Posts by Phil Bilkins

Track & Field News picks:

SHOT PUT
1. Joe Kovacs (Nike)
2. Reese Hoffa (New York AC)
3. Kurt Roberts (Nike) (5)
4. Ryan Crouser (una)
5. Jordan Clarke (Nike)
6. Ryan Whiting (Nike)
7. Christian Cantwell (Nike)
8. Garrett Appier (Pittsburg State)
9. Adam Nelson (una)
10. Darrell Hill (una)

DISCUS
1. Rodney Brown (Nike)
2. Mason Finley (una)
3. Andrew Evans (Chula Vista Elite)
4. Tavis Bailey (una)
5. Jared Schuurmans (Chula Vista Elite)
6. Jason Young (una)
7. Nate Moses (Ironwood)
8. Russ Winger (Asics)
9. Sam Mattis (Penn)
10. Chase Madison (una)

HAMMER
1. Kibwé Johnson (New York AC)
2. A.G. Kruger (Nike)
3. Conor McCullough (una)
4. Rudy Winkler (Cornell)
5. JC Lambert (una)
6. Sean Donnelly (Minnesota)
7. Michael Lihrman (una)
8. Alex Young (una)
9. Colin Dunbar (una)
10. Matthias Tayala (una)

JAVELIN
1. Riley Dolezal (Nike)
2. Sean Furey (Asics)
3. Sam Humphreys (Nike)
4. Cyrus Hostetler (una)
5. Ben Woodruff (American Big Guys)
6. Tim Van Liew (adidas Garden State)
7. Curtis Thompson (Mississippi State)
8. Tim Glover (una)
9. Devin Bogert (una)
10. Sam Crouser (Nike)

DECATHLON
1. Ashton Eaton (Nike)
2. Trey Hardee (Nike)
3. Jeremy Taiwo (Brooks)
4. Garrett Scantling (una)
5. Zach Ziemek (Wisconsin)
6. Curtis Beach (Nike)
7. Harrison Williams (Stanford)
8. Devon Williams (Georgia)
9. Solomon Simmons (Eastern Michigan)
10. Dakotah Keys (unattached)

Track & Field News picks:

SHOT PUT
1. Tia Brooks (Nike)
2. Michelle Carter (Nike)
3. Raven Saunders (Ole Miss)
4. Jill Camarena-Williams (Nike)
5. Brittany Smith (Nike)
6. Felisha Johnson (Nike)
7. Jeneva Stevens (New York AC)
8. Jessica Ramsey (una)
9. Kelsey Card (Wisconsin)
10. Dani Bunch (Nike)

DISCUS
1. Whitney Ashley (Nike)
2. Kelsey Card (Wisconsin)
3. Liz Podominick (Chula Vista Elite)
4. Stephanie Brown Trafton (Nike)
5. Valarie Allman (Stanford)
6. Paige Blackburn (U.S. Air Force)
7. Gia Lewis-Smallwood (Nike)
8. Shelbi Vaughan (Texas A&M)
9. Summer Pierson (una)
10. Rachel Longfors (Altis)

HAMMER
1. Gwen Berry (New York AC)
2. Amber Campbell (Nike)
3. DeAnna Price (Southern Illinois)
4. Jeneva Stevens (New York AC)
5. Amanda Bingson (Nike)
6. Aubrey Baxter (una)
7. Brooke Pleger (una)
8. Heavin Warner (Central Missouri)
9. Maggie Ewen (Arizona State)
10. Britney Henry (Oiselle)

JAVELIN
1. Maggie Malone (Texas A&M)
2. Brittany Borman (Nike)
3. Hannah Carson (Texas Tech)
4. Ariana Ince (una)
5. Kara Winger (Asics)
6. Kim Hamilton (Nike)
7. Audrey Malone (Texas A&M)
8. Jessie Merckle (Wake Forest)
9. Elizabeth Herrs (Oklahoma)
10. Sarah Firestone (Nebraska)

HEPT
1. Barbara Nwaba (Santa Barbara TC)
2. Kendell Williams (Georgia)
3. Erica Bougard (Mississippi State)
4. Sharon Day-Monroe (Asics)
5. Heather Miller Koch (una)
6. Jessica Flax (Texas Express)
7. Chantae McMillan (una)
8. Payton Stumbaugh (Arkansas)
9. Quintunya Chapman (una)
10. Kiani Profit (Chula Vista Elite)

Quote from Phil Bilkins

Who are you training with in State College?

That is if you're training with anyone.

Who are you training with in State College?

Crater Hired as New Throws Coach at Arizona

Who's winning what?

Quote from Ali Mohammadian

Maybe if the the US had a strong national system but it looks to me as though the shit-storm they call USATF is about funneling money to the executives. New throwers cannot depend on the experience of the veteran coaches, there is no system for that.

I agree to a certain point.

Kovacs is coached by Art Vanagas, as is Ashley Whitney. Vanagas has had many throwers in the WC and Games so he can help them.

I'm interested in who is coaching Gerd Kanter since 2012 when he cut ties with Vesteinn Hafsteinsson?
Discus Star Gerd Kanter Splits up with His Coach

Quote from throwzfan

... I can see where he would want/need to take some real time away from shot. Ryan could have won NCAA's in discus but he was just missing it and there are a whole lot of reasons that could be the case but I personally feel that if he focused on discus for a year and let things heal up for shot he could well take a run at 66M next summer for the Olympics... Ryan will only be 23 years old in December so he is just on the verge of needing to decide what he wants to do.

Seems logical. Even the Dutchman Rutgers has dropped SP for the discus. Maybe @Tony Ciarelli could speak to that?

This article sheds some light on the NCAAs and injuries.
• R Crouser has an indoor season left, will he use it?
• R Crouser has a self-diagnosed pinkie dislocation
- What!? Did the University of Texas drop their medical staff? That has to be a misquote.

Cousins Ryan and Sam Crouser share bittersweet day competing side-by-side at NCAA championships
by Andrew Greif | The Oregonian
June 10, 2015

The final meet of their collegiate outdoor careers — the younger Ryan has a season of indoor eligibility remaining — meanwhile, had a bittersweet ending.
Ryan Crouser... [said] he reaggravated on his first attempt a five-month-old injury suffered during a game of catch with a football. His self-diagnosis: A dislocated pinkie finger on his throwing hand and damaged ligaments on other fingers during warm-ups... Ryan's pinkie and knuckles remained badly swollen, almost dangling at his side as he walked off the medal stand.

Quote from Bill Dekkinga

Is Ryan Crouser still throwing for the University of Texas?

I can't tell from this. Maybe has some eligibility left?
<Ryan Crouser>

Quote from Cyrus Corman-Gill via Facebook

The things I see are that you are landing open and then throwing with your upper body and chasing the shot, thus not fully utilizing your legs or hips.

Quote from Jimmy Arango via Facebook

Open.. As in when I'm landing in power position I'm turned already?

Quote from Cyrus Corman-Gill via Facebook

Yeah.

Quote from Jimmy Arango via Facebook

I've been trying to work on that... But I don't really know how to land without opening up... Any tips?

Quote from Cyrus Corman-Gill via Facebook

I used to have the same problem, one thing that helped me was that I would do a glide, and pause before my power throw, making sure that i was in perfect power position, and then gradually speed it up and take away the pause as you get better at landing closed (shoulders turned away from the sector)

Jimmy Arango > Throwholics | discussion group

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=683610221703281&set=o.230930930294655&type=2&theater

Quote from Ryan Meidinger via Facebook

All I could see as a big thing was your right leg paused in the middle keep that turning and otherwise man that's a very nice move in my opinion.

Quote from Dave Wollman via Facebook

A good sense of the throw:). I am impressed! Being on top of the left out of the back has it's advantages. Longer effective radius.

Quote from Glenn Thompson via Facebook

Looks very good overall. Not so much into dropping the eyes though. Is that done to establish an orbit?

Quote from Sam Healy via Facebook

Seeing you taught us all to throw through those DP videos it is hard to say anything. Why do you not end up with you left foot ending up on the left sector line ?

Quote from Shane Cohan via Facebook

Looks like youre falling over when youre in the front position. And move your arm back more, I drew a black line where it was and where it should be

Quote from Brian Oldfield via Facebook

Keep your back straight & bend your legs In the power position.

Quote from Willy Irwin via Facebook

I'd say hold your head and left arm toward the sector longer as you drive off of your left leg from the back of the ring. This will help you land in a better and more wrapped power position.

Quote from Richard Callister via Facebook

Thanks very much for your feedback, it's clear that I have some improvement to do particularly in the delivery of my throw where I seem to be falling over too much. All credit goes to my coach Didier.

Quote from Virendar Poonia via Facebook

slow starat dear

Quote from Malcolm Wallace via Facebook

Slower start and land in the first phase with your foot across the circle. Keep low and bring the left foot slightly to the left to give you a wider front to allow the hip to come forward and look towards the left hand gate it will open you up more. But a good throw.

Quote from John Baker via Facebook

He is dipping too much. Basically he is bending over at the waist almost as if he is doing it to get more height on the throw. He needs to drive the hip to the front and he will get all the height he needs.

Quote from Mitch Sears via Facebook

Dipping in the middle, keep the left arm up the whole time will also level you out and keep you from bending at the waist, make sure your looking at your focal points you'll get a hell of a lot more torque if you do, also don't force the reverse.

Quote from Malcolm Wallace via Facebook

Use a broom handle as a drill placed over your shoulder get into the right position at the back of the circle and then take off the back,start off slow and progress your turn with a sink in the middle have a focal point at the back of the circle and when you throw look towards your left slightly.

Quote from Brian Oldfield via Facebook

The upper body collapses in the center of the circle (the eyes & chin are looking down). This is an attempt to get low without bending the legs. It actually loads the right-leg (the chest is almost resting on it) and the throw is mostly a right-leg, right-hand lift and under-rotates.

Quote from Dave Wollman via Facebook

All right...I should just leave well enough alone but....out of the back of the circle you need to move your axis of rotation to the left...then you need to rotate the hips around this axis...this will set a much better discus path as well as put you in control of the cog rather than using a series of drop-catches which takes tremendous power and innate neuromuscular gifts....and the bending over in the middle is a reaction to trying to regain control your discus path instinctively. It is not the cause of the problem but the reaction to your inability to move around the left at the back of the circle and get the path in sync with your ground forces.

Quote from Coach Mac via Facebook

Like the bending at the waist and a power position slows the discus John have them imagine he's got a 5 pound bag ice in his lower back should bomb Throws

Quote from Richard Callister via Facebook

Hey guys, this is a 1.75kg at 51,88m. Any technical advise would be much appreciated!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152007177552864

Richard Callister > Throwholics | discussion group

@Richard Callister

Great new board.

@Jake Stephens I would like to see you calmer in the back of the ring.
You swing back-and-forth with so much energy I think you set an upper-body tone for the throw.
Wind until your arm is pointing to the middle of the sector and focus on moving those legs out of the back so you keep your upper-body back and create lag.

Quote from Sekenia Welch in Throwholics.com comments

Mar 30, 2014
The elite American discus throwers are playing power forward for lower level universities. IF we could get those 6’6″ power forwards to throw discus instead of playing basketball the we would be better. Imagine Labron James in the discus circle!

Quote from Robert Harting in Throwholics.com comments

Mar 30, 2014
Do u think its just heavier implements? Its a lot more.
And please tell me: which style of technic won the last Olympic golds in SP :)?
2012 Slide
2008 Slide

Just to answer that Europeans did not adapt in Shot Put….

Quote from Don Babbitt in Throwholics.com comments

Mar 14, 2014
I do think part of this development on the men’s side is our rotational shot putters and discus throwers throw the same way. . . like rotational shot putters. There are not that many discus specialists around these days.

With our development system, throwers are encouraged to throw both shot and discus to earn points in high school and scholarships so they can stay in our development system (which is in the college ranks). This causes these doublers to throw either the discus like a shot or a shot like a discus. In this case, the shot usually wins out.

Two of the best performers in majors for the US since 2000 were Mike Robertson and Casey Malone (both discus specialists). They are a rare breed, I agree with what John Smith says in what we need to do for training, but when most head coaches are running coaches that demand that they get the most “bang for their buck” out of a thrower, you will have very few discus specialists in a position to do what they need to do to be the best.