Fixing the overhand throw

[FiveFrameSwing]

I am a stickler for correct throwing. One of my new students just couldn’t get it right. I had recently been through this, with a 9 yo boy. I tried patiently demonstrating, coaching and using gadgets.
So, with this girl, I assigned her friend to keep encouraging her to get her arm up and not push the ball.
One day, I had my player reach up and try to swat a rag hanging from a pole, as she threw. It was somewhat successful. But, then, I thought - try throwing over the pole. Success. She still has a ways to go, but her throw is so much better.

https://youtu.be/NrRBXoQR7pg

This girl looks to have been 'trained' ... poorly trained ... lots of 'L drill' type of poor mechanics in her throw.

If you are the one that trained her then review Wasserman's material, educate yourself, apologize to this girl and request that she give you a chance of a do-over in terms of teaching throwing. If you inherited this issue ... as many of us do ... then explain to her how her earlier L-drill training taught a 'push' and not a 'throw'.

Wasserman's drill with the ball starting behind the head will help a great deal. Then the water bottle drill. It's actually quite easy. It does however require erasing earlier L-drill training.

 

[Acroyear]

Amy,

Hey, if it works, it works.

My 16u DD was a horrible, low elbow sidearmer when she was younger and we searched high and low for a fix.

A neighbor turned us onto this:

We'd chalk or tape a homeplate on the floor or ground, have my DD stand within a foot or two of it and throw a tennis or racquetball almost straight down onto or a foot or two past the plate. If she sidearmed it, she'd either miss wide, or come pretty close to hitting herself. (Instant feedback!) As she got better going over the top, we'd move the plate further from her and she'd bounce it off the plate, into a wall and back to herself without having to move side to side. Over time she'd stand further and further from the plate and eventually transitioned to throwing directly to a partner. I think this helped a bunch.

This was all based on this video my neighbor sent me:
[video]https://youtu.be/epluA6pzObM[/video]

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Amy,

Hey, if it works, it works.

My 16u DD was a horrible, low elbow sidearmer when she was younger and we searched high and low for a fix.

A neighbor turned us onto this:

We'd chalk or tape a homeplate on the floor or ground, have my DD stand within a foot or two of it and throw a tennis or racquetball almost straight down onto or a foot or two past the plate. If she sidearmed it, she'd either miss wide, or come pretty close to hitting herself. (Instant feedback!) As she got better going over the top, we'd move the plate further from her and she'd bounce it off the plate, into a wall and back to herself without having to move side to side. Over time she'd stand further and further from the plate and eventually transitioned to throwing directly to a partner. I think this helped a bunch.

This was all based on this video my neighbor sent me:
[video]https://youtu.be/epluA6pzObM[/video]

This drill should be modified. Take note of the start of the 'throw' from a "ball to the wall" orientation. This puts the forearm in a nearly fully pronated state. That's not good ... and makes the extraction of the potential benefit from this drill more difficult to realize. An important benefit is the feeling of the forearm going from a state of supination towards a state of pronation ... which is something that is often compromised when you first start with the forearm fully pronated as is taking place in this demo.

 

[Hawk_]

Interesting thread. I was taught coming up the old school L shape arm. The older I got and started putting heat on balls my arm path changed into what it is today. From about 13 on my arms moved into the "water bottle" drill slot, unless I was turning a double play (2nd baseman) then it usually was some side arm something or other. But I still flick the wrist at the end, so my balls come out like a slider if I throw hard.
I have been struggling with my DD coming over her front foot. She has a big arm but doesn't use her body well. My son is the other way arms is all over the place...then it comes out at light speed.
Might have to video them and really see what's going on.
Good thread though.

 

[Coach Foster]

It is amazing how people will promote something simply because they've seen it instructed.

Do you think this guy here has even the foggiest idea of the importance of scapular retraction in the throw?

Nope ... not a clue. No scapular retraction. No thoracic extension. Poor angles. No understanding of resistance. No understanding of whip. Clueless. Simple regurgitation of information without taking the time to seek confirmation.

Consider sending the parent this video ...

I did a "throwing clinic" with our JV squad this past spring, and used 3/4 of the drills Austin did here. His stuff is so good. You would have thought I was speaking a foreign language to them at first, but after they got the feel for the mechanics, they all raved about how much more natural this feels, compared to the "ball away" and "wrist flick" stuff they were taught.

One of the first things I said was "How many of you were taught this *imagine L Drill form with ball away*?" Of course all of them raised their hand...they looked at me like I was teaching them black magic when I told them I didn't care if they ever got to that position, and preferred that they didn't. I'm honestly surprised I didn't get any phone calls from parents asking me why I was teaching throwing that way.

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

No ball-to-the-wall here ... no L-drill push promotion mechanic .... simply a smooth spiral-like action ....

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

There is a lot of bad information out there on throwing ... such as this here ....




Another individual with embedded L-drill mechanics that is in search of a bandaid to help relieve the damage of his own teachings.

Anyone seeking confirmation through analysis of high-level throwers will reject such nonsense.

 

[Lobster Birch]

Good looking L shape!

 

[FiveFrameSwing]

Good looking L shape!

Sure ... except it isn't an 'L' shape and neither is the ball facing the opposite direction (i.e., ball-to-the-wall).

The L-drill causes many issues .... including a 'push' that the original poster noted as an issue in her student's throw. Many falsely believe the L-drill is correct and find themselves searching for bandaides. See example above ... and see the original poster's video.

The L-drill is simply a poor model of the 'throw'. It is a good way to create 'poor throwers' if that is one's objective .... just that most of us don't have that as an objective.