Javelin Technique Terms & Definitions
- Dan Labbadia
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
You may hear a coach say some cues and talk about technique but not know what they are talking about.
In this blog I am going to give a definition, photo and video of each of these terms so you know exactly what they mean, when they mean it.
1. Penultimate
Second to last step, the "gallop" right before the block and throw. This is your last and Biggest crossover which is essentially jumping forward gaining as much ground as you can before the block and throw. Think about an out fielding "crow hopping" from the outfield before a throw.
2. Stay Closed
Staying closed is the idea of keeping your shoulders turned to the side during the crossovers, penultimate, and throw. While it may be helpful to think about staying closed during the crossovers and penultimate, I have found it confusing to preach the concept of staying closed through the release, because if you look at what throwers are ACTUALLY doing, they may be closed on back foot contact, but they definitely open before the throw occurs.
3. Back Foot Contact (Squatty back foot contact)
Back foot contact is when you land on your hind leg right after the penultimate and right before the block. You can see how this athlete lands on their toe or ball of their foot, then drops the knee forward which is essential to being able to internally rotate the back leg. The opposite of squatty back foot contact would be if the back leg landed straight, and had no ability to rotate forward.
4. Block Leg / Foot
When you hit your penultimate, land on back foot contact, then step into the throw. The foot or leg you step into the throw with, is your block leg. In this case look at the athletes front leg planted on the ground, that is the block leg.
5. Hip Shoulder Separation
Notice when the hips are forward, and the shoulder is still behind the athlete, that is what hip shoulder separation refers to. This is because they are separated, and not together. This is how you will be able to use the kinetic chain effectively, by engaging the lower half and the core first, then the arm last.
6. Layback
Layback is when the arm is back, and the chest begins to engage before the hand or elbow come through. Look at the difference between the length of pull of Johannes Vetter vs Me in college. Look how my hips are forward, but my arm is also crept forward, and notice how his hips are forward, but his hand is still all the way back which means he gets a much longer pull on the javelin.
7. External Rotation
After layback as the elbow and hand start to come through you can see here that the shoulder externally rotates. This is essential to protecting the elbow so the chest will take the force and not the small ligaments in the elbow.
8. Dead Arm
Dead arm is the concept of having a completely relaxed throwing arm, and an active block side (arm + Leg) this is kind of impossible to show in a picture so I have attached a video that explains it below. But you will be able to see the difference between a pushy arm action and a relaxed whippy arm action.
Watch Here.
9. Throw Over The Top
“Throwing over the top” in javelin usually refers to maintaining a high throwing position, ensuring that the javelin is released with proper mechanics rather than coming around the side. Keep your throwing elbow high and leading the motion. A low elbow often results in sidearm throws, reducing efficiency and increasing injury risk.
10. Through The Point
“Throwing through the point” means directing all your force efficiently into the javelin’s tip to maximize distance and accuracy. The javelin should leave your hand cleanly, with the tip leading straight in the direction of your throw. If the tail kicks up or tip points it likely means you’re pulling across or down on the javelin instead of driving through it.
11. Through The Handle
"Through the Handle” refers to when the javelin tip lifts too early, but your energy still travels straight, causing inefficient energy transfer and a poor flight path. Essentially, instead of driving through the point, the javelin gets disconnected from your power, leading to a higher-than-ideal release and a loss of efficiency.
12. Topped It
Topping happens when the tip gets forced down too early, often due to these common mistakes. If you push the javelin down instead of letting it roll off the fingers naturally, you force the tip downward. If your upper body gets too far ahead of the throw, the javelin loses natural flight and drives into the ground. Leaning too far forward makes the release point too low, leading to an early tip-down trajectory.
This is another one that is very hard to put into a picture, so take a look at the video below and I will show you some examples of a javelin that is being topped and comes down prematurely due to pulling down on the handle.
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