Monday Javelin Practice

Basic Warm Up: Thomas Rohler (pictured above) is the 2016 Olympic Javelin Champion and 2018 European Champion.  His personal best of 93.90 meters ranks him third best throw in the world.  In the following video, he explains his basic warm up before throwing the javelin in practice.

1. 5 minute jog                                 2. Arm Circles                 3.  Chest Swings  

4.  Hip Turn Shoulder Stretch  5. Hip Circles                   6. Elbow Circles  

7.  Forearm Stretch                       8.  Quad Stretch              9. Hamstring Stretch  

Knee Lifts, Butt Kicks, Acceleration Runs will be done on Tuesday's Runway Practice (not daily Warm Up).

Daily 5

After doing the basic warm up, there are 5 sets of technique drills to be done at the beginning of every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Practices.  This will develop muscle memory  to insure proper throwing technique:  

1.  Styx (pvc pipe) Drills                        

2.  Stretch Cord Drills              

3.  Rope Drills   

4.  Med Ball Drills           

5.  Towel Drills      

Watch the following video to help you learn these technique drills:

Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes doing Towel Snaps for arm speed (or use rope instead).

Monday Javelin Practice (after jog & stretch) begins with pegging/picking the javelin into the ground (nicknamed 'spearing fish').  

Best done using a straight chalk line on which you place your right foot, right hip joint, right shoulder joint, and javelin aligned over top of the chalk line.  The javelin should stick into the ground with the javelin tail pointing straight back along the line.  

Before each practice throw, check to make sure that your grip is correct!

I.  SPEAR FISH

A.  Standing Pegging into the ground from ABC Body Positions (3 to 5 reps each):   

1. C to D Pegs 

2. B to D Pegs 

3. A to D Pegs 

B.Heel Click Pegging (3 to 5 Reps):

1. Grab javelin point with your left hand and perform impulse - heel click - land on right foot -  A to B right leg knee in/heel out - hip turn to block step (left hand grap of javelin point prevents shoulder turn) - no release of javelin.  Repeat Twice.

2. Then immediately do same without left hand grab and peg javelin into the ground (A to D)

C.  Six Step Pegging (3 to 5 Reps):

1.  Set proper javelin withdrawal then count "& 6 & 7" (impulse step), float midair and land on your right foot and peg  javelin into the ground (A to F).

D.  Eight Step Pegging (3 to 5 Reps):

1.  Javelin Carry (every body part facing forward) - Count "& 5" then withdraw javelin with count "& 6 & 7" (transition steps), impulse on 7, float midair and land on your right foot and peg javelin into the ground (A to F).

E.  Full Approach Pegging (3 to 5 Reps):

1. Count & 1 thru 4 (8 steps - Approach Javelin Carry with slo to fast acceleration), then count 5 thru 7 (Transition steps with Javelin Withdraw to Impulse), then ABCDEF Peg.

II.  FLIGHT THROWS

After sets of javelin pegging (above), then sets of 3 to 5 reps of Javelin Flight Throws in which the javelin will be launched with a javelin negative attack angle of 30 degrees max (preferably 20 to 25 degree launch).  A perfect flight will have the javelin traveling directly over the extended chalk line and landing on the chalk line!  Also, there will be no evidence of 'tail drag' (javelin flying in a tip up/tail down position) nor 'yaw' (javelin flying sideways thru the air)!

A.  Standing Throws (3 to 5 reps)

1. From a standing A Position, throw the javelin so that it 'shelves' (flies parallel to the ground) then falls flat onto the ground and slides forward along the ground - 'Glide and Slide')

B.  Repeat from 3 Steps (impulse & throw)

C.  Repeat from 6 Steps (4 transition steps + impulse & throw plus 2 step finish)

D.  Repeat from 8 Steps (& 5 & 6 & 7 & throw & follow thru 2 step finish)

E.  Repeat from Full Approach (18 steps total).