Discus Sportswear

What a discus thrower wears matters more than most athletes realize. With staying warm between throws to protecting the feet inside the circle, the right gear keeps athletes healthy, comfortable, and competition ready. Watch the short video version here. 

Staying Warm to Stay Healthy

Discus throwers spend a lot of time waiting. Between warm up throws, flight rotations, and the gaps between competitors at a meet, athletes can go 15 to 20 minutes without a meaningful effort. In cool or cold weather that downtime is when muscles tighten, which is one of the most common contributors to shoulder, elbow, and lower back injuries in throwing events. Wearing the right base layers that wick moisture, mid layers that insulate, and a loose fitting top layer that allows full range of motion without restriction, keeps the throwing shoulder and the hips warm and ready between efforts.

Throwing Shoes or Running Shoes

A throwing shoe and a running shoe are built for completely opposite demands. Running shoes are designed with cushioned, elevated heels and flexible soles that absorb impact from forward linear motion. Inside the discus circle that same cushioning works against the thrower by creating instability through the rotation, making it harder to push off the ground with purpose and stay balanced through the release. Throwing shoes have a flat, smooth sole with minimal heel drop, which allows the athlete to pivot and rotate freely across the concrete surface without catching or slipping. The low profile keeps the thrower closer to the ground and more connected to the circle throughout the spin.

Getting Your Equipment to the Meet

A quality discus bag is one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment in the event. A competition discus is an investment, and transporting it loose in a backpack or rolling around in a gym bag is an easy way to chip the rim, scratch the surface, or damage the weight distribution of an implement that depends on precision construction to fly correctly.