Discus throwing can be a difficult event to master. There are some areas that can have a major impact on the release, but are often overlooked when making technical corrections. The following are some tips to help the struggling discus thrower.

The first area to consider is the rope. Many athletes often overlook the importance of the rope. As an initial movement, it is essential to prepare the launch. Two critical factors in settlement are pace and orbit. Remember that in all launch events, and almost all track and field events, a slow to fast pace is required, with maximum acceleration occurring in the “critical zone” or power position.

Too often, novice discus throwers accelerate the rope, recoil too fast, and jump into the inlet causing a collision in the middle. The rope should be slow and deliberate, bringing the puck back only as far as possible, maintaining the maximum separation between the axis of the hip and the axis of the shoulder at the entrance. The goal is to keep the puck locked in this position throughout the movement until the throwing phase.

The string also establishes the orbit of the disk. As the launcher rotates 270 degrees again, the arms remain 180 degrees from each other. The puck must have a high point at 180 degrees (the direction of throw). The disk should be approximately the height of the head at its highest point in the orbit.

Another area that is often overlooked is heel height on the pivot foot. Athletes sometimes exaggerate the importance of staying alert to the extreme. When pivoting with the left foot to the back of the circle, the weight should be on the inside of the ball of the foot, but the heel should remain close to the ground. The entrance should be slow and powerful. The higher the heel is outside the circle, the faster the athlete turns on it and the less force is produced by the legs.

The same applies in the middle of the circle when pivoting with the right foot. Now the athlete should be on the outside of the ball of the foot. The heel should remain low until the toe is turned in the direction of the throw, then the athlete can use all the leg muscles to propel the hips forward and throw the puck into the throwing sector.

There are many technical aspects to consider in discus throwing, these are just a couple of fundamental components of the technique that should be emphasized when working to improve competition performance.