WFH

You simply MUST make it your favorite event, then.

Sorry, can't be helped.

-Wayne

Weight for height is better than the stuupud sheaf toss any day and twice on Sunday.

It gets pretty hot here during the summer, so I won't need fire starter for the winter months until, oh, about December.  After that, I'll be happy to accept a bag.  Hmmm, sheaf bag fires.  Nice and toasty.

Oh, I'll still practice the event. I just wont like it.
Any tips to improve height and make the most of your practice.

Don't knock My Little Pony.
You can say what you will about me, just don't diss the pony.

  Derk, for me it happens to be "Strawberry Shortcake", Jeremy wears the pony.  Hope to see you at Alma in a few weeks.

Wayne, does this sound like your workout?  Throw the 56 a few times than switch to the 42 for a few tosses.

 Thanks, Dave

Thanks

Hey-

Glad to see the OldPlaid is still with us. How goes it? Still have the psycho advantage?

-CelticKevin

Tried a new technique tonight. After my warm up swings, I brought the weight farther up between my legs to my butt, let it drop then did the big pull. I had trouble with 10 feet in the past, but I blew by 12 feet with this move. AWESOME. Now that I get it, I LOVE THE WFH!!

Now if I can just do that in competition after a full game.

I LOVE THE WFH!!!!!

Most people make it as short as possible, basically because if it's too long it limits how deep you can crouch on your backswing.

It looks to me that you want it as LONG as possible while permitting you to take a deep dip without it hitting the ground.  These two considerations are working against each other, but to a limited extent you can "manage" the path of the weight on the backswing and pull, so it isn't necessary to make it super-short.  I'm certainly no giant at 5'10" tall, but I find a length of up to 14" or so to be workable.

What really helps is making the weight as small as possible (e.g., a lead-filled steel ball, or just get a neutron ball from Tony Robinson).

-Wayne

old plaid wrote: you should practice with and become familiar with all different kinds of wfhs. different lengths and shapes throw differently and this sport is so delightfully quirky, you can never predict what instrument you will be dealing with.

This is such an important point that I was tempted to mention it in my earlier post, but didn't want to bore everyone with yet more of my drivel.

There's one implement I can remember with sheer anxiety from the Capitol District Games last year.  It was a 56 that was basically a ball, but with a great raised flange all the way around at the worst possible place, the largest diameter of the ball.  The flange stuck out so far it felt like you couldn't possible swing it without hitting the ground.  I doubt even Steve Santoli liked that one.

There's nothing you can do about a really horrid implement like that, but the key message is to vary what you can.  I don't know if I'd recommend always practicing with a large diameter implement, because your best form will be with a small diameter ball, but you should definitely try a large diameter implement if you can (e.g., made from 10-lb plates stacked on a piece of pipe).  Practice with an extra link in the chain, or shortened up as much as possible.

In fact, to practice with a super-short implement, I made up a special handle.  It's a modified triangle (curved at the top), and looks pretty normal otherwise, except that the triangle isn't closed on one side.  This lets you slip it directly onto the eye of the weight.

-Wayne

Well, it certainly helps to train with a lighter weight (like using a 42 for you Ams), but it's mostly because it forces you to be more explosive.  Since the lighter weight moves faster, you have less time to put force into it, so you learn to explode with it.

Getting your legs into it is more a matter of your specific form.  You want to sink deep into your final swing and explode upwards.  The thing is, though, that you need to be very smooth at the end of your backswing.  If you tend to kink the weight on your backswing, you're probably starting your pull too early and need to get smoother.

Once you're pulling, you basically jump with it in the early part of the toss.  In my experience, it doesn't help to think "jump" at the bottom, though.  I guess it just isn't the right proprioceptive cue (at least for me).  Instead, I get a better vertical explosion if I hop lightly a few times as I stand over the weight before picking it up.

-Wayne

Let me start by saying that I love the weight for height...both ways.  But if you are talking standing then let me tell you what Sean told me early on that really helped.  If you have ever O-lifted or even seen it done you can see that as they get ready to pull their shoulders are out in front of the bar.  He told me to try to mimic what I do with my shoulders in the snatch when I throw the WFH.  I worked...it went higher!

When you are going to do, let's say, a snatch whether from a hang or full you want to have your shoulder out in front of the bar.  So if someone were watching you from the side it would look like the bar is close to your legs whereas your shoulders would be about 6 inches in front of the bar (give or take a few). 

This is obviously exagerated even more in the WOB.  Another way to explain it would be to say that instead of bending your knees as the weight swings back keep them stiff (stiff...not staight or locked) so as to get more of a stretch reflex.  Just as the weight gets as far back as it will go then bend the knees to help execute the pull.

This may not make sense again, I'm sorry.  It's a hell of a lot easier to show it.  Maybe someone else can help explain it.