HMMR Podcast Episode 325: Tokyo 2025 throws preview (with Don Babbitt)
The world championships in track and field kick off this weekend. There is some thrilling action ahead in the throwing events, and University of Georgia coach Don Babbitt joins us on this week’s podcast to talk about trends in the throwing events, what we’re keep an eye on next week, and the future of American throws development.
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Don Babbitt is the throwing coach and Associate Head Coach at the University of Gerogia. In nearly three decades at the school he has guided some of the top collegiate and professional throwers in the world, including Reese Hoffa, Adam Nelson, Breaux Greer, Jason Tunks, Andras Haklits, and many more. In addition, he supports World Athletics on coaching education and throwing topics.
Related resources
- This episode is brought to you by HMMR Plus. Become a member for full access to our videos, articles, and podcast archives.
- You can read Nick’s full article on the silent crises in American throwing.
- Babbitt was also a guest on Episode 319 recapping the Paris Olympics, Episode 318 looking at throwing trends, Episode 305 previewing the 2023 world championships, Episode 256 on throwing trends, Episode 170 on throwing biomechanics, and on Episode 116. And he sat down for a lengthy interview on individualization and other training topics back in 2012.
- For more in depth coaching insights from Babbitt, watch HMMR Classroom Lesson 25, a 3+ hour master class on rotational shot put.
- Several of the throwers mentioned and their coaches have been guests on our podcast including coach Mitch Crouser, Matt Denny and his coach Dale Stevenson, Stahl’s former coach Vésteinn Hafsteinsson, Camryn Rogers’s coach Mo Saatara, Sarah Mitton’s coach Richard Parkinson, Ethan Katzberg’s coach Dylan Armstong, and Trip Piperi’s coach Dave Dumble.
- For more in depth technical breakdowns from Stevenson and Armstong, they break down Denny and Katzberg’s technique in our recent HMMR Classroom Lesson 43.
Key quotes and topics
- 0:00 – Introduction
- 1:30 – Men’s shot put preview: new kids on the block
- 5:15 – The skill of competing after injury and Crouser have any rust?
- 8:15 – Rethinking athlete limits at the World Championships
- 10:45 – Men’s discus preview: who wins without wind?
- 13:00 – Training with ultra light implements
- 16:30 – Men’s hammer throw: can Katzberg step up with real competition?
- 18:45 – Women’s shot put: pushing the limits
- 21:15 – Women’s discus: the meet’s biggest favorite
- 22:00 – Women’s hammer throw: consistency vs. flash
- 24:45 – The crisis in American throwing
- 36:30 – The state of American hammer throwing
- 44:30 – Finding a way forward in the women’s javelin
- 49:15 – Getting to the top vs. staying at the top
- 54:15 – The rise of different approaches to the discus
- 1:01:15 – More on Crouser and competing after a long layoff
Complete transcript
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