About this site

This site was originally populated with articles by some super talented throw coaches named Mike Koenning, Dennis Kline, Michael Seifert and others. While the new site is now different and contains articles relating to other types of throwing, I wanted to homage to the original content in hopes that is still helps someone looking for help in their throwing technique. Each article from the original site contains the author’s name.

Discus For Dummies

by Norm Balke

The discus is the flat thing, not the big heavy ball.

Now that we have that out of the way, I would like to describe a simple model for the discus throw technique that anyone can learn and teach to others.

How to hold it

You do not "grip" the discus. The inside of the first knuckle (from the tips) of each finger should be ON the edge of the discus. Not the pads of the fingers and not the space between the first and second knuckle. The thumb does not hang over the edge, it is there to balance and guide the discus.

How do you not drop it? Take a bucket of water. Grab it by the handle and swing it around in a big circle. The water doesn't come out! As long as you keep swinging the bucket, the water won't come out. Now stop. Go get a towel.

It's the same with the discus. As long as you're moving, the discus stays in your hand. If you are not moving, the discus should be at your side. You don't want to drop that thing on your foot, or break a brand new discus!
How to release it

Swing the discus around while it's in your hand. Feel the pressure of the discus on your fingers. Now take a little backswing and toss it in the air a couple of feet. The discus should be roll off your INDEX FINGER and be perpendicular to the ground while in flight. Do this until you can consistently roll it smoothly off your index finger and make it fly in the air without a wobble. Gradually increase the height you toss it.

Once you have that down, it's time to go bowling. Take your normal backswing and then instead of tossing the discus in to the air, squat down to the ground and "bowl" the discus to a partner. You want to make sure it rolls off the index finger, doesn't wobble, and rolls perpendicular to the ground.

You can create little games with this drill. Set up targets, roll for distance, whatever. It's important to get the release to be second nature before moving on.

The next step is to do a little backswing as before but then bring the discus around and make a short toss with the discus parallel to the ground (instead of perpendicular) on release. You still want it to roll off your index finger and not wobble. Start with short throws and gradually increase the effort.
The Stand Throw

I would like to describe a simple stand throw (descriptions will be for right handed throwers):
1. Put your body in a good athletic position. The plane of the shoulders should be parallel to the throwing area. The non-throwing shoulder should be closest to the throwing area.
2. Pull the discus across your body and catch it with your non-throwing hand.
3. Stretch the throwing arm back around your body. Keep the throwing arm straight. Slightly bend the right knee while doing this. The non-throwing arm should be pointed in the opposite direction of the throw (see Figure 11).
4. As soon as you feel the full stretch of the throwing arm, turn the body toward the throwing area and whip the throwing arm and release the discus in to the sector. Its sort of like an exaggerated version of the easy tosses that were done earlier. You still want to have the discus roll off the index finger and to fly parallel to the ground.
5. When you complete the throw, you should be on balance, with your head up and facing the direction of the throw (see Figure 12).
The Half Throw

Now we are starting to actually move across the ring, eventually putting together a full spin. We are working from the simple movements to the more complex movements.
1. Face the direction of the throw.
2. Place your right foot in the middle of the ring, approximately where the right foot would be during a stand throw. If 12:00 is the direction of the throw, turn it so that it is at about 10:00.
3. Place your left foot approximately where it would be if you were coming out of the back of the ring. The toes should be pointing toward the direction of the throw. You will be sort of "pigeon-toed". Don't allow yourself to get too stretched out. Knees should be bent and weight evenly distributed (see Figures 9 & 10).
4. With your shoulders facing the throwing area, pull the discus across your body and catch it with your non-throwing hand, as you have done before. Stretch the throwing arm back around your body. Keep the throwing arm straight. The non-throwing arm should be pointed in the direction of the throw.
5. As soon as you feel the full stretch of the throwing arm, pivot the right foot and move the left foot from the back of the ring to the front and briefly pass through the power position. The rest is similar to a stand throw. The right foot should pivot almost 360˚. The lower body leads this movement.
The 3/4 and 7/8 Throws
1. You should begin with left foot approximately in the position where it started in the Half Throw, except it will turned so that it is perpendicular to the direction of the throw.
2. Your right foot will be outside the ring, parallel but slightly ahead of the left foot. Be in an athletic position.
3. Pull the discus across your body and catch it with your non-throwing hand, as you have done before. Stretch the throwing arm back around your body. Keep the throwing arm straight. The non-throwing arm should be pointed perpendicular to the direction of the throw (see Figures 3 & 4).
4. As soon as you feel the full stretch of the throwing arm, you will begin to move across the ring. You want the right foot to lead. As it initiates the move, think of it as "kicking a soccer ball" as it is moving to the middle of the ring. When the right foot makes contact with the middle of the ring, then it becomes like a Half Throw (see Figures 5, 6, 7, & 8).
5. A variation of the 3/4 Throw is the 7/8 Throw. It is the same as the 3/4 Throw except the beginning position has the right foot about halfway between where the foot is for the 3/4 Throw and where it would be for the Full Throw. This is a little easier to get momentum from the "soccer kick" across the ring in the 7/8 Throw position.
The Full Throw
1. Begin with both feet inside the ring, pointing toward the opposite direction of the throw. Feet positioning can range from straddling the midline of the back of the ring to the left foot on the midline. Be in an athletic position.
2. Pull the discus across your body and catch it with your non-throwing hand, as you have done before. Stretch the throwing arm back around your body. Keep the throwing arm straight. The non-throwing arm should be straight.
3. Weight distribution at the windup should range from evenly distributed to more on the left. Don't allow too much weight on the right! (see Figures 1 & 2)
4. Initiation of the Full Throw is similar to the 3/4 Throw or the 7/8 throw. You want the right foot to lead. You want to be "kicking the soccer ball" as you are coming across the ring. The right leg will have more momentum as it is coming from a longer distance.
That's a full throw. Easy, huh?

Moving Correctly

When you are working on the six steps that I have described above, you can do them without having to actually throw the discus. I call these "Imitations" (other coaches call them different things), and they are done so that you can "Move Correctly". You shouldn't always worry about how far you are throwing: in order to gain the technical skill needed to throw far, you must learn how to "Move Correctly". That doesn't always mean you will be throwing. For example, you can start as you would for a Full Throw, then move until you reach a Half Throw position, then stop. This is a good way to check your positioning and balance. Then you can execute a Half Throw, or go back and do the same movement over again. Or you can start as you would for a Full Throw, then move until you reach a Stand Throw position, then stop. Again, it would be to check balance and positioning. There are a great variety of combinations you can use to do imitations. Here are examples:

Begin in Full Throw position>>>>Stop at 7/8 Throw Position
Begin in Full Throw position>>>>Stop at 3/4 Throw Position
Begin in Full Throw position>>>>Stop at Half Throw Position
Begin in Full Throw position>>>>Stop at Stand Throw Position
Begin in Full Throw position>>>>Stop at 7/8 Throw Position>>>>Stop at 3/4 Throw Position
Begin in Full Throw position>>>>Stop at 7/8 Throw Position>>>>Stop at 3/4 Throw Position>>>>Stop at Half Throw Position
Begin in Full Throw position>>>>Stop at 7/8 Throw Position>>>>Stop at 3/4 Throw Position>>>>Stop at Half Throw Position>>>>Stop at Stand Throw position

You can do all of these, but beginning at the 7/8 Throw Position, or the 3/4 Throw position. The possibilities are numerous.

Additional Drills

There are more drills than you have time to do. If you do the basic positions that I have described and do imitations, you don't need to do too many drills. I will describe a few that relate to the different steps described earlier.

Half Throw

Lift right foot and bring it down on the middle of the ring immediately prior to executing the throw. Tricky, but can be more specific to the motion of a full throw.

3/4 and 7/8 Throws

Actually kick a soccer ball as the leg is moving toward the middle. Or you can kick some other object, sort of how is described in the Wilkins video.

Full Throws

360˚ Spins in Place: do a regular windup and then do a 360˚ on your left foot, keeping the right foot low to the ground and the knees apart. Great drill for balance out of the back of the ring. Try to see how many degrees you can go.

360˚ and Throw: do a Spin in Place, then give your right foot another tap on the ground to keep the momentum going and take a regular Full Throw. Again, great for balance.

Long Turn: like the previous drill, but begin with right foot back from its regular starting point so that you have to turn longer on the left foot, but not get the extra boost from the tap. Adding an extra 180˚ to the first turn is hard. Even adding an extra 45˚ can be a challenge.

All Throws

Throw at targets for body awareness and for fun.

Throw with the non-throwing hand for body awareness and for fun.

Throw a lot of non-reverses. I rarely ever talk about reversing. If you are someone who reverses, sometimes that movement can cause a lot of loss of control and loss of awareness at release.

Helpful Hints

Physically demonstrate positions and drills if you are able.

Throws with coaches present are more useful than throws without a coach present.

You cannot do too many imitations.

Have a good time throwing!!!

Article originally written by Norm Balke, Throws Coach

Photo Credit: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin

Throw Farther