New models may help coaches improve throwing athletes’ performance

The Summer Olympic Games feature throwing events, such as shot put, hammer throw and discus. One training tool used by these athletes is throwing different mass implements to improve competitive performance, but the method could be improved, according to John Challis, professor in the Penn State Department of Kinesiology. In a recent study, Challis used data from 20 record-setting male shot put and hammer throw athletes to investigate how scaling the mass of balls and throwing hammers impacts their distance thrown. Then, he developed models to predict throw distance for various ball masses. The study was published in the International Read More