The discus has been around for a long time. It has been used in competition (games). It has been thrown different ways. Today, you must stay inside a circle as you quickly turn, skip and then throw the discus. The idea is to throw the discus as far as you can.

Look at the shape of the discus. This design creates lift under the discus when it is thrown. The faster the air goes over the discus the more lift is created. It helps if you can throw the discus into a wind! The extra air flow will carry the discus farther.

But, an athlete must throw the discus just right or it will stall (fall to the ground). The discus must have a slight upward angle and a spin. The upward angle creates lift and the spin helps keep it stable, so it won't flip over and over.

You can feel the same forces that a discus does when you put your arm out the window of a moving car. You can feel the air trying to twist your hand so the palm is against the wind. The same thing would happen to a discus if it was not spinning.

A successful discus throw has the discus spinning and angled slightly upward into a moderate wind. The discus is heavy, so it does not need to spin as fast as a frisbee which is much lighter.