The Javelin

I made an informal survey. I asked guys "Do you thing you can throw a javelin?" Without a single exception, everybody assumed, no, was certain, they can throw the darn thing from here to eternity.

Well, those boys were wrong. I bet you a ton of practice time if any of those barnstorming world champions could throw the javelin in any way, form or shape without making fools of themselves under the best circumstances, getting hurt something bad in many cases. The javelin is not an easy stick to throw.

It goes something like this:

Still looks easy? Here is how I approach the javelin. I stand with my legs apart right over my center of gravity. I keep the javelin straight right next to my ear, still over the center of gravity. I aim my left hand at a cone about 12 yards away, I pull back and let the thing fly. I do this over and over again. I don't care about twisting my body like some contortionist. I learn one step at a time. Next, I step back with my right leg, in a straight line from the earlier position and do the same. Aim, pull back, keep the javelin close to my ears, the elbow close in and let it fly. That is all I have done so far, all I will do for a while, by the way.

Naturally, you see me in the gym at least three times a week. I work the chest, the arms, the shoulder, the back and the legs, starting with general exercises and becoming more and more event specific. I need foundation work to prevent injury, that much I learned already.

As with all other events in the pentathlon and decathlon, I will keep you informed on my progress. I'm truly looking forward to make the throwing of a javelin to look as easy as everybody in my survey assumed it is.

I just don't know. I can spin around my own axis (as in the discus throw), but I can't accelerate in a straight line! To throw a javelin is a difficult enterprise. Well, at least I decided on a grip (B):

And I train the standing throw. And train and throw and throw some more. And yet again. Oh, Man.

A wonderful sequence of a full javelin throw is pictured to your left and your right. It starts at the upper left, goes to the bottom and continues on the ride side of the webpage. These are sequence pictures of Dave Stevens’ Olympic qualifying javelin throw of about 265′. They flipped his pictures to show a right handed javelin thrower. Dave is left handed. You can't trust a thing these days, not even your own eyes.