Throw Like Youri Hammer Clinic

  “Your hammer is your partner. You must trust and respect it. You must also muster up the courage within yourself to throw the hammer. Trust, Respect and Courage.”(1)

 “I may surprise and even frustrate many athletes and coaches, but from my long experience, I came to the conclusion that, however paradoxically it sounds, the very best "auxiliary" exercise for hammer throwing is ... hammer throwing.”(2)

  "Unfortunately, most of the auxiliary exercises are in their execution, load, and intensity far from the main motion of the hammer throw. Here is an example. During a joint practice of the Soviet and East Germany throwers in 1982, a team of German scientists from Leipzig studied the work of large muscle groups participating in the main motion of the hammer throw. To my utter surprise, it was found out by them that the 'percentage of similarity' in the work of the quadriceps during the full squat with the barbell on the shoulders and during the main motion of the hammer throw was only 5%!"(3)

From the book Youri co-authored with, Dr. Vladimir Strelnitski, Art and Science of Hammer Throwing, Sept. 2018::

1) Page 27 paraphrased

2) Page 61

3) Page 61

 I was 29 when I decided to call it a day with team sports and give Track and field a go. I had previously taken part in running as a young teen with Templemore Athletic Club but this time around I wanted to try something different. The hammer was an event I always liked to watch, especially when it was on for the Olympics.

When I was probably around 10, I remember mimicking the hammer by getting some rope and tying a stone onto the end of it. I just took a few swings around my head and let it off. I was amazed at how far it could travel compared to just throwing a stone. This is when the whole long radius effect became clear to me. Same stone longer rope further it went. One day on top of a cliff in a quarry I attached a stone to some rope maybe 9 feet long and made a few turns with tappy tap feet and the distance it travelled off the long radius was amazing. So, once I started to make inroads on training for the hammer long radius was already figured out from my younger days rope and stone throwing. 

So, I needed a technical model to mimick for my hammer training plan. So, I googled the Hammer Throw world record holder and that's how I first came across the greatest hammer thrower of all time Youri Sedykh. I watched every single video of Youri on YouTube. I then came across the 1984 video of Youri and Sergei throwing in Cork where they broke the world record 5 times between them. 

 I was also at the same time realising more and more through research that Ireland had a long and ancient history in hammer throwing. I learned all about the Irish whales, who were Irish born and emigrated to America and represented the states and Canada at many Olympic games winning countless medals in the Throws events during the early 1900's. John Flanagan, James Mitchell, Pat Mcdonald, Paddy Ryan, Martin Sheridan, Matt McGrath, and Con Walsh made up the world renowned Irish Whales. To my amazement the origins of hammer throwing can be traced back to the Tailteann games held in Tara Ireland around 1829 BC. A few centuries later Cuchulainn is said to have thrown the wooden handle with boulder attached further than any mortal. So, as I was learning all this amazing history I really felt part of something uniquely Irish and I felt proud to be part of a great tradition and legacy of Irish Hammer Throwing spanning centuries and millennia. 

My self-taught approach to hammer throwing had its limits and I knew I needed help. I got great pointers and drills to practice by Phil Conway, Sean Egan, and John O'Farell along the way. I then spent a year travelling upto Brian Akers once a week for hammer training. Brian is a really great coach and has decades of experience. I learned a lot from our training sessions. How to work with and catch a steep ball, how to let the ball run long on the left. How to feel staying back on the left from Brian throwing the ball in. How to get heel in/knee out on the left leg, establishing rhythm in the throw and a lot more aspects of throwing. I also attended a great Hammer workshop by Paddy McGrath in Dublin, Paddy threw hammer for Ireland at the Sydney Olympics and is coaching Rudy Winkler along with a great crop of hammer throwers. Paddy had good phrases for highlighting important points on hammer like 'drills give you skills', 'speed is what you need' and 'corkscrew the right toe into the ground' etc. Paddy had good stick drills teaching the athlete how to keep the ball long on the left in each turn. 

So, all these encounters really helped me along the way during my hammer throwing development.

Then I came across Carl Shields website throwlikeyouri.com and it really helped clarify so much on Youri's technique. With detailed videos on each aspect of Youri's throw along with drills and specific weight exercises Carl's website was a treasure chest for all things Youri. Whenever I can find time I'm watching videos from Carl's website and going over videos as well on aspects I find difficult to execute in my own Throws. 

One aspect I don't find explained or discussed is how Youri tucks his right heel towards his glute in each single support phase. Nearly all throwers hold/lock knee angle in single support phase but Youri is an exception where he clearly after right foot take off continues bringing heel to glute. My interpretation of this movement is it prevents the right foot kicking out past the knee on the catch. It seems that due to the long movement back towards the glute it takes longer to come forward which puts the right toe in an excellent catch position inside the right knee. The right foot then becomes an action (tuck) and reaction (extend) movement. I'm sure Youri just did this without intentionally doing it. It was his own individual style of right foot action. But I'm sure Carl will shed some light and insight on Youri's right foot action after takeoff.

Regards 

John Dwyer