Matt Marcoccia | technique analysis (video)

A thread to work with @Matt Marcoccia

Matt I sent you a picture of your block via facebook. I think this is a major problem as you can see how the ball goes over to the left. You need to get the elbow pointing down to give the best path for the shot. Try hitting yourself on the shoulder with your fist to make sure it is pointing down
I think you are kicking too high with your power leg which means there is a delay in you left leg landing. Your upper body has already started moving before it lands. Be great to see the throw from side on instead of behind.

@Matt Marcoccia try these I have had some success teaching these to young athletes

Shot Put Box Drills | CoachTheThrows

Looks like you're not blocking. You have to have your feet on the ground as you finish. Mix in a few fixed-feet throwd and teach your body to throw pushing on the ground.

Hey Matthew a few things here... first, your throws from the spring-you were opening up too wide too early. If you felt off balance, that's where it originates from. Upon mid-drive, you should be able to draw a line perpendicular to the ground through the ball of the left foot, the left hip, through the shot. Your June throws looked better in this respect. Imagine the shot (get ready people I'm gonna say it again!) rotating on an axis, forward, straight through the middle of the circle. Imagine that line we just drew as a pedestal supporting it directly from the bottom.

Your separation is inconsistent, sometime its there and sometime it isn't. Imagine a glider who just finished his glide and the hips and upper body pointed to 6o'clock-drive leg, hips, upper body. Half your throws are moving everything at once. As rotators, we can't get as long or block as hard out of that final half-turn, but hell if we can't try!

Finally, your release is airborne. Your release is going to be stronger from the ground. You'll be able to drive forward and up rather than just up. Non-reverse stands and half-turns are helpful here. The reverse is an afterthought. Remember, all the power comes from being in contact with the ground. There's nothing once we leave it. I've tried pushing against air, didn't have great results.

You're doing a lot of things right, though. The ball is moving down the middle of the circle, you're not occupying the left hemisphere of the ring, oh yeah...try landing a bit more open, you're throwing across your body a lot (earlier vids). It's funny because some of my longest throws are to the left side of the sector, as well. But, there's more room for the hips to snap when we're open.

Ultimately, the best thing is to have a well-trained set of eyes on your technique with a full compliment of drills. Best of luck, Matt.

Matt, the best way I can explain these concepts to you is by referring you to Coach Ciarelli's YouTube vid on 'flamingos', link

...you need to land the 'soft right' (deeper R leg, R hip over the R heel), whip the left wider into double support phase (power stance)...a good mobility drill for the left leg is to get down on all fours, straighten one leg back, whip it back-and-forth past the opposite's heel and then up to shoulder level. Do a few sets of these daily, ask your coach for some more hip mobility drills, google 'eldoa stretches' (focus on the hip stretches and hip mobility techniques)...use 50-100lb bands with the resistance stretches, need to loosen up those hips some and gain more mobility to keep them from pre-turning and still be able to produce the open stance you need to throw far down the middle of the sector

Thus, the hip mobility drills, Matt. These will also help you with your squats, DLs, RDLs, pistols, jerks/double jerks, all Olympic lifts...EVERYTHING...and definitely through the middle as you achieve your power stance in double support. While being flexible is great, limited static stretching to include eldoas, google 'world's greatest stretch'; also, ask your coach about recommending a dynamic stretching program...'the warm-up' before the warm-up, if you will. We use these exclusively...everything is based on elongating fascial planes, head-to-toe, and it works.