Progressions for Obtaining a Proper Power Position in the Shot or Discus
By Gary Aldrich, M-F Athletic Company

Start by getting in a toe heel relationship with your feet. For a right-handed thrower the toe of the left foot (blocking foot) should be aligned with the heel of the right foot (throwing foot). Feet should be approximately shoulder width apart.

What I like young throwers to do next is to rock back and forth shifting their weight from the right foot to the left foot. As the thrower is rocking let them lift the non-supporting foot off the ground. This will allow for a great shift in their weight. It will also teach them about transferring their weight from one side of the body to the other. After rocking for a number of times when they shift their weight to their throwing foot, hold that position. What has occurred is all the weight is now back on the throwing foot side. Then rock again. Then hold the weight. Make sure when they hold the weight back that they can lift the blocking foot off the ground.

Now with the weight back on the throwing side of the body, bend the throwing knee. This allows the thrower to get to a lower level. A common mistake that occurs here is that the thrower will allow his/her weight to shift to the middle of both feet. The blocking knee will also bend. What you should see is the weight back on and over the throwing side and the blocking leg straight. The reason we want to get a knee bend is because the implement is thrown with the legs. The legs, lower back, and buttocks are much stronger than the arm. To utilize these muscles groups we must go from a low level to a high level (bending of knee to straightening of knee). This lifting action will give us our height at release.

The next action is to give a quarter turn to the throwing side with the upper body. This will now load the implement behind the throwing hip. Make sure that when the athlete turns that he/she does not tilt the shoulders. The shoulders should stay parallel to the ground. If the athlete has limited flexibility in the abdomen area, it will be very difficult for the athlete to turn and load the implement. This loading allows for an increase in torque on the body which will when released add more force to the throw. There should be a straight line from the blocking toe through the body to the head of the thrower. He should look like a ski jumper going off the 90-meter hill.