Fixing the overhand throw

Lobster Birch said:

Amy, very creative. Thanks for sharing.

Folks, read and comprehend to understand, not to respond.

Click to expand...

Bad idea IMO.

Allowing folks to respond is a sign of tolerance and brings about learning. Perhaps NBECoach didn't learn from his/her mistake of blindly following L-drill throwing mechanics, but others that followed along did.

What do folks think of keeping the hand behind the ball and performing a wrist snap?




Seems the cloud of darkness with such an approach in windmill pitching has been lifted. Gone are the days of the happy-elbow approach of keeping the hand behind the ball. Today it is understood that the throwing arm should freely rotate (referred to as IR here at DFP).

The L-drill approach to teaching throwing is aweful … and if actually learned by the athlete will hurt them more than help them.

The notion of beginning in a fully pronated state via a ball-to-the-wall orientation is a bad idea. Good throwers do not do that. A good throw does not attempt to keep the throwing forearm in a state of pronation, but instead allows rotation of the forearm and humerus.

The notion of preventing/limiting/restricting forearm/humerus flexion is a faulty notion and lacks an understanding of how extension takes place in an overhand throw. The notion of maintaining an L-orientation is a bad idea that further promotes a push.

The notion of staying behind the ball and snapping the wrist is a bad idea that reinforces a faulty overhand throwing path. The forced wrist flick is a last ditch effort to salvage a poor push technique.

There is very little to like about the L-drill approach of teaching the overhand throw.

Bad teaching techniques are wide spread. This is an example of ASA ACE training. Well intended ... but bad.

Arm behind throwing drill ....

Arm behind seated throwing drill ....

The path of elbow extension as taught with L-drill mechanics is incorrect. It's simply a flawed model of the throw and provides a thrower an improper mental image that leads to more of a 'push' than a 'throw'. The description below provides a much better mental image of the throw IMO.

Wrist flicks .....

This has been a great discussion. Our local league got hooked up with a gentleman who teaches a lot of these mechanics (we even did the supination ball bounce drill, and other drills), which encouraged the scapular retraction. I will admit that I have been a practitioner of the L-drill if only to help my younger girls get away from the "shot put" throw from their shoulder. Will keep studying up on this to learn more and be able to teach it properly. Again, very good discussion. Thanks.

was working with my daughters pitching coach and i asked about her overhand throws during warmups. he recommended the common glove pointing to target then slamming glove back to chest (elbow now pointed out) as you rotate shoulders and following thru with throw.