Ok, it’s not really secret… Repeating the same throws over and over again is your only key to success. An athlete who has a large number of repeats can start fine-tuning their technique sooner than if they do not get enough. Learning complex, large movements is more difficult than learning smaller movements. Let the athlete learn the basic rhythms and principles of discus throwing before focusing on specific times or angles.
Within the first week, discus throwers need to be taught how turn. It will probably not be perfect but it’s OK. A thrower develops a movement pattern that can be used to build on and refine it. Unfortunately, many coaches will not allow their athletes to try the whole throw until they master the power throw. This is an error. It is tedious for the athlete as well as the coach. Second, an athlete who attempts full throws does not mean that they cannot also practice power throws as a step towards the full throw.
My philosophy is to teach the pace of an event before any athlete ever touches a discus. A competition implement is something that an athlete will focus more on than technical skill when she has it in her hand. Begin by asking athletes to clap along with the throw. Next, have athletes clap the beat of the throw. Then, you can start skipping to the rhythm of the throw. Add a rotational element to the floatfloat-sting drill. A lot of athletes have difficulty with this drill, and they may struggle to distribute their weight and position correctly. However, the goal is for them to learn a pattern that will allow them throw. Give your athletes a cone or shoe and let them practice the float-float sting. Then, have them release the cone.
Keep practicing large movements until an athlete is able to throw a complete throw using a non-competition tool. After this, an athlete is ready to start using a discus. Keep practicing the same drills while gradually shifting to discus-specific drills.
Watch out for the next article about power throw progression.