The Science of Throwing
I used to think that Physics was the “bottom line” in throwing. In all of sport, actually. But the more I learned about throwing, the more I realized that Physics is only one piece of the answer, and that Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology are equal, if not more important components.
Physics can provide useful information about what a thrown object will do once it leaves one’s hand. It can also help one improve throwing performance by providing information about the optimum launch angles for the various the implements, and about optimum angles of attack (for discus and javelin). Beyond those two factors however, the physics is pretty basic – at a given launch angle, angle of attack (for discus and javelin), and launch height, the object that is moving the fastest will go the farthest. (Other factors that come into play when Physics is applied to throwing involve the height of the athlete and the length of his arms and legs, but those factors are not subject to modification by the athlete.) Once one is armed with information about optimum launch angles and angles of attack, how does one go about maximizing the implement’s velocity? That is where Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology come into play.
Biomechanics answers the question: How does one direct the greatest amount of available power toward accelerating the objective to the maximum velocity, while staying within the constraints of the rules of the event being analyzed. This is where things can get very complicated in a hurry. Different muscle groups are capable of delivering different amounts of power, and are limited by being able to deliver this power only through certain planes of motion and through limited ranges. Some of the muscles employed in throwing deliver their power by way of muscle contractions, while others do so through a stretch reflex. In order to maximize their effect these muscle groups must be employed sequentially (from the ground up) so that they contribute in an additive manner to the final velocity of the implement, and precise timing (i.e., technique) of these sequential movements is critical to optimizing performance. (Variations in the timing of these movements is why it’s not uncommon for a weaker thrower to be able to throw farther than a much stronger athlete.) It’s no wonder that it takes years to perfect proper throwing technique, and it’s no wonder that I wish I knew more about this discipline.
Exercise Physiology deals with maximizing the amount of available power that can be employed using proper Biomechanics and in accordance with the optimal flight characteristics as determined by Physics. Generally, “stronger” and “more flexible” are better, but that is something of an over-simplification.
Human muscle is made up of a mixture of so-called “fast twitch” (power) and “slow twitch” (endurance) fibers. Given that the act of throwing typically takes only 2-4 seconds to complete, it’s not surprising that fast twitch fibers are much more important to a thrower than are slow twitch fibers. The ratio of fast twitch and slow twitch fibers in any given person is largely a function of genetics, but studies have shown that these ratios can be altered to a degree by employing certain types of training. In addition to changing the ratio of the fiber types, specific exercise techniques can further serve to enlarge the existing fibers of one muscle type over the other. Much study has been devoted to understanding which types of exercises are beneficial for the development of fast twitch muscle fibers, but generally they include certain specific programs involving weight training, and plyometric exercises. To get the maximum benefits from these programs they must be tailored to conform to the human body’s response to exercise (which varies fro athlete to tathlete).
In order to maximize the available power for throwing the proper exercises need to be performed in the proper manner, and for the proper period of time. The proper resistance exercises for throwing emphasize strength and quickness of the legs, trunk (or “core”), and shoulders and arms. Squats, cleans, crunches, “good mornings”, twists, bench press, butterflies, and overhead pulls should be considered a minimum program for developing strength for throwing. These lift must also be performed in the proper manner. A proper lifting regimen involves lifting certain specified percentages of an individual’s maximum capacity, using an optimum number of sets, and a prescribed number of repetitions within each set. The final component of the lifting program is known as periodization. Lifting programs are designed around nested microcycles, macrocycles, and mesocycles which last from a few weeks for microcycles, up to several months for mesocycles. Within these cycles the amount of weight lifted, the number of repetitions, and the number of sets are varied in order to produce maximum results. Taken as a whole, the combination of the proper exercises, performed in the proper manner, and using a well-designed periodization plan allows maximum gains in strength, adequate rest, and the ability to “peak” to an optimum level of performance in anticipation of significant competitions.
Physics can provide useful information about what a thrown object will do once it leaves one’s hand. It can also help one improve throwing performance by providing information about the optimum launch angles for the various the implements, and about optimum angles of attack (for discus and javelin). Beyond those two factors however, the physics is pretty basic – at a given launch angle, angle of attack (for discus and javelin), and launch height, the object that is moving the fastest will go the farthest. (Other factors that come into play when Physics is applied to throwing involve the height of the athlete and the length of his arms and legs, but those factors are not subject to modification by the athlete.) Once one is armed with information about optimum launch angles and angles of attack, how does one go about maximizing the implement’s velocity? That is where Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology come into play.
Biomechanics answers the question: How does one direct the greatest amount of available power toward accelerating the objective to the maximum velocity, while staying within the constraints of the rules of the event being analyzed. This is where things can get very complicated in a hurry. Different muscle groups are capable of delivering different amounts of power, and are limited by being able to deliver this power only through certain planes of motion and through limited ranges. Some of the muscles employed in throwing deliver their power by way of muscle contractions, while others do so through a stretch reflex. In order to maximize their effect these muscle groups must be employed sequentially (from the ground up) so that they contribute in an additive manner to the final velocity of the implement, and precise timing (i.e., technique) of these sequential movements is critical to optimizing performance. (Variations in the timing of these movements is why it’s not uncommon for a weaker thrower to be able to throw farther than a much stronger athlete.) It’s no wonder that it takes years to perfect proper throwing technique, and it’s no wonder that I wish I knew more about this discipline.
Exercise Physiology deals with maximizing the amount of available power that can be employed using proper Biomechanics and in accordance with the optimal flight characteristics as determined by Physics. Generally, “stronger” and “more flexible” are better, but that is something of an over-simplification.
Human muscle is made up of a mixture of so-called “fast twitch” (power) and “slow twitch” (endurance) fibers. Given that the act of throwing typically takes only 2-4 seconds to complete, it’s not surprising that fast twitch fibers are much more important to a thrower than are slow twitch fibers. The ratio of fast twitch and slow twitch fibers in any given person is largely a function of genetics, but studies have shown that these ratios can be altered to a degree by employing certain types of training. In addition to changing the ratio of the fiber types, specific exercise techniques can further serve to enlarge the existing fibers of one muscle type over the other. Much study has been devoted to understanding which types of exercises are beneficial for the development of fast twitch muscle fibers, but generally they include certain specific programs involving weight training, and plyometric exercises. To get the maximum benefits from these programs they must be tailored to conform to the human body’s response to exercise (which varies fro athlete to tathlete).
In order to maximize the available power for throwing the proper exercises need to be performed in the proper manner, and for the proper period of time. The proper resistance exercises for throwing emphasize strength and quickness of the legs, trunk (or “core”), and shoulders and arms. Squats, cleans, crunches, “good mornings”, twists, bench press, butterflies, and overhead pulls should be considered a minimum program for developing strength for throwing. These lift must also be performed in the proper manner. A proper lifting regimen involves lifting certain specified percentages of an individual’s maximum capacity, using an optimum number of sets, and a prescribed number of repetitions within each set. The final component of the lifting program is known as periodization. Lifting programs are designed around nested microcycles, macrocycles, and mesocycles which last from a few weeks for microcycles, up to several months for mesocycles. Within these cycles the amount of weight lifted, the number of repetitions, and the number of sets are varied in order to produce maximum results. Taken as a whole, the combination of the proper exercises, performed in the proper manner, and using a well-designed periodization plan allows maximum gains in strength, adequate rest, and the ability to “peak” to an optimum level of performance in anticipation of significant competitions.
posted by Jake at 5:04 PM
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