Umm...firstly see my avatar.
re throwing.
- upper body strength contributes only about ten percent.
- height is an advantage but only up to a point. Discus throwers do gain an advantage from height because of arm length and consequently top performers tend to be quite tall. Other throwing events and sports height isn't that much of an issue except for the fact that larger bodies can be made stronger(ie if everything else is equal the bigger athlete has an advantage which is true of just about anything).
- girls can throw but, as the article suggests, it's something their exposed to less than boys as they grow up.
- I've taught T&F throwing events to boys and girls for decades. Almost always the girls have to be taught to throw properly BEFORE the specific event techniques can be taught.
- you throw with your hips - NOT your arms.
Why are you telling me this? I'm kind of a thrower myself. Not that I don't enjoy this topic.
The top throwers are always tall in comparison to the average. According to the testimonies of some of the greatest,height matters in other throws as well.It is not true of many other sports. 10%? What's your source?
Sorry. Came off wrong. Not trying to disagree with you.
Larger bodies can be made stronger. Ergo at the top level larger athletes are more likely to succeed. Not arguing that.
This article isn't about the olympics. It's about more mundane, everyday people and about simple throwing action rather than anything specialised. I'm saying girls can be taught to throw quite effectively. Their different physique means their action needs to be a bit different but otherwise it's simply a matter of repetition - same as for boys. Boys are just more inclined to do it and tend to learn the best way on their own.
Source, aside from possibly simlar involvement to your own, was a publication from the late eighties which looked at olympic medalists and world record holders. Discus throwers are generally tall(bigger wing span, in those days about 6'4 tall), javelin(ave 6'1 surprised me) they're fairly spread, shot putters in between, and hammer throwers often short(advantage to smaller feet? more turns?). They're certainly all a couple of inches taller today but that's true in all sports.
There's actually a bit of a physical disconnect for women. As girls their body shape is roughly the same as the boys. As they mature the boy's physique greatly enhances his ability to generate energy. In women the change in body shape doesn't neccessarily help them in the same way. Top women athletes are generally on a par with top sixteen year old boys. Many boys grow into their twenties.
So there is a huge physical discrepancy but that still doesn't stop women from learning to throw efficiently.
Back in the dim dark ages I had the privilege of training with a number of world class athletes. One of them once spent several minutes lecturing me about how superior men were physically - particularly in sport. Her training partner nodded through all this and then said that the greatest compliment she'd ever received was being told she ran like a man. Because "men run perfectly". She had shoulders I would have killed for.
Sorry for edit but this prompted me to check google. I knew "shoulders" had married and headed to the US with hubby but I lost touch with her after that. This doesn't surprise me...
Powerhouse Gym, Bev Francis