Just like other throwing events, the competition is graded on who can throw the hammer the furthest. The ‘Hammer Throw' derived from old competitions where an actual sledge-hammer was thrown, nowadays however the hammer is replaced with a steel or lead weight. One of the adopted methods derived from one of the most significant players in Hammer Throwing, Donald Dinnie. Back in the 19th century, he was the first athletes to turn the hammer a full 360 degrees before releasing. The turns allowed the athlete to achieve a much greater distance. This marked a significant split between the traditional Scottish Highland games and modern track and field athletics. There are two events in this category which differ only in the weight of the hammer: light (16-lb.) and heavy (22-lb.)

• THROWING THE WEIGHT FOR HEIGHT
Throwing the weight for height was originally practiced in farmyards where an object such as a barrel top would be suspended from a pulley at the hay loft or alternatively from a branch of a tree. Nowadays, athletes throw a 56 pound (4stone) weight with an attached handle over a bar on stands as used in the pole vault. Three consecutive failures eliminates the thrower from the contest.


• THROWING THE WEIGHT FOR DISTANCE (two events)

This is probably the most graceful of the heavy events but the footwork necessary is very intricate. The technicalities have much more in common with discus throwing although the weight used by our champion athletes is about ten times heavier. There are two separate events in this category, with two different weights, 28lb and 56lb. The athlete throwing one handed, usually adopts a spinning technique, with the longest throw winning.