CONCEPTS 

for SUCCESS
in the GLIDE SHOT PUT 

Coach Joe Frontier
Madison Memorial High School
Madison Throws Club
Madison Memorial High School
•Boys and Girls throws coach since 2002

•32 Madison City Champions
•12 Big Eight Conference Champions
•16 State Qualifiers
•10 State Top 8‐Point Scorers
•1 State Runner‐up
•2 State Champions

Find us on the web at:
www.jmmtrackandfield.com
 MADISON THROWS CLUB
•Since 2002
•Shot Put and Discus Training  
•Summer, Fall, Winter 
•100+ State Qualifiers
•65 WIAA Top 8 ‐ Point Scorers
•16 WIAA Runner‐ups
Visit us on the web:
•13 WIAA State Champions
www.madisonthrowsclub.com
 1988 Seoul Olympics
MEN’s SHOT PUT FINAL
 RESOURCES
• ‘The Shot Put Handbook’ by Larry Judge and Mike Young
• ‘The Throws’ Contemporary Theory, Technique and Training edited by Jess Jarver
• ‘The Throws Manual by George D. Dunn, Jr. & Kevin McGill
• ‘USA Track & Field Coaching Manual’
• www.coachthethrows.com blog by Coach Dave Hahn
• www.digitaltrackandfield.com by Scott Cappos

• DPTHROWSCOACHING
• MADISON THROWS CLUB
 KEY CONCEPTS
• I don’t care how you get to POWER
POSITION just get to POWER POSITION.
• Where is the Shot at POWER POSITION.
• The Shot must keep moving.
• Keep the block arm hand outside of the circle
for as long as possible.
• Open block arm STRETCH without head,
Shot movement or weight shift.
• HIP TURN & POWER PACK
• TRIPLE EXTENSION at finish.
 GLIDE START TECHNIQUES
I don’t care how you get to Power Position, just get
to power position.
• Static Start
• Draw and Go
• T-Draw and Go
• Dynamic Start: Drop in
• Hybrids
Different starts for different athletes.
Experiment when they are ready.
 STATIC START
• Simplifying the starting position can eliminate variables and errors.
• Must be strong to get started from this position.
• Lacks rhythm.
 DRAW & GO
• Simple start with added rhythm.
• LEFT LEG is pulled in before unseating of the hips.
 T - DRAW & GO
• Complex movement with added rhythm.
 DROP IN
• Complex start movement.
• More momentum and rhythm.
• More advanced athlete that can control variables.
 DROP IN (HYBRIDS)
• The most complex start movement.
• Adds more momentum and rhythm.
• More advanced athlete that can control variables.
VALERIE ADAMS
2-Time Olympic Champion
 Power Position
• Important to establish a good power
position, must become a “system check”
to hit this power position when gliding.
• Feet should be in a heal-toe, heal-instep
relationship.
• Feet pointing at 3 o’clock.
• Shoulder width apart…could be slightly
closer compared to most gliders.
• Right knee bent, Left leg relaxed.
• Shoulders should be square to the back of
the circle 6 o’clock.
• Left arm long and back toward 6 o’clock.
• Head back with a focal point outside of
the circle 6 o’clock.
VALERIE ADAMS
2-Time Olympic Champion
VALERIE ADAMS
2-Time Olympic Champion
The Shot Must Keep Moving
Amy Palmer
 Block ARM ‘outside’ of the circle
for as long as possible.

• Don’t use block arm to

get to power position.
• ‘reach for the fence’
• Shoulder pull causes
weight shift.
 LEFT ARM OPEN
• Block arm opens after
LFTD
• Creates stretch
• Must open without
head movement.
• Must open without
SHOT movement.
• Must open without
weight shift.
 HIP TURN = POWER PACK

• Hip turn and extension

is the throw.
• HIP TURN is the
action that must be
followed by the strike
reaction.
• Glutes and Hams are
your power pack.
 Triple Extension

• Triple extension = HIPS, KNEES, ANKLES

• The finish of the throw should be the
culmination of this joint chain fully extending.
• No bend in waist at finish.
Angela Boushea 47-8
KENNEDY BLAHNIK 46’ 8”
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