How to throw a cannonball

Content

Steps
Part 1 of 4: Learning the Basics
Part 2 of 4: Hone Your Basic Throw
Part 3 of 4: Body Whip Technique
Part 4 of 4: The Circular Swing Technique
Tips
Warnings

Putting the shot seems like a simple sport: you try to throw the load further than your opponents. In fact, to avoid injury, you need to throw an unusually heavy ball (called a "cannonball") using a specific technique. Athletes who have achieved great success should invest as much energy and momentum as possible in the "push", without going outside the circle, as well as keeping an eye on coordination and balance. Techniques "body whip" and "circular swing" are used by those who have already reached a high level, and beginners should start honing the basic technique.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Learning the Basics

1 Start with a lightweight core. The word "core" refers to a heavy ball that opponents try to throw as far as they can. Beginners should start with lighter weights (1.8 - 3.6 kg), as this reduces the risk of injury if the throw is not made correctly.
- Once you've mastered the basic throwing skills and with a little practice, you can move on to heavier cannonballs.The standard core weight may vary depending on the age and gender of the competitors and the host country.
2 Stand inside the circle. When pushing the core, you must stay within the circle for the entire throw. During official competitions, the circle is usually drawn on a concrete slab and is 2.13 m wide. If you go outside the circle when throwing, it will be a violation - during the competition, such a throw will not be counted.
- After the throw, the athlete must exit the circle through the back half of the ring, not the front, otherwise the throw will not count. (This avoids controversy as to whether the athlete stepped over the line during or after the throw).
- On the circle, as a rule, there is a bar in the front that does not allow the athlete's foot to protrude too far forward. Step on the top of the plank is not allowed.
3 Determine the winner. After the cannonball falls, the distance from the front of the circle to the landing site is measured. However, the cannonball must land within the cone-shaped throwing field, otherwise it would be a violation. The winner is the athlete whose core lands as far from the circle as possible and who does not break the rules.
- If you want to make your own cone-shaped throwing field, then you need to fix two ropes of the same length, at least 15.2 meters each (sides of the cone), and then make the end of the cone, which will be exactly 60% of the length of one of the sides. ... Measure the length of the sides from the center of the circle.
4 Push, don't throw. Since the ball is much heavier than balls used in other sports, it should not be thrown from above or below - there is a high risk of pulling a muscle or getting injured in some other way. Always "push" the core by extending your arm in one direction and not swinging it. Read the instructions below to learn more about standard throw techniques.

Part 2 of 4: Hone Your Basic Throw

1 Squeeze the core with your fingers. Take a "core," or heavy ball, cupping your fingers together and support it from the back with your thumb. Do not touch the core with your palm or stretch your fingers around the ball. Use your dominant hand.
2 Stand sideways to the back of the circle. Place your right foot on the back of the circle and stand facing the right side of the circle. Spread your legs a little more than shoulder-width apart. Although you will later learn a position for a stronger throw, this position is a good place to start to concentrate on your arm and leg movements.
- This manual is written for right-handed shot putters. If you are left-handed, replace "right" with "left" hand.
3 Place the core under the jawbone. Place the core under the jawbone near the neck. Keep your right elbow raised so that your hand presses directly onto your neck.
4 Extend your left arm up. Point your left hand up in the direction of the planned throw. During the rotation, before throwing, pull this arm towards you so that the hand is against the center of the chest.
5 Shift your weight onto your back leg. Surprisingly, most of the power in the push comes from the legs, not the arms. Transfer almost all of your weight to your right foot, to the back of the circle, bending your knee as far as you feel comfortable so you don't lose balance.
6 Rotate your hips and move forward. Push off as hard as possible with your back foot, rotating your hips so that you face forward. Step or jump forward, placing your front (left) foot as close to the front of the circle as possible.
- If you find it difficult to balance and aim at the same time, then start at the center of the circle and take shorter steps until you hone these movements.
7 Extend your arm outward to "push" the core. As you remove the core from under the jaw, extend your arm in a straight line at an approximately 40 ° angle up towards the field. Be sure to keep your elbow up and your wrist straight.If you lower your elbow or bend your wrist while pushing, the push will not be fully forceful and you could be injured.
- The optimal angle is 37º and 38º.
8 Try to push the core as far as possible during training. Hone your throwing technique, especially the final phase. Once you are good at pushing the core over and over again, start pushing off more vigorously, landing with your left foot as close to the front of the circle as possible. After you learn how to balance and aim while making a powerful jump and pivot, move on to the torso lash, a technique used in important competitions.

Part 3 of 4: Body Whip Technique

1 First of all, learn the basics of throwing technique. This part of the guide assumes that you already know the basics of grabbing a cannonball, general movements, and how to push the cannonball as far as possible. The torso lash technique is very similar to the basic throw above, but if you can keep your balance the throw will be much more powerful.
2 Take a starting position. As with the main throw, spread your feet a little more than shoulder-width apart, facing the right side of the circle. Lean the core against your neck with your dominant hand, raising the elbow of that hand to shoulder height.
3 Turn towards the back of the circle. Rotate your body and legs without changing position to face the back of the circle. Bend your right knee, transferring all your weight to your right leg, at the back of the circle. The left leg is extended towards the center of the circle. The left arm is pointing down and forward, behind the back of the circle.
4 Push hard towards the front of the circle. Push off with your right foot and lift both feet off the ground, turning to face the right side of the circle. Lower yourself so that your left foot touches the plank at the front of the circle. Most of your weight should be on your hind leg. The left hand should make a circular motion and point up or to the front of the circle.
- Move on to the next tip as quickly as possible to take full advantage of the kinetic energy of the forward moving body.
5 Push the core hard forward. Immediately after landing, push off again with your right foot, shifting your weight forward onto your left foot. Extend your back leg fully and push the core forward at an angle of about 40 degrees as your arm is pointing forward. Ideally, the arm should extend beyond the front of the circle.
6 Complete the rotation to keep your balance. Your push must be strong enough to continue the rotation after it has already been completed. Bounce on your left foot once or twice to complete the rotation without leaving the circle.

Part 4 of 4: The Circular Swing Technique

1 First of all, learn the basics of throwing technique. The "circular swing" technique involves making two full rotations before pushing the shot, which can easily become unbalanced. It is imperative that you familiarize yourself with the basics of throwing the ball to avoid injury when throwing the ball with the hand from a wrong position.
- Professional shot putters use both the "torso lash" and "circular swing" techniques, and they disagree about which technique is more effective.
2 Keep the core as usual. Squeeze the core with your fingers and lean it against your neck.
3 Stand at the back of the circle. Shoulders and feet, shoulder-width apart, should point towards the back of the circle. The knees are slightly bent and the weight is evenly distributed.
4 Turn on your right foot. Pivot slowly on your right leg. Rotate your hips and shoulders so that they are facing to the right (towards the left side of the circle). Remember to keep the elbow of the pushing hand up at all times. Pause and get ready to rotate; the rest of the steps below will take place within the next few seconds.
- Replace "left" with "right" if you are left-handed.
5 Roll around on your left foot. Pivot quickly on your left leg, sweeping your right leg around on the back of the circle.
6 Jump up and land on your right foot. When your right leg swings back to the circle and turns around, push off with your left leg and land on your right foot in the center of the circle. The knee should be bent and the whole body should be bent. You should now have rotated 360 ° - one full turn.
7 Push off again to continue spinning. Push off the center of the circle with your right foot and continue the turn for another 180º (half a turn). Land with your left foot as close to the edge of the plank as possible and with your right foot back towards the center of the circle.
- Maintain the original position of your head and right arm during rotation so as not to interfere with shoulder movement.
8 Let go of the kernel. Once you complete the spin, push the core using your normal technique. If you extend your arm forward and upward, keeping your elbow raised, the kinetic energy from the rotation will be transferred to the nucleus.

Tips

Wear shoes with good traction to avoid slipping on concrete.

Warnings

Never try to throw a cannonball like a baseball or basketball, not even during practice. The weight of the core can easily stretch the muscles of the arm.
Do not let anyone near where you are pushing the core, especially when you are just learning. Be careful around fast moving heavy objects.