Shot put, sport in athletics (track and field) in which a spherical weight is thrown, or put,

from the shoulder for distance. It derives from the ancient sport of putting the stone.

The first to use a shot (cannon ball) instead of a stone competitively were British

military sports groups. Although the weight varied in early events from 3.63 to 10.9 kg (8

to 24 pounds), a standard, regulation-weight 7.26-kg (16-pound) shot was adopted for

men in the first modern Olympic Games (1896) and in international competition. The

event was added to the women’s Olympic program in 1948. The weight of the shot used

for women’s competition is 4 kg (8.8 pounds); lighter weights are also used in

school, collegiate, and veteran competitions.

The shot generally is made of solid iron or brass, although any metal not softer than

brass may be used. It is put from a circle 2.135 metres (7 feet) in diameter into a 40°

sector as measured from the centre of the circle. The circle has a stop board 10 cm (4

inches) high at its front; if the competitor steps on or out of the circle, the throw is

invalidated. The shot is put with one hand and must be held near the chin to start. It

may not drop below or behind shoulder level at any time.

The shot put

The putting action is best described as shoving the shot, because the rules require that

the arm may not extend behind the shoulders during the putting action. The spherical

shot is made of metal. The men’s shot weighs 7.26 kg (16 pounds) and is 110–130 mm

(4.3–5.1 inches) in diameter. Women put a 4-kg (8.82-pound) shot that is 95–110 mm

(3.7–4.3 inches) in diameter.

The putter must launch the shot from within a ring 2.135 metres (7 feet) in diameter and

so must gather momentum for the put by a rapid twisting movement. Shot-putters are

among the largest athletes in track and field, the most massive ranging from 250 to 300

pounds (113 to 136 kg). Beginning in the 1950s, weight training became a major part of

a shot-putter’s training program. In that same period the O’Brien style of putting was
popularized, with outstanding results. Developed by Parry O’Brien (U.S.) William Patrick

"Parry" O'Brien (January 28, 1932 – April 21, 2007) was an American shot put champion. He

competed in four consecutive Summer Olympics where he won two gold medals (1952, 1956) and

one silver medal (1960). In his last Olympic competition (1964) he placed fourth. For all of these

accomplishments, O'Brien was inducted into the IAAF and U.S. Olympic halls of fame.

the style involved a 180-degree turn (rather than the usual 90-degree turn) across the

ring, getting more speed and momentum into the action. O’Brien was the best exponent

of the style, winning three Olympic medals (two gold) and raising the record from 17.95

metres (58 feet 10.75 inches) to 19.30 metres (63 feet 4 inches).

Some athletes have turned to a style in which the putter spins one and a half turns

before releasing the shot, a technique developed by Brian Oldfield (U.S.).

Shots come in several sizes and materials for each weight, which includes turned steel,
stainless steel, brass, iron and turned iron.

The most popular shots are the turned iron and turned steel because they are not too
smooth and have the best grip.

The next piece of equipment to cover is footwear. All the major footwear companies
make a shot put shoe designed for rotation. They usually have a smooth, hard outsole
for fast spinning and a high arch to keep the thrower on the toes more. The last piece of
equipment to be mentioned is the wrist wrap.

Almost all shot putters either tape or wrap their wrist to prevent injury and give
support. It is ideal to invest in a good wrist wrap that can be reused every day instead of
having to buy and use tape on a constant basis. The wrist wrap can be adjusted after it
is applied unlike a tape job, which would require taping the wrist again. The most
important matter with all these equipment decisions comes down to the athlete and the
comfort level with each product. No person is alike, and no piece of equipment is alike.
The only way to find out which product suits the athlete best is to have them try it.
 Basic Technique for the Shot Put
By: Mark Harsha
Portage High School Girls’ Head Coach
Goal One: Shot grip and placement
1. Holding the shot

 The shot is held at the base of the fingers not the

palm
 The fingers are slightly spread apart with the
thumb for support.
 The hand will be bent back in the cocked position
when holding the shot. It looks like you are
caring a pizza.

2. Neck placement

 Raise the shot above your head

 Lower the shot straight down until it is under
your jaw
 Push the shot into your neck
 Lift your elbow parallel to the floor. Don’t
squeeze your elbow towards your back
 Check to see that your thumb is pointing down
towards your clavicle
 The palm should be pointing towards the
throwing direction

Goal Two: Delivery of the shot

1. Delivery of the shot

 Eyes to the ceiling

 Punch the shot away from the neck
 Keep the elbow high at all times. Lowering the
elbow can cause the shot to be thrown like a
baseball and could result in an injury
 Finish the punch with a flip of the wrist
 The left side of the body will be stopped and
locked to help form the block
 The left arm will be tucked close to the side of
the body

2. Drills used to teach the delivery

Wrist flips – Use this drill for proper release of the shot.
 The thrower will stand facing the sector
 The thrower starts with the shot above his head in his throwing hand
 The thrower will flip the shot out of his hand
Two arm putts – Use this drill for proper release of the shot
 The thrower will stand facing the sector
 Place the shot in both hands in chest pass position
 Check that the hands are behind the shot and the thumbs are down
 Push the shot out with both hands, make sure the elbows stay high
 Flip the wrists at the end of the throw
 This throw can also be done with a medicine ball

Arm strike – Use this drill for the arm delivery in the shot.
 The thrower will be standing tall facing the throwing direction
 The thrower will place the shot against his neck
 The thrower will sky the eyes to the ceiling and push the shot away from his neck
focusing on driving through the shot towards the throwing area
 The thrower needs to flip the wrist at the end

Bent knee – Use this drill for the arm delivery in the shot and show the importance of legs
 The thrower will be facing the throwing direction with bent knees
 The thrower will place the shot against his neck
 The thrower will sky the eyes to the ceiling and push the shot away from his neck
focusing on driving through the shot towards the throwing area
 While the thrower is pushing the shot out he/she will push up with the legs extending
the hips out
 Goal three: power position
1. Body position in the power position

 The thrower will stand perpendicular to the throwing direction

 The feet position will be shoulder width apart or a little wider
with left foot slightly behind the right foot (toe heel relationship)
 The right foot will be perpendicular to the throwing direction
 The thrower needs to be in an athletic position
 The thrower will shift 80% percent of his/her weight onto the
right leg
 The thrower will twist his/her upper body completely opposite
the throwing direction. This position from up above will look like an X
 The chest, knee and toe should be in line with each other
 The thrower places the shot into his/her neck
 The left arm will be extended and out from the body with a right angle relationship to
the right elbow

2. Throwing from the power position

 Over exaggerate the use of the legs in the throw especially the hips
 Sequence of the throw will be legs - hips - back – arm
 Push the weight from right leg to the left leg in an upwards direction
 When driving up with your legs your right heel (hips) needs to be turned out
 There will be a stretch reflex reaction between your upper body and lower body
 The upper body will start coming around
 As your upper body comes around sweep the left arm around and then bring it tight
to your body
 Stop the left side of your body to aid in accelerating the shot
 Deliver the shot as mentioned above

3. Drills used to teach throwing from the power position

Twists – Use this drill for warm-up and to emphasize the importance of the legs.

 The athlete faces the sector with toes pointed straight

 Place shot against the neck
 Bend the knees
 Twist the body to the right and down
 Extend legs and hips then throw as explained in the bent knee drill
1-2 drill – Use this drill to teach the thrower to keep the shot back on the hip.

 The thrower gets into the power position with a shot against the neck
 On the command of "one" he opens his left arm to the throwing direction and turns
his heel out. Check to see if the shot has stayed in place at the back of the ring
 On the command of "two" the thrower completes the throw – sling shot effect

Goal four: glide position

1. Body position in the glide

 Stand at the back of the ring facing away

from the throwing direction
 Place shot against your neck
 Put your body in an athletic position facing
away from the sector
 Extend your left arm out – relaxed
 Extend the left leg back towards the toe
board
 Most of the body weight should be on the
right leg

2. Gliding into the power position

 Tap your left leg for balance

 Draw up the left knee even with the right knee, remember to keep the left leg
straight
 Do not allow your left leg to curl behind the right leg
  Allow your hips to start to fall
 Violently extend your left leg towards the toe board, do not lift up with your back
 Push and then pull your right leg underneath you, it will look like the last part of your
body leaving the circle is your right heel

3. Drills used to teach the glide

Hip Fall – Use this drill to teach the hip fall action in the glide

 The thrower will start in an athletic position with his right hand up against his neck
and his left hand extended out in front
 The thrower will let the hips fall past his heels
 Once the hips go past the heels he will pull his legs back underneath him

A drill – Use for left leg drive.

 Start in glide position

 Drive your left leg towards the toe board close to the ground
 Straighten your right leg where the only thing is touching is your heel
 The finished position with your legs will be an upside down Y
 Step under – Use this drill for teaching the glide.

 The athlete will first do an A drill

 On command the athlete will pull the right leg underneath their body turning the right
foot at the same time

Step backs –Use this for teaching the thrower to travel across the ring

 The thrower will start in a glide position

 The thrower will take one step back with his/her right leg to the middle of the
ring
 The thrower will then take another step back with the left leg towards the toe
board
 Make sure the shoulders do not come around
 The thrower should be ready to put the shot
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient art which was originated in India around six thousand years ago.
Earlier people were used to of practicing yoga and meditation in their daily lives to live
healthy and strong whole life. However the practice of yoga was declining day by day in
such a crowded and hectic environment. Yoga is very safe and can be safely practiced
by anyone anytime even by children also to take it’s all the benefits. Yoga is a practice
to bring body parts together to make a balance of body, mind and soul. Earlier it was
practiced by the yogis to meditate them.

Yoga is the most favourable method to connect to the nature by balancing the mind-
body connection. It is a type of exercise which performed through the balanced body
and need to get control over diet, breathing, and physical postures. It is associated with
the meditation of body and mind through the relaxation of body. It is very useful to
control over mind and body as well as getting proper health of body and mind by
reducing the stress and anxiety.

Yoga can be practiced by anyone as an exercise on daily basis to fulfill the need of very
active and demanding life especially teenagers and adults. It helps in coping with the
hard times of the life and pressure of school, friends, family and neighbours. Through
yoga practice one can disappear his/her problems and stress given by others. It helps in
easily accomplishing the connection between body, mind and nature.

Actually yoga is a practice of controlled body part movements and control of breathe. It
enhances the inner and outer body and mind strength by connecting both to the nature.
It is not a physical practice only as it makes a human able to get control over mental,
emotional, and spiritual thoughts. It can be practiced by the people at any age during
childhood, teenage, adult or old age. It needs only safe, slow and controlled movements
of body with controlled breathing. In order to make worldwide people aware of the yoga
and its benefits, an international level event (called International Day of Yoga or World
Yoga Day) has been declared to celebrate it annually.
 10 Health Benefits of Yoga in Daily
Life
Weight loss, a strong and flexible body, glowing beautiful skin, peaceful mind, good
health – whatever you may be looking for, yoga has it on offer. However, very often,
yoga is only partially understood as being limited to asanas (yoga poses). As such, its
benefits are only perceived to be at the body level and we fail to realize the
immense benefits yoga offers in uniting the body, mind and breath. When you are in
harmony, the journey through life is calmer, happier and more fulfilling.
 All-round fitness
 Weight loss
 Stress relief
 Inner peace
 Improved immunity
 Living with greater awareness
 Better relationships
 Increased energy
 Better flexibility & posture
 Better intuition

1. Yoga for all-round fitness -

As Sri Sri Ravi Shankar puts it, “Health is not a mere absence of disease. It is a
dynamic expression of life – in terms of how joyful, loving and enthusiastic you are.”
This is where yoga helps: postures, pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation
are a holistic fitness package. The benefits accrued by being a regular practitioner are
numerous. Some very discernible ones are:
 Improves health
 Gives mental strength
 Improves physical strength
 Protection from injury
 Detoxifies the body
2. Yoga for weight loss.
Desire of many ! Yoga helps here too.Sun Salutations and Kapalbhati pranayama help
lose weight with yoga. Moreover, with regular practice of yoga, we tend to become
more sensitive to the kind of food our body asks for and the time we take. This can
also help keep a check on our weight.

3. Yoga for stress relief.

A few minutes of yoga during the day can be a great way to get rid of stress that
accumulates daily - in both the body and mind. Yoga postures, pranayama and
meditation are effective techniques to release stress. You can experience the calming
effects of yoga in the Sri Sri Yoga Level 2 program.

4. Yoga for inner peace.

We all love to visit peaceful, serene spots, rich in natural beauty. Little do we realize
that peace can be found right within us and we can take a mini-vacation to experience
this any time of the day! Benefit from a small holiday every day with yoga and
meditation. Yoga is also one of the best ways to calm a disturbed mind.

5. Yoga to improve immunity.

Our system is a seamless blend of the body, mind and spirit. An irregularity in the
body affects the mind and similarly unpleasantness or restlessness in the mind can
manifest as an ailment in the body. Yoga poses massage organs and strengthens
muscles; breathing techniques and meditation release stress and improve immunity.

6. Yoga to live with greater awareness.

The mind is constantly involved in activity – swinging from the past to the future –
but never staying in the present. By simply being aware of this tendency of the mind,
we can actually save ourselves from getting stressed or worked up and relax the mind.
Yoga and pranayama help create that awareness and bring the mind back to the
present moment, where it can stay happy and focused.

7. Yoga for better relationships.

Yoga can even help improve your relationshipwith your spouse, parents, friends or
loved ones! A mind that is relaxed, happy and contented is better able to deal with
sensitive relationship matters. Yoga and meditation keeps the mind happy and
peaceful; and watch how your relations with those around you blossom !
8. Yoga to increase energy.

Do you feel completely drained by the end of the day? Shuttling through chores, and
multitasking continuously can be quite exhausting. A few minutes of yoga everyday
provides the much-needed fillip that boosts our energy and keeps us fresh. A 10-
minute online-guided meditation is all you need to charge up your batteries, in the
middle of a hectic day.

9. Yoga for better flexibility & posture.

Yoga must become part of your daily routine to get a body that is strong, supple and
flexible. Regular yoga practice, stretches and tones the body muscles and also makes
them strong. It also helps improve your body posture when you stand, sit, sleep or
walk. This would, in turn, help relieve you of body pain due to incorrect posture.

10. Yoga to improve intuition.

Yoga and meditation have the power to improve your intuitive ability so that you
spontaneously realize what needs to be done, when and how, to yield positive results.
It does work! You only need to experience it yourself.

Remember,

yoga is a continuous process. So keep practicing! The deeper you go into your yoga
practice, the more profound will be its benefits.
Yoga practice helps develop the body and mind bringing a lot of health benefits yet
is not a substitute for medicine. It is important to learn and practice yoga postures
under the supervision of a trained Sri Sri Yoga teacher.
 Body Coordination for Sport Fitness
Body coordination is a performance-related fitness component that describes
the smooth, efficient movement patterns that are parts of sport skills and
tasks. Your stage of learning influences how well you can perform these
component movements of a skill.

Developing smooth movements is important for completing everyday tasks.

If you are an athlete, how quickly you can develop movements and sport
skills means the difference between winning or losing. If you know how to
speed up the learning process, you will breeze past your competition.

Definition: The ability to use the senses and body parts to perform
tasks smoothly, efficiently, and accurately.

If you are coordinated, you can make your muscles work together at just the
right time to produce the exact amount of force you need to accomplish a
skill smoothly.

Examples: Specific to the movement patterns of motor skills, such as a well

executed lay up shot, platform dive, or a gymnastics routine.

Movement efficiency may involve gross motor skills (using larger muscles,
such as running) or fine motor skills (such a keyboarding). Hand-eye
coordination is required for skills such as catching a ball. Precision describes
the accuracy of movement.

How to Develop: With practice, specific skills improve. Earlier in learning

when you are trying to understand what is required to perform a skill,
opposing muscles tend to contract simultaneously--essentially, they work
against each other to produce jerky, uncoordinated movements. Later in
practice, muscles work together, body coordination is smoother, and you use
less energy to complete the skill.

How to Measure: Sport-specific skill tests and fitness assessments that

indicate the levels of body coordination. EMG (electromyographic) activity
(muscle activity) can be detected by special devices that measure firing
(contracting) patterns of muscle cells.
Stages of Learning

The Mental Stage of Learning: Figuring Out the Skill

This phase, sometimes referred to as the cognitive stage, occurs when the
beginning athlete is attempting to understand the basic task. Challenges
include how to hold the racquet, how to place the feet, and where the
boundaries are.

Beginners are not always aware of what they did wrong, nor do they know
how to correct errors. They need basic, specific instruction and feedback
during this phase.

The Associative Stage of Learning: Getting Better

At this stage the athlete understands the fundamentals of the skill and is in
the process of refining the skill. They experience fewer errors and can detect
some of them on their own. Performances are more consistent and learners
begin to know what is relevant and what is not.

Here the athlete refines what is needed to accomplish the objective of the
skill regardless of the situation. They also begin to learn how to diversify
responses for open skills.

The Autonomous Stage of Learning: It's Second Nature

This is the last of the stages of learning. At this point the skill is well learned.
The athlete performs the skill automatically without having to focus on
execution. There are few errors and athletes can detect and know how to
correct them. They can concentrate more on other aspects of the game.

As athletes transition from learning the goal of the skill to perfecting it,
coaches can diversify instruction and practice conditions.

For closed skills, practices should be structured to match the conditions of

competition. For open skills, the coach must systematically vary the
conditions under which the skill is being learned and performed in
preparation for competition.
Body Coordination in Playing Table Tennis
BENEFITS OF TABLE TENNIS

Table tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed by individuals of any age and
physical ability. Top table tennis players are some of the greatest athletes in
the world, yet it is enjoyed by millions of disabled persons and folks in
retirement homes. Playing table tennis is a great way to stimulate the brain
and promote quick thinking while improving hand-eye coordination. Table
tennis is a low-injury risk sport that keeps one fit and flexible, without
putting severe stress on joints. Playing table tennis increases one's agility
and flexibility, and most of all their reaction time. On a professional level, a
table tennis player has to react to the ball, move up to five feet, and do a
full body swing in order to return the shot, all in less than half a second!

Whether you’re playing doubles or singles, table tennis, or ping pong, can be
a fast-paced competitive sport. In fact, when played at an intense rate, it
can be a great way to burn calories and get fit.

 Playing improves hand-eye coordination and it stimulates mental

alertness, concentration and tactical strategy. This makes it the perfect
game for young people to sharpen reflexes, and for older people to
refine tactics.
 Develops mental acuity. The speed, spin and placement of the ball
are crucial in table tennis, and practiced players are highly skilled in
both creating and solving puzzles involving these three attributes.
 Improves reflexes. Due to the fast-paced, short-distance nature of
the sport, both gross and fine muscle movements are improved. The
game is distinguished by bursts of exertion and recovery, leading to
fast-twitch muscle development.
 It’s easy on the joints. Have you had knee surgery, back problems,
tired of twisting your ankles? Try table tennis. It’s a great way to
improve your leg, arm and core strength without overtaxing your
joints.
 Burns calories. A 150-pound person can burn 272 calories by playing
table tennis for an hour. Considering the fact that the sport is
entertaining and addictive, it can be a fun and easy way to burn
calories.
 Offers a social outlet. Whether you play in the community center or
at home with friends, table tennis offers a great way to bond with other
people while you lose weight. Because young and old people can play
the game, it can help improve communication and build relationships,
irrespective of age. Playing at home with siblings or parents can bring
family members closer and enable them to spend more quality time
with each other.
 Keeps your brain sharp. Alzheimer’s Weekly reports a clear increase
in motor skills and cognitive awareness from playing table tennis, after
a series of preliminary clinical studies in Japan found that table tennis
markedly increases the flow of blood to the brain, and could possibly
even prevent dementia.
 Improves coordination. Following the ping pong ball as it moves
quickly toward you, and following its trajectory as your opponent hits it
helps improve hand-eye coordination.
 Improves balance. Staying balanced and being able to quickly
change direction are key to being successful in a ping pong rally. This
is especially important for the elderly.
 Stimulates various different parts of the brain. By anticipating an
opponent’s shot, a player uses the prefrontal cortex for strategic
planning. The aerobic exercise from the physical activity of the game
stimulates the hippocampus, the part of the brain that is responsible
for allowing us to form and retain long-term facts and events.
Head, eye and arm coordination in table tennis.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the role of head,
eye and arm movements during the execution of a table
tennis forehand stroke. Three-dimensional kinematic
analysis of line-of-gaze, arm and ball was used to
describe visual and motor behaviour. Skilled and less
skilled participants returned the ball to cued right or left
target areas under three levels of temporal constraint:
pre-, early- and late-cue conditions.
In the pre- and early-cue conditions, both high and low
skill participants tracked the ball early in flight and kept
gaze stable on a location in advance of the ball before
ball-bat contact. Skilled participants demonstrated an
earlier onset of ball tracking and recorded higher
performance accuracy than less skilled counterparts.
The manipulation of cue condition showed the limits of
adaptation to maintain accuracy on the target.
Participants were able to accommodate the constraints
imposed by the early-cue condition by using a shorter
quiet eye duration, earlier quiet eye offset and reduced
arm velocity at contact. In the late-cue condition,
modifications to gaze, head and arm movements were
not sufficient to preserve accuracy.
The findings highlight the functional coupling between
perception and action during time-constrained, goal-
directed actions.