The journey from being a good hammer thrower to a great one often hinges on subtle coaching nuances and slight shifts in hammer throw workouts that may not always be immediately visible.
While
an athlete might have the physical prowess and a fundamental
understanding of the sport, it is often the less obvious elements
introduced by a knowledgeable coach that can unlock the athlete's full
potential. These small coaching details contribute to refining skills
and enhancing performance in ways that can be transformative.
The
impact of tailored feedback during training sessions cannot be
understated; it allows athletes to discover and fine-tune their unique
throwing styles. Coaches help cultivate an environment where athletes
can develop confidence in their abilities and learn to tackle the mental
aspects of competition, which can significantly differentiate a good
performance from a great one.
The relationship between coach and athlete plays a pivotal role
in nurturing the right mindset. A great coach knows how to inspire their
athlete, fostering resilience and a sense of purpose that can elevate
competition outcomes. As athletes learn to embrace challenges and
visualize success, they often find themselves approaching competitions
with a new level of composure and determination.
The
evolution from good to great in hammer throwing illustrates how small
but intentional guidance from a coach can shift an athlete's trajectory.
These understated yet critical contributions create a ripple effect,
influencing not just technique but the overall approach to both training
and competition, leading to extraordinary results.
With this in mind, we have pulled two vital hammer throw tips
from two proven track and field coaches that could end up becoming key
in your quest to unlock the potential that your hammer throwers are
destined for.
Paddy McGrath - Swings
Patrick McGrath is a 1995 graduate of Manhattan
College and a former track and field Olympian and current assistant
coach at Manhattan College and founder of The New York Hammer Squad. He
oversaw the trio of Nina Bjorkman, Lasma Padedze and Alexandra Preckajlo
that accounted for two golds, three silvers, one bronze and 54 total
points at the 2021 MAAC Outdoor Women's Track & Field Championship.
Following the season, he helped Rudy Winkler to the USA
Championship in the hammer throw and a seventh place finish at the 2020
Tokyo Olympics.
With experience at the international,
collegiate and high school levels, McGrath has mentored NCAA, Senior
National, Junior, and Youth champions. Ten of his athletes have won high
school national titles, and four have claimed New York State
championships. McGrath also coached Track and Field News' 2013
High School Boys Athlete of the Year. In 2019, three of his Manhattan
throwers qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field East Regionals.
In his ‘Athlete Development: How Rudy Winkler Went From Beginner to American Record’
clinic, Coach McGrath details how a consistent dedication to the
technical work is needed to be great, and that starts with the swing.
Coach McGrath noted how he likes to see the ball in front of the thrower
as they prepare their swing. For a right-handed thrower, their weight
should be on the left while they’re singing on the right side.
A term that he loves using with his athletes is “brush the hair” when discussing how close he wants the hammer swing to be to their head. Of course, they mustn’t get too close where they run a risk of whacking their head with the hammer.
Another
training strategy that he likes athletes to use is starting the swing
with three fingers, moving down to two fingers, and then ultimately
finishing with only swinging while using their pinky finger. This is so
the athlete learns to let the ball do its own and create and sustain its own momentum, which is crucial for conserving energy.
Nathan Ott - Catch
Nathan Ott begins his third season guiding Penn
State’s throws group in 2024-25. During his coaching career, Ott has
coached All-Americans in each and every one of the throws events. In his
first two season with the Nittany Lions, Ott has mentored a pair of
First Team All-Americans and has seen three school records toppled.
During
the summer of 2023, Ott returned to the World Athletics Championships,
this time with a contingent of four professional hammer throwers under
his guidance. Brooke Andersen (U.S.A.), Nayoka Clunis (Jamaica),
Beatrice Llano (Norway), and Stamatia Scarvelis (Greece) traveled to
Budapest with Ott as their coach. Clunis became the first Jamaican
hammer thrower ever to make the World Championship final in the event.
In his ‘Hammer Training: Tales of Connection and Engine Work’ clinic, Coach Ott discusses how his “catch” term is a core part of solidifying a hammer throw’s technique.
Coach Ott explains that the catch is the point where an athlete reestablishes double support in their throw.
He goes on to note that good catches have weight firmly on the left side (if the athlete is a right-handed thrower). The thrower can’t be collapsing on the right side or aggressively dropping, instead being stable once the right foot touches.
Because of this good connection, the athlete will immediately become capable of working on an effective implementation which will lead to a good throw.
A
poor catch is when the weight collapses into the right leg, where the
athlete isn’t immediately able to explode out of that position. The ball
should always be back and the athlete should keep connected with it.
