All of us javelin throwers can probably agree that there is not a more frustrating aspect of the throw than the hip drive and block. The best throwers have it, the rest of us don’t. On top of that, many resources on javelin technique are either over-simplified to the point of banality or are smothered in jargon to the point of making your head want to explode.
So what’s really happening in the block? And how can we make our own block better? This breakdown will come in two different sections: a somewhat nerdy anatomical breakdown of what a block is, and a more applicable section of what you’ve got to do to hit a mean block.
Thomas Roehler Slow Motion
The Anatomy of a Block
Take a look at the video of Thomas Roehler in the video above. What is it that we see in his hip drive and block that allows him to get so much power behind his throws?
In a very simple sense, we’re seeing explosive counterclockwise rotation of the pelvis (This whole breakdown assumes right-handed thrower). This motion is what squares up our hips into the throw. We want the pelvis to stay level, with no anterior tilt. Any extra movement besides the counterclockwise rotation leaks energy.
When we think about this motion in terms of rotation of the pelvis, we can see that the “hip drive” and “block” are actually intrinsically linked into one motion. The right hip acts as the “accelerator”, and the left side acts as the “brakes.”
If we break this idea down even further, the acceleration of the right hip comes from acetabular/femoral internal rotation (AFIR) and extension (important to note here, we don’t want triple extension. The knee has to stay bent and “drop” in order to maintain pelvic alignment. This is referred to as the “soft step.”)
The left side then has to absorb and transfer this force created from the right side rotation upwards in the kinetic chain. Performance Coach Eric Cressey uses a great metaphor of thinking about riding a bike into a curb and flying over the handlebars. The left hip has to be the curb during the block. That is, the left hip has to be sturdy enough to stop the right side acceleration in all three planes of motion.
The brakes of the hip drive are left side AFIR, abduction, and extension. The internal rotation of the left side plays a huge role in pelvic alignment into the throw. If the thrower lacks AFIR of the block leg, the pelvis will over-rotate. This leads to frontal plane compensation at the QL with collapsing of the trunk at the QL/Lat attachment point. If you have back pain in this area when throwing, check your block side hip rotation, as well as your ability to eccentrically control that rotation. What’s happening in this compensation pattern is that instead of actively stopping the rotation of the right side, and transferring the force through the oblique sling and into the throwing arm, the pelvis gets passively stopped by the end range of external rotation of block side hip, which then transfers the force into the QL and lower back. Not what you want from a power or an injury prevention standpoint.
Abduction is necessary in order to stop the frontal plane angular momentum of the pelvis from the right side hip rotation. This means putting your block leg out and to the side so that you don’t “walk the tightrope” into the block. Without adequate strength in abduction, or with narrow placement of the foot in the block, the thrower will lose stability of center of mass and compensate by leaning their trunk to the block side as a means of finding frontal plane stability into the throw.
Extension at the hips is where the magic happens. This is often what we associate with the hip drive, because this is the sagittal plane, or forward, motion. Hip extension is intuitive for the right side, where it’s driving the right side forward. But extension of the block leg is equally important. This is the motion where we slam the foot into the ground and come over the block.
What is key though, is that hitting a sturdy block is hip-driven, NOT knee-driven. This will be explained in more detail in the next section.
How to Hit a Block
I used a few different anatomical terms in the last section that I’d like to simplify for you:
- Extension = pulling heel into the floor
- Abduction = “pulling the floor apart” with your feet
- Internal Rotation = AFIR = rotating foot inwards
If you’re standing, and do all of these motions simultaneously, you will feel tension in your glute, the front of your hip, and the side of your hip.
Get to know these movements well, because this is the same tension you want to feel in your block.
In fact, what you do before your foot even touches the ground is what will make or break your ability to hold a stiff block. Meaning, pretension of the hips is what lets top throwers hit their block so well. If you watch top throwers, they all reach for their block and pull their heel into the ground. The tension from internal rotation and abduction is key for stability in the block and preventing energy leaks and compensation patterns, but the retraction, or ‘pull-back” of the block leg into the ground is what allows the leg to remain stiff.
It may seem counterintuitive to think that locking the knee out in the block is driven by the glute, but if the knee remains relaxed and the glute quickly pulls the femur back, the knee will naturally extend from the angular momentum at the joint. Knee and hip extension are intrinsically linked, and this allows the block to be facilitated neurofascially through the posterior chain. The mechanics are very similar to a long jump takeoff, where a stiff foot and stiff glutes will allow for a rigid leg that acts as a lever to propel the center of mass up and out. Watch the video of Roehler and the footage of Zelezny’s World Record throw. In both cases, you can see the block knee hyperextend. Quadriceps won’t extend the knee to that degree. That’s the glutes working.
Jan Zelezny World Record Throw
Thomas Roehler Training Throw
Understanding this concept of a hip driven block can add a ton of power into your throws. But understand that changes to the hip drive will lead to significant upstream changes in the kinetic chain. The rest of your body will need to be able to handle the new force and joint sequencing.
A good starting point in figuring out the block is to first take care of any strength and mobility limitations in all three planes of movement. At the hips, you’ll need to have adequate ability to move into, and then absorb force in, internal rotation at both hips. Triplanar strength is the name of the game in throwing, but many lifting programs ignore the transverse and frontal plane demands of the sport. The videos below are great starting points to test your mobility and to see examples of what weight training in all three planes of movement will look like.
Frank Duffy Hip CARs
Colby Mamigonian Triplanar Chop
Colby Mamigonian Single Leg Deadlift
Eric Cressey Slide Board Side Lunge
A block will not be effective without hip-shoulder separation, as this is what allows the center of mass to “hit” the block instead having the center of mass pivot around it during the release. As such, mobility in thoracic rotation is going to be a key prerequisite in nailing your block.
Frank Duffy T-Spine CARs
The concept of neurofascially facilitated vertical stiffness applies to the block, where the force needs to travel from the foot, up the leg to the glute, then through the lower abs and oblique sling into the shoulder complex. Don’t overlook the role of full-body connectedness and the path the force must travel, and any weak links along the way. Lower abs play a critical role in holding the pelvis level and preventing a lordotic posture in the hip drive/block. Anecdotally speaking, anterior tilt in the hip drive is a common issue in lower level throwers. Biomechanically speaking, anterior tilt is a major energy leak and injury risk to the low back.
Tying all of this together, once physical restrictions are improved, the next step is going to be awareness in generating tension in the right places in the hip. All the drills in the world will not help if the tension isn’t coming from the right places. Like I mentioned earlier in this section, familiarizing yourself with those motions – extension, abduction, and internal rotation – is going to be necessary, whether it be just practicing them while sitting or standing, and/or through a well thought out strength and conditioning program.
When you have the kinesthetic awareness and movement proficiency down, all of the classic block drills that you normally do will be much more effective. Get the quality reps in and eventually, your block can be as stiff as Zelezny’s.
About Kevin Foster
Kevin is a former Division I javelin thrower for the University of Connecticut. He is currently training to compete post-collegiately while working as a personal trainer and javelin coach in Southeastern Connecticut.
He runs the Javelin Anatomy Instagram page whose mission is to break down and simplify the anatomy and physics that go into the javelin throw in a logical, critical, and holistic manner. Follow the page @javelin.anatomy to learn more about the science of javelin throwing and training. For any questions or feedback, email javelin.anatomy@gmail.com.
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