2009 Goals and Training

[Ryan Nielson]

An update on goals:

Light Hammer-105', in just two practices I am up over 90' average.

Throw far!
James

Do you know where people buy those spades that attach to the shoes for their hammer throwing? Just wondering if you know?

[jgorley]

You can have someone make them or you can order them from several places. I suggest Larry Brock, you can order Tacky at the same time to save on shipping!

James

http://www.brockthrow.com/documents/products.html

[Detroitpete]

Pete,
I hope to someday have the honor of competing with you and Alan, as well as the rest of us Kilted Oafs dumb enough to torture ourselves on the field. I would really enjoy proving the rumors are just that!

Anyone have any good hints for the Caber? I know I just need to grow stronger. I can pick them all, I just don't get the height I need to turn them. Looking at photos of myself and those who do turn them, I notice that their Caber levels out about 2 to 3 feet above mine. Any crazy home remedy will be gladly accepted!

James

James,

I went through hell last year, re-learning how to pick and turn a caber after my injury. Best advice I got was to concentrate through the pick and as sonn as I had it stable--sometimes had to take a few steps back to allow the top to come forward--to then lift it up to the middle of my chest. It feels like you're caryying it high and with a combination of your biceps and sholders. Pull the bottom right into your chest as you start walking...move faster as the top starts to arc...you'll already have it a good foot higher then if you carried it at waist level.

I've found that it helps me to start that high, and sometimes depending on the size of the thing, I'll do a kind of 'old school' lowering of it then shoot it up.

Look at some of the pro videos on youtube. Guys like Craig Smith and Kerry Overfelt are who I watch.

[jgorley]

Pete,
I watched Overfelt at both Portland, OR and Enumclaw, WA last year. I think my problem is the timing of the stop, drop and pop. Like I said, I can pick and balance anything, no problem. I will try and post videos tonight and maybe you or some of the other guys can pick something out. I am sure I need to work in the gym to get stronger.

Thanks!
James

[Alan H]

Pete,
I hope to someday have the honor of competing with you and Alan, as well as the rest of us Kilted Oafs dumb enough to torture ourselves on the field. I would really enjoy proving the rumors are just that!

Anyone have any good hints for the Caber? I know I just need to grow stronger. I can pick them all, I just don't get the height I need to turn them. Looking at photos of myself and those who do turn them, I notice that their Caber levels out about 2 to 3 feet above mine. Any crazy home remedy will be gladly accepted!

James

Explosive strength in the quads....not just raw strength, as in loads and load of squats, but do plyos...box jumps, stuff like that.

Those should help with WOB, too.

We shall see, come late March, for me!!

BTW, there's a possibility I'll be up in Washington in late summer or early September, it *might* work out!

[jgorley]

Alan,
Keep Me Posted! Like I said, it would be an honor!

Here is the video of My first A division competition. My Braemar was consistant, the weights were great, the hammer was not great (first throw looks the best), WOB was not my best, and the Caber.....The first run I stepped in a hole, after that, I am just not quite strong enough. Let me know what you all think!

Thanks,
James

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4R6Bzwb9lbQ

[Detroitpete]

James,

Sweet form through most events. I'm no one special, and there are guys here who have been around longer than I have who can give better advice, but I'd say that your improvement all lies in your legs.

Braemar: Bringing the stone to a lower point behind you, then really pushing from a deeper squat and and transferring weight from back foot to front should engage your legs more. Start off with the stone at a lower point--it will make you 'coil' your legs more. It might also give your a more verticle arc and less of a horizontal arc.

WFD: Great form. Again, to engage your legs more I'd simply try to stay less "upright" through your spins (think a stance a little less compact then a football linebacker) but a bit more bent at the knees and waist to engage your quads, hams and glutes. Then that last pull comes from the ground behind you and you can drive more with your legs through the same release you already use.

Legs are always stronger than arms--any extra boost you can get from them will add height and distance.

WFH: Again--NICE! I'd just suggest starting at the second height. The first toss you had tons of room, I think you just ran out of steam by the last height. And again, try bending at the knees a bit more (not the hip) to be able to explode with your legs as your normal arm lift is happening.

WFH/WOB is my favorite event--because eventhough I'm small--by adding leg strength to it, I usually do pretty well. I think about driving my toes through the ground and ripping my hand up like I wanted to punch something above my head.

Caber: Man you are almost there with that one--good pick and carry (although I have to use more leg and tend to start in a deeper squat--but hey, I'm a 5'7" troll ;-) )
It looked to me that on all 3 throws you had the top of the caber moving too much too soon and wound up kind of throwing it for distance--pushing the bottom OUT and up. For a guy your size, you should maul a 90 pounder unless its twisty as heck. Try thinking about popping your lift--having your hands fire that thing straight up, like you are trying to hit your chin with the palms of your hands.

Oh--and let me know ahead of time before you come to throw in the Midwest--this way I can ease over to a lightweight class ;-)

Great video--looks like you had a good time! Thanks for sharing it!

[jgorley]

James,

Sweet form through most events. I'm no one special, and there are guys here who have been around longer than I have who can give better advice, but I'd say that your improvement all lies in your legs.

Braemar: Bringing the stone to a lower point behind you, then really pushing from a deeper squat and and transferring weight from back foot to front should engage your legs more. Start off with the stone at a lower point--it will make you 'coil' your legs more. It might also give your a more verticle arc and less of a horizontal arc.

WFD: Great form. Again, to engage your legs more I'd simply try to stay less "upright" through your spins (think a stance a little less compact then a football linebacker) but a bit more bent at the knees and waist to engage your quads, hams and glutes. Then that last pull comes from the ground behind you and you can drive more with your legs through the same release you already use.

Legs are always stronger than arms--any extra boost you can get from them will add height and distance.

WFH: Again--NICE! I'd just suggest starting at the second height. The first toss you had tons of room, I think you just ran out of steam by the last height. And again, try bending at the knees a bit more (not the hip) to be able to explode with your legs as your normal arm lift is happening.

WFH/WOB is my favorite event--because eventhough I'm small--by adding leg strength to it, I usually do pretty well. I think about driving my toes through the ground and ripping my hand up like I wanted to punch something above my head.

Caber: Man you are almost there with that one--good pick and carry (although I have to use more leg and tend to start in a deeper squat--but hey, I'm a 5'7" troll ;-) )
It looked to me that on all 3 throws you had the top of the caber moving too much too soon and wound up kind of throwing it for distance--pushing the bottom OUT and up. For a guy your size, you should maul a 90 pounder unless its twisty as heck. Try thinking about popping your lift--having your hands fire that thing straight up, like you are trying to hit your chin with the palms of your hands.

Oh--and let me know ahead of time before you come to throw in the Midwest--this way I can ease over to a lightweight class ;-)

Great video--looks like you had a good time! Thanks for sharing it!

Thanks for the info! I have trouble getting my legs into it. That has been the major focus so far this year. On the WOB I am paranoid of "no score", that is why I came in at 10 feet and not 11. I have cleared 12 1/2 in practice. My best in games was 11 1/2. And remember, it is all about fun!!

Thanks again!
James

[medic78]

Here they are my goals for 09 want to add 10% to the distance events and 1' to height events.

08 09
B stone 23'6" 36'
O stone 27'3" 30'
HWD 26'8" 29'
LWD 32'3" 35'
HH 50'1" 55'
LH 66'6' 72'
WOB 11' 12'
Sheaf 16' 17'
Caber turn the darn thing !!

Good Luck

[Babyfire]

Were you a thrower in school and just graduated college! (I can only hope, to make myself feel better!) Those are great goals. I am going to try and make a couple of games in BC this year. I probably, unfortunately, won't be making it to Ontario this season. Eventually I hope to. I hear the Canadians have some great games! Well run and have some clinics too.

James, No..no college experience but did attend one of the clinics here and trained pretty hard in the gym leading up to it. I'm an old fart at 36 and I lift a lot of heavy stuff at work over the years so maybe that helped Games here are great...all amatuers are lumped together tho....no A, B, C class or wieght divisions. Some games are easy to get into and others have a long wait list and you have to contact the AD very early. Depends on the City.


Also....saw your caber vid...I'm far from a pro and maybe this is an over simplification but just looks like you need to get your own cabre and practice. I had a lot of problems with my timing until I got my own caber. Build up a little more speed and pull a little earlier and you should have no problems. It's obvious the wieght isn't the problem.

Dean