Coach ,

As all coaches know, having a variety of shot put drills gives an advantage for any coach due to the technical nature of the event. 

However, finding the right drills for each specific athlete can be difficult. This is why we’ve pulled your drills from two coaches you can employ to change things up.

Scott Bennett - Line Drill

Scott Bennett - Line Drill

Scott Bennett has over 40 years of experience coaching everyone from high schoolers to Olympians. Coach Bennett has produced 5 Olympians in the field events including one gold medalist. His most decorated throwers include 4-time Olympian and 4-time national discus champion Aretha Thurmond.

In his ‘Shot Put Drills’ clinic, Coach Bennett discusses what he calls a Line Drill, which starts with the athlete in their throwing position while standing at the end of a straight line on the ground. 

They are going to drop their knee over their front foot, turn in their air, tap, and then stop and look to see that they are still standing on the line. If they are, they will continue this process again and again as they move down the line. 

The keys here for a coach are that the right foot is pointed to the right side (for a right-handed thrower), the left foot should be to the left of the line, and shoulders back, the hips to the sides, and the face back. 

Scott Bennett - Seated Release

Scott Bennett - Seated Release

Another one of Coach Bennett’s drills is called the seated release. This is where the athlete will be seated, facing directly at a wall. 

From there, the athlete will get into their typical throw, making sure to angle the toss high enough that it will mimic an actual throw in a contest. 

This drill is important because it emphasizes all of the upper body elements required for a successful throw. 

Jim Aikens - 360 Single Arm With Med Ball

Jim Aikens - 360 Single Arm With Med Ball

Jim Aikens has been coaching high school throws since 1984. He had been the head coach at William Fremd High School in Palatine, Illinois since 1990 and retired as head coach in 2017. 

Coach Aikens’ ‘Advanced Drills for Rotational Shot Put Success’ clinic discusses the 360 Single Arm With Med Ball. 

The athlete will begin by performing their 360-degree unit turn while having a medicine ball raised with a single arm over their head.  They must keep completely balanced to pull this drill off. 

From there, the player will simulate their rotation while keeping the medicine ball over their head without throwing the medicine ball. 

The most important aspect of this drill is that the athlete maintains proper balance in the back of the ring. 

Jim Aikens - Spin Around an Object Drill

Jim Aikens - Spin Around an Object Drill

Another one of Coach Aikens’ drills is what he calls the spin around an object drill. This drill revolves around the athlete spinning around an object (even a teammate) in order to address any balance or mechanical issues. 

Specifically, this drill is great if a (right-handed) thrower has trouble going around the left side out of the back of the ring, which is also known as cutting the corner. 

Any object that they can rotate around, but something with considerable height and bulk typically works best.

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