Many articles have been written on teaching progressions and mechanics of throwing technique. This article, however, deals with some of the pitfalls coaches often encounter while trying to implement these progressions in practice.

For example, here are some questions that I've been asked many times at clinics or in discussions with other coaches at meets:

* How do you know when it's the right time to move on to a more complicated exercise?

* What's the right number of throws to perform in a given practice?

* Is it better to practice one event per day or multiple events?

The general answer to all of these is invariably "it depends on the individual," but I'd like to discuss some general outlines that could be applicable to most teaching scenarios that the coach could encounter.

1. Establish the basics.
Throwing is a sport of repetition. It's critical from the first day that the proper teaching mechanics are established. Getting it right the first time is important because, once a bad habit has been established, it usually takes about three times the number of repetitions to modify it. Both coach and athlete should resist the temptation to advance through the learning process too quickly in an effort to get more distance at a faster rate. Shortcuts can hinder the long-term development of a thrower by taking these types of short cuts. Fulfilling an athlete's true throwing potential is a long, gradual process that shouldn't be rushed. Advancement through more complicated progressions should happen only when an athlete has mastered the basic techniques.

2. Know when to pull out the measuring tape.
Throwers are judged by how far they throw. So it's only natural that they're going to want to know how far they're throwing. This type of feedback is important because it really lets them know if they're improving. However, it should not be the only focus of a training session. Charting the improvement of a young thrower should be a balance of developing consistency in execution and producing better distances through technical improvements. These two things don't necessarily go hand in hand. This is where the art of coaching comes into play - when a coach must decide when to focus on the task at hand, or to loosen the reins and let the thrower go for distance. What coaches and athletes need to remember is that establishing consistency of movement usually leads to breakthroughs in distance. Learning usually occurs at 85-90% intensity when throwing, while throwing at 100% or more all the time usually leads to erratic results. I usually find that throwers who can reproduce a throwing technique in practice 8 out of 10 times or better will usually be able to reproduce the technique under the stress of competition. This consistency usually occurs at sub-maximal effort (85-95%). Of course, it's perfectly fine to let the thrower see how far he or she can throw from time to time to see the progress being made.

3. Go for quality over quantity.
How many throws should one take in practice? More is not necessarily better. Pay close attention to the quality of the throws in practice. Once that quality starts to drop, it's usually a signal that it's time to stop. Throwers should never be put in a position where they have to focus hard just to maintain basic technique due to fatigue. Throwing is a performance sport, not an endurance contest. All you need is one good throw in a competition, and success is not measured by a series of throws, but by your best throw in a series. Building a base by making a large volume of throws to "build a throwing base" doesn't make sense. There should be a purpose to each throw. I have found that 20-25 throws, at about 80-90% intensity, is usually the maximum a beginning thrower can take in a session and still maintain quality. If the throwing intensity is lower, it may be more like 30-35 throws. When poor execution occurs due to fatigue after only a short time, say 10-12 throws, stop the practice or switch to a different type of throw or to a drill where the thrower can still execute with a high level of success.

4. Work on one concept at a time.
When teaching beginners how to execute the throwing events, it's important to make things as easy as possible. This can be done by focusing on one technical element at a time. Giving an athlete multiple cues usually leads to confusion in the thrower's mind, because it's impossible to concentrate on two things once. A good throw usually feels effortless, and this feeling cannot be achieved while trying to do many things at once. Focusing on one technical element is enough. When talking about teaching concepts, it should be noted that there are two types of concepts - rhythmic and technical. Rhythmic concepts have to do with speed of execution and acceleration patterns within a given throw. Technical concepts have to do with hitting a certain position during the course of a throw. A major mistake that's often made is to ask a thrower to work on one rhythmic concept and one mechanical concept at the same time. This is essentially asking the thrower to work on two things at once, which can be hard to do. The following is an example of how this comes about: A coach has a thrower work on hitting a certain position when he lands in the power position at the front of the ring. After a few repetitions the coach then asks the thrower to try to hit the same position while also speeding up the pivot in the middle of the ring. Actively trying to do both of these things can be hard to accomplish. A better way to frame the task is to speed up the throw in the middle of the ring, but not to ask that they hit a certain power position as well. Instruct the thrower to focus on the speed in the middle of the ring, and see if they still hit the power position as desired without thinking about it. If they are able to do it, then things are good. If not, then more work is needed on hitting the power position as desired until it becomes second nature.

5. Help each beginner find his or her "own" throw.
Throwers come in many shapes and sizes and have various strengths and weaknesses. These need to be taken into consideration when developing an individual's technique. I find that throwers tend to gravitate toward their strengths when developing their technique, and I think this should be encouraged. For example, a thrower with strong legs will naturally try to use them a little more than a thrower who has a more developed upper body and weaker legs. Aside from establishing the basics of throwing technique, it's hard to say that there's a right or wrong way for an individual to throw. What's most important in all cases is trying to find the most efficient way for each person to throw. Relying on a certain technical model to develop a young thrower can be a double-edged sword. While a model can provide a nice template for a young thrower to emulate, it's important that the model also be one that suits the thrower's traits. It wouldn't make sense for a thrower who is 2 meters tall and fairly skinny to model his technique after a thrower who is short, powerful and thick. One should also take care not to follow the model's technique too closely if it appears that it stifles some of the thrower own natural efficiency. It is not wise to pay "tribute" to a great thrower by duplicating his or her technique to the last detail, but the coach could use that throw as a guideline to develop and then streamline the athlete's personal technique.

6. Throwing more than one event in the same workout.
Many times I'm asked, "Is it better to throw one event a day or work on multiple events on the same day?" Much of the answer has to do with how much time for throwing you have each day. The rest of the answer has to do with (1) how long a thrower can throw before lack of focus and fatigue set in and (2) if the thrower is good at transitioning from one event to another. If there's a short amount of time each day to throw, then I'd recommend throwing one event a day and making sure it's done correctly. You never want to get into a situation where you're rushing from event to event. Quality is the most important factor for every training session. The other factor that would preclude a thrower from training two events in one session would be if the thrower's motor patterns are adversely affected by back-to-back sessions. This is sometimes the case with training rotational shot putters who also throw the discus. Since the events are similar, but the timing a little different, it can be difficult to establish the correct rhythm when throwing both so close together. If this is the case, then sessions may need to be separated by days or hours instead of minutes.

7. Keep things fun.
The most important thing when teaching beginners a skill is to keep things fun. I try to make the throwing sessions that I conduct the highlight of the day for my throwers. I want them to "want to be there" when throwing. Learning seems to occur at a faster rate when things are fun, and most personal bests are thrown when the athlete is loose and relaxed and not too stressed during competition. A poor result is more likely to occur when a thrower is trying too hard rather than not trying hard enough. This can be seen when a thrower is "too ready" to throw far, more often than not because the training leading up to a meet has been exceptional. This situation inadvertently raises expectations, which in turn can cause the athlete to put too much pressure on him- or herself. Careful evaluation by the coach can usually pick up on this, although the more experience one has with an athlete the easier it is to detect.

Conclusion
Teaching the throws is both an art and a science. A lot has been written about the science, while relatively little has been written about the art. The science of the throws can be learned while studying of articles and film, but the art of teaching comes mostly from experience. It's hoped that this article has provided a few insights into teaching the throws, so that the reader can steer clear of some of the mistakes I've made. As I stated before, throwing is a sport of repetition, and the long, steady path usually leads to long distances and better results.

Don Babbitt is the throws coach at the University of Georgia. Athletes he coaches include shot put world champions Adam Nelson (2005) and Reesew Hoffa (2007), U.S. record holder and eight-time U.S. champion in the men's javelin Breaux Greer, and two-time NCAA women's hammer throw champion Jenny Dahlgren, among others.