Spartan Race just held it's World Championship events. For the 21K (Beast), Ryan Atkins came out the winner. If you saw the live stream, or any of the clips circulating from the final obstacle (the Spear Throw), you'll have noticed a very...uhh...unique way that Ryan celebrated. You can watch it on from the Spartan Live Stream starting at the 2 hour mark.
Ryan has a history with the Spear...it has cost him many places over the years with misses and Spears falling out of the target, and so on. I also lost placements in races my first two years in OCR because of the Spear; BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE SAME FOR YOU!!!
Step-by-step, we are going to fix this for all of you, and for all of time.
Step 1: Buy a spear or a wooden dowl.
Step 2: Set up a 2ft by 2ft target. Use cardboard or a piece of plywood or a tree or whatever. Just have a defined target.
Step 3: Watch these demo videos. Short demo video. Long video.
Step 4: Practice at different distances. Pace out 15 paces, and practice at 15 paces dozens of times. Pace out 20 paces, and practice at 20 paces dozens of times. Pace out 25 paces, and practice at 25 paces dozens of time. Now, repeat for several hundred reps over the course of several months.
Step 5: Always throw like you mean in. No limp-wrist, weak arm lobs. Watch the movie 300 for some inspiration if need be. Throw it with some force behind it. When the spear doesn't have enough force throwing it, it will drop lower sooner and veir off course more easily.
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Step 6: Keep your eye on the dead middle of the target throughout the entire throwing motion. NEVER TAKE YOUR EYE OFF OF THE TARGET. Keep staring right at where you want to hit even for the second or two after the spear leaves your hand.
Step 7: FOLLOW THROUGH. If your arm stops short, and your release on the spear isn't smooth and natural as your arm reaches extension, your spear will not be accurate. Always follow through. Just like keeping your eyes on target, you should hold your follow-through position for a second after you've released the spear.
Follow these steps and you will develop the skill of accurately throwing a Spear. Don't follow them, and you'll be in the burpee pit, or on the penalty loop, while everyone else passes you. Just sayin'.
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