Shot-put is a test of strength in track and field meets. In ancient times, athletes used a heavy stone as the shot. Today, athletes use a metal ball. Men use a 16-pound (7.26-kilogram) shot, high school boys use one of 12 pounds (5.44 kilograms), and women and high school girls use one that weighs 8 pounds 13 ounces (4 kilograms).
Success in shot-putting depends upon ability to get the whole force of the body behind the heave. The put is made from a circle 7 feet (2.1 meters) across. An arc-shaped stopboard forms the front of the circle.
Most shot-putters use either the glide or the spin technique. Every thrower starts at the back of the circle facing the back. The thrower balances the shot in the hand, cradling it against the neck. In the glide, he or she then hops, or glides, toward the front of the circle as the body turns until the leading foot is near the stopboard. As the athlete propels the shot, the arm thrusts out in a long follow-through. In the spin, the thrower turns or spins to gain momentum, rotating 11/2 times as he or she steps toward the front of the circle. While completing a turn near the front of the circle, the thrower pushes the shot out. The measurement of the put is made from the nearest edge of the first break of ground to the nearest point on the inside edge of the shot-put circle.
Generally, each athlete gets six throws if eight or fewer contestants enter the competititon. If more than eight athletes compete, each one gets three throws. The eight with the longest throws qualify for the finals, where each of the eight gets three more throws.
