Can´t throw

[Bumpy_CZE]

Hi, this is my first post and I hope not my last :). I´m from the Czech republic and play baseball for a year now(started, when I was 16, a little bit to late). My batting, baserunning and fielding is quite ok, but I just can´t throw the ball(I don´t mean pitching). Everything is bad, the speed is low and the throw is weak. I can throw just on the bases distance(which is not ideal since I play outfield). Many people tried to give me some tips(use the body,keep the elbow high...), but I still don´t get it(and I´m following the tips). I searched in google for some help but with no results. Would be great if you guys could give me some tips(or slow-mo videos, step by step pictures, drills). Does anybody had the same problem? Thanks a lot for your help. My dream is to throw the :baseball: from the outfield to the :homeplate: :).

[jenKins887]

Welcome to the forums.

It's hard for me to give you good advice, because I've always had a natural arm and could throw way farther than my friends/team mates, but I'll try.

Start out everyday playing long toss with someone (stand about 90 ft away and just lazer it back and forth). Or just have a friend throw you some pop-ups(I assume you play the outfield) and throw it as fast and as hard as you can back to him. Repeat for about 1/2 of an hour or until you get sore.

Sorry to be repetitive, but keep your elbow high and make sure you arm goes straight over your head. When I was young my arm would flop around up there - keep it straight. Are you getting the ball out right? If you are doing it right, the ball should actually deflect off you glove and pop out into your throwing hand. https://www.juniorbaseball.com/skillsclinics/morearticles/cannonarm.shtml

To throw it harder and better for the basemen to catch, throw a 4-seam fastball. Hope I could help.

[Bumpy_CZE]

Thanks a lot, the link you gave me looks interesting. I´m throwing 4-seam or 2-seam with no differences. I also try to have the elbow high(it falls sometimes). I´m not holding the ball tight and I try to keep the lower arm loose. I also started with a workout programm. Still no effect :).

[Jake Patterson]

Hi Bumpy, first welcome to BBF.

I would suggest you start with http://imageevent.com/siggy/throwing;jsessionid=closy53024.buffalo_s and see if there are any major differences. Do you have any clips of you throwing?

Jake

[Bumpy_CZE]

Hi Jake,

I watched the throws of Ichiro, A-Rod and Jeter and maybe there´s is a difference. I think, that their legs are bended a lot. Is that right?

[Jake Patterson]

Hi Jake,

I watched the throws of Ichiro, A-Rod and Jeter and maybe there´s is a difference. I think, that their legs are bended a lot. Is that right?


Here's a graphic from Paul Nyman.


Paul has done a great deal of work identifying the components of the swing and throw through computer graphics. Others you may want to google are Jim Dixon, Steve Ellis, Dr. Mike Marshall, etc. Many of the gurus don't seem to agree, but there are shared components. If you can get a clip we can have some of the pitching coaches here give you their opinions.

Just remember on a site like this you will not get one easy way to throw. You will get a large variety of opinions. You will need to pick through those items you think will help.

Hope this helps...

Jake

[SluggerCF91]

Hey Bumpy_CZE, imagine that you are at a pool party with your friends, and you want to whip one of your friends with a wet towel. You wouldn't try to muscle the towel and hit him with it, you would whip the towel at him, and in order to do that, you have to keep your muscles loose, and snap your arm quickly, to give the towel that whipping effect. This is the same with throwing a baseball. In order to throw a baseball at maximum velocity, you first need a proper firm grip, but not too firm, grip the baseball like your gripping an egg. Okay, from there, an outfielder is supposed to either crow-hop, or step-hop, turn his body, bring his hand "down, back, and up" and into the "T" position http://www.hq4baseball.com/images/hq4_pitch_power.jpg . Keep feet balanced, and from there, whip the baseball using every muscle in your entire body, including your lower body. When throwing from the outfield, your goal is to get the baseball to either the cut-off man, or the baseman as quick as you possible can. Don't rush though, set feet, and whip the ball to the persons chest. In general, play catch as much as possible, thats how your going to get better.

[Bumpy_CZE]

I made today two clips of my bad throws. Suggestions are welcome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwmDZC3UMBQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sEMvPuY-bE

[Jake Patterson]

Bumpy,

First and foremost you are what this game is all about. And I thank you for posting those clips. We in America sometimes forget about the roots of the game and feel if we are not playing on perfect fields with perfect equipment then something is wrong. I began to play on the inner streets of a city using a stick and a ball we made for ourselves. I have to believe those days were the most fun for me...

That being said... I do not feel you are that far off. You seem to be very athletic and lack only skill and technique, something that can be fixed.

I have something that may help, the but the file is too large for BBF. Send me your Email address at pattersonsports@yahoo.com and I will send it to you.

Jake

[Jesse]

I have experienced throwing problems myself and will offer my opinion. I don't think your body has learned how to throw yet. You need to give it time and don't give up.

One thing that helped me was just to go out to the field by myself and throw, throw, throw. That way I could focus on what I was doing without worrying about anyone else. I would position myself in different areas of the field and try to hit the same spot from all those areas.

Start out on the pitcher's mound. Aim for a specific area of the backstop - either a horizontal or vertical support beam is good. Throw over and over until you can hit that spot, or get relatively close, each time. Take time to rest so you don't get too fatigued. Then move over to first or secone base and repeat, aiming for the same spot. Move all over the infield and keep hitting that one spot from different angles and distances.

Once you feel good about that, move about ten steps into the outfield. It may be several minutes, hours, or even days before you feel comfortable moving to the outfield - go at your own pace. Move all around the outfield. Keep doing this, and you should feel yourself getting more comfortable throwing. You will start to feel more power and notice an increase in velocity and distance. Eventually, you may even make that throw from deep outfield to home plate. Just stick with it and be patient. Be aware of your body and what feels right and what feels wrong. Experiment.

The idea is to throw so much (without hurting yourself) that throwing becomes second nature. Once you find your throw, keep practicing to lock it in.

You can read and watch all the video you want, but ultimately it comes down to you. You have to allow your body to figure things out on its own. The only way to do that is through repetition.

Watching your clips, I think you are on the right track. You look like someone who has all the individual mechanics basically right but hasn't quite figured out how to put them all together. These things take time. You've only been throwing for a year, so be patient with yourself. Good luck.

[Bumpy_CZE]

I´m doing that, what you wrote(throwing the ball and moving out of the infield). I think is the best way, to figure out improvements. The ball is getting faster(thanks to Jake) and my coach gave me another tip for a drill. Do you know the towel drill? It´s quite good, because it forces you to move the weight from the back to the front a make the whole throw sequence(sometimes when the ball left my fingers, the motion was over :) ). Another tip he gave me was to have the ball coming to the front very close to my head(i think it forces my elbow to stay high, in the past it was falling a lot).