DISCUS THROW

History:
Discus throwing dates back to the ancient Greek Olympic Games, as depicted in this Fifth
Century B.C. statue from the British Museum, "Discobolus," by the sculptor Myron. The
8th century B.C. poet Homer also referred to discus throwing, which was a part of the
Greeks' pentathlon event. The early discs were made of unwrought bronze and iron and
were apparently heavier than today's competitive discus.

Equipments:
The discus can be made of various materials such as rubber, wood, and metals. It weighs
in the range of 1 Kg to 2.5Kg. The beginners prefer discus with less weight for practicing
the throw.
The discus is often paired with a case that protects the discus from damage and makes
it easy for the player to carry.

Supporting Equipment
There are a few more equipment required to conduct Discus Throw game −
 Measuring tape − It is used for measuring length of the throw of the discus.
 Marking Flags − They are used to mark several throws made by a single player.
 Recording Sheets − They are required by the trainers or officials to record the
scores and other details of the players.

Skills:

GRIP

The technique for throwing discus is, believe it or not, very different from any other athletic
throw. It might not surprise you, but throwing the discus is nothing like tossing a baseball.
To grip the discus, throwers need to spread their fingers out and use the first knuckle of
each finger to secure the discus. The index finger should be in line with the thrower's
wrist, while the thumb is excluded from the grip and is used for balance.

It may seem like a long list of things to worry about initially, but don't worry, over time
these things will get easier. But, for now, don't worry about the distances on your throws,
but instead on becoming comfortable with the technique. It may take a while to make
sense the outstretched fingers depending on your hand size, so, again, focus on the
basics. If you set your sights on stardom immediately, you'll struggle. Build great
foundations at first and then the sky is your limit.

ROTATION

In a sense, the rotation is the most important part of the discus throw, so don't attempt to
cut corners on this either. Unfortunately, it also happens to be one of the most difficult
aspects of the throw as well. Stay strong and focused and we promise that you'll improve
in no time.

Begin facing away from your target in an athletic starting stance. Stand with legs
staggered, spread slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and knees bent. The lead up
to the rotation involves one or two swings of the arms back and forth without foot
movement. This motion helps establish a rhythm for your footwork. Bring your throwing
arm back behind your right shoulder as far as possible, with the non-throwing arm
outstretched in the opposite direction, this will help you balance during the spin. Weight
should be placed on the right foot with the left foot ready to pivot.

Next, start to pivot on the balls of your left foot, while simultaneously swinging your
shoulders to the left. The right foot is then lifted off the ground and the spinning begins.
As you face the target direction, you should jump-turn off of your left foot to land on your
right foot in the middle of the circle. The rotation will continue while this foot is planted.
The left foot will then follow the right as the turn is completed and should end up planted
directly in front of the right foot. The left foot should be pointed towards the direction of
the throw.

Although the athlete will complete 1.5 turns during this motion, they must always be
moving in the direction of the target. The rotation sounds complicated because it is! This
will, no joke, probably take the most effort and practice of the entire process as it involves
balance, concentration, and proper footwork. Properly rotating your body to maximize
power takes a lot of practice.

RELEASE

Once the rotation is complete, athletes need to properly release the disc. The rotation will
create a clockwise spinning motion on the discus as it leaves the hand. By squeezing it
out of your hands, you release the centrifugal force created by the spinning motion,
propelling the discus away from you. As a final note, make sure the discus leaves your
hand off of your index finger.

The Exercises
Now that you've got the skills, it's time for the drills! Just practicing the foundational skills
is superb and helpful for fostering correct form and technique, but it's equally as important
to get out there and put them to use. The following exercises are fun and challenging,
pushing your knowledge, skills, and mental fortitude to the test.

Discus Bowling

Discus bowling is simple drill that helps athletes with their grip and release portions of the
practice. As the name suggests, it involves rolling the discus as if it's a bowling ball. The
goal is to keep the roll of the discus as straight and far as possible. To do so, place the
discus in your throwing hand, using the same key traits we used in the grip section of this
article.

When releasing, make sure your palm is down as you squeeze the discus out of your
hand and off your index finger, just as if you are throwing it normally but in a bowling
sense. If done correctly, the discus should spin and not wobble. For quicker practice, grab
a partner and stand about 15 feet away from each other, increasing distance as you
become more proficient. It can become a fun activity if you line up objects to knock over,
but remember to focus on those foundations.

Vertical Throw

Similarly to the bowling activity above, the vertical throw helps athletes practice their
release. This drill is a bit more difficult because your throw is working against gravity.
First, properly position the discus in your hand. To gather momentum, swing the discus
two times forward and back next to your body before releasing it straight up above your
head. Your release here should mimic the release the discus when throwing out. Since
you're directly opposing gravity, it will strength train your muscles as well. Practicing the
vertical throw is a good way to get used to maneuvering the discus and building wrist and
forearm muscles.

Arm Swings

The basic arm swing is a drill that involves practicing the motion used to maximize
centrifugal force. The drill can be compared to the motion we talked about at the beginning
designed to establish rhythm. Keeping feet shoulder-width apart and stationary on the
ground, swing your arms and pivot your upper body back and forth in the throwing motion.
Try doing it with or without the discus. Again, it's always helpful to perfect the throwing
motion before you incorporate the rotations.

Rules and Regulation:

Rules Regarding Discus
 The discus can be made of any material such as wood but it must have a circular
edge with a metallic rim.
 Inner construction can be both solid and hollow.
 The cross section of the edge should be made in circular manner and it should
have a radius of 6mm.
 All sides of the discus should be identical. They must be free from any type of
sharp edges or irregularities.
 Finishing of the discus should be smooth.

Rules Regarding Cage

 The construction and the strength of the cage should be such that it can arrest a
disc of around 2Kg coming at a speed of 25m/sec.
 There should be no threat of rebounding of the disc from the cage.
 The cage should have at least one side open. Therefore it is often recommended
to construct it in a “U” shape.
 At the lowest pint the height of the netting point should be 4m.
 Synthetic and natural fiber is the idle material for the construction of the net.
However, high tensile strength steel wire can also be used.

Rules Regarding Throw

 The discus can only be thrown by an athlete when he or she will stand inside a
circle which has a diameter of 2.5m.
 During the course of throw, the athletes are prohibited from touching the top of the
rim. However, they can touch the inner part of the rim.
 An athlete cannot touch the ground beyond the circle.
 If the athlete leaves the circle before the landing of the disc on the ground, then it
will be considered as a foul throw.
 In the Olympic matches, each athlete is given 8 chances to showcase their talents.
 There is particular boundary of landing of the disc. If the disc lands outside that
zone then that throw is considered invalid.

References:
https://www.liveabout.com/an-illustrated-history-of-discus-3258711

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/discus_throw/discus_throw_equipment.htm

https://www.coachup.com/nation/articles/track-field-training-for-the-discus

https://www.tutorialspoint.com/discus_throw/discus_throw_rules