Throwing: Throwing form drill

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THROWING: THROWING FORM DRILL
In watching warm ups and in particular, throwing warm ups, the main problem I spotted in players trying to make the team was their throwing motion. Granted, some of the players had been taught the correct form for throwing the ball, but a lot had absolutely horrid form. Here are a few drills to fine tune your throwing form.

The bringing back of the throwing hand is done is a graceful, arching movement. The hand swings back and up, with the ball facing backward at the top of the arch. This can be practiced by having someone standing about 5 feet directly behind you. Take a ball and from the hand in glove position (as if the ball were just fielded) separate the hands with the ball hand swinging first down, then back and up until you throwing arm bicep is parallel with the ground and you have a 90 degree angle with you forearm pointing up and the ball facing backwards. Looking at this motion from the third base side (right handed thrower) the ball hand starts at 9:00 O"clock, swings down to 6:00 o'clock then up to 12:00 o"clock. If you release the ball at about 3:00 o"clock (for the drill) and your form is correct, the ball should be easily caught by the person standing behind you. If the ball goes to the left or right of the catcher, you are not using a proper path for your arm. Practice this drill until you have the proper arm motion, then, instead of releasing the ball, go into your throwing motion, striding with your lead foot and following through.

If you need additional work on this motion, try the load and go drill. Stand with your weight evenly distributed between both feet and in the position of already haven taken your stride, with hips facing towards third base(right handed thrower)Transfer your weight to the rear foot and lift the front foot off the ground. As you come forward with the ball in the throwing motion, transfer your weight back to your lead foot and make a throw.

If you work on this drill, it will improve your accuracy and distance.

 

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We use throwing as a lead in to hitting as we usually can observe a thrower's ability to throw and can see they will not be good hitters based on their throwing mechanics and lack of weight shift when throwing. You can usually spot it in their throwing mechanics because the back foot does not release from the ground and come around to the side of the person throwing the ball. The only time I have ever been wrong on this is with a boy pitcher being a good thrower and a poor hitter...we have never been wrong on it with a girl.

We teach balance first by bending at the waist first and then softening the knees next and gently push on their chest and back alternately and have them adjust either at the waist a little or at the knees a little until they stop rocking back and forth on their toes or heels. The girls balance point is different than a males because of the horizontal plane of the females spine and first seven vertebrae...this allows them to adjust to the load during pregnancy. The males spine is tilted slightly forward and we can stand taller in the box and be balanced and we tell our girls no butt sticking out and no balance. This is why you see many female hitters standing tall and as they load you will see them dip to be able to transfer their weight shift forward by getting the weight inside their back leg.

This is termed sequential core loading and it only works if you bend at the waist first and then soften the knees next. Try it for yourself by softening the knees first and then bending at the waist and you will be able to push the person backwards. In 20 years we have never had anyone show us another way to get balanced.

Now we have them spread their legs 1.5 times the width of their shoulders. Bend at the waist and soften the knees and put your glove in the middle of your chest, we term it the gathered position with the ball in your glove with your throwing hand. Now slide your back foot to the instep of the lead foot and then step forward with your lead foot and break your hand out of your glove and point the ball towards the ground so the elbow is above the ball in your hand, the glove hand thumb is pointing towards the ground and level with your shoulders and your lead arm elbow is flexed at about 45 degrees. Bring the ball up in a circle so the player can see the back of their hand. Keep the ball in front of you so you can see it. This is why I like using mirrors to teach as they see themselves doing it and can feel it. Remember to keep the elbow above the shoulder but do not try to throw the ball directly over your head. Keep an arm slot that is not more than 90 degrees in my opinion. As you step to throw with your lead foot step at about a 45 degree angle and land on the ball of your foot with a flexed front knee and think you are trying to put your nose over your toes with your chest following and your weight should shift forward and your back foot will release from behind you and come slightly forward of your lead foot and to the side. Usually those that can not get the foot to release are landing on a stiff front leg and the weight shift stops and they fall backwards after they throw or they are landing on the heel of the foot and the lead foot toe spins to their left and they throw across their body.

Look to see what they do with their glove hand. Did they tuck it under the arm pit? Did it swing behind them or did they just fold it up against their chest? A martial arts move can be taught by standing as if you are going to throw the ball and you take your glove hand without your fielding glove on and hold the other persons hand by interlocking the finger tips only and you pull the other person with your hand by turning it and twisting your hand so the palm goes upward as you draw it back and under your arm pit. You will feel the additional force applied to the throwing hand and shoulder as you do this. We have measured a 3 to 5 MPH increase in ball speed with this method. It is a basic martial arts move, when they punch they don't throw the shoulder they stay square with the shoulder and draw the opposite hand back which adds force to the blow or striking hand force. Now combine that movement and start over and think slide, step and throw, with the nose over the toes, tuck and release and finish with your throwing hand touching your opposite thigh when you finish so your arm slows down naturally. I am told 80% of the arm injuries result during the deceleration phase of throwing and that is when you see a player keep their arm going forward after the release of the ball as if they are snapping a wet towel and this puts a lot of stress on the elbow and shoulder. Focus on allowing the hand coming to the opposite thigh area so the arm and hand use the body as a natural shock absorber to slow the arm down. I am told only 20% of the arm injuries are attributed to the acceleration phase of the throw when the elbow is leading and prior to the mechanics of the actual release of the ball.

If your elbow or shoulder hurt after a game look closely at their throwing mechanics and then look at their hitting mechanics and I bet those mechanics will have the same traits...poor weight shift, poor balance and a bad hand path to the ball.

 

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My DD did this with Howard and I have notice night and day difference.

Thanks Howard!