All throwing events are different. But more importantly all athletes are different. When we devise training we have to remember we’re coaching people, not machines. This is central to the philosophy of throws coach Debbie Strange. On this week’s GAINcast she joins us to discuss her coaching philosophy, the unique demands of the javelin throw, training plan design, and more.
Read more
The dust has settled following Tokyo, giving us time to analyze the most recent trends in our sport. It’s not just a question of who is hot and who is not, but how current throwers are adapting and changing technique to reach new levels. On this week’s podcast coach Don Babbitt joins us to look at the technical trends in the throws that emerged in Tokyo.
Read more
All sports have rules. Rules are there to standardize competition, making it both more safe and fair for the competitors. Rules define the playing area, implement, procedures, and more. Rules can go overboard, but the idea is that the rules make sure the winner determined by physical and tactical components, rather than luck. In the throwing events various rules define the size and weight of the implement, where it must be thrown, the design of the cage, and the structure of the competition. However one there is one big gap in the rules: the throwing surface.
Read more
The Olympics just wrapped up. All the uncertainty leading into the games was left fans unsure of what was to come. But once the throwing started, historic performances arrived daily. On this week’s episode guest Shaun Pickering joins us to break down the performances in each of the throwing events, look at what made the Tokyo Olympics different, and draw out some key lessons for coaches and athletes from the 2020 Olympics.
Read more
It seemed like the Olympics might never arrive, but all of a sudden the tryouts for the world’s best team are here. That’s right, the US Olympic Trials start this week and we’ve got an in depth preview of all the throwing events together with guest Kibwé Johnson. In addition to sharing our predictions, we also discuss format changes in the field events, what makes a championship environment different, the resurgence of American hammer throwing, and much more.
Read more
Mike Barber came to the javelin as an outsider, but a fresh perspective has helped him rethink the event and led Kelsey-Lee Barber to World Championship gold last month. On this week’s GAINcast we talk with Barber about how his career has developed, his approach to the javelin, and how he navigated complex waters in the lead up to the World Championships. Read more
For our March site theme, we turn our attention from jumping to throwing. This site started out focused on the throwing events in track and field: shot put, discus, javelin and the hammer throw. Over the past decade we have expanded the scope to cover training and coaching for a wide range of sports. But this month we returned to our roots by putting together 7 new articles, 4 new podcasts, and 2 new videos covering all 4 throwing events. Read more
As a javelin thrower Dana Lyon was undersized and overlooked. It forced her to aim high and learn more about the event to succeed. She climbed her way up to become US champion. On this episode of the podcast she comes on the show to discuss how she developed her throw, her coaching philosophy, the competition mindset, and military life. Read more
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
Watch the javelin in full speed and it is a thing of beauty. Watch it in slow motion and it’ll often make you cringe. In order to throw a spear the length of a football field requires athletes to put their body in extreme positions with massive amounts of force transferring through the kinetic chain. Mastering it is hard, staying at the top even harder. Steve Backley was not just one of the best javelin throwers of all time, but sat atop the sport for 15 years. On this episode of the GAINcast, Backley joins us to discuss how he developed in the sport, what creates the perfect throw, and becoming a better competitor. Read more
