Don Babbitt's Teaching Progression for the Rotational & Glide Shot Put

with Don Babbitt,
University of Georgia Associate Head Coach - Throws;
has coached 29 NCAA Champions and 139 All-Americans;
has coached 53 throwers who have competed at the Olympic Games & World Championships;
his throwers have won 21 medals in international competition and 20 titles at the USA Championships;
2009 USTFCCCA East Region Men's Throws Coach of the Year;
2007 USTFCCCA East Region Women's Throws Coach of the Year;
2003 USTFCCCA National Assistant Coach of the Year;
over 35 years of coaching experience

and demonstrator Denzel Comenentia,
3x NCAA First Team Outdoor All-American (Shot Put);
3x NCAA First Team Indoor All-American (Shot Put);
2018 and 2019 SEC Outdoor Commissioner's Trophy (High Point Scorer);
2019 USTFCCCA South Region Co-Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year;
2018 Bowerman Award Semifinalist;
2018 USTFCCCA National Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year;
2018 NCAA Outdoor Meet High Point Scorer (20 Points);
2018 NCAA Outdoor Champion (Shot Put);
2018 USTFCCCA South Region Men's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year;
2018 USTFCCCA South Region Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year;
2017 SEC Outdoor & Indoor Champion (Shot Put);
2016 NCAA Honorable Mention Outdoor All-American (Shot Put)

This video, featuring one of the most accomplished throws coaches in the world, Don Babbitt, effectively illustrates a fundamental progression that throwers of any level can use to remediate the proper grip through release of the shot put.

Once grip and release are developed to a comfortable level, Babbitt demonstrates his 5-step progression in the circle for developing the principles of the standing throw components. Babbitt's detailed explanations of the keys and cues for success during this segment are simple enough for a novice coach to utilize in correcting a beginner athlete. At the same time, the specificity provided will allow elite shot putters to self-analyze to make corrections to their own technique.

Rotational Progression

Coach Babbitt's progression for the rotational throw sequence incorporates numerous drills that allow you to develop athletes by focusing on isolated areas of technique prior to utilizing the full motion. This will help provide your athletes mastery prior to accomplishing the full rotational throw. Benchmarks and cues are inserted that allow for proper skill development prior to progressing to the full throw. These progressions are excellent coaching points for the coach/athlete that wants to transition to the rotational style throw.

Glide Progression

Finally, the glide technique progression provided by Babbitt offers a comparison and contrast to the techniques used in the rotational throw progression. Deciding factors of choosing which technique to use (glide vs rotational) are provided that will allow the coach or athlete to make the choice that is best for them.

From the beginning shot putter or coach to the elite level shot putter or coach, all can benefit from the progressions and cues provided by Coach Babbitt in this instructional video with his best progressions for shot put technique.

68 minutes. 2020.