How to Throw a Monarch
From: DJWerks
Date: Sun, 19 May 1996 09:28:47 -0400
Subject: [RCSE] Hand Launching Monarchs-Techniques to try
The question of how best to obtain good launch height was recently E mailed
to me, it prompted a bit of a narrative that seems appropriate to share with
the exchange. I apologize if there have been previous threads on the subject,
but I hadn't noticed any, at least for quite a while. Hope this provides some
"usable" ideas on the subject. PLEASE note that I do not have a PHD in
physical medicine or the like, but through lots of practice and trying many
techniques have managed to come up with a non-painful method of obtaining
good launches that I hope some folks find helpful!!
About hand-launching Monarchs :
The single most important thing is your FOLLOW-THROUGH!!! The longer you can
keep your fingers on the ship, accelerating the whole time, the higher it
will launch! Technique is really the biggest factor in launch height.
I'm told that my launches are at least as high as the highest in our area,
with a 9.5 ounce Monarch "C" ! Of course, I really can't tell being
underneath
the thing, but Don and a lot of other folks have told me as much. What the
heck--I'll gladly take their word for it!
Anyway, my grip on the fuselage is such that the forward bottom part of the
fuse is flat in the palm of my hand. This feels a little weird at first, but
what this position does is place your wrist in a "rearward bent" position
prior to and during launch. This means that as you progress with the throwing
motion, your wrist has more movement ("travel") from start to finish, giving
you more "contact" time (and muscle) to accelerate the ship forward and up.
It is a subtle little method that a lot of people overlook, but it DOES add
power to the launch by employing more of your wrist strength. Holding the
fuselage by your fingertips during launch robs you of much of this advantage.
Try it!!
Next, it is important to get your whole body into the launch ( I know that
sounds like one of those RIDICULOUS workout videos, but it really isn't THAT
extreme-I wouldn't do it if it was!!). The simplest way I can describe it is
that you do NOT want to be FACING IN THE DIRECTION YOU INTEND TO THROW!!! If
you face the direction you intend to throw, you lose all the power that the
simple act of rotating your body has to offer! This can amount to a huge loss
of power, and a big increase in pain! It forces you to obtain most of your
power
from your shoulder and elbow. I was launching this way when I first got into
handlaunch, and nearly gave it up because I REALLY dislike PAIN. Practice
facing 90 degrees from the direction you are throwing, and rotating your body
in the direction of your throw as you move your arm forward in the throw
(just remember to take a look in the sky before you throw; mid-airs at launch
speeds are spectacular!).
This takes an incredible amount of "load" off of your shoulder and elbow,
while assisting in the acceleration (there's that word again) of the ship
through the throw. When I finally figured this out, I found I could launch
all day with no problem!! Hand launch gliders got a whole lot more fun after
this!
Finally, I find it helpful to keep your throwing arm extended ( elbow
straight or nearly so) at the start of the throw. This serves the purpose of
allowing you a maximum amount of contact time/total travel during the launch,
which gives you basically the same advantage as the wrist thing mentioned
earlier--longer follow through; more acceleration!
If you think about it, big league pitchers, tennis players, and javelin
throwers employ some of the methods I've attempted to describe, but HLG's
require a blend of special techniques that are best developed by-----
PRACTICE!!!!!.
Joe Hahn
DJ Aerotech
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