As you watch youth players in games, practices or camps you
’ll start to recognize that more and more of them throw the ball
incorrectly. A lot of them tend to push the ball, sling it or not
get their arm up to the angle that it belongs. Most of them have
fallen into a comfort zone and the most important thing on their
minds is “just be accurate.”
As you watch youth players in games, practices or camps you’ll start to recognize that more and more of them throw the ball incorrectly. A lot of them tend to push the ball, sling it or not get their arm up to the angle that it belongs. Most of them have fallen into a comfort zone and the most important thing on their minds is “just be accurate.”
What they’re setting themselves up for is pain and discomfort, inaccuracy and a varied release point. What they need to do is get their arm to the correct angle and arm path, which is having their elbow above the shoulder. Once this is achieved they’ll have more velocity, develop a stronger arm and be able to throw the ball a greater distance.
In recent studies by the American Sports Medical Institute, injuries in the elbow to youth players and pitchers can be categorized into three types. All three types of the injury are related to the large rotational force, called torque. And elbow torque is greatest when the arm is in its maximum cocked position. But a lot of youth players don’t get the arm in the correct position, thus creating more torque and more strain on the elbow. This, in turn, leads to pain in the elbow, which can lead to tendonitis or something more serious.
For years coaches and parents have been telling players to get their arms up. And they’re correct. But how does a player do that? Well, he has to visualize something that will remind him about the correct arm path and angle.
The best thing to tell him is to visualize a doorway in a house. Once he has that picture in his mind tell him to throw the ball from the upper right of the doorway, or the upper left if he’s left-handed.
By doing this, a player’s elbow will automatically be above the shoulder, which will cut down on the added strain to his arm. It will also widen the arc of his arm path and allow him to reach out further.
So once a player has reached back he must think, “get the ball to the doorway.” If he reaches back well and then slips his arm back down, you have to reinforce the doorway method and tell him to turn his body and then throw, not throw and then turn. He must go from reaching back to right to the doorway.
It’s not easy for a youth player to come out of that comfort zone and throw the ball correctly. It takes time and patience. But once a young player gains confidence and realizes he won’t throw the ball away by changing his arm angle he’ll begin to cut loose. Then he’s on his way.
