Discus Throwing Technique

The hold

Place the left hand under the discus for support Place the right hand on top of the discus Spread the fingers evenly but not stretched The first joint of the fingers curling over the rim of the discus Do not to grip the discus Allow the discus to rest on the first joint of the fingers with the tips of the fingers over the rim.

Throwing Technique

• Figures 1 & 2
  • Adopt a shoulder width stance and perform preliminary swings
  • Keep everything very long to provide maximum possible radius on the discus
  • Body weight in the middle of the stance
  • Aim for chin over knee over toe on the left leg
• Figures 3 & 4
  • As the right foot leaves the ground the weight must be over the left leg
  • Discus kept high and relaxed, trailing behind the hips
  • Swing the right foot wide of the left foot into the centre of the circle
• Figure 5
  • On grounding the right foot pivots on the ball of the foot
  • Keep the left foot low and fast

• Figure 6
  • Discus held high and back
  • Keep the shoulders level and balanced
  • As the right foot lands aim for a chin over knee over toe on the right leg
  • Keep the left foot low and fast
• Figure 7
  • Real power position is at the moment the left foot makes contact with the ground
  • Left arm points in direction of the throw
  • Right foot pivots
  • Left side of the body is braced
  • Drive the right hip forward
• Figure 8
  • Right hip has been driven forward - note the "bow" position
  • The right arm is long and relaxed ready to strike
  • Left side kept firm and braced
• Figure 9
  • The right arm comes through fast and last
  • The release angle (angle between the horizontal and the right arm) for the discus has to take into consideration aerodynamic lift and drag.
  • Left foot is kept grounded until well after the discus is released
  • Check right thumb is pointing forward and in line with the arm

Optimum Release Angle

With ballistics, the same initial speed is applied to the projectile regardless of the angle of projection. Research (Bartonietz 1995)^[2] has shown that the athlete cannot throw at the same speed for all angles of projection, as the angle increase so the speed decreases. This decrease in speed is a result of two factors:

• As the angle increases the athlete must expend more energy in overcoming the weight of the discus and so less effort is available to develop the release speed of the discus
• The structure of the body favours a throw in the horizontal direction

Each athlete has a unique combination of release velocity and release angle that depends on their size, strength, and throwing technique which means that each athlete has their own specific optimum release angle.

Each athlete has a unique combination of release velocity and release angle that depends on their size, strength, and throwing technique which means that each athlete has their own specific optimum release angle. Knicker (1997)^[1] identifies that the optimum release angle for a world-class discus thrower may be 35°± 8°.