collegiate throwers?

Hey any of you guys "higher level" collegiate throwers? If so what is your take on the weight throw as a significant event? Would you agree that it only really matters in the U.S. and in college? Are you gonna train for it after college?

Re: collegiate throwers?

I'm not a thrower, but the question you want to be asking is not where it matters. The question is if you have any international aspirations as a hammer thrower. Since the U.S. other than the occasional Lance Deal is one of the worst hammer nations in the world and the best hammer nations don't go anywhere near the weight, the question you want to ask is, is throwing the weight detrimental to my longterm goals?

My untrained eye says American hammer throwers are lumbering oxes in the circle (relatively speaking), whereas if you watch a guy like Murofushi, he's a whirling dervish of a ballerina in the ring. Battling the force of a 35lb weight is no way to develop that kind of athleticism I should think. ????

[G8Rhammr]

Re: collegiate throwers?

I agree with Rafael, but i think the weight is very important personally. The track program that I belong to took five of the top six spots at indoor NCAAs in the weight (even with redshirting our best weight-thrower, the NCAA champion in 2001), And only three of the top six at outdoor NCAAs in the hammer. While the weight might not be quite as important on the international scene because it is not in the Olympics, it helps train for the hammer. Many times, big throwers cannot feel the hammer, and throwing the weight teaches to counter more effectively.

I think that it's interesting that *usually* the eight people on the award stand for the weight throw are the biggest throwers out there, and the eight on the award stand for the hammer are relatively small.

[Hunter]

Re: collegiate throwers?

I agree with the other replies. With a couple of exceptions the weight throw studs are a bunch of monsters who muscle the the weight 68' and then throw 165' with the hammer outdoors.
KK

[dl]

Re: collegiate throwers?

Don Babbitt, the throws coach at Georgia, told me that he doesn't like the weight, because in reality it's a totally different event from the hammer. Sure, those who are good in the hammer are usually also good in the weight, but he thinks it hinders, rather than helps, development of hammer throwers.

With that said, he's still had some good weight throwers (Haklits, Mavraganis). You gotta score points for the team!

[ewinwee]

Re: collegiate throwers?

I personally think the weight throw is a great training tool for the hammer. It's not necessarily an entirely different event than the hammer. However, it is less technical than the hammer. The length of the weight lets the thrower get away with bad technique, unlike the hammer which is much more sensitive.
Also, another problem with the weight is that A LOT of coaches in the US have no idea how to coach the weight, let alone the hammer.
What I'm saying is, it much easier to be successful in the weight than the hammer. But if both events are coached correctly (i.e. the same) with proper hammer technique as the model for both events, the thrower should excel in both events. The technique with both events is the same; it's the timing that's different.

[MJR]

Re: collegiate throwers?

The problem with US development has been the exclusion from the HS programs. It was finally accepted into the Jr Olympic program this year. We have no kids learning to do this event until they are way past the time when they can quickly learn the skills needed to throw properly. The other 2 events that we are just plain horrible at (RW and Jav) have the same exclusion from the HS programs. Your answer to getting all 3 better is very simple.

[dl]

Re: collegiate throwers?

For those who know something about training for the hammer, if the weight is NOT good training for the hammer, what should hammer throwers be doing Nov-Feb. if they live somewhere where outdoor practice is curtailed due to weather?

[Iowa Master]

Re: collegiate throwers?

I went to a meet last weekend at Buena Vista college in Storm Lake. Now I know all of the colleges competing there were "small" colleges(D3,NAIA,Junior college), but I thought most of the people I saw in the weight throw(men and women) sucked. Only a couple of men and no women hit 50 feet. Only one man went over 50 feet in the shot. My own opinion is that the weight throw has the problem of making a slow athlete even slower in the hammer. I throw the shot, discus, javlin and hammer and find that the weight throw doesn't not have much carry over to any of my other throws. If anything the weight throw screws up my timing in the spin for the other events(not javlin of course).

[ewinwee]

Re: collegiate throwers?

Uh, actually since the weight is only 16 inches long it moves faster than the hammer. In other words, shorter radius means faster revolutions.

[G8Rhammr]

Re: collegiate throwers?

But remember, the weight is much heavier than the hammer, so even taking into account the shorter radius, a weight throw is typically slower than a hammer throw by the same person.
-Marie

[bigmac]

Re: collegiate throwers?

One can get away with muscling the weight but it doesn't work in the hammer.