sheaf fork grief

OK, I feel like I'm winding up better...

 http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/268652_201363 499916292_100001279310686_649304_1639431_n.jp ">

could straighten out that arm a bit, but my chin is on my shoulder and I'm up on my toes.

now, when I absolutely GO for it, REALLY drive the fork down to the check point in front of my left foot 
with a big push from my upper (right) arm, what happens is that when I start coming up, I blow the fork 
clean out of my left hand. KAPOW...Bag goes sailing off into the distance off to my left.  I did this twice
yesterday when I was going balls out for 25 feet.

I suspect that driving DOWN that hard has little point to it, after all the goal of the event is to heave 
the bag UP, not DOWN, and if I'm going to drive to the ragged edge of control it should be UP, not down...

BUT

WTH do I know?  Comments and suggestions?

LOL...Todd, it's telling that all 12 beers staying in the cooler during the entire practice, nobody drank ONE.  I popped one when I got home, but on a hot day, that ain't right.

BTW, my best yesterday was 22 feet. Chasing the 24...

I should get video again.

Wow...I was spaced out when I wrote the original post.  Todd makes a comment and I start writing about beer???  Minor disjoint in the thought process.  OK, so I was TIRED.

I am driving that fork down to the checkpoint as hard as I can.  I think I'm giving away some horsepower by not ramming my right hand DOWN for the "leverage flick" on the way up.  I am still sucking the fork up into my body.

hope you get something out of this.

 

Left arm:

Just like the hammer, you need to stay long to mximize and hold the greatest circumfrence through out the pull when coming off the back swing maximizing velocity. To do this the left arm must stay straight at all times. If you bend your left arm just before the release you shorten the circumference and slow the velocity just like short arming the hammer. Look at your left elbow when you are in the starting position. It should point behind you, not out to the side like a gorilla. When the elbow is pointed behind you throughout the entire throw it prevents the left arm from bending thereby keeping it straight. Think of the left arm as a straight line or the hand of a clock.  Concentrate more on driving with the right arm but keep the left straight. Duct tape a PVC pipe to your arm if you have too to keep the arm locked.

Grip:

I'm 6'-5" and hold the fork about 36" hand to hand. Too wide a grip, you limit the back swing, too short a grip you lose leverage. Find your own sweet spot.

Back swing:

At full back swing, my left arm is parallel to the ground and straight, my right forearm is vertical and my bicept is parallel to the ground (right arm bent at a 90). Shoulders are vertical, and hips horizontal to the ground cranking the torso like a spring. ( lotts of explosion here) To get cranked back that far I don't do that rocking back and forth thing, I just start by holding the bag up high with the left arm and let it swing back like a pendulum so the weight of the bag cranks my torso maximizing the back swing more than I could ever do without the assistance of the bag. 

Not for nothin, I hit a 29 PR, got the height for 30-31 but keep front ending the bar. I throw a near straight up shot about 80 degrees taking 1.5 steps in font of the bar and standing with feet at a 45 degree offset from parallel.    

Hope this helps  

I can't open the pic but I hold the bag with the left hand and I check to my right foot not left ??? try it bro!!!

Alan,
For me, it is about the rhythm of the throw. I rock side to side,
transferring my weight from side to side feeling it left to right, etc. On
my last windup, reach as far back as possible, push down, and pull
up. On the down then up, I kinda stamp my left foot into the ground,
perform hip pop (like with snatch, etc). This stomping just is part of my
rhythm and it emphasizes to me to pop my hips hard, with the pull
and stopping that arm hard, hard enough that when I pop the hips and
pull, that my feet pop up a little off the ground, again like the pop and
finish with snatch/clean etc. Again, not an expert, but what works for
me. I kinda look at the event like a free throw in basketball with
increasing force with each shot (the basketball player in me will never
die).

Alan,

If you have face book, go to this site and you can see what I mean.

https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_50064698215&a p=1

Re: Checking to the right foot

Yes.  Otherwise your pull will be grossly short and the bag will often fly off to the left. 

Re:  Stamping your left foot

No, as a general rule.  I've only seen one person successfully (32'+/20lb) be able to throw this way, and his name is Larry Brock. 

Of course, I don't throw 32 with a 20 pound sheaf either, 32 with a 16,
but not with 20.

Understood. BTW Craig, are you going to the Columbus, IN games?

Will see you there then.

You need to find Merl.  Ancient athletics is the place to look.  The guy makes some fabulous bags and is a wonderful person.