Ahh...Now I get it.

I got a taste of what it feels like to throw really far the other day. I was a little sore from lifting weights, and I wanted to go out to throw, but I didn't want the soreness to introduce any bad habits into my technique. The answer? I only threw with light implements. I took a 1kg discus, a 4kg shot, and a 5kg hammer and the whole expereience was a real eye-opener.

In shot and discus the light implements allowed me to achieve a whip-like snap at the end of the throws - a movment I'm not able to duplicate (yet) with the heavier weights. 145'-150' standing throws with the discus, and 40'-41' standing throws with the shot were the norm. While none of these distances would be world-class, even with the heavier implements, they represent significant improvements over my typical performances. This was all very encouraging, and was a very good motivator for continued weight training, as the only thing that prevents me from achieving these distances with the heavier weights is strength.

With respect to the lighter hammer, it let me do faster turns without it feeling like I was being pulled off-balance. This can only help to ingrain proper footwork.

All in all, it was a very postive experience and was a practice strategy I intend to use periodically in the future.