Trog Log: Transforming a 170-pound weakling into a highland athlete.

**Alan H** · 14th August 13, 11:43 AM

This is a good day because you learned some stuff. BTW, Mark Buchanon is a good friend and a really excellent thrower, so those guys have a good coach.

"If you aren't going to use your legs, cut 'em off and give them to someone who will."

Watch these, grasshopper...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr0vP8XHGKo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZljZ8i3Ylw

Take some video of some practice LWFD throws, and put 'em up here. We'll rip you to shreds with helpful comments because we LUUUUUUV you.

**Alan H** · 14th August 13, 11:51 AM

Damn, dude.. you've got some serious *pop*. Your timing is really good, too.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201719251092187

**LitTrog** · 15th August 13, 04:49 AM

Originally Posted by Alan H

Damn, dude.. you've got some serious *pop*. Your timing is really good, too.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201719251092187

Thanks! My main problems that day were speed and shoulder drive. I could get away with it on that caber, but it bit me on the second one. My pick and control skills are pretty darn good, considering I've hoisted a caber <20 times in my life. I figure if I get that part solid, I can really start to improve the rest.

If you gots the time, I'll get the vids. I'll leave it up to you guys to decide where, oh, where to make the first rip. Plenty of places from which to choose, I'm sure. I'll take some Saturday morning and have them up by Sunday night. Might also get some stone and caber in there, too.

Love Duncan's videos. Nice and clear and free of condescension. I can see where I've been misinterpreting the other coaching I've received--same kind of instruction, but it makes better sense to my simple mind. If I can't improve sheaf, it's my own fault.

**Alan H** · 15th August 13, 11:28 AM

Let's start with some light weight for distance video's. Take a look at this one, which I made a while ago for a certain someone whom we all virtually know. It outlines the first turn drill and the sprint phase drill. I'm a chatty son of a gun, eh? I could have made that video in 2 1/2 minutes instead of taking 6. Oyyyy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=541qQLT8ytg

For me, personally, if I'm just buttocks over teakettle on a given Game day, I'll just do a sprint-drill type, single spin throw to get a mark. Then I can hash up my other two LWFD tosses, something awful and still have a reasonably decent number. I can throw almost 90% as far with a sprint drill done pretty well, as I can with a full-on two-spin throw. I've actually stuck a few sprint drill throws out to 50 feet which is pretty good for this old man.

One of our CHAC athletes threw an entire first 2/3rds of this season, just throwing single spin tosses in both LWFD and HWFD. He's had 'em out to 46, 47, 48 feet so far with the light and 22-23 with the heavy. That's not too shabby, eh? He's just transitioning to the two-spin now, he'll probably throw one single spin at Dixon in September to get a mark and then try his two-spin. I predict that he'll hit 50, or darned close to it by Ventura in October, with the two-spin.

I've been doing first turn drills a lot lately, to cure myself of some bad habits. For starters I did 30 of them on one day....5, then rest, then 5 more up to 30. Two practices later I did 15. Two practices after that I did 15 more and figured I was cured. If you do that many first turn drills, you will have your first turn *down* and your LWFD throws will get much better. These suckers also burn up your hip flexors, something fierce.

NAIL your LWFD before you spend a whole lot of time sweating over the HWFD. The technique is the same. Do a few HWFD, for sure...I mean, you need to practice it a bit, but pour some serious effort into LWFD technique and it will pay off in time , with the heavy.

**LitTrog** · 19th August 13, 05:00 AM

Okay, so I ran out of time to get my videos converted and uploaded--I'll get to that in the next couple days. An oddly discouraging/encouraging discovery at practice yesterday, however:

Doing the "bottom-up" drills on sheaf, I was clearing 19 feet consistently and easily. Full range, I was barely climbing over 18. What the fudge?! I must be pretty darn stupid to not be able to tie everything in together.

That is all.

**RogerWS76** · 20th August 13, 02:33 PM

Where are you placing the bag when you start your "bottom up" drill?

**LitTrog** · 20th August 13, 02:57 PM

I try to have the leading edge of the sheaf aligned with the outside of my right foot. (Throwing right-handed)

**RogerWS76** · 21st August 13, 09:43 AM

Perfect!!! Now when you are throwing regularly,

1) keep you eyes focused straight ahead.
2) Make sure your arms are no farther apart than maybe just a bit wider than shoulder width when you grab the fork.
3) On your back swing, make sure you get your right arm as far up in the air as you can
(secret: BEND YOUR ELBOW to maybe even 90 degrees) You CANNOT get a violent down swing to your
check point if you are swinging the fork way out to your side!!!!!
4) KEEPING your sheaf on the outside of your right foot violently bring the sheaf down as close as you can to the ground (where your ground drills start from). Obviously you cannot TOUCH the ground but the ground drill gives you the starting place for your upswing
5) FROM the right side of your foot at the bottom of your downswing check and pull the fork VIOLENTLY up as straight as you can while keeping your left arm LOCKED at the elbow
6) BLOCK your left arm at about shoulder width to release the sheaf!

7) The next key is to keep your entire swing straight (as if between two window panes about the just the width of your tines and perpendicular to your body WITHOUT turning your torso AT ALL ... AND while keeping your eyes looking STRAIGHT ahead.

8) Do NOT watch the sheaf (or turn to watch it) UNTIL it is completely released from your fork. This is very difficult to do and I would recommend not watching it at ALL until you can be sure of your timing!

The purpose of the ground drill is to work on your block and keeping your body and eyes straight. That in itself will add 2-3 feet to your toss. However it is the violent check STRAIGHT down that will add 3-5 MORE feet!

**LitTrog** · 21st August 13, 06:28 PM

This!

Originally Posted by RogerWS76

Perfect!!! Now when you are throwing regularly,

3) On your back swing, make sure you get your right arm as far up in the air as you can
(secret: BEND YOUR ELBOW to maybe even 90 degrees) You CANNOT get a violent down swing to your
check point if you are swinging the fork way out to your side!!!!!

AND this!

Originally Posted by RogerWS76

8) Do NOT watch the sheaf (or turn to watch it) UNTIL it is completely released from your fork. This is very difficult to do and I would recommend not watching it at ALL until you can be sure of your timing!

Thank you, Roger. These two in particular are hanging me up big time and much appreciated. #3, I just wasn't doing correctly. #8, I know better, but just...can't...help...looking!