3 Instant Tricks for Long Javelin Throws

3 Instant Tricks for Longer Javelin Throws

Byron Collyer, HKIN, NSCA-CPT, HPCS

Trick #1: Suck in your gut. Beneath our superficial abdominal muscles we have another abdominal muscle called the Transverse Abdominis (TVA). TVA helps us engage our core. All you need to do to engage your core is draw your stomach in to fire TVA. Engaging your core during a javelin throw should literally, instantly increase the snap, power and distances you throw. Practice drawing in your stomach (drawing your bellybutton toward your spine) to engage your core as often as you can so that you can eventually maintain it during a complex motion such as throwing the javelin.

Trick #2: Shorten the mental thought process you use to throw. A beginner javelin thrower may have a throwing process such as: Land and sink on back leg, then push off and throw. This is a long thought process for a motion that should be quick and explosive. A long thought process will typically generate a slower motion. Try picking a short thought process with preferably one word that describes your throw such as: "Twitch”, “Flick” or “Snap”. These are all great words that relate to a short and fast motion, which is exactly what we want when it comes to your thoughts regarding huge javelin throws. So, next time you're flying down the runway to deliver a throw, try thinking of one word such as the ones described above.

Trick #3: Grab a dumbbell before you throw. I used to throw a slightly heavier javelin during some of my warm-up throws before competition. After I had 1-3 throws with a heavier javelin, the regular weighted javelin felt like a feather. This of course made it feel like I could throw it much further. The only way to improve on this situation would have been if I hadn't ever actually thrown the heavier javelin. Here's what to do instead:

Find a 5 pound dumbbell if you’re male or a 3 pound dumbbell if you're female and do a few full run-ups while treating it just like you would a javelin but, don't throw it. Throwing the heavier javelin likely took a bit of snap out of my arm. If I had just practised a few run-ups with the heavier javelin and not thrown it, it likely would have given me the same effect yet not taken any of the snap out of my arm. Using a dumbbell is also easier than adding weights to a javelin.

Try 3-4 run-ups with the dumbbell once you've completed your entire warm-up so that the last thing you've touched before throwing the regular javelin was an object that was slightly heavier than your spear. This will give you the sensation of having a feather-light javelin in your hand that you could throw a mile.

Byron Collyer a.k.a. Chucker, www.throwjavelin.com