7 Reasons to Learn Hammer Throw in High School

Note: Because of the liability, many high schools across the US do not participate in hammer throw competitions. With less competition, this is a perfect opportunity for an aspiring collegiate thrower to take advantage of.

The single greatest impact you can make to your high school throwing career is buying both a 12-lb hammer and a hammer glove.

When I give this suggestion to athletes that I coach, they’ll usually say things like “my school doesn’t let us compete in hammer“. But, that’s exactly the point. In this article, we’ll explain seven reasons why should start competing in the hammer throw. If you’d like more info on track & field related posts, please visit our “The Ultimate Guide to Track Spikes for Every Single Event”.

Reason #1: Low Competition Makes It Easier to Stand out to College Coaches.

Set yourself apart from other athletes by simply buying a hammer glove and a 12-lb hammer. After, immediately set yourself up to compete individually using Direct Athletics. You’ll now have a mark as a hammer thrower in your states MileSplit rankings.

Think about it. Since you’re competing outside of school, you’re putting yourself in a market where college coaches are dying for potential. You’re more likely to stand out and college coaches will see your progress. Do yourself a favor: invest in a hammer glove and a 12-lb hammer and get to work.

I know college coaches that literally travel overseas to recruit talented hammer throwers. It’s very difficult to find strong hammer throwers in the United States because the bigger name schools will have throwers committing as soon as possible.

Reason #2: It’s Easy to Get Started.

If you’re hesitant about buying a hammer and hammer gloves, that’s fine. Grab your household broom, and pull up the video below:

That’s right – a broom. Everyone needs to start somewhere. I’m not trying to get Mr. Miyagi on you here, but the fundamentals crucial to understand. As a high schooler, the less bad habits you develop, the better. If I were you, I’d follow this video to a T and begin practicing this every day. Every day. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and either was either elite thrower’s technique.

The goal here is to develop solid fundamentals so you can be a more highly recruited athlete. Hammer throw should not become your primary event.

If anything, the hammer throw should be considered a supplement event for high school athletes. The only reason I say this is because there are a lot more high school coaches that are familiar with shot and disc in comparison to hammer. In order to go Division 1 for just hammer, you’ll likely have to throw over 200+ feet. If you already have decent shot put and discus personal records, it would be smart to supplement with a 165’+ hammer throw mark as well.

Reason #3: You Already Have Throwing Shoes, so Use Them for a New Event.

If you haven’t read our post “The 3 Best Throwing Shoes for Shot Put, Discus & Hammer Throw”, you’re missing out. Choosing the right throwing shoe is essential to throwing far. Another added benefit of having throwing shoes is that it works for all throwing events (other than javelin). So if you own a pair of throwing shoes, there should be no reason why you shouldn’t be trying hammer throw as well.

Honestly, what do you have to lose? Sometimes I have athletes tell me: “But Vlad, why can’t I just focus on shot put and discus?“, but it all depends on your goal. If your goal is to compete collegiately, make sure to have your shot put personal record at around 55+ feet and your discus personal record at 165+ feet first. Then, supplement your training once a week with an event you already have the majority of the materials for.

Reason #4: Science Is on Your Side.

If you’re in high school, you might know a thing or two about centripetal force (or maybe not). Let me give you an example. Take two throwing events: discus and hammer throw. Which is numerically easier to throw? The world record for the discus throw was set by Juergen Schult in 1986 at 74.08m (~243 feet). The world record for the hammer throw was set by Yuri Sedych in 1986 at 84.76m (~285 feet). Despite these events being completely different, the 40-foot difference is likely a result of the larger radius in the hammer throw in comparison to the discus throw.

Let me be clear: I’m not saying that hammer throw is easier to throw than discus. I’m just saying that it’s a lot easier to put up higher numbers because of the physics behind the events.

So psychologically, a college coach will be impressed if you’re throwing 150+ feet, which is relatively “easy” to achieve. The main point we would like to highlight is that the fundamentals will get you there. If you hone in on doing the basics right, you’ll generate enough power to launch the hammer far every time you enter the circle. Just give yourself 30 days where you practice the hammer twice a week. That’s only eight sessions for a month. Take 20-30 throws each session and see how you progress.

Reason #5: You Could Be a Natural at It.

I can’t even begin to explain to you how important this point is. I’ve met several natural athletes that were able to “grip & rip” a hammer or a weight to New Balance Nationals. If you’re not a natural at it, that’s okay too! That shouldn’t discourage you from trying a new event.

In reality, if you have decent shot put and discus numbers, adding a 165+ foot hammer in there adds value to your portfolio. So regardless if you’re a natural at this or not, all college coaches want to do at the end of the day is rack in all the points they can for conferences. If you can do that, they can bring more money to the table.

Reason #6: Hammer Will Teach You to Visualize Correctly.

If there was one thing that the hammer throw taught me, it was how to visualize. In my junior year, I attended a camp with Olympian Augie Wolf. During that camp, I learned one of the greatest tools in my life: visualization. I asked Augie for any book recommendations he had, and he suggested “Relax And Win” by Bud Winter & Jimson Lee. Days later, I ordered it online, and it changed my life.

I learned the importance of visualization, and how it can transfer over to massive throws in shot put, discus and hammer. Speaking from personal experience, the hammer throw was the most difficult to visualize. It wasn’t until I truly familiarized myself with every position that I began to start to see a change in my throwing.

My friend recommended watching the following video night every night before going to bed:

The hypnotic music and positions really help you to visualize every single part of this throw. As Coach Johnson from Arete Throws Nation always says, the throw really only happens in a second. But, breaking this down is essential to throwing far.

Reason #7: It’ll Humble You.

Unlike the video above, you should only watch this video once for a quick laugh. It’s a strong reality (especially when first learning) that you will fall on your butt more than once.

Despite frequent falls, it’s important to get back up and keep trying. If you’re in the US, it’s likely that you will not have a coach when learning. I would highly recommend looking up YouTube drills and self-recording yourself often. The only way you can learn is if you come out of each practice with 2-3 takeaways that you need to improve on.

I have seen even the most elite athletes slip and fall when throwing the hammer. Their common trait? They get back up and keep their composure. Continue with the same objective in every practice. Focus on 2-3 things and hone in on it.

It will all pay off when you’re competing against fewer athletes in high school students at New Balance Nationals or state championships.

Start Throwing Hammer Today.

At the end of the day, you make the decision.

• Do you want to be a well-rounded thrower?
• Do you want more college coaches?
• Do you want to enjoy your time as a high school athlete more?

Start throwing the hammer. The best thing about all of this is that you can get started today. The only thing separating you from learning something new is you.

So, what do you say? Grab yourself a hammer glove and a new hammer and get started TODAY.