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ERIC Number: EJ726716
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Sep
Pages: 5
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0270-1367
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Venue and Wind on the Distance of a Hammer Throw
Hunter, Iain
Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, v76 n3 p347-351 Sep 2005
In track and field, gravity and air resistance act on the hammer after it has been released. Both of these forces depend on altitude and latitude. In addition, air resistance also depends on wind, temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure. Often, air resistance and varying gravity throughout the earth are not considered when throwing implements as massive as the hammer. Due to the relatively high velocities and flight times, it is reasonable to assume that significant venue-induced effects could result from local variances of gravity and air densities. The purpose of this study was to calculate the venue-induced effects of gravity and air resistance on the flight of a hammer. A computer simulation combined with measurements from the 2002 USATF championships predicted a throw distance with an equal release velocity and angle at various venues, including: Los Angeles, CA; Provo, UT; Gunnison, CO; Oslo, Norway; and Mexico City, Mexico. A three-dimensional analysis tracking the hammer head at release provided average initial heights, speeds, and angles of the furthest throws by the top 9 men and top 9 women at the 2002 USATF Championships. The simulation showed that throwers who use angles close to 45 [degrees] would have a slightly greater benefit at altitude than others, due to longer flight times, although less steep throws typically go faster, creating a complex situation for determining appropriate conversions. This study found that temperature has only a small effect on the distances of hammer throws. Altitude and latitude have a larger effect but not large, in fact, smaller than the effect of moderate winds.
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 1900 Association Dr., Reston, VA 20191-1598. Web site: http://www.aahperd.org.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A