Purpose: This study aimed to examine the relationship between key kinematic variables—height of release, horizontal velocity, and vertical velocity—and shot put performance in elite Indian female athletes.

Methods: A non-experimental, correlational research design was employed. Five elite female shot putters who represented India at the international level participated in the study. Each athlete performed ten rotational shot put attempts under standardized conditions. Motion was recorded using a CASIO EX-FH100 camera at 200 fps and analyzed with Quintic Coaching V- 35 software to obtain kinematic measurements. Pearson’s product-moment correlation was used for statistical analysis.

Results: Significant positive correlations were observed between all three kinematic variables and shot put performance. Height of release (M = 1.829 m, SD = 0.0143) showed a strong correlation (r = 0.731, p < .05) with throwing distance. Horizontal velocity (M = 8.757 m/s, SD = 0.711) and vertical velocity (M = 7.237 m/s, SD = 0.284) exhibited extremely strong correlations with performance (r = 0.960 and r = 0.974, respectively, p < .05).

Conclusion: The findings confirm that release velocity is the most influential biomechanical determinant of shot put performance, followed by release height. These results highlight the importance of integrating technical refinement with strength and power training to optimize release parameters. Coaches and athletes should prioritize interventions that maximize release velocity while improving release height through technical adjustments and targeted strength training.