Track & Field

What do you love the most about shot put?

The Individuality and Power of Shot Put: A True Sports Marvel

Ah, my first question. What do I love most about the shot put? Honestly, this answer is two part. For me, growing up, playing a lot of team sports, I played football, I played basketball. Shot put for me was always that thing that allowed me to be a true individual. I didn't have to rely on 10 other people to do their job. I didn't have to rely on somebody else to pass me the ball. If I went out and I studied and I did my work and I worked hard, I was able to see that direct correlation translate over into my results. And that type of small thing like that really drove me nuts in a positive way. It really allowed me to really want to work hard. The other side of it is, shot put to me is a true representation of the combination of speed, power, and analytics. I'm a big stats nerd so I go back and watch a lot of film. So that combination of being able to be analytical and be powerful and be fast, that's what shot put is to me and that's why I love it.

I love shotput because it allows me to work hard and see the direct results of my efforts. It also combines speed, power, and analytics, which appeals to my nerdy side.

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What I love most about shot put is twofold. Firstly, coming from a background of team sports like football and basketball, shot put allowed me to be an individual athlete. I didn't have to rely on others to perform their roles or pass me the ball. Instead, my results directly correlated with the effort and hard work I put in. This sense of personal responsibility and the drive it instilled in me was incredibly motivating.

Secondly, shot put represents the perfect combination of speed, power, and analytics. As someone who enjoys studying statistics and watching film, I appreciate the analytical aspect of the sport. At the same time, shot put requires a tremendous display of strength and speed. This combination of skills and the challenge it presents is what truly captivates me and fuels my love for shot put.

Throwers: Unlock Your Potential with Running

Should throwers run? Short answer, yes, absolutely. Long answer, yes, absolutely. I definitely recommend running for throwers. I don't really recommend anything over a mile, I think that's a bit excessive, but everything up to a mile I think is pretty good for just general health and cardiovascular purposes. When you think about the throws, on a high school level or a small level, people usually send just the biggest kids over that, you know, can't run that they think or can't high jump or long jump, etc. and they just put them in the throws. But when you think about the highest level of our sport, the throwers are usually some of the strongest, most explosive athletes that we have. So I definitely recommend running because I believe running is one of the best ways to train ballistic movement. So short sprints, 10-meter sprints, 20-meter sprints, 30-meter sprints, anything with high turnover, getting your feet up and down over and over and over again, I think really translates over to dynamic power and usually longer throws, so I definitely recommend running for throwers.

Yes, I recommend running for throwers, short sprints up to a mile are best for general health and cardio purposes. Running helps train ballistic movement which can lead to longer throws.

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Throwers should definitely incorporate running into their training regimen. Running, particularly shorter distances up to a mile, is beneficial for general health and cardiovascular fitness. While some may assume that throwers are solely focused on strength and power, the highest level of the sport actually showcases throwers as some of the strongest and most explosive athletes.

Running is an excellent way to train ballistic movements, which are essential for throwers. Short sprints, such as 10-meter, 20-meter, and 30-meter sprints, help develop high turnover and quick footwork. This translates to improved dynamic power and often leads to longer throws.

In summary, running is highly recommended for throwers as it contributes to overall fitness, cardiovascular health, and the development of explosive athletic abilities.

What technique is better for a young shot-putter: the glide or rotational style?

Start with the glide: a solid foundation for young shot-putters

This question is pretty controversial, or it's becoming more controversial today with the prominence of the rotational shot put in the senior level of our sport. But to me, I think that the glide is the best style for young throwers to start with. Reason being, I look at the rotational throw as a rotational throw in the beginning, but I think it gets linear towards the finish. I'll explain it at a different time. But I think there are a lot of small mechanics that you learn in the glide as a beginner. Delivery, just power, force application, those type of things that you learn in the glide, I think really set the table for a very powerful and explosive rotational movement as you develop in the sport. I think a lot of people who start with the rotation and they don't learn some of those basic things from the glide, they tend to pull off the shot put. Their delivery does not tend to be as refined. So I definitely recommend starting with the glide, teaching those basic movements, the basic power transfer, and then learning the rotation as they get more comfortable with the event.

I think the Glide is the best style for young throwers to start with as it teaches important fundamentals that form the foundation of a powerful and explosive rotational delivery.

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The controversy between the glide and rotational style in shot put is prominent, especially at the senior level of the sport. However, for young shot-putters, I believe that starting with the glide technique is the best approach.

In my opinion, the rotational throw begins as a rotational movement but becomes more linear towards the finish. The glide technique, on the other hand, allows young throwers to learn important mechanics such as delivery, power, and force application. These fundamental aspects set the foundation for a powerful and explosive rotational movement as they progress in the sport.

Starting with the glide technique helps beginners develop refined delivery and prevents them from pulling off the shot put. By mastering the basic movements and power transfer in the glide, young shot-putters can then transition to the rotational style with more comfort and confidence.

Therefore, I recommend starting with the glide technique, teaching the essential movements and power transfer, and gradually introducing the rotational style as they become more proficient in the event.

Darrell Hill answers your Track & Field questions. See all the advice Darrell Hill has and get answers to your own Track & Field questions.

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Darrell Hill is an American track and field athlete and Nike-sponsored competitor. Hill won the US Shot Put title at the 2018 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and holds the Penn State school record indoors at 20.51 m (67 ft 3+1⁄4 in). Joe Kovacs holds the outdoor record 21.02 m (68 ft 11+1⁄2 in) just ahead of Hill's 20.86 m (68 ft 5+1⁄4 in). On July 1, 2016, at the 2016 Olympic Trials, Hill threw a new personal best of 21.63 m (70 ft 11+1⁄2 in) to finish third and qualify for the 2016 Olympics.  He trained with USOC coach Art Venegas through 2017 and is now coached by Ryan Whiting of Desert High Performance in Phoenix, Arizona. Hill previously competed for the University of Houston during his freshman year before transferring to Penn State University. He placed fourth in the 2012 USA Junior Track and Field Championships at the University of Indiana, Bloomington.