newbie

[ironheadbar3222]

im new to the sport and need some help getting started im in charleston,wv if anyone can help please drop me a line thanks Jim

[Mike Wills]

I don't know of a single person who is throwing in the Charleston area. If you were in Charlestown you would be close to where I live. The best bet might be to plan on attending the Bridgeport games on May 3 and meet some guys and learn some of the events.

[randy]

...welcome to the sport, Jim!

i'm randy king, up heah in clarksburg, wv.

hope you can make it to the B'port fest, and while you're at it, try to bring Phil Phister.

hehehe.

so tell us about yourself...training history, athletic history, Coke or Pepsi, Lemmy or God, etc.

if ya got some time online you might check out our usual sites...see the links on the home page...great place to start. lots of info and video clips to peruse, lots of festivals to visit.

like i asked just after i finished my first games, "how many of these things are there?" to which Bryan "Sheaf Daddy" McClain replied, "depends on how far you wanna travel." so true.

to toot the horn in favor of studying video clips: in my first or second year, i added a foot to my heavy weight for distance JUST BY STUDYING A MATT SANDFORD VIDEO CLIP (the one from highlandgames.net). no joke.

rking

[ironheadbar3222]

i have done a game some years back at rio grand ohio nothing very big just people who where thier to see the pipebands (i was in a pipe band)anyway im a dumb old ironworker in charleston need to get back in the gym what a better way to keep me thier then with the games..loved the games when i was a drummer and thought the heavy events was for me so after putting it off here i am...training is way off not sure where to start and as far as the events them self way off there to so to put it in a nut shell im out of shape ,not much of a throwerhahaha but a lot of heart so any help i would say thanks Jim "GO HARD OR GO HOME"

[randy]

Jim,

i admire your attitude...

for this sport, you wanna be explosive! therefore, you wanna train explosive! get strong however you want, but to get that explosive strength, you might wanna do lots of high pulls, push presses, maybe some plyometrics. grip is a major plus...i'd bet a shiny new nickel that as an "old ironworker," you would have a pretty good grip!

also, throw! hey man, most of us have made/borrowed throwing implements, and purchased them when we can.
anyway, the stone put is easy enough...find a rock (bout 16lbs), and some space, and PUT that sucker! (just make sure you put the stone, so you don't break an arm!)

sheaf toss is probably next easiest...getcha a pitchfork, a burlap sack, pack it fulla rope/twine to about 16lbs, cinch it off tight (duct tape will work), pick a branch and toss the sheaf at it!

there's a great idea for making adjustable weights using chains (just browse the old topics on this board).

caber: you can cut down a tree, trim a straight section to about 15-18 feet for starters, small end-4 or 5 in. diam., large end-6 to 8 in. diam. helps to have a training buddy with this one...although not necessary. watch lots of caber tosses...toss lots of cabers.

good luck
rking

[Rich McClain]

Hey, Jim. Glad to see you made it over to this site. I am pretty far from any other throwers so I train on my own, attend games everywhere, and watch videos. Like you will hear, drills, weight lifting, and gaining pointers from other competitors will help you learn how to throw. Practice will get you better.

Welcome aboard!

[ironheadbar3222]

just want to say thanks again guys i have along way to go but everone started somewhere "GO HARD OR GO HOME" Jim