Curious Aardvark wrote on Sep 12
th, 2017 at 6:21am:
your waist generates a lot of power and as long as you can take the rotational speed of the sling into the final throw, there's very little that running, jumping and hopping can add.
That's simply not true! Of course the hop would help A LOT, because it is not its relativ low speed for an add but the extra length of EXTENSION that changes the simple "helicopter-circle" into an "ellipse" (not really an ellipse but something similar). The ratio of smaller and larger axis of these ellipse creates the "special top-velocity" or "top-acceleration".
The farther this extension the higher the (achievable) top velocity / acceleration!
Also hammer throwers does not staggering / stepping (or hopping) stright on to the start line for the small addition of speed, but for enlarging the "extension" of their acceleration circle!
But this enlarging of extension has to be done within the last half round of rotation, when the arm is teared to the front. So that has to be done very quickly and timed very good ... in a step forward or even better in a hop.
The simple step is done more easy, of course, while the hop already needs some skills of a well trained (cick~) boxer or a gymnast. Tricky to practice / perform perfect, of course, but not unfeasible.
Remember or calculate the "maximum" launch velocity that can achieved by simple rotations only and the high difference between these and the neccessary top speed for reaching 300 meters! You are the learned (graduated?) "calculator" - so HOW fast can you rotate the sling and what is then the speed of stone? Is that enough for throwing for 250 meters ???