EFFECT OF HIP-SHOULDER AND SHOULDER-ARM SEPARATIONS ON DISCUS THROWING PERFORMANCE

The purpose of this study was to analyze performances of nationally competitive discus throwers to ascertain which launch phase technique variables have the most influence on release characteristics and official distance. Three-dimensional videography was used to analyze 259 trials. The angles in the horizontal plane between the line of the athlete's hips, shoulders, and throwing arm, at six critical instants of the 1aunch phase were calculated and analyzed. Our data suggests females utilize effective body positions throughout more of the launch phase to maximize the distance thrown. In contrast, males rely mainly on their upper extremity strength to achieve comparable results. KEY WORDS: discus, biomechanics, technique analysis INTRODUCTION: The performance outcome of interest for discus performance is the,legal official distance thrown the competitor with the longest throw wins. Any technique that can maximize that distance gives an athlete the best chance of Winning. The throw can be partitioned into two phases: the launch phase and the flight phase (Hubbard 1989). The launch phase consists of all of the thrower's actions inside the circle with the discus in hand