Field Events Ranked: From most to least technical skill

Pole vault

javelin

triple jump

high jump

The others do not seem to require so much skill anyone could not learn in a short amount of time.

Pole vault

Javelin

Hammer throw

High jump

Triple jump

Discus

Shot put

Long jump

coach wrote:

Pole vault

Javelin

Hammer throw

High jump

Triple jump

Discus

Shot put

Long jump

This seems to match my thinking except the hammer. Why is that so high? I'd put it between shot and disc. Admittedly I've only ever done it for fun but it basically did what I wanted it to do.

I think that the hammer is pretty damn hard. When I was in grade school we had an “olympics” competition in our backyard. We made a hammer out of one of my brother’s 5 pound weights and a chain. When it was my turn it went really high in the air and came down on the roof of my neighbor’s car.

It all seriousness, some said that the javelin was harder than the discus. I just don’t see that. Off all of the throws events, the javelin seems the least technical to me.

Triple jump needs to not be a thing. It's the racewalking of field events.

Have you ever tried to throw a javelin? It ain't easy to get right.

My litmus test here is going to be what even could someone do for the first time and be reasonably successful in if they were naturally inclined to it. From hardest to easiest.

Pole Vault

Javelin

Discus

Hammer throw

High jump

Shot put

Triple jump

Long jump

highhoppingworm wrote:

Have you ever tried to throw a javelin? It ain't easy to get right.

No, I’ve never tried the javelin. I’m sure that it’s not easy. I don’t think any of the field events are easy. I was merely going by observation and to me it seems like the discus just requires more technical skill than the javelin. What do I know, though? I’m not a thrower. Actually, if I was a thrower, I would want to do the javelin or the hammer. They look the most fun to me.

Shot put - I'm pretty sure you can get the strongest person on the football team enough of a lesson in 30 minutes that they can beat someone with less strength. Now if they are similar strength the technique starts to matter.

Long jump is pretty similar. Athleticism trumps technique for the most part.

Pole vault is the other end of the spectrum. No one is picking up a Pole and out performing even the worst people who are actually practicing the event. It's the only track and field event I've never seriously tried to attempt.

Javelin is pretty close. You could get the strongest arms from the baseball team and they probably wouldn't do very well. Getting a Javelin to fly straight is challenging. I used to throw it relatively frequently because it looks fun but I could never get the hang of it.

This brings me to my PSA - athletes and coaches you spend a lot of time at the track. Take it upon yourself to at least get some basic exposure to every event. It's fun and you never know when you might need it.

highhoppingworm wrote:

Have you ever tried to throw a javelin? It ain't easy to get right.

I was at a coaching clinic and there was a javelin---not intuitive at all.

sunflower wrote:

coach wrote:

Pole vault

Javelin

Hammer throw

High jump

Triple jump

Discus

Shot put

Long jump

This seems to match my thinking except the hammer. Why is that so high? I'd put it between shot and disc. Admittedly I've only ever done it for fun but it basically did what I wanted it to do.

The hammer involves multiple rotations while the discus involves 1 and a half and fewer steps. It also involves a longer lever.

The javelin is difficult even standing still and throwing. So many people have difficulty getting it to go straight and land tip first; adding a runoff and braking to transfer that momentum into the throw is very complex.

Looking at this from a perspective of how complex it is to achieve the "perfect" result, I'm confidently saying javelin.

1. Javelin

2. Pole Vault

3. Hammer

4. High Jump

5. Discus

6. Shot Put

7. Triple Jump

8. Long Jump