Wind-aided Hammer Throwing

One of the great things about Zürich is that I can throw outside year round. In Kamloops we had to throw indoors, and that left me guessing about how my training was going. Now I know. However, one of the bad things about Zürich is that I can throw outside year round. The wind is really blowing this week which means that practice isn’t always the highlight of my day.

Drawing by Erwin Suvaal

Bondarchuk has a viewpoint on everything, including the wind. Now some of his viewpoints are based on science, some on experience, some on intuition, and some are based on no foundation at all. I used to think his views on the wind were a load of crap.

I remember throwing into a gale force wind during one of my first training sessions with Bondarchuk. I had been changing a lot in my technique and, consequently, my results sucked. Dr. B told me, “Don’t worry, with wind result down five meters.” I thought he was just trying to cheer me up after a bad practice. A few days later, the wind reappeared but I threw much better. I thought this would disprove his comment, but he replied “Great result! Without wind would be new best.” At least he was consistent, but I didn’t believe him.

Over the years, as with most things, I’ve discovered he was right all along. I’ve noticed my results consistently go down when I am throwing into the wind. Just last week, I read an article that put a nail in the coffin: The effect of venue and wind on the distance of a hammer throw by Iain Hunter. Hunter is a biomechanist at BYU and has been helping the USATF for a while. This article from back in 2003 concluded that wind plays a bigger role in the hammer throw than most people think:

Wind speed showed different effects upon the distance of the throw depending upon the air density. At higher altitudes, wind speed did not affect the throws as much as at lower altitudes. However, at all venues a strong wind is very noticeable in its effect on throwing distance. A range of winds between –8 m/s and 8 m/s would produce a range of 1.47/1.94 m in the results at high altitude (Gunnison), and 2.58/1.96 m at sea level (Oslo) for men/women. Eight m/s winds are quite rare during competitions, but do occur. A more common range of winds between –2 m/s and 2 m/s would produce ranges of 0.37/0.49 m in the results at high altitude, and 0.49/0.65 m at sea level.

This means that a head wind will take a half meter off of your distance at sea level and a tail wind will add a half meter. A really good wind can take off a couple of meters for men. While Bondarchuk may have overestimated, at least he is right that the wind plays a big role. However, his comments have already become a running joke. If anyone is having a bad day of training, it is immediately blamed on the wind.