How to Throw a Discus

Discus throwing dates back to at least 708 BC.^[1] During the time, a Greek sculptor named Myron created his famous statue, 'Discobolus', which was a discus thrower,^[2] and the famous poet, Homer, made various references to discus throwing in his Iliad.^[3] Discus throwing formed part of the Greek pentathlon. The discs at the time were made of bronze and iron, and were much heavier than the discs used today. Today, both men and women of all ages participate in this Olympic event.

Part 1 of 3: Selecting the disc

1

Before throwing, choose the right disc. The size and weight of discus you throw is determined by your age and gender. Use the following list to help you choose correctly and avoid an accident.

• Women (all levels) - 1Kg Discus
• Boys (up to Age 14) - 1Kg Discus
• Men (High School, 15-18) - 1.6Kg Discus
• Men (College) - 2Kg Discus
• Men (Masters to 49) - 2Kg Discus
• Men (50-59) - 1.5Kg Discus
• Men (60+) - 1Kg Discus

2

If  you feel that the weight shown here are too heavy or light for you, try adjusting the weight to suit your needs.

Part 2 of 3: Standing correctly

Note: This is for right handed people. Mirror the position if you are left handed.

1

Practice the stance. This is one of the most important steps to throwing a good discus, along with holding the disc correctly. Think of the width between your feet as you are about to the throw the disc. Make sure your feet are both shoulder width apart and your arms are both extended to the length. Also practice the chin-knee-toe technique, where you ensure that the knee of your left leg is in line with the toes and the chin as you stand.

2

When in the discus ring, find a comfortable footing position. The footing position, if you're right handed, is with the left foot pointed outwards of the ring (the exit of the discus) and the right foot pointed 90 degrees clockwise from the left. So, the left foot is at 12:00 and the right at 3:00.

• Do not space your feet out so far that the wind up will be blocked. Think of it as an "L" so that the right goes to the top and the left to the bottom.

Part 3 of 3: Throwing the disc

1

Enter the ring with your chosen disc.

2

Position your feet correctly. Get in a good stance while you swing your arms and prepare to throw your discus, because it will also help to determine the length of your upper body stride. If you space your feet to far, you might have an accident or the wind up may be blocked.

3

Place your left hand under the discus. This provides the proper support. Place the right hand on top of the discus. Throwing distance may be impaired if you don't do this, or you might throw backwards by accident. ^[5]

• Bend your fingers around the discus edge lightly, only from the first joint of your fingers.^[6] Your fingers should barely skim the edge rather than clasp or wrap the discus.^[7] This makes it easier to throw it because you are not gripping it, nor holding it with your palm.

4

Extend your right arm. Maintain the positioning of the discus in your right hand, face down, with your other hand supporting the bottom.

5

Swing your arm with your body back and forth horizontally. This gains momentum for the throw. The more momentum, the better.

• When swung back, let the disc swing alone but when pulled forwards, put the left hand under to keep it from getting released.
• Do the swing at an approximate of 40-50° upwards. This means you raise the disc when swung forward and lower the disc when you swing back. This allows the discus to gain height whilst thrown.
• At the same time, you will need to swing your lower body as well so the rotation is greater.
• Remember to keep your feet on the same position so momentum is not lost.
• Swing back and forth repeatedly until you feel like throwing.

6

When you feel like the swing is great enough, release the disc with greater force. To avoid a foul, only throw within the marker, and don't throw backwards.

• Use your legs as the primary force. Have weight on your left ball of your foot while the right leg swings around widely and lands in the middle of the ring. Push off with your left leg and have all your weight transferred to the right leg in the center of the circle as it turns until pointing to the front of the ring, as your right leg turns into your left leg (the blocking leg). Then feel that your body spins from the feet up, having your torso and arm being the very last things to come through the throw.
• Flick your fingers and aim your arm/hand high as you let go of the disc for a farther distance. If you use strength in your arms and legs it will go even farther. The harder the push, the farther it will fly.
• Extend your chest out before the release to allow the shift of weight #During your throw, never go over the ring line because it will result in a foul. When entering and exiting the ring, you must go from the ways to get a foul in Discus include after the throw if any of your feet go over the ring, from the legs to the arms.

7

Find your markings and if it wasn't good enough, try harder for the next throw. If done properly, the disc should travel relatively horizontal and reach a great distance. The average throwing distance for high schoolers is approximately 45-49 m (150-160 feet).

8

After the throw is done, exit the ring out the back half.

Tips

• should roll of your index finger, not your pinky. By doing this drill you train your hand the let it roll of your index finger, that way when you add your spin or whatever foot work you choose, and you add in your upper body form, you are able to effectively throw the discus.
• Be aware of your surroundings. You cannot throw if there are people in front of you because you can hit them. In addition, people watching should be outside of the ring itself behind the net. The net helps prevent the disc from flying off into the crowd of people behind. Be aware that even pros slip their discs when in competition. There should be only one person in the ring, you, the participant. Failure to comply may result in severe injures to other people and/or damage to property.
• Get your own discus so you can practice at home. The more practice you have, the better you will do.
• Stay hydrated and eat plenty of healthy foods to keep yourself prepared for your throw. If you are dehydrated, hungry, tired or unfit, you might have impaired throwing distance.
• To maximize throwing distance, throw at about 45 degrees. The world male record is 74.08 m (243 ft)!
• Always aim for 45 degrees.
• When participating in the discus throw, you must be aware of the following clothing requirements:
  • Be aware that it is necessary to wear shoes in the discus ring. This avoids any foot injuries that might occur, such as the disc slipping off your hand and landing on your feet.
  • Do not wear a hat inside the ring. This will help prevent any misguided throws because the bill of the hat might get in the way. In addition, in most sports, hats are restricted for various reasons.
  • Wear suitable clothing. For discus throwing, you should wear moderately comfortable shirts and shorts. This means not body-stuck tight nor sumo-sized. Wear anything that is easy to turn in for the wind-up.
  • Other forbidden pieces of clothing include sunglasses because they do not allow full access to sight.