TX Newbie

Hey Jason,

I'll be throwing for the first time in Arlington too, in the novice class. See you next Friday. 

How are you training?  Weights or are you actually practicing the events?

Victor

hey frey,

it's me, cameron-

  My best advise to you is to actually just throw a lot. I started out with 25lb and 45lb barbell plates (the kind that happen to have handles on the sides of the plates). I could practice my form with those, and they only cost around 10-12 bucks.

  Recently I forked over the money for actual weights from Mjolnir Hammers, and they've helped a lot (but they're pricy). For beginners, the cheap barbell plates are fine.

  Oh, and you can download lots of clips of guys throwing to watch in order to try and figure out what you should be doing.

  I'm trying out a new training hammer I put together this week. I went down to home depot and picked up about 4 feet of PVC pipe, and some sturdy rope. I then ran the rope through the pipe, and tied it off to a 25lb plate on the end. I know it's pretty ghetto, but hopefully it'll work as a decent training hammer for under 8 bucks. The trick is you have to get rope that's sturdy enough to handle the centrifical force, yet thin enough to fit through your PVC handle.

  Beyond that, just remember that when swinging the hammer, your hips should always be on the opposite side as your hands. And try not to bring your hands in when you release (as in using your bicepts to try to pull), because for every inch shorter your arms get, your throw will suffer in feet. The longer you keep your arms during your release, the more of a lever you have to capitalize on the centrical force.

  Good luck throwing.

J Payne wrote:  I'm trying out a new training hammer I put together this week. I went down to home depot and picked up about 4 feet of PVC pipe, and some sturdy rope. I then ran the rope through the pipe, and tied it off to a 25lb plate on the end. I know it's pretty ghetto, but hopefully it'll work as a decent training hammer for under 8 bucks. The trick is you have to get rope that's sturdy enough to handle the centrifical force, yet thin enough to fit through your PVC handle.

For your handle, only use about 1 ft of the pipe and allow the rest to be chain.  I use chain that I got from Lowe's.  It is a little sturdier than rope.  Wrap the handle with tape.  For your weight, go with a lighter weight, say 12 to 15 lbs.  The idea is to use this to work on technique, i.e. keeping your arms straight.  If you are just learning the hammer using too much weight will only throw you off.  Besides we don't throw anything heavier than 22 anyway.  Go light and slow to begin with.  Make sure you are counterbalancing the weight with your hips and keep your arms long and straight.

Good luck.

I definitley agree with the lighter wieght for training! lol

Since I am just getting into this I would not want to hurt myself. I dig the idea for the hammer! It does sound ghetto, but I am not above homemade training devices. usually they end up working better, if done right. Jason, are you throwing this weekend? I will be there Friday, but I dont know if I will be there on Sat or Sun. Let me know.

And Vic, I live in Justin. like 10 min away! So if you are up for any type of training, or you know anyone within our area who does, let me know and we can hook up and help each other.

JasonFrey wrote: And Vic, I live in Justin. like 10 min away! So if you are up for any type of training, or you know anyone within our area who does, let me know and we can hook up and help each other.

Justin... down 407 from I-35?  The other side of Highlands Villiage?  Yea, we'll have to get together and practice.  There's an open field over by the house, or if you know somewhere else... :) 

Great meeting you Friday!  We ended up going back out Sunday to watch some of the guys, and enjoy some beer ;)

I went back on Sunday, but just to see the rest of what was there, drink beer, and eat meat pies and sausage rolls :)   I didn't watch much of the games. 

As for practice weights, I think I've come up with a prett good deal... Buy 10# weights from Walmart, they've got a 1" hole in the center. Then get a 3/4" iron nipple (in the plumbing section) from Home depot, they're threaded on both ends. Get a matching cap to screw on one end. The weights will fit nice and snug over the nipple and the cap keeps them from sliding off.  Get a 3/8" clevis, grind the threads on the free end of the nipple and the insides of the clevis down a little until you can get the clevis over the pipe. Drill a 3/8" hole through the pipe, thread some chain on the clevis, attach the clevis to the iron nipple and viola, you've got a practice weight for WFD / WFH.  The whole thing goes together pretty well, I just gotta wait for things to dry up enough to try them out.

I'm also going to see if 3/4" PVC will fit snugly through the holes in the weights, and if so will glue a fitting on the end of the pipe to keep the weights on, and should be able to use it as a practice hammer.  Maybe I'll patent the idea and sell them as practice weights! LOL!! :) 

As for a practice location, I'm thinking I'm just going to go to the Lake Dallas city park. There's usually nobody out there... and it's close. If it's dry this weekend maybe we can get together for a couple of hours and throw...

hey fellas Zane here I threw with you guys in the novice class and looking to practice as well.  Im hooked and want to get some gear together to practice with.

Hope all is well

out

z

Hey Jason,

Thanks for making the Trek out to Lake Dallas Sunday, I had a good time throwing.  I was a bit sore the next day... how about you? 

Anyway, I think we need to find a spot in Denton, or maybe somewhere between I35E & I35W (Flower Mound / Double Oak-ish). Nearly any park would work for what we're doing...

Yea, we're all still here. Tried to go out to dinner the other night and a bunch of roads were closed due to flooding...  We haven't had any water in the house yet, thank God.

Y'all faring ok? 

We're finally starting to dry out... maybe we'll have a practice soon :)  Maybe we can throw some this weekend...??   I'll have to see what's going on, but I think I'm free :)

Got any plans?