Tag Archive for: Biomechanics

GAINcast Episode 194: The trailblazer (with Betty Atwater)

Sports biomechanics came to age in the 1960s and 1970s with scientists like Betty Atwater at the forefront of this new field. A lot has changed in sports science over the last 50 years, but many of the foundational findings still hold and there is a lot we can learn from the analytical and technical processes used by the trailblazers of biomechanics. On this week’s GAINcast Atwater joins to discussion some of her landmark research on pitching and sprinting, as well as the work that led to it. Read more

History is alive

It is so important to know history, especially in today’s climate of instant information. Historical context is all important. Many training concepts and methods being practiced and promoted commercially are 50, 60, 70 years old or even older. Historical perspective gives a clearer direction on what you are doing now or what you are planning to do. Certainly, we can learn how these concepts and methods were previously used, what worked and what did not work and most importantly why. Often these methods fell out of favor for various reasons, it is helpful to know why. History can tell us that. Understanding those reasons will help us to avoid repeating mistakes. Read more

GAINcast Episode 193: Chasing perfection

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. But what is perfect? Is there such a thing as perfect technique? On this week’s GAINcast we look at technique, movement, and perfection. By better understanding what we’re chasing, we can better frame and design what we are doing in training. Read more

The drivers of technical evolution

When we look at track and field, technique in different events have evolved at different paces over the course of the last century. Comparing different events it is interesting to see how some techniques have barely changed while others have become unrecognizable. All of this begs the question why some events move forward technically, and others do not. Read more

GAINcast Episode 169: The Baseball Ranch (with Ron Wolforth)

Baseball has become a faster and more athletic game recently, in large part due to advances in training. Ron Wolforth set up the Texas Baseball Ranch 16 years ago and has been pumping out elite pitchers ever since. The key isn’t in their program, but in the process that helps assess and find the performance pathway for each athlete. On this week’s GAINcast he joins us to discuss his approach to player assessment, training, and specific methodologies. Read more

July 2019 in review: training speed

No matter the sport, speed matters. Speed is a topic we’ve covered a lot here on HMMR Media, and it is also a topic we will keep coming back to because it is so vital to elite performance. In July we put together a variety of resources on the topic from 10 contributors, including 1 new video lesson, 5 new podcast episodes, and 7 detailed training articles.
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Track speed vs. team speed

As a young coach, one thing I didn’t realize was how variable speed requirements are between different sports. We might think of speed as a single quality trained in a single way, but the reality is that speed manifests itself differently in each sport and therefore needs to be trained differently. As I have gained experience in different sports, my thought process has slowly evolved. Read more

Technical models, good technique, and finding your style

Around the throws world you hear people talking all the time about how this individual or that individual has “good technique.” What exactly does that mean? Read more

Balancing power and skill in the throwing events

On last week’s HMMR Podcast, guest Kevin McMahon talked about how lifting and throwing chase different feelings. A maximum squat has a very different feeling that a personal best throw. A good throw is like a sprint: it is loose and quick, not a grind like heavy lifting. Maximum strength plays an important role in develop throwers, but McMahon emphasized that it should not take priority over the feel for the throwing movement. Read more

HMMR Podcast Episode 186: Throw different

Throughout 2018 we’ve had the chance to sit down and talk shop with some of the world’s top throwing coaches. To close out the year we’ve compiled six of our favorite highlights from our interviews with coaches like Dan Lange, Don Babbitt, John Frazier, Aretha Thurmond, and Mattias Jons, covering a variety of topics like coaching character, communication, individualizing technique, the biomechanics of throwing, and the champion’s mindset. Read more