
The spear-throw is the most disheartening Spartan obstacle we know. How could such a lightweight piece of wood drag more people to the ground panting in push-up position than any other obstacle?
SGX Coach Todd M. Cambio, CSCS, shares insights that will turn you into an unstoppable spear-throwing machine.
“I want you to picture throwing a football (rugby ball). More precisely, the top [part] of the football-throwing motion. This particular throwing motion is most similar to throwing a spear,” says Todd. “
Once you have mastered this movement pattern, find a meterlong spear and attach it to 15 meters of light rope for easy retrieval. Find a barrier, about waist-height and 10 meters away from your target, and stand behind it.
After that, says Todd, practice takes six simple steps.
- Erase any doubt.
- Put the slack of the rope over the barrier.
- Grasp the spear roughly at its midpoint so that it is balanced in your hand. Hold it around ear-height. Relax your grip.
- Once you have the spear balanced, take two steps back.
- Step forward with the leg opposite to your spear-throwing arm. At the same time, throw the spear. “I suggest aiming a little high,” says Todd.
- On the follow-through, your hand should point toward the target; this is crucial. Think about the follow through on throwing a dart.
Rinse, lather, and repeat until you “find your groove,” as Todd says, and start to like the idea of wearing a loin cloth.
Don’t have a spear? “Start throwing the football around,” says Todd.
Source: Spartan Magazine