28 pound stone

[Roger Crazy Wolf]

Does anyone have any advice for throwing a 28 pound stone? I have been told the stone that we will be throwing at Stone Mountain is 28 pounds and nearly perfectly spherical. I tried to throw a stone like this at the Appalachain games and I could not get a grip on it.

[Sqeezemasterflash]

Roger,

For something this big, you might not be able to use a typical shot technique on it. When I did a 56# braemar earlier this year, it was too big and too heavy to use normal technique. Instead, we found that it went the farthest by really crouching low, and just focusing on getting under it. You keep your arm more under the stone, instead of behind it. Lots of leg drive, and lots of loft seemed to be key. It's not too heavy to explode through the stone, but it's probably too big to be nicely tucked under your chin, with the hand behind it.

[Roger Crazy Wolf]

I found that when I was trying to throw that 29 pound bowling ball at the Appalachain games I tried to keep a decent shot technique and that obviously did not work. Watching the guys that did have some success I noticed two things; 1) They all have bigger hands than I do and 2) Most of them kept their elbow down, not up. In fact, the guy who had the worst shot technique (throwing a 16 pound stone 33 or 34 feet) had good success with the 29 pound stone (25 or 26 feet).

At Stone Mountain this 28 pound stone is technically an 'open' stone so I can throw it anyway I want and I'm going to be tempted to use the South African. I will try to get a standing throw out there using the technique you have described and if I think I can spin with it I'll give that a shot. Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how it goes in a week.

[Bert Sorin]

IMHO, the south african is not the route to go with the bigger stone (28lb) unless you are really good technically. I would suggest a modified stand / glide / step back. Make sure you get the hips in front of the ball, and wrap up, and blast it. For me, the larger stones do not get the same "flick" on them that I am looking for with a south african, they are too heavy, and pull you over. I would line that sucker up and blast it. That's just me though.

Good luck.
Bert

[Roger Crazy Wolf]

I've never been to Stone Mountain before so I don't know their policy on warming up but I'll see what I can do with it in warm-ups. Concerning the South African, I was saying that I would probably try it, believeing that I can get it further that way over the standing throw ... but you're right, at the most I should probably just glide. A 28 pound round stone is not something you get to practice with very often. The key will be in which position will I be able to keep a hold of it. I'll try several things in warm-ups and whatever works I'm going to stick with it.

[DavinportESQ]

Roger,

Stand throws are a huge part of our workout. All weights all different ways. I would really try to Keep my head back on a focal point. Drive the right hip towrds the direction of the throw. But most of all Think about really lifting you LEFT arm up. I have a different philosphy in my stands. I really want to get underneath/against the ball and turn it into a shoulder press. THis helps me alot because I want to keep the shot on the straightest path in the throw. Too oftern inexperianced throwers loose the ball my rotating hte upperbody out and around the left instead of towards and over it. When you go out and around you loose lension and it turns into a shove, very short and all the power comes off the arm. If you really work the lifting of the LEFT arm and the squeezing of the glutes and the driving of the hip and chest that sucker will go!

[Roger Crazy Wolf]

Dave;

That's good stuff right there and those are the types of things I need to know. One of the characteristics of my stone throws is that they are usually flat. If I think of it as a shoulder press I think that might help, but I won't know until I practice later this week. I was once told that in the glide I should think that I'm trying to throw something heavy with my left hand. In fact, I think the exact words were 'Imagine you have a heavy bomb in your left hand and your are trying to get rid of it as fast as you can.' I didn't really use that advice because I went to the spin.

My stone/shot technique is entirely self taught and I am learning the biggest mistake I have made is that I rushed into learning the spin/South African instead of getting the standing throw perfected. Bert told me that I should keep working the standing throw until I hit at least 40 feet (with a 16 pound stone).

The advice you guys have given has been great but the problem I have is I have a hard time internalizing it. I can read that I should push my right hip forward and I can see it in my mind but I don't know if I'm performing it properly unless someone who knows what it's supposed to look like sees me do it and shows me what I'm doing wrong. Also, I have received so much advice on throwing I don't what has hurt me and what has helped. For instance, is that advice on throwing a 'heavy bomb' with my left hand good advice? Or is it only good advice if I am performing it correctly? I think I need to make an appointment with coaches Dave and Bert.

At the very least, I will try to do what you have said to do. Thanks for all the advice and I'll try to keep it simple: crouch, stay under the stone, push the right hip, shoulder press, chest up and impress the girls.