I have always loved his technique and this rare photo sequence from nearly directly behind and eye level gives a great look at his technique.
Though some frames are missing he starts the throw with a very big, long wind up moving from left to right and down and up. This gets him into his desired positions being a little lower with the hips and getting a hip hinge. He sets the X in his back swing. His stance is a little wider than shoulder width with the feet.
At the apex of his back swing his left foot is turned into the right. The left leg is bent at the knee and the weight is on the inside ball of the left big toe. His right foot is flat on the ground keeping the weight on the toes. He doesn’t go so far back as to put him on his heels. His arms are stretched out long and fairly level though the left shoulder is slightly lower than the right.
To begin the first turn he starts to spread the knees apart as he uses the right leg to push the left foot around. Having set his left foot on the inside big toe and bent in the back swing; this allows for a smooth pivot on the left. His upper body is passive holding the X as he stays very long with the arms.
It is here that you can see just how much hip hinge he has as he lowers himself though the first turn. The torso is leaned way over the toes. Often it has been talked about looking for the left armpit over the left toe when the right foot leaves the ground. I think it’s better to look at the position of the head at this point relative to the feet. By getting the head directly over the pivot point of the left toe the body will remain in balance. This can be seen during the SA position as a thrower on balance will have the head over the toes.
As stated earlier the right foot is pushing the left foot around; it then picks up early and pulls him around the pivot on his left foot leading the throw. This feels similar to that side to side swing kick runners do with one leg going directly in-front of the body passing back and forth. The right leg swings wide leading in external rotation with the instep/inside thigh.
This viewing angle also provides a clear look at the 9 o’clock drop. Though I don’t claim to fully understand what that means; you can see as the right foot picks up, the left heel sort of skips off the ground. The left knee being bent during the wind up stays bent. The left knee begins to push over the toes to a degree. The hips lower as he sits back with the butt and leans forward with the shoulders.
As he pivots into the direction of the throw the left knee drops way over the knee near parallel to the ground. The left heel rises as the weight shifts way over the toes. Almost rolling off the toes as he enters the middle of the circle and left foot leaves the ground.
During this whole first pivot/turn the shoulders have remained very level. Almost like sitting in a swivel chair he remains level as he lowers himself. Now as he comes off the left foot things change. To help create the high point he seemingly throws the discus up to the high point with the drive off the left foot. The left arm at this point drops way down and pulls in near to the body. The left elbow is near hip level at the apex of the high point. This keeps his weight over his back foot as his torso is leaned back against the direction of the throw. It also keeps the waist from bending side to side as you can see the shoulders are equidistant from the hips.
The thighs squeeze together during this pivot in mid air to the power position. The right foot does not pre turn in mid air as he lands. Rather the whole body pivots together. Both legs are bent sharply at the knee. Though it appears that his right foot goes high into the center the reality is this is more like the skipping of a stone across a lake. The height isn’t that much.
The left foot plants and he digs his heel into the ground. The legs are bent or “soft” as it were. Though the left arm appears to swing high this is a function of him rotating around his axis of rotation (essentially the spine) which is leaned against the direction of the throw. His shoulders remain equidistant from the hips and he doesn’t bend at the waist. He also remains very patient with the head and eyes despite not using a focal point. By not peeking he prevents any rolling over the shoulders or bending at the waist.
His right leg stays bent and pivots on the outside edge of the balls of his feet. Essentially on the little toes. He is turning the toes of each foot against each other. He doesn’t push with the hips or legs until the right foot completes its turn into the left. This creates the delayed reverse finish as he releases with both feet still on the ground. This is what allows him to push with the lower body directly into the direction of the throw. This is similar to how Ryan Crouser and Maggie Ewen have learned to finish.
The left side blocks hard stopping all rotary momentum sending the energy into the discus. The right arm rips like the end of a whip long, loose, and fast. The left leg holds forward as his feet slide into the recovery/reverse. The right foot lands at the front flat on the heel. He completes one more turn to stay in the ring and watch the throw.
The Gude Gym
Wolfgang Schmidt 1976 Stills of a 68m+ throw.
I have always loved his technique and this rare photo sequence from nearly directly behind and eye level gives a great look at his technique.
Though some frames are missing he starts the throw with a very big, long wind up moving from left to right and down and up. This gets him into his desired positions being a little lower with the hips and getting a hip hinge. He sets the X in his back swing. His stance is a little wider than shoulder width with the feet.
At the apex of his back swing his left foot is turned into the right. The left leg is bent at the knee and the weight is on the inside ball of the left big toe. His right foot is flat on the ground keeping the weight on the toes. He doesn’t go so far back as to put him on his heels. His arms are stretched out long and fairly level though the left shoulder is slightly lower than the right.
To begin the first turn he starts to spread the knees apart as he uses the right leg to push the left foot around. Having set his left foot on the inside big toe and bent in the back swing; this allows for a smooth pivot on the left. His upper body is passive holding the X as he stays very long with the arms.
It is here that you can see just how much hip hinge he has as he lowers himself though the first turn. The torso is leaned way over the toes. Often it has been talked about looking for the left armpit over the left toe when the right foot leaves the ground. I think it’s better to look at the position of the head at this point relative to the feet. By getting the head directly over the pivot point of the left toe the body will remain in balance. This can be seen during the SA position as a thrower on balance will have the head over the toes.
As stated earlier the right foot is pushing the left foot around; it then picks up early and pulls him around the pivot on his left foot leading the throw. This feels similar to that side to side swing kick runners do with one leg going directly in-front of the body passing back and forth. The right leg swings wide leading in external rotation with the instep/inside thigh.
This viewing angle also provides a clear look at the 9 o’clock drop. Though I don’t claim to fully understand what that means; you can see as the right foot picks up, the left heel sort of skips off the ground. The left knee being bent during the wind up stays bent. The left knee begins to push over the toes to a degree. The hips lower as he sits back with the butt and leans forward with the shoulders.
As he pivots into the direction of the throw the left knee drops way over the knee near parallel to the ground. The left heel rises as the weight shifts way over the toes. Almost rolling off the toes as he enters the middle of the circle and left foot leaves the ground.
During this whole first pivot/turn the shoulders have remained very level. Almost like sitting in a swivel chair he remains level as he lowers himself. Now as he comes off the left foot things change. To help create the high point he seemingly throws the discus up to the high point with the drive off the left foot. The left arm at this point drops way down and pulls in near to the body. The left elbow is near hip level at the apex of the high point. This keeps his weight over his back foot as his torso is leaned back against the direction of the throw. It also keeps the waist from bending side to side as you can see the shoulders are equidistant from the hips.
The thighs squeeze together during this pivot in mid air to the power position. The right foot does not pre turn in mid air as he lands. Rather the whole body pivots together. Both legs are bent sharply at the knee. Though it appears that his right foot goes high into the center the reality is this is more like the skipping of a stone across a lake. The height isn’t that much.
The left foot plants and he digs his heel into the ground. The legs are bent or “soft” as it were. Though the left arm appears to swing high this is a function of him rotating around his axis of rotation (essentially the spine) which is leaned against the direction of the throw. His shoulders remain equidistant from the hips and he doesn’t bend at the waist. He also remains very patient with the head and eyes despite not using a focal point. By not peeking he prevents any rolling over the shoulders or bending at the waist.
His right leg stays bent and pivots on the outside edge of the balls of his feet. Essentially on the little toes. He is turning the toes of each foot against each other. He doesn’t push with the hips or legs until the right foot completes its turn into the left. This creates the delayed reverse finish as he releases with both feet still on the ground. This is what allows him to push with the lower body directly into the direction of the throw. This is similar to how Ryan Crouser and Maggie Ewen have learned to finish.
The left side blocks hard stopping all rotary momentum sending the energy into the discus. The right arm rips like the end of a whip long, loose, and fast. The left leg holds forward as his feet slide into the recovery/reverse. The right foot lands at the front flat on the heel. He completes one more turn to stay in the ring and watch the throw.
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