Spin the WOB

There seems to be a lot of complaining about spinning the Weight Over the Bar (WOB). I find this is mostly by the athletes who haven't picked up on the technique yet. After all, it is called "weight for height" and "weight over the bar" without reference to any special technique. So before you start complaining about changing something that you think is "set in stone", let's recap some of the other events in heavy athletics:
1. Open stone. When I was in high school no one in track and field (T&F) had heard of the spin technique for the shot. In face the glide was beginning to gain wide exceptance over the "side step". Remember Perry O'Brien the 3-time Olympic Champ - glide. Then some T&F guys came up with the spin and soon it spilled over into the Scottish heavies. I don't hear anyone complaining about that change.
2. Somewhere along the way someone put spikes on their hammer boots to obtain and advantage for more distance. Perish the thought of that change.
3. Does anyone remember what the sheaf technique looked like 20 years ago? Straight over the head for the bar. Then the side swing came into use and heights improved. Now it too has a spin technique.
4. I'm sure the distance events have also experienced some evolution of techniques as athletes sought greater distances.
5. In Scotland they allow two handed tosses in the WOB. Can you imagine that.
Doesn't matter what event you have, athletes will always find a way to stay within the rules and improve technique for better throws. Maybe just the way they grip the handle. That's just the way it is. I have not seen any set of rules that says the spin in WOB is illegal. Some games don't allow it and most that don't claim a safety reason. That's fine, in certain settings there will be safety concerns. But don't call it illegal. And, don't complain when it's allowed just because you can't do it (I know I never could - damn near tore my arm off).

Here! Here! Angus!!!! and for MWC complainers, they have already said they will allow the spin (as it was allowed before), so be men or women and step up to the challenge. Now if we can get the sheaf to take the place of both stones......

Hey Thom I just like to stir the pot and don't mind the spinners-but here is where I think we differ...the spinners (and standee's) should throw the same implement-I don't like throwers choice and don't mind getting beat by a spinner but am more impressed when they spin with the  same implement I threw standing....if you throw a longer chain while spinning and I throw standing short weight in the same comp-then we can't really compare the two....correct me if I am wrong and I respect you big time-wasn't the first few times that the great HBIII threw for WR's in the spinning wob it was the same weight the standers used???..if we use the same shortened weight and i stand and hit 19 but you spin and hit 19-6(i know you have hit higher) you win-end of discussion...I will be burying myself in the rack getting stronger to beat you next time-but you will be the better man that day!!!!

I think this issue has been hashed and rehashed over the last couple of
years.

Many changes in implements/techniques come along, and then these
changes are accepted into the rules, or they are specifically ruled out.
Just saying that this or that technique or implement causes the weight to
fly further is not reason enough to actually change the "accepted"
method. And just because the technique is not specifically ruled out in
the "rulebook", doesn't make it acceptable either - this just means that
the rules need to be changed to specificaly rule this technique out or to
allow it.

Honestly, we will just have to wait and see if the collective organizations/
ADs/Athletes want to accept the spinning WOB as a fair technique or not.
Obviously there are considerations of standards setup/layout and safety
with this technique which is not applicable if only standing was allowed.

my 2 cents? I think they are 2 different events, similar to Braemar stone
and open stone. If I ever run a 2-day games, I would have them both
contested.

Since when were painted toenails traditional?

 uh-oh, I have a feeling things are about to get ugly. I always thought that WOB was the event to separate the men from the boys. To show who was the most powerful. Then spinning came along and I thought,well, that's just the same throw as WFD, but up in the air; it's not the same event. I don't know how I feel about it anymore. I've been given a healthy dose of reasoning from both sides. How come T&F people won't let us throw the 35# with one hand. Just an aside, mind you. Now that my standing WOB is really climbing, I feel even more torn over this. You know what I like?  I like when they have the standing WOB in competition, and then they hold a seperate "do what you like"WOB for some kind of title. People have already seen the WFD, why would they want to see just another variation of that throw in competition? I am still confused about my position and what Id like to see happen. Maybe I should just suck it up and learn the spin technique, I don't know..........I just don't know.

david barron wrote: I'm going to go ahead and guess that most of the "masters" haven't actually been in the sport long enough to understand and respect the traditions.

Thank you.

axelson wrote:  I always thought that WOB was the event to separate the men from the boys. To show who was the most powerful.  People have already seen the WFD, why would they want to see just another variation of that throw in competition? I

AMEN!  Could not have said it better.     

 

And we are OFF once again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

38 sounds reasonable, No?

If agreed, I'll take the over.

Craig is such a gambler!

Roy Bogue wrote: 38 sounds reasonable, No? If agreed, I'll take the over. Craig is such a gambler!

 

Make it 42 and you've got a deal.

Oh Dave...

You almost made me leave the Dark Side with that post!

17/20 wrote: I/m with the "AXE" Axelson on this one . For me it was about the tradition (as noted by the good Barron) and the notion that the caber, along with the Wt Fr Ht created some contrast in the games- PURE POWER. I would not call peoples opposition to the cheating style complaining, I would call it having the grapes not fall in line.

Personally, I would call it winning the event. We all train like madmen, we study video, we watch others throw at the meets we throw in, and we try to improve, including trying to improve the technique. I thought this is the kind of stuff a real field athlete does.

This stuff reminds me of groaning about the sheaf as an event by people who don't throw it well, so the event must not be legit. Since I'm not a great athlete like the rest of you guys are, I've tried to be cheerful about learning how to do all the events the best I possibly can. When I first started this stuff, I had no field experience and no expectations, so I also didn't have any sort of elitist attitude about any of this stuff.

And that's what I'm calling all you naysayers about the spin, you're elitist, and you've forgotten the spirit of what we're trying to accomplish - farther and higher - which is far better represented in tradition than being uptight about another athlete's technique.

Do strongman events if you think a standing wob separates the men from the boys. The bottom line is, if you expect to see the best pros in the world show why they are the best, then likely you will not see any standers winning or even placing in the wob. But wait - some of the best pros are both great standers and spinners. To me, they represent a new elite level of field athlete, partly because they didn't turn their noses up at learning a new technique. The guys who are both great standers and spinners are all exclusively in the top 10 in the world. This is not the case for any other highland games event.

It seems only athletes who have already excelled at either strength contests or on the field are the ones who complain loudest about this technique, and I don't understand why, because all you guys could pick it up a lot easier than I did. 

The objective is to throw the weight over the bar. I do find it interesting that spinning WOB, and Sheaf, are the only objectively scored events with an unlimited approach.

Don,

I think its complaining if its already been decided and communicated that a said games is allowing the spin.

It's about tradition for you? at the risk of getting on your and your supporters bad side, I think most will agree it was a conflict of interest that you were the AD hosting the MWCs and required them to change to "standing only" against precedent (had been allowed before) AND you competed in them (or were at least planning to) as a stander.

I hear "balance" and pure power as preferences by some, but where does it say or even imply that these must be maintained? (mostly by the people who want to maintain that as a competive edge)

Dave, how many years does it take? how can you judge. I'll put my traditions (and Angus Billy's) up against yours any day.

Edited by Brent Abbott

Roy Bogue wrote: It changes the chemitry of what once was a great balance of athletic oriented events, and pure power events.  Their used to be a nice balance.  It has swung more to athletic with the spin IMHO.

Roy, you can't bitch unless you're still throwing. So........you bored with fishing yet?