Four Tips for Teaching the Javelin Throw

• By Grant Young

Teaching the javelin throw can present several challenges for javelin coaches, primarily due to the technical complexity of the event. 

Unlike some other track and field disciplines, the javelin throw requires a unique combination of strength, technique, and timing. Coaches must convey the intricate mechanics involved in the proper grip, stance, and release angles, which can be difficult for athletes to grasp without consistent practice and feedback. 

Not to mention that the javelin's physics—its aerodynamics and the way it reacts based on force and angle—adds another layer of complexity. Each athlete's physical attributes, such as height, arm length, and strength, affect how effectively they can perform the throw, requiring coaches to tailor their teaching strategies to individual needs. 

Safety is also a significant concern, as the javelin is a projectile that can pose risks to both the thrower and others in the vicinity. Coaches must emphasize safety protocols and proper warm-ups to prevent injuries. 

Lastly, there is often a lack of resources and equipment for proper training, making it challenging to provide adequate practice opportunities. 

The combination of technical demands, individual differences, safety issues, and resource limitations makes teaching the javelin throw a complex task for coaches. This is why it’s crucial to have the right resources and knowledge when teaching the javelin throw to your athletes. 

For that reason, we’ve compiled four crucial tips from proven javelin coaches that you can use right away when looking to correct technique and improve performance for your athletes. 

Mark Mirabelli - Throw Breakdown

During his 45 years as a track and field coach, Mark Mirabelli has presented at many national clinics in the USA and trained thousands of athletes over the US. Mirabelli's method and expertise in the Shot Put, Discus, and Javelin. 

Some of his most notable accolades are producing a 164-0 National Record at the prestigious Willingboro High School, coaching 16 All-American throwers in the Javelin, being selected by the NJISSA as “Outstanding Coaching Award for Dedication in NJ Track & Field” 2006, being selected to participate in the 2006 Gill/OTE Javelin Symposium in Chicago for Javelin Research among the best in the USA and Finland, and coaching 100’s of student-athletes in the Shot, Discus, and Javelin to full and part scholarships.

In his ‘Javelin II: The Ultimate Throwing Course Beginning to End’ clinic, Coach Mirabelli discusses what he wants to see in terms of javelin throw technique.

Among the most important parts of this is that the athlete keeps a nice backward lean, maintains a strong float (the stable flight path of the javelin where it appears to hang in the air, seemingly frozen) with the wrist above the shoulder throughout the throw, and that they keep the javelin point close to the cheek. 

This last point is important because it’s natural for an athlete (or any human, for that matter) to want to keep a sharp point like a javelin tip away from their eyes and cheek. But an athlete can’t have this in mind when executing their throw, or their mechanics will fall apart. 

Mark Mirabelli - Dynamic Warm Up Without Partner

Of course, warming up is crucial for any athlete. But especially javelin throwers, where such a specific and repetitive movement can easily lead to muscle strain and overuse.

This is why Coach Mirabelli swears by a dynamic warm-up that’s included in his clinic. Among the exercises he recommends is the side-to-side groin stretch for 20 yards. Because the javelin throw requires hip and groin mobility, it’s important to get these muscles stretched out. He also suggests implementing a toe touch with each stretch, which will increase flexibility. 

Of course, shoulder mobility is also of paramount importance. Therefore, Coach Mirabelli also suggests lateral snow angels while skipping for 20 yards, which will open up the scapula and get the upper body muscles firing. 

Sean Furey - Bungee Drill

Coach Sean Furey has been coaching and consulting with athletes at the high school, college and Olympic level since 2017. Prior to that, he had a 20-year post collegiate javelin throwing career, that saw him compete in two Olympic Games, two IAAF World Championships, and two Pan American Games. Sean also competed in the USA national championships for 14 straight years, winning three times. 

In his ‘Javelin Fundamentals: Guidelines for Setting Up An Effective Throwing Session’ clinic, Coach Furey discusses what he calls a bungee drill, which requires a bungee cord. 

Athletes are going to set the bungee cord up to a chain link fence and hold it like they would a javelin (while facing away from the fence). From there, they will mimic their javelin throw while focusing on driving the back knee, hip, and foot and then feeling the pressure of the throw going up the chain. 

This drill focuses on the hips, so athletes don’t need to mimic the actual throw. They can focus solely on replicating the hip movement required for a javelin throw and stopping the action there. 

Sean Furey - Take Away Messages

Through his time as both a player and a coach, Coach Furey has found that using vivid imagery and prioritizing objective assessment over subjective (which can evoke more negative emotions) are among the most effective techniques a javelin coach can use to instill knowledge into their athletes. 

In addition, Coach Furey stresses the importance of adding external cues. Seemingly trivial details like a team’s culture and demeanor during warm-ups do a lot as both a cause and effect of a team’s success (or lack thereof). Coaches should always be acutely aware of these small matters, because they’re great indicators of how well a job a coach is doing with their team.