yourself right in the beginning you will then be able to increase your speed in the second and final pull. This will give you balance and much better distances.

[morgan]

Yeah, also on the W4D, make sure you're keeping the arm straight and not bringing the shoulder up into the neck area. We always do a single spin our first year and any new throwers that come out just do the single spin for a complete year until venturing into the double and triple spin...it's the fist spin that makes or breaks the throw.

Are you going to be throwing masters?

[Kilted KT]

looks like a fantastic start!

hints for better distance:

1. get closer to where you are throwing to.
2. Buy the measuring judge a bottle of Laphroaig before you throw.
3. Throw when the local Kilt Inspectors march by the events area. I am sure most people will forget you are throwing anything at all.

[Alan H]

Yeah, also on the W4D, make sure you're keeping the arm straight and not bringing the shoulder up into the neck area. We always do a single spin our first year and any new throwers that come out just do the single spin for a complete year until venturing into the double and triple spin...it's the fist spin that makes or breaks the throw.

Are you going to be throwing masters?

I figured I'd do Masters 45-49, since for most of the Games this summer I'll be 49 years old. Seems like the Games I'm planning to throw at have between 4-6 of us "mature guys" out competing.

If the Masters group is really small, then I'll throw in Men's C.

I'm not out to beat anybody or win anything, just to do it for the yuks of it, and see what I can do.

I notice that I tend to get the weight too high at the end of the throw in the WfD. I changed my spin to help with that, but it's going to take some work. I have to seriously concentrate on keeping my body weight centered.

I experimented a bit with an Collegiate hammer-style spin and I can almost pull it off with the 28 pound, but I'm sure the 42 is going to be too heavy.

Also, I had a short linkage between handle and weight...just the anchor shackle. If I add two quick-links in there, it might make it easier. I understand that the linkage on the WfD is longer than the one for the WfH

[Alan H]

Sounds like you are off to a good start.

Having not seen you throw I can only speculate that you may be starting out to fast in your spin for weight for distance. You have to force yourself to start slow and begin the spin just when the weight gets by your hip. If you set yourself right in the beginning you will then be able to increase your speed in the second and final pull. This will give you balance and much better distances.

OK, that's good. I'll remember that. Wait to start the spin and start out slow.

I'm trying to think about GUIDING the weight and accelerating it, not pushing it around. I'm also thinking hard about keeping my own weight centered.

I'm only doing one spin. If I can pull that off and stay balanced, I'll be jazzed.

[N. Campbell]

One thing that makes sense to me now that did not when I first started was to simply relax, and not over think about throwing the weight, but just to spin.
It sounds so easy but it is not in the beginning. Just picture yourself spinning using the whole body to turn (mainly legs) not just upper body. The weight is just coming along for the ride.