[Nick Newman]

Nick Newman on February 18, 2009 at 3:44 am #15384

Hey i need advice from the thrower people on the forum !

Here’s a few questions i have about hammer training…

1- Is it normal/ productive for hammer throwers to go 4-6 weeks with ONLY throwing a heavy hammer and NOT the normal hammer AT ALL? Why and why not…

2- For a hammer thrower who has been throwing for about 3 years and is still very much learning the event is it a good idea to add another turn making it 4 turns for him/her? Why and why not…

3- Is weight throw and hammer throw technique simular? or does being good at one usually mean the other one suffers?

4- Do hammer throwers usually lift heavy/ OL’s, squats etc 4 times a week? More than other events?

[johnstrang]

johnstrang on February 18, 2009 at 11:41 am #78202

I know the hammer throwers do usually lift heavy. My throws coach would have them do a lot of olympic lifts and recommends they do at least one overhead oly lift a week, so snatches basically. I don’t think there programs are too different from what mike writes up, maybe a little more hypertrophy work in preseason.

The weight and hammer throws are similar but it seems like it is really hard on the athlete’s body. We have a 60 ft female weight thrower, but she hates it and always looks forward to outdoor. So unless they are in cold weather area and have to be inside, or competing for college I would think avoiding the weight is best.

As for the other two questions I can’t help, but you would think to add another turn if the athlete has started to plateau and their technique is really good. If the technique is poor I would say to keep less turns, and then add later one when he/she cannot throw any further.

[dennis kline]

dennis kline on February 22, 2009 at 6:56 am #78474

The most important thing is how far the hammer goes, not how much you lift… If you clean 130kg you should be able to throw over 60m.

Light ball speed is bar far the most important thing until you’ve hit ~65m with the hammer or 65ft with the wt. If your wt and hammer technique are different you have 2 different events. It should be the same…

3 vs 4 turns is about the start and your personal rhythm and timing. 4 turns is easier due to the slower ball spedd on the entry…nothing else. Don’t be fooled that 4 is faster… remeber the WR is from 3t

[GqArtguy]

GqArtguy on February 7, 2010 at 6:38 am #94418

Hey i need advice from the thrower people on the forum !

Here’s a few questions i have about hammer training…

1- Is it normal/ productive for hammer throwers to go 4-6 weeks with ONLY throwing a heavy hammer and NOT the normal hammer AT ALL? Why and why not…

Depends on the athlete and the weakness involved. You can use lighter hammers for speed and technique, heavier hammers for skill-specific strength. How you incorporate that depends on how you approach training in general. For example, some people like block periodization where you emphasize one quality and minimize/maintain everything else. Again, all of this depends on the level of skill of the athlete.

Personally, if you want to be good at the hammer, you should practice throwing it. Even if you throw short or heavy hammers in training to work specific qualities, you should still incorporate the competition hammer.

2- For a hammer thrower who has been throwing for about 3 years and is still very much learning the event is it a good idea to add another turn making it 4 turns for him/her? Why and why not…

If you cant master 3 turns, no point in going into 4. The decision to go from 3 to 4 will be based on the athlete’s comfort.

3- Is weight throw and hammer throw technique simular? or does being good at one usually mean the other one suffers?

I believe theres limited carryover from the indoor weight to the hammer because the weight is 1) too short and 2) too heavy. This is going to affect the speed, the countering, turn timing, and the rigidity of the body. I prefer to use heavier hammers with longer lengths to simulate the actual hammer.

Larry Judge believes that the best weight throwers are shot putters since you can afford to be more aggressive in the weight and the nature of the shot has more carryover to the weight and vice versa. Doesnt mean that a hammer thrower cant throw a good weight, but doesnt mean its the most efficient way to manage your throwers.

4- Do hammer throwers usually lift heavy/ OL’s, squats etc 4 times a week? More than other events?

I cant speak for other coaches, but for me it depends on the athlete. If I have someone lacking single leg strength or balance, then there are lots of lunges, stepups, etc. If balance is there, then we can squat. If strength is lacking, then more strength work. If power is lacking then more speed/power/technique work in the throw, OLs, etc.

[rainy.here]

rainy.here on July 27, 2010 at 3:09 pm #100463

2- For a hammer thrower who has been throwing for about 3 years and is still very much learning the event is it a good idea to add another turn making it 4 turns for him/her? Why and why not…

3- Is weight throw and hammer throw technique simular? or does being good at one usually mean the other one suffers?

2- Don’t forget that the world record was off 3 turns. The 4 turn spin is easier to control at the start due to the lower entry speed. I would prefer to clean up a 3 turn throw before adding turn 4, though I will occasionally have 3 turn throwers do 4 during practice.

3- Yes, it is. A girl who did HT/SP/DT in high school where I coach, and currently has the top mark for Canadian JR Hammer, set a Canadian JR weight throw record her first year of college having never done it before.