How to Throw a Discus

Discus: The Other Frisbee

Discus; a field event as ancient as the Olympics, is always underestimated. Many believe discus is an event in which you throw a disc like a Frisbee, but it’s not. There’s so much more. The so called Frisbee is actually a metal or rubber disc, which can vary in weight from 1 kg to 2 kg. In order for a throw to count, one must remain in the 8 ft ring at all times until the announcer says, “Mark!” Also, the disc must land in between the sector lines. The overall goal is to throw the disc as far as possible and farther than other competitors. Truth be told, it’s not as easy as it may look. Some people believe when you throw, you just stand in the ring and throw. In some cases, that is true but not literally. One way a thrower can throw is out of the power position. The power position is the basic form you need in order to throw the discus. To start off, one must stand perpendicular to the throwing direction. Then his/her feet should be shoulder width apart with the left leg back, if the thrower is right handed, so that his/her toes line up with the heel of the right foot. It is important to remember to have both legs slightly bent, which gives the thrower more power. If the thrower is left handed, he/she should have the right leg back with his/her toes lined up with the heel of the left foot. From this stance, the thrower begins to twist his/her torso back with the right arm extended straight back as far as possible. The left arm can either be extended straight out or extended out but with a bend. For a left handed thrower, it is the opposite. Before beginning a throw, one must remember to use their legs for power, along with their hips. Also one shouldn’t have a death grip on the disc. One should have his/her fingers spread out evenly with only the first knuckles on the edge of the disc. Believe it or not, there’s a sequence to a throw. That sequence is: hips, legs with left arm followed by chest, right arm, and release. A thrower starts the throw by twisting his/her torso back, then turning the right hip (or left, considering the thrower) to the front of the ring in a popping or thrusting motion. Once the hips start moving, his/her legs will extend upwards, releasing some potential energy. Then the left arm (or right) will sweep out and around almost like pushing someone aside. When the left arm reaches the front of the ring, the thrower should pop his/her chest out and bring his/her arm in tight to the body. This causes the left side of the body to stop and aid in accelerating the discus. The extended right arm, which should be back during the whole process, will then follow through slightly lower than shoulder height in an upward angled motion. Once the discus is aligned with the shoulder, the thrower should release. In order to release, his/her palm should be facing downward and he/she should squeeze the disc out of his/her hand like a bar of soap. The disc will come off the index finger and spin in a clockwise direction for a right handed thrower, counterclockwise for a left handed thrower. Throughout the whole process, the thrower will shift about 80% of his/her weight from the right leg to the left. For more advanced throwers, a spin is incorporated, which adds more momentum to the throw. Typically, one will begin standing near the back of the ring facing the opposite direction of the throwing area. The thrower will then pivot to the left on his/her left foot about 180 degrees, which will make the thrower face the right side of the ring. The right foot should end somewhere around the center of the ring, with the left foot still in the same spot. From here, the thrower continues to pivot; only he/she pivots on his/her right foot and goes backwards so he/she is facing the left side of the ring in the power position. Once in the power position, the thrower finishes through as I explained in the last paragraph. Typically, the ideal discus thrower is tall and on the hefty side. When a thrower is tall and hefty, they have the ultimate advantage over other competitors. This is because height contributes a lot to how far a disc will go once it is thrown, and weight gives a throw more oomph. How high a discus is thrown makes all the difference. When a throw is high, the disc will have more air time and go a farther distance. When a throw is low, the disc will have little air time and won’t go as far. A throw absolutely needs to be high, but not too high. By this I mean that a throw should have about a 45 to 50 degree angle from where the throw is completed. Weight is the other contributing factor to a throw, but is not necessary. Yes a throw will have more oomph behind it, but that’s about it. The same thing goes for arm muscle because you only use a little arm muscle. With discus, you use your legs more than anything. Speed is also a contributing factor to a throw. This is because when a thrower spins, they build up speed and momentum, which whips the disc out. Discus is a throwing event, however, one doesn’t throw a disc; they whip it. Centripetal force gives the throw the whip necessary for a throw to be good. Keeping your throwing arm back during a spin will add more force once the arm comes forward to throw. Overall, discus isn’t what many people believe it is. There’s a science to it. A discus isn’t a Frisbee, and one doesn’t just stand and throw. Leg muscle, speed and momentum, centripetal force, height, and the final whip all contribute so much to a single throw. When watching a thrower, people can easily think they can do it too. What they don’t realize is how much work is put into being a discus thrower. I, myself, am a discus thrower, but I’m not blessed with height nor am I hefty or burly. I rely on hard work, my legs, and my technique. After all this information, I hope people realize that discus isn’t an event where one throws a so called Frisbee.