Progressions for Coaching the Shot Put and Discus Throw

by Brett Halter, University of Missouri

The University of Missouri's Brett Halter joined the Tiger staff to coach the shot put and discus throw 12 years ago. Since that time Coach Halter has been a student of the sport learning from some of the brightest most successful coaches in track and field, and has evolved into one of the most successful and respected throws coaches in the country himself. Halter was named USA Track and Field Development Coordinator for the junior men's shot put in 2003. Halter's throwers have earned 20 All American awards, won 10 conference championships, earned U.S. Olympics Trials qualifying spots four times and been members of four U.S. National teams. Included in this group of outstanding throwers is seven-time All American and IAAF World Indoor Champion Christian Cantwell. Christian also recorded the longest throws in the world in 2004 both indoors and outdoors.  Halter utilizes a conglomeration of theories to coach these events but the foundation of his methods is a thorough knowledge of the technical demands and training theory associated with each event. Progressions for Coaching the Shot Put and Discus Throw provides useful guidelines for developing athletes in each of these events, and coaches at all levels (men's and women's) will find it to be an excellent resource for teaching these beautifully simplistic yet wonderfully intricate events.  2006.

The Complete Book of Throws By Jay Silvester, former coach BYU; 4-time Olympian From the basic biomechanics of throwing to in-depth information on the discus, javelin, hammer, and shot put, Complete Book of Throws brings it all together to improve your techniques—and your distance. This book takes the techniques and conditioning programs of the most accomplished coaches in each event and presents them in a way that athletes can understand and coaches can adapt to create a winning program. Silvester covers specific strength training and conditioning techniques, including training for athletes in multiple throwing events. World-class coaches complete the picture with in-depth coverage of each throw technique. Sport-specific strength conditioning, periodization, and effective energy transfer are all covered in this practical guide, along with detailed illustrations that walk you through every phase of each throw. Whether you’re just starting out in the event or preparing your team for competition at the highest level, you’ll find the conditioning and training specifics you need to strength your body, improve your form, and push your performance to the edge.  157 pages.

DISCUS THROW with Mike Buncic, 1992 Olympian.  Mike Buncic shows how he threw 227'2" and what he did to get there. Buncic's teaching progression goes from basic technique to advanced topics. In this great tape, he covers the proper grip and release, correct stance, the standing throw( or scale position), proper blocking action and several drills. Common errors and corrections are covered along with training methods (throwing vs. lifting). This tape is unmatched for its clarity and simplicity! 31 minutes. 

THE DISCUS THROW with Ralf Uebel, LSU.  Coach Uebel provides comprehensive instruction on this excellent discus technique and training tape that shares LSU's winning methods. Uebel provides a teaching sequence with key points to focus on to help your thrower and also provides ideas for supplementary implements to make the learning process easier. He also covers all the aspects of training your throwers, and stresses the need to maintain a proper balance in the training. 31 minutes. 

DISCUS THROW with Brian Bedard, Colorado State University.  Using demonstrations, Coach Bedard, who coached the 1998 NCAA Champion in men's discus and a three-time All-American women's discus thrower, shows you how to correct the most common errors made by your discus throwers. Your athletes will benefit from Coach Bedard's unique combination of drills and strategies that teach throwers consistent, correct technique. Demonstrations show the errors commonly made by all throwers and how to correct them. A comprehensive video great for the coach or the athlete! 57 minutes.

PROGRESSION FOR TEACHING THE WOMEN'S DISCUS with Lynne Anderson, University of Minnesota Throws Coach, 1976 & 1980 USA Olympian, 3X National Champion and former American record holder!
This video gives young female throwers an opportunity to learn correct technique from a female thrower's perspective. The tape shows the coach and athlete how to get from point A to point Z in an organized, building blocks-type method. This way of breaking down technique will help coaches and athletes avoid the frustrations and problems that can accompany the learning of the discus throw. 36 minutes.

DRILLS FOR TEACHING THE DISCUS THROW with Ron McEachran, Field Events Coach, Iowa State University.  This video takes you through a series of step by step drills for beginning, intermediate, and advanced throwers. Drills for beginning throwers include the proper grip and the correct standing throw method. Intermediate drills include the turn-in-place, step around, the torque drill, and the pirouette drill. Advanced throwers are shown the South African, the full turn (with cone), and the backward throw. 47 minutes 

THE THROWS MANUAL by Kevin McGill and George Dunn, Jr.
This second edition gives the coach a one-stop source for all aspects of teaching the throwing events. The basic steps for introducing proper technique to beginners are covered systematically with teaching progressions. They describe the technique errors and problems your throwers are likely to encounter and what to do about them. They suggest drills to assist your athletes build strength, keep in top condition, refine technique and improve performance. 155 pages. 1994