No absolute angle will guarantee the farthest distance on each throw. Wind speed and direction change the optimal angle of release significantly. Also, the strength and speed at which the thrower can produce changes the direction at which the javelin should be thrown. Before the 1986 change in javelins, some of the best throwers in the world would throw the javelin with as little as a 30-degree angle but at greater speed because they were able to hold onto the javelin longer, producing more force. Elite throwers now still use this method; however, the most common method is releasing the javelin at about a 40-degree angle, causing more lift and flight to the javelin.
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