: Skills & Drills: Defense

Throwing
This is an important developmental step in every players skill-set. Bad fundamental throwing mechanics can result in severe injury to the arm.

There are three basic throwing styles: the overhand throw, the three-quarters throw and the side-arm throw. It is strongly suggested you teach the overhand throw, where the hand, forearm and elbow come straight over the top of the shoulder, rather than the three-quarter throw, where the hand, forearm and elbow is outside the shoulder at the top of the throw. Sports medicine over the last 20 years has proven that the overhand throw is the least damaging type of throw (all types of throwing are unnatural to the human body and all can create some tendon and joint damage). The sidearm throw, where the elbow is bent and the forearm moves parallel to the ground should only be used for short cross-motion throws. I.e. Player running to his left while throwing to the right. Sidearm throws are extremely damaging to both the shoulder and elbow joints.

You will need some basic guidelines to teach your players proper technique. We suggest the "Turn, Look, Step and Throw" method. Here are the details:

1. Turn. After fielding a ball, the player must first turn his body perpendicular to the target. During this transition, the throwing hand retrieves the ball from the glove and grips the ball with the index and middle fingers across the seams of the ball. The thumb will be under the ball, directly on the stitching.
   Note: Younger players will not be able to grip the ball in this manner, since their hands are not large enough. They will tend to ‘palm’ the ball instead, which will be rectified as they get older and larger.
2. Look: The arm comes back as the weight of the player shifts to their back, or throwing-arm, foot. The throwing arm should be flexed at the elbow, not stiff. This part of the skill encourages eye contact with the target player, who needs to know the ball is coming at them.
   Note: This is especially important with younger players, who will learn not to throw the ball at someone who is not looking.
3. Step: As in most motions, the energy the ‘whole-body’ produces far outweighs the results of the action. (For instance, do you think a golfer hits the ball 300 yards because of the strength of his arms? Not!) This action transfers their weight and ‘whole-body’ energy from the throwing foot to the target foot. By this time, they should be confident of their target, and the target player is waiting for the ball. This is similar in nature to the weight transfer of the swing.
4. Throw: Let it go and follow through. Before the throwing-arm comes forward, the entire weight of the body is transferred to the forward foot. This transfers energy to the arm and the ball. The throwing arm foot swings forward immediately after delivery and should ‘land in a ready position’ as the arm continues downward. The players’ body should finish roughly parallel to the target.