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Rotational
Shot Put
Making Difficult Concepts Easy
Brian Bedard
Colorado State University
12/8/10
Rotational Shot Putting
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GOALS
y Work the shot over the longest path possible.
y Move the shot from slow to fast.
y Combine linear speed, rotational speed and vertical
lift at the finish.
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HOLDING THE SHOT
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y Hold shot at base of fingers, not in palm of hand.
y Shot placed under ear and near jaw line.
y Elbow should be up
y Some rotational shot-putters hold shot further back
and higher on neck.
y Personal preference!
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STARTING POSTION
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y Feet shoulder width apart with quarter squat.
y Depth can vary depending on the strength levels
y Pike at waist so shoulders are over feet.
y Long left arm to counter right side.
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INITIATE THE TURN
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y Abbreviated wind-up.
y Get in trouble when too excited with preliminary
swings.
y Move left arm and left leg together as system.
y Do not let left arm get ahead of left leg.
y Left knee turns in and down to center of ring.
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INITIATE THE TURN
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RIGHT LEG SWEEP
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y Tension created from left side system.
y When tension created - right leg sweeps out of the
back.
y The leg should be low and long off the back.
y Right leg is long – not broken at knee
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LEFT LEG PUNCH
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y Left leg provides linear force.
y Sprint step or “punch” off the back.
y No lunge off the back.
y Get off the left leg before fully extended.
y Extended Left - too slow to close.
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AIRBORN PHASE
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y Close knees in flight phase.
y Both feet down ASAP.
y Slow Left = loss of power
y Patience in the upper body.
y Advancing upper body = loss of tension.
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LEFT KNEE PINCH
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y Left knee pinched to right knee in air.
y Shortening left helps rotate the athlete.
y More efficient path to the front of the ring.
y Bring left knee in make contact with right knee.
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ORBIT OF SHOT
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y Shot travels in circular movement called an orbit.
y Low point at back and high point at the front.
y High point off - will affect thrower release.
y Early high point = right sector line
y Late high point = left sector
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ORBIT OF SHOT
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y Flat orbit will result in a very flat release.
y Bending at waist will create a low point at the start.
y High right elbow in the middle of the turn.
y If points are in line ball should be released in middle
of sector.
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RIGHT FOOT UNDER KNEE
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y Right leg sweeps wide out of back.
y Right knee bends and leg shortens which brings the
foot under the knee.
y Right knee should stay bent, landing down.
y Don’t reach or step down.
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LANDING DOWN
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y Right knee bent and don’t reach with right foot.
y This action will help the athlete land down on right
leg in middle of circle.
y This is very important to orbit and angle of release.
y Helps to get left foot down!
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POWER POSITION
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y Narrower foot placement in power position when
compared with glide technique.
y Land past middle, therefore left will come down
much closer to right foot.
y The feet may be as close as 12-16” apart. This is
typical.
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TURNING THE RIGHT FOOT
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y Right foot active in the middle.
y Right foot should touch and turn!
y Right foot and knee will continue to turn.
y Keeping tension on the torso and will later affect the
shot.
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VERTICAL LIFT
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y As hips come around to front the legs extend
aggressively in a vertical jump.
y Vertical lift and angle of release creates the height
y Coach needs to stress a violent vertical lift at the
release.
y Make sure thrower is not only lifting with legs but
turning right hip.
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LEFT SIDE BLOCK
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y Left leg must extend.
y Left arm must stop at left side.
y If left leg doesn’t extend = fouling, power loss and no
lift on shot.
y If thrower doesn’t stop left arm power developed will
escape in the opposite direction of the throw.
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REVERSE
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y Switching feet at front of ring to aid thrower in
staying in the ring.
y I do like using the non-reverse throws for training
purposes.
y The thrower will typically rotate on the right foot to
decelerate and save the throw.
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REVERSE
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y Work right side through finish
y Land with right side facing throw
y Left leg is long – counter balance
y Bend or shorten left to finish rotation
y One cycle and back to middle
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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OFF BALANCE / FALLING TO THE MIDDLE
y CAUSE* Not getting the body’s center of mass out
over the left foot.
y CORRECTION>
y Knee over foot
y 360 pivot drills to find balance
y Walk around drill
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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LANDING TALL IN THE MIDDLE
y CAUSE* Jumping up on entry.
y Stepping down with the right leg in the middle.
y CORRECTION> Get shin angle down when driving
off the back.
y Right foot under knee
y Toe up
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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NOT TURNING RIGHT FOOT
y CAUSE* Not enough right knee bend in middle
y CORRECTION> Keep right foot under knee and
land down on leg.
y CAUSE* left knee does not close to right in air born
phase.
y CORRECTION> aggressively close left knee to
right, which shortens left leg.
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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FOULING
y CAUSE* Not blocking aggressively with left leg.
“Soft left”
y CORRECTION> Stronger left w complete extension
through ball of left foot.
y Falling through circle – On balance out of back
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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NO HEIGHT ON THE FINISH
y CAUSE* Not enough vertical lift applied.
y The orbit could be too flat.
CORRECTION>
Increase vertical jump or lift at the front.
y Increase the high and low points to make a more
dramatic orbit.
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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SHORT ARM STRIKE ON SHOT
y CAUSE* Pulling head away at finish causing release
to be shortened.
y CORRECTION> Keep right eye right ear on finish.
y Keeping thrower in contact with shot as long as
possible.
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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NO FINGER PUSH AT FINISH
y CAUSE* Shot held too low in the palm of hand.
y CORRECTION> Adjust the grip.
y Put shot at base of fingers with the thumb under.
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FAULTS AND CORRECTIONS
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TOO ROTATIONAL
y CAUSE* Thrower not driving off left leg.
y Leading with head in advance of body.
y CORRECTION> Active sprint step off the left leg.
y focal point in direction of the throw
y Deeper shin angle.
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