Coaching Young Athletes

The Dos & Don’ts of Holding a Discus

In this article I explain:

1. The basics of a good discus grip for beginners.
2. How to make your explanation memorable for young athletes.
3. Common discus grip errors made by young athletes.

How to Grip the Discus:

When gripping the discus, a young athlete should:

• Hold the discus flat against their palm.
• Sit the edge of the discus on the pads of their fingers, next to their first finger joints.
• Rest their thumb on the back of the discus.

The discus should “rest” or “sit” in the hand, rather than be held firmly. (It should fall out of the hand if the hand is turned over with the palm facing down).

The Discus Grip

How to Explain the Discus Grip to Young Athletes:

• Ask the athletes to hold the discus flat on their palm.
• Tell the athletes to imagine that their fingers and thumb are “little people”.
• The fingers are “shy little people” people but are curious to see what is going on, so they stick their heads up above the top of the discus and rest their chins on the edge.
• The thumb is VERY shy and “hides” behind the discus.

Common Mistakes Made by Beginners:

Because they fear dropping the discus, novice discus throwers will often:

• Place their thumb over the edge of the discus.

• Wrap their fingers too far over the edge of the discus.

• Hold the discus in with their wrist.

Have you ever had to explain the discus grip to young athletes?

I would love to hear if you have any thoughts on how the discus grip can be described or taught to young athletes. Let me know by leaving a comment.

Further Reading

How To Teach Discus To Young Athletes E-Book (plus bonus cheat) by Coaching Young Athletes

If this post helped you please take a moment to help others by sharing it on social media. If you want to learn more I encourage you to leave questions and comments or contact me directly.

Click here to subscribe for free to the Coaching Young Athletes email list and receive a complimentary mini e-book!

Do you want that little bit extra? Learn about Coaching Young Athletes membership HERE.