DIY - Spartan Spear, with throwing technique tips.

So you want to train for Spartan, but you have no spear. Here's a (relatively) simple how-to for building your own training spear for around $10.

Shovel handle. Cost: $9ish

10 penny nail. Cost: 10 pennies

First, head to your local hardware store and get yourself a shovel handle and a ten penny nail.

There are various other handles available, rakes, spades and whatnot, but the rounded head shovel handle seems to be about the right weight and length.

Ugly, but usable with head intact.

Drilling also helps keep it straight.

Drilling a pilot hole will help keep the nail from splitting the handle. Don't go too big though, you want that nail to be tight in there.

Pound that nail in a good couple of inches. I drove mine about .5" past the first observation hole.










You can use it as is, but if you have a grinder or belt sander, grinding off the head makes it just that much better.

Try not to set your face on fire.

If you're not hitting nice soft hay bales, you can expect some bending with ground strikes. Not to worry, you can bend it back easily with a hammer, or just by hitting it against a hard object, like asphalt, a goal post, or your noggin.

Dart grip.

Throwing tips:
Find your spot on the spear and get used to the feel of it. For me it's a few inches behind the balance point. I like it to feel a little front heavy.
Grip it like a pencil, or dart.
Step into your throw.
Use your opposite hand to counter balance and aim.
Arc your throw slightly, but don't overdo it.
Follow through. Let your back foot come forward as you achieve full hip rotation.
Practice. It will probably feel funky at first, but once you find your sweet spot, repetition will have you making consistent hits.

DON'T THROW IT TOO HARD! The pics below are exaggerated for technique. I'm also throwing a lot farther, for practice, than the hay bales are in a typical race. A soft touch goes a long way!

If you find your spear is glancing off, or turning sideways when you throw (usually going to the left for right handers) you are likely side arming it too much. Bring your elbow in and down towards your body. You may have to exaggerate this. For my son, we had to get his elbow in front of his body to correct the for this. It's more of a basketball toss than a baseball toss, if that makes sense.

Most failures I've seen involve poor grip (holding it in their fist and/or not finding the right spot on the shaft) and throwing too hard.

Step into it.

Full rotation. Back foot coming up to the front.

Too much arc.

And there you have it. A cheap training tool that will help you avoid one of the Spartan Race's tricky pitfalls. Now that I've saved you thirty burpees, you can buy me a beer at the next race. ;)

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Spartan Slosh Pipe how-to