Three Types of Rhythm

Rhythm is important on every level in the hammer throw. The rhythm begins in the throw itself. After a few slow winds, each turn gets progressively faster, but it a controlled manner. Sudden accelerate tends to throw things off, but a rhythmic throw keeps the system in order and will lead to far throws. But the rhythm extends beyond the throw. Each meet must have rhythm. Each season must have rhythm. Without it, you’ll fall short of your goals, which has happened to me this season. I plan on posting a more thorough review of the year once I’m completely finished in a few weeks. But, after another mediocre meet yesterday, I realized one big thing I’ve missed this season: rhythm.

Throughout my career, I’ve always fouled a lot of throws. With size 15 feet, there is little room for error. When I’m on, things go great, but if things are off, it tends to lead to fouls. In the past, the fouls have merely been frustrating. But this year they have thrown off my rhythm. Ideally, a meet should start off with a good throw that you can build on in subsequent attempts. However, fouls throw off that rhythm. That has happened a lot this year. In several meets, that foundational mark didn’t come until the fifth or sixth round, too late to use its momentum to build upon. If I had been able to get those marks in the first round, I know my season’s best would be much closer to the 70-meters I have been expecting.

Momentum carries you from round to round at each meet. But it also carries you from meet to meet and thus fouls can disrupt the rhythm of the season. I’ve had several good meets this year, but I’ve follow up each good meet with foul plagued meets. All the momentum and confidence I gained at the good meet was then washed away and I was forced to start anew.

My teammate's son playing with a hammer.

Both of these errors plagued me on Saturday at the Swiss Team Championships. This meet was a relay-style event, meaning that my distance was added together with my clubmmates to determine which team won the hammer throw. Each athlete was given four attempts, so I took a very easy safety throw on my first attempt to assure that our team would at least get a valid score. However, I fouled my next three attempts. All of them were far, but that didn’t matter since they were fouls. I was forcing the hammer a little at the release and, by a matter of inches, wasn’t able to stay in the ring. By the end of the meet not only was I disappointed in my results and the results of our team (we placed fourth, just barely missing a medal), but I was also frustrated that I did not continue the momentum I gained from my meet in Löffingen last week.

On the positive side, training has been going very well considering how long the season has been. Ater a break from weightlifting in August, I have started to spend more time lifting again, which has brought my power back. My technique is also progressing again after picking up a few bad habits last month. It is late in the year, but I think I am still on the verge of a season’s best or personal best. My next chance will be in Luxembourg next Saturday against several 70-meter throwers.

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a photo of the my fan club’s youngest member. He provided me with the most memorable parts of Saturday. Watching him drag the hammer around between throws gave me some good laughs since it looked like he was a miniature strongman pulling  truck behind him.