Posts by Matt Marcoccia

Last weekend I officially opened up for Findlay and opened up with a PR. It wasn't the best meet technique wise but I got a big throw out there so I know what I can do once things look and move better.

Quote from Florian van Dijck

I'm not an expert but what I've seen is that you do open with your upper body way too early. YOur legs are still (especially the right one) not pointing in the direction of the shot put. As far as I know one would need to have the legs moving upfront and not following the upper body.
Try to keep your upper body as long as possible behind to create tension within your body, then turning your feet in the right position before moving further with your upper body to release the shot

That has been a problem of mine quite a bit this year and it is getting better. I have been able to feel the separation from my upper body and lower body lately but as always needs more work.

Here is the video from my meet a few weeks ago. From them until now I've cleaned a lot of thing up but comparing this to my mock meet there are still some similar things and some things that are better. From my meet until now things are a lot better just have a little over 3 weeks to prepare for that.

Any thoughts, advice, tips or questions feel free to ask.

Thanks @Odysseus I look at adding these drills into my off days as for the stretching I'm quite flexible just have tight hip abductors and adductors.

That's fine different terms or sayings between athletes and coaches. Can get confusing at times.

Quote from Florian van Dijck

I would say even your leftleg is off isnt it?
It's in your way
Have a look at second 12

That's what I was talking about when I block myself off with my left at the front.

Been away from here for a while but still have been throwing. Here is video of my mock meet from a few weeks back. Obviously still have several things to fix (right leg, blocking myself off, open at finish, etc) but compared to last year it's night and day.

Hey guys thanks for the input I have a few weeks left before I head back to school so I'll see what I can implement. I may be doing some more discus for a while since I haven't thrown that in a while.

6/21/2014 Meet - YouTube

Video from last week. Decided to jump into a meet to see where I was at and came out with my 3rd best throw on the year. There is a lot of wrong but also a lot of things I'm doing better now then when I was at school. I think I'm finally starting to feel what I use to feel again.

So any advice on the video would be great. Yes I know I need to stay down.

Thought I would share my personal collection of discs that I have.

Starting at the top and going clockwise:

• Denfi Classis(no longer made) awesome rim similar to an Orange flyer but has that rough Denfi plates.
• Pacer Gold. Older model in perfect condition probably my #2 right now.
• Nelco Odyssey
• Nelco Super Spin
• Nelco Gold

I bought the Nelco cheap and they are solid training discs and comp as well. Was using these as my comp discs until I got my hands on the Denfi and Pacer.

[Blocked Image: http://i.imgur.com/PMSnUEm.jpg]

When I have a bad day which generally happens once a week because I'm human. I don't really focus on throwing far because it's not going to happen that day no matter how hard I try. I will go and focus on my technique, positions and what I need to get done. If I can hit good positions and movement on a bad day then that's fine. But if I get angry try to kill a few throws and get nothing accomplished then that's not a good day at all.

If you can do what Sam said about slowing down the video to help that would make it easier to see issues.

But from what I saw on that one. You are finishing the shot too early. So even before you left foot is down at the front you're left arm is opening up to block the throw. Keep the shoulders back, get the left down and then block.

Quote from Odysseus

Yeah my Zoom5s are wearing bad, think I'm going to try a pair of those new VS that were modeled after the old Puma throwing shoes, supposed to be wider, too. I wear a 14 but have a very WIDE foot. Has anyone tried the new VSs? Seems like Dan Mecca did one hell of a job with them, they've got some good reviews. Not nearly as rigid from what I understand, my arches and tops of the tarsals kill me after a 50/60 throw practices in the Zoom5s.

I've heard some mixed reviews but it really depends on the person. Also for that price those would be a solid practice shoe. I need some new shoes as well had 2 brand new pairs of Nike Zoom SD's and both of them are pretty much down the the plate right now.

Everything looks fine up until the finish. You're not really finishing out and over the toe board. Rather you are pulling your left side back into the middle of the circle. Just from what I saw your throws are probably really flat and probably stay left of the sector?

Really focus on getting a solid block and accelerate the finish.

I don't really pay attention to the distance much when I'm doing NR throws. I'm focusing a lot more on what I'm doing in the ring and how it feels. But I'm sure there have been days where my NR throws were better than my reverse.

Well I know a lot of people don't like doing non-reverse work but I like doing it in the off season a lot and will do a few non-reverse throws every practice. I find I get into better positions and have to be much more patient when I throw.

Also now that I'm going into my off season training a majority of my throws will be non-reverse and will be like that until the fall. Hopefully that translates into a longer orbit and better positions in my throw.

Quote from Sam Healy

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

Shot Put Box Drills | CoachTheThrows

I've done several drills similar to this before. I'll give them a go again once I get back home.

So I have another question. I've been pulling my shoulders at the finishing and not really finishing the throw. What are some drills that can help my get out and over the toe board at the finish? I land in a solid position often then it goes to hell with the finish which is pissing me off.

<p>It depends on the thrower. For me I had a good transition because I never liked the lighter impliments even throwing the 14lb some days I don't like because I can't feel the ball. Here is what my numbers were from my senior year to my freshman year.</p>

<p>High school:</p>

<p>Shot: 17.19m(12lb) 17.20m(6k)</p>

<p>Discus: 54.35m(1.6k) 51.35m(1.75k)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>University:</p>

<p>Shot: 16.13m(16lb)</p>

<p>Discus: 50.89m(2k)</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Now my transitions isn't normal but it's possible to have distances above what is expect to throw with heavier impliments. I didn't have a fall training session that year so I could have produced better numbers but it is what it is. There are throwers that have thrown less than I have in high school and have thrown much further in college as well as the opposite. You just have to put in the work to see the distances you want.</p>

Sam I will work on that next week. I've been having issues with just getting a block for a while so I'll see how that goes.

As for landing in the middle I have a quad/knee issue(hence the knee sleeve) where it's really hard for me to sit and stay down so I've been popping up out of the back and losing a lot on the throw. I tend to focus on really hitting the middle low and turn hard but just can't get there lately.

I'll ask my coach to get some film from the side next time.