Glide Style

Introduction:

When looking at glide, also known as O’brien like the putter, goes up on there toe and pushes all their power back towards the stopboard. However, this style is nowadays only used by children to young until they find someone to teach them rotational. Since rotation gives the shot put a longer acceleration rute. Though it is still common for women to use this style as well as in hept/decathlon, since it takes less time to master and less mistakes that can happen. The reason some world class throwers still use this style is because for some people it is easier to get the power from the arm to the shot, as well as the heavier you are or have very strong leg muscles. Which would allow the thrower to get the right type of release.

Step by step:

(written for a right-handed person, otherwise switch right for left and vice versa.)

  1. Go to the back of the throwing circle, having your back towards the landing sector and place your right foot right by the edge of the circle, slightly towards; about where your left foot would have been when standing shoulder width apart when facing the back.
  2. Place the shot put in your right hand in a way that feels comfortable for you and that will allow you to give you that extra push in the release.
  3. Then push it as close to the neck as possible, since this will give you stability later.
  4. Place the left-arm straight out and a 90° from the body.
  5. Then bend your knee about having an angle of 100° being almost at a right angle ensuring your getting power all the way from the legs to the arm in the release.
  6. Place the left leg behind you, however flouting in the air only cm above the ground.
  7. (optional) Then a typical thing for pro-shot putters do to get as much power and speed from the start is to; do this swinging motion that they go up on the toe of the right foot stretching up as much as possible and then swinging down to the heel of the foot and lean forwards with their upper body to the point, that they almost reach the ground and then start the glide.
  8. Now it is time for the actual glide, where you swing the left leg forwards and then drag it back moving your whole body with it to the stoppingboard. Though still having your whole body facing the back of the ring, feet all the way up to head and arms.
  9. The position you should be in now is; having your right foot in the centre of the circle and left foot right next to the stopboard, however with all your weight still on your right leg which should be bent still, while your left leg is straight.
  10. Then as soon as your left foot is in the ground start the release. Which starts by starting to push the shot put away from the body towards the landing sector. This is when your weight will start to shift and be more on the left leg.
  11. As you enter the last phase in the put, it is important to already have decided if you will be doing a leg-swap or not at the end of the put. Which in this case is exactly how I would end a put seeing as it relates all energy into the shot and prevents accidentally stepping over the stopboard also making the put illegal.
  12. (optional) Then what you want to do is focus all energy on having the shot slightly above you as you release it and as the shot is about to leave your right hand and you flick your wrist to give it an extra push, you switch legs also placing your right foot right by the stopboard. Therefore also stopping the bodies rotation.

Famous Athlete: Valerie Adams (NZL)

Age: 34 (2018)

PB (2018): 21.24m (4kg shot put)

  • 2x Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012)
  • 1x Olympic silver medalist (2016)
  • 4x World champion (2007/9/11/13)
  • 4x World indoor champion (2008/10/12/14)

A total of 20 championship medals.

Drills:

  • To practice the actual drag or glide, you can practice doing a put however only going from the glide to 9. Practising how much power can be used for you in this pull seeing that you want to use as much power as possible without falling or gliding to far over the stopboard.
  • To practise, I would also recommend practising the release over and over again, to really understand in what order everything should be happening. From step 9 and onwards. Since this is the most crucial part of this style.

A good way to practise this without doing it 100x over and failing countless times is to look at a professional shot putter using glide. Such as Valerie Adams or Michelle Carter. Which is one of the best things with glide, it is easy to learn from videos and understanding what is going on.