Please find below the jottings of Richard Turner from the Sedykh Day at Birmingham on 10th March.....
Thanks to Richard for this....
Youri Sedykh Hammer Masterclass
Keep the body weight over the left foot.
Keep the eyes steady on the ball all the time through the turns, head up.
The upper body must stay relaxed, keep the shoulders down, and level, on both sides; don’t sink the head into the shoulders.
Throughout the turns the arms must be as long as possible, with the hammer handle on the last joints of the fingers, not the middle joints. This ensures that the hammer can be let go at the right point and not pulled round too far and gives a longer radius of swing.
Windup.
Pick a focal point at 70º, turn the shoulders so that you can look at this, with the chin over the sternum. Swing the hammer round you; do not move the body about. Carry out the two preliminary swings, pushing the ball from entry over the right shoulder down to the low at 0º. The low point is at 0º, the centre of the rear of the circle. This must be maintained through all the turns, and the ball must pass through this same low point in the delivery. The arms must be fully straight at this point. At the low point, the hammer should be 20-30cms above the ground. The preliminary swings are more centred to the right, until you go into the first turn, when you must push the ball on round to the left, with the right foot turning, pushing the left foot round with the ball. The preliminary swings must be slow; work the legs and push the ball and you can engender the speed through the turns, in a more manageable way that permits acceleration throughout the throw. The right foot must work hard, pushing you into each turn, also pushing you into the delivery.
As you go into the first turn, you must sink as the hammer enters over the right shoulder, keeping the hips forward. The right leg will then be flexed and ready to drive you round when the ball reaches the low. Do not allow the hips to move towards the right side, nor the shoulders to pike forward. As you go into the turns, hold the left side steady and sweep the hammer round you. Do not move the left shoulder out of the way, keep it steady and sweep the ball round and let it run out on the left.
Ensure that the right foot is neither early in lifting off into the turn, nor late in landing, so the single support stage is as short as possible. Turn both feet in the double support phase, so that the left foot is round to 210º before the right foot lifts off. There should be a long swing of the hammer, short lift and turn for the right foot, which should not come too high off the ground
Through the throw, keep pushing the hammer, do not pull, push hard through the double support phases. When the hammer is low, at 0º, on each turn, the shoulders must be square to 0º as well, arms long and pushing the ball round, not trying to pull it. The hammer should be envisaged like a broom. The hands must not come too high. Through the turns, the hands must not rise above the shoulders.
Every turn, think about the ball and keep the eyes firmly on it as you push it.
A training aid is for the coach to stand at 270º, arms out at chest level. The athlete then moves as if to turn, ensuring that the hands, in the hammer-holding stance, meet the coach’s hands.
End of session Summary
Youri spent most of the time on the entry into the first turn. If the entry is wrong, then you will not achieve a good throw. You may be able attain a ‘reasonable’ distance, but it will not approach your potential.
The swing is to get the exact plane for entry. You must keep the left side hard during the swing, do not move the body about, just the arms going around the left side ready to make the entry. Have both feet parallel and pointing to 0º. If they are straight, it is easier to make the entry. If the first turn is a toe turn, the centre of the turn is round the left toe. For heel turns, the centre is over the heel, with a line through head, left glute, heel.
Throughout the throw, the hammer must be continuously accelerating around the thrower. The thrower has to make it go faster and faster by pushing the ball in the double support phase. In the single support phase the hammer is followed. The double support phases must be long, the single supports as short as possible.
As the hammer comes round from the front of the circle, push it round to the 0º point, then follow. This must occur on every turn. Do not try to pull it.
Do not simply prepare for the finish(delivery), the whole throw must be considered a composite unit, the four turns and delivery – push, follow, push, follow, push, follow, push, follow, push, follow. A ‘welly factor’ at the end usually reduces the end result.
Work the hammer on the right side round to 0º, so that it goes out to the left. At 0º the head should be no more than 30cm above the ground and at its lowest. The head should be no higher than shoulder height at the left. If the plane is too high, it is hard to gain acceleration. The plane should remain the same throughout the throw.
Do not let the right foot move too soon, the hammer must be round at 270º before the right foot is snapped round, do not lift it too high.
You must watch the ball, keeping your eyes on it through all the turns. Each turn must be rhythmically accelerating.
Do not think about the finish as a separate item. The finish is, effectively, the entry into the next turn, but with a lift.
If you cannot finish the movement, it is because the start was too fast.
Throwers must realise what they are doing and analyse the throw; work with the coach and answer how you feel about the throw.
The throw is best attained by being on the ball of the right foot, it is easier to push round on the ball than on a flat foot. Youri taught himself to be on the ball by walking around, for a day or two, left foot normal, right foot on the ball.
Training technique
To throw far we have to do weight lifting, jumping, running, but these are a means to an end. Never let a pb at weights become more important than the throw.
Training leading up to a competition should be about the same as usual, but low intensity weights, high intensity throws.
To be a good thrower, you must throw as well in competition, or better, than you do in training. Never worse. When you are throwing, throw against yourself, not others. Your aim is for what you can do, suddenly applying to much effort will ruin your technique.
Always compete fully, with the same kind of goal and compete for the sport, not the medal.
Always use the correct size of circle. If you have to throw from a discus circle, either use the inserts or paint a line 2.135 metres into the circle, from the front, and make sure that you do not start outside that line. Never do a foul in training throws, if possible.
Different weight hammers for training
It is best to use heavy, normal and light hammers in a session.
There is a slightly different technique for each weight. The light is important as that produces the best technique. These should be used right up to competition.
Final week before a competition
The last two days before the competition take off, otherwise, train as normal.
Where there is a Competition and Qualifying on separate days:
rest the day before; pre-qualifying warm up, do sets of lifts to tone up, then throw.
If there is no qualifying, do three or four trials the day before to get the rhythm, then compete next day.
Normal training should be 2 days train, 1 day rest.
Be very careful about the intensity of training for the last week before a competition, too little is as bad as too much.
18th Mar 2007
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