Shot Put

Shot put is an athletic competition of track and field that involves “putting”. Shot put involves throwing a heavy metal ball as far as possible, but in a pushing motion. The ball is known as the shot. The term shot put can be used to refer to both the shot and the throwing motion used to cast it off. Competitors in shot put take their throw from inside a circle measuring 7 feet in diameter. The distance is measured from the inside of the circle circumference to the exact point where the shot landed.

The Rules Of Shot Put

A competitor must rest the shot in between his or her neck and shoulders, holding it tightly to the neck while throwing. At the end of the throw the competitor pushes the throwing arm straight from the neck and the ball comes off the fingertips. A foul will be declared if shot put throwers do not leave the rear half of the circle, step out of the circle before the judge calls the mark, allows an article of clothing to touch the toeboard, throw a shot that falls outside the border or throw a shot like a baseball instead of pushing it. (Which would be painful and result in shot put accident)

Understanding Shot Put Technique

If you are wondering how to throw shot put, understand first that there are two putting styles: the glide and the spin. The shot put glide technique sees a right-handed thrower face the rear of the circle and then kick to the front with his or her left leg, while pushing off with the right. You are in essence “gliding” as the goal of this technique is to move quickly across the circle with as little air as possible under your feet. When the thrower crosses the circle he twists his hips towards the front, followed by his shoulders and then strikes with his arm in a putting motion. The spin shot put techniques see a right-handed thrower face the rear and then spin on the ball of his left foot. He comes around, faces the front of the circle, and drives the right foot into the middle. When he reaches for the front of the circle with his left foot, he twists his hips and shoulders and puts the shot. The history of shot put technique goes back to 1876, for the glide shot put technique and 1951 for the spin technique.

In training, shot put drills are used to prepare young athletes for the techniques they will eventually use in competition. Shot put videos might also be used to give students a visual example of how the shot is thrown. Girls shot put or women's shot put operate according to similar rules but feature smaller shots and less of a throwing distance. When it comes to shot put shoes, a good quality pair of shoes are certainly important in traction, speed and comfort. However, shot put T shirts are sort of pushing it. You're not going to improve your performance with a T-shirt! On the contrary, athletes who excel at shot put have cultivate great strength, power, grace, and balance.