Hammer is not about what you do to it.

When I talk about training in a manner that allows the athlete to *react* to the hammer, this is what I mean.

You don’t throw a light ball far because you’re “pushing” it.

You don’t throw a light ball far because you’re strong.

You throw it far because as your nervous system freshens up, you’re quick enough to react as the hammer screams around you and into the sector (among a few other things).

These two ideas are so completely and utterly ineffective at throwing light balls far, it’s wild it’s still commonly discussed.

Why do most hammer throwers at the intermediate to sub elite level not correlate very well with light hammers??

They aren’t REACTING.

How many guys are out there have 67-74m 7.26kg bests, yet their 6kg PBs are a mere couple meters beyond. Most. And I was one of them for the longest time as well. Until I wasn’t.

To react well, the nervous system needs to be primed and ready to go. Obviously, depending on where you are in a training plan, a fresh nervous system may not be in your reality. The idea is that your program holds this in mind so that when the time comes, you’re ready to allow the hammer to be as free as it wants to be.

Days when the physical and coordination states are lined up are truly special training sessions that you never forget.

This is me throwing one of my last couple 5kg PBs. This one was 93m, I believe. I was by no means as good with the 5kg as Bondarchuk wanted, or my own expectations for that matter. A regret.

I threw the 5kg no more than about 2 programs a year. As you might imagine, depending on where my nervous system was, this ball had the biggest range in results. When my NS was down, I’d have days in the 70 meter range (That’s when you really start questioning your worth as a professional hammer thrower lol). When I was in a solid state, 88-90m. When I was in peak state, 92+.

Solve the riddle of reacting to the ball in your athletes, and it will completely change them.

♾