Pause at the top of throw.

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Sep 29, 2014
2,421
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Is this a catcher throwing down or just an infielder throwing someone out at first. Only reason I ask is becasue there are some catcher specific drills you can do as far as their timing and footwork.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
Not necessarily a drill, but I'm going to guess they were taught to throw using some sort of "T" position. This is one of those "if I only knew then..." things for me.

My suggestion is to just remind (and show) them that the throw is one continuous motion. There's no pause.

Just like hitting, there's a sequence to throwing. As bad of a job most of us have done at some point about not teaching the correct hitting sequence (which part of the body to move when), we've done an even worse job of teaching throwing with ANY sort of sequencing beyond "step with your glove foot and follow through".

When I see it in younger players (6-8), I attribute it to not knowing differently. With older 10U - 12U+ players, the pattern is so ingrained, that the pause is now a kind of delay mechanism. Subconsciously, they KNOW their body needs to be in position "c" to throw. But they keep finding their body back in position "a", with their arm jumping ahead to "b", so it kind of stalls, or pauses, there, waiting for their body to catch up. Maybe the arm even chicken-wings, or looks like it's double-loading, before they throw. Instead of an order of roughly feet, legs, hips, chest, shoulders, elbow, then hand, it's probably more like feet, legs, hand, elbow, hips, elbow, hand.

Per Austin Wasserman (www.highlevelthrowing.com), you move THROUGH a position to throw, you don't move TO a position.

The one drill I can recommend - well, in addition to Austin's "water bottle drill" which is usually the standard go-to - is to help with the rhythm of throwing. Have her step and throw, but make sure she brings her hands together right when her back foot (right, for a RHT) touches. It's just a tap of the ball into the glove - one of those things you probably already do yourself anytime you're playing catch (real catch, not "here's a lob so I don't hurt you" kind of catch). If she "taps", then she's breaking her hands near her chest (which is a good thing), and by the time her front foot lands, her arm shouldn't have much time, if any, to hang around up by her ear waiting for the rest of the body to catch up.

Hope this helps. YMMV - but definitely check out Austin's stuff.
 
Aug 19, 2019
8
1
Not necessarily a drill, but I'm going to guess they were taught to throw using some sort of "T" position. This is one of those "if I only knew then..." things for me.

My suggestion is to just remind (and show) them that the throw is one continuous motion. There's no pause.

Just like hitting, there's a sequence to throwing. As bad of a job most of us have done at some point about not teaching the correct hitting sequence (which part of the body to move when), we've done an even worse job of teaching throwing with ANY sort of sequencing beyond "step with your glove foot and follow through".

When I see it in younger players (6-8), I attribute it to not knowing differently. With older 10U - 12U+ players, the pattern is so ingrained, that the pause is now a kind of delay mechanism. Subconsciously, they KNOW their body needs to be in position "c" to throw. But they keep finding their body back in position "a", with their arm jumping ahead to "b", so it kind of stalls, or pauses, there, waiting for their body to catch up. Maybe the arm even chicken-wings, or looks like it's double-loading, before they throw. Instead of an order of roughly feet, legs, hips, chest, shoulders, elbow, then hand, it's probably more like feet, legs, hand, elbow, hips, elbow, hand.

Per Austin Wasserman (www.highlevelthrowing.com), you move THROUGH a position to throw, you don't move TO a position.

The one drill I can recommend - well, in addition to Austin's "water bottle drill" which is usually the standard go-to - is to help with the rhythm of throwing. Have her step and throw, but make sure she brings her hands together right when her back foot (right, for a RHT) touches. It's just a tap of the ball into the glove - one of those things you probably already do yourself anytime you're playing catch (real catch, not "here's a lob so I don't hurt you" kind of catch). If she "taps", then she's breaking her hands near her chest (which is a good thing), and by the time her front foot lands, her arm shouldn't have much time, if any, to hang around up by her ear waiting for the rest of the body to catch up.

Hope this helps. YMMV - but definitely check out Austin's stuff.
Gags - Really good information. I will try this.
 
Jul 29, 2013
1,199
63
Not necessarily a drill, but I'm going to guess they were taught to throw using some sort of "T" position. This is one of those "if I only knew then..." things for me.

My suggestion is to just remind (and show) them that the throw is one continuous motion. There's no pause.

Just like hitting, there's a sequence to throwing. As bad of a job most of us have done at some point about not teaching the correct hitting sequence (which part of the body to move when), we've done an even worse job of teaching throwing with ANY sort of sequencing beyond "step with your glove foot and follow through".

When I see it in younger players (6-8), I attribute it to not knowing differently. With older 10U - 12U+ players, the pattern is so ingrained, that the pause is now a kind of delay mechanism. Subconsciously, they KNOW their body needs to be in position "c" to throw. But they keep finding their body back in position "a", with their arm jumping ahead to "b", so it kind of stalls, or pauses, there, waiting for their body to catch up. Maybe the arm even chicken-wings, or looks like it's double-loading, before they throw. Instead of an order of roughly feet, legs, hips, chest, shoulders, elbow, then hand, it's probably more like feet, legs, hand, elbow, hips, elbow, hand.

Per Austin Wasserman (www.highlevelthrowing.com), you move THROUGH a position to throw, you don't move TO a position.

The one drill I can recommend - well, in addition to Austin's "water bottle drill" which is usually the standard go-to - is to help with the rhythm of throwing. Have her step and throw, but make sure she brings her hands together right when her back foot (right, for a RHT) touches. It's just a tap of the ball into the glove - one of those things you probably already do yourself anytime you're playing catch (real catch, not "here's a lob so I don't hurt you" kind of catch). If she "taps", then she's breaking her hands near her chest (which is a good thing), and by the time her front foot lands, her arm shouldn't have much time, if any, to hang around up by her ear waiting for the rest of the body to catch up.

Hope this helps. YMMV - but definitely check out Austin's stuff.
Thats perfect advice.
She's getting her arm up before her body is ready, so her arm needs to wait until her body catches up. Keep the ball in the glove until the body starts....
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
I n looking for what I was talking about I ran across this video PLEASE just look at 2:10 to 2:30. I think you will probably both ends of what you are talking about the instructor is doing transfers and a fluid motion quickly while the student catching is kind of rigid and has a little hitch in his throw. You want to work this like the instructor quickly and in one smooth motion throwing the ball. I also highly reccomend Austin's stuff for good throwing technique in general. If you've seen New England Catching Camp stuff I think that might be where I saw more stuff I'll see if I can dig them up.
 
Sep 17, 2009
1,637
83
Not necessarily a drill, but I'm going to guess they were taught to throw using some sort of "T" position. This is one of those "if I only knew then..." things for me.

My suggestion is to just remind (and show) them that the throw is one continuous motion. There's no pause.

Just like hitting, there's a sequence to throwing. As bad of a job most of us have done at some point about not teaching the correct hitting sequence (which part of the body to move when), we've done an even worse job of teaching throwing with ANY sort of sequencing beyond "step with your glove foot and follow through".

When I see it in younger players (6-8), I attribute it to not knowing differently. With older 10U - 12U+ players, the pattern is so ingrained, that the pause is now a kind of delay mechanism. Subconsciously, they KNOW their body needs to be in position "c" to throw. But they keep finding their body back in position "a", with their arm jumping ahead to "b", so it kind of stalls, or pauses, there, waiting for their body to catch up. Maybe the arm even chicken-wings, or looks like it's double-loading, before they throw. Instead of an order of roughly feet, legs, hips, chest, shoulders, elbow, then hand, it's probably more like feet, legs, hand, elbow, hips, elbow, hand.

Per Austin Wasserman (www.highlevelthrowing.com), you move THROUGH a position to throw, you don't move TO a position.

The one drill I can recommend - well, in addition to Austin's "water bottle drill" which is usually the standard go-to - is to help with the rhythm of throwing. Have her step and throw, but make sure she brings her hands together right when her back foot (right, for a RHT) touches. It's just a tap of the ball into the glove - one of those things you probably already do yourself anytime you're playing catch (real catch, not "here's a lob so I don't hurt you" kind of catch). If she "taps", then she's breaking her hands near her chest (which is a good thing), and by the time her front foot lands, her arm shouldn't have much time, if any, to hang around up by her ear waiting for the rest of the body to catch up.

Hope this helps. YMMV - but definitely check out Austin's stuff.
Nothing teaches movements vs. positions better than Austin's water bottle drill, highly recommend it. Get his videos, worth paying for, he has a drill sequence that will teach her to throw properly. Most coaches will teach the L position or knock on the wall behind position, etc. etc. all of which will install TERRIBLE mechanics that she won't be able to break once they are burned in. Do it NOW :)
 

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