To be great at the Shot Put athletes need to be powerful and explosive. They also need great technique. Proper technique combined with power and explosion can produce great results in the shot put. The Glide is just one technique that can be used. In the video below you will see an excellent breakdown of the key components of executing the Slide.
The video is from WinningThrows.com. The coach does an excellent job of explaining the key steps to the glide method. The start, A position, power position and the reverse C. The coach also explains the sequence he utilizes to teach his athletes the glide. Using these progressive drills will have you athletes executing the glide very quickly.
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The YouTube video has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site, (Some schools block access to YouTube)
The first drill is called the double pivot and is used to teach the end of the Slide. The thrower begins at the front of the circle with his right (throwing foot) in the center line in the middle of the ring and his left foot on or near the from to the ring. He will be facing the opposite direction he will be throwing. Next, with their hands on their waist, have the thrower rotate back to the front and get into the C-position. In the C-position the thrower will have his left foot forward and his weight will be on his right foot which is back. This will cause him to lean back and create a reverse C. This is the ending position of the slide.
After mastering the double pivot, he teaches the athlete the starting position. The right foot should be on the back of the ring and the left foot towards the center. The left hand should be parallel to the ground and the weight should be on the right foot. Next the athlete is asked to swing his left leg towards the back of the ring three times. Initially, the coach will hold the athletes left hand to help with balance.
Once the athlete understands and feels the leg swing, he will step out with his left foot towards the center while keeping his right foot in place. The toes should be pointing up on the right foot and the left foot should be a 90-degrees. This is referred to as the A-position.
Now the athlete only needs to bring his right foot up under himself and he is in the power position. From here he simply steps towards the front of the ring with his left foot and rotates into the reverse C position