@ThatUsernameIsTaken4 The video is the basic fundamentals of throwing a baseball. It is tough to know exactly what your problem may be without seeing your throwing mechanics. Where are you from?
Good video Matt. Just want to add a quick tip to improve upper and lower body sync and reduce stress on the arm. Go to about the 7:16 mark of the video. Notice how the throwing arm remains palm down as the front foot strides out. Just before the front foot lands, the front thigh rolls over meaning the upper leg bone (femur) goes into external rotation. The front thigh rollover is the trigger for the throwing arm to go into external rotation. The front thigh and throwing arm are linked together. Players that externally rotate their arm into the "L" position prior to the roll over of the front thigh are out of sync and put undue stress on their throwing arm. In my opinion one of the worst drills kids can do are one knee throwing drills. That drill totally eliminates the lower body sync mechanism that kids need to learn in order to throw correctly. Next time any of you are at practice watch for the front thigh rollover in your players as they warm up. All should do it naturally. Then watch their arm motion to make sure they are in sync.
Thanks! Glad you like them! It depends. If you are an older player that has played for a while then you've thrown so many times you don't have to think about flicking your wrist. If you are a young player or haven't played very much you may want to think about getting your fingers through the ball. That may help you utilize your wrist and get that good four seam spin.
great video. I watched this for the first time several weeks ago. I started working with my 11 yr old son a week or so ago on some things you hit on in the video and also one of the commenters left a good tip about thigh external rotation and the arms external rotation being syned. These things implemented with my son have made a world of difference . When I say world of difference I mean the difference in throwing from right field to shortstop(cutoff) to get the ball home and now just throwing the ball straight to home plate. Thanks. We really appreciate it.
@warsaw26baseball I had some of the same issues when I made that switch from 2b to SS. I think when I made the move I tried to do things quicker than I had at 2nd. I also tried to throw the ball a lot harder than I had at 2b. I started throwing better when I started to mentally treat SS the way I had at 2b. I stopped trying to do to much, stopped rushing, stopped trying to fire every throw across the infield. I think doing this will help you too.
Hey Matt, Thanks for the great videos! I've referred my team to you many times. You really cover this stuff well: informative without getting overly technical and long. I'm a big O's fan; I was rooting for you to be on the 25 out of Spring Training. Best of luck to you, and in the meanwhile, please keep sharing your knowledge of your craft with us. We all appreciate it!
This video shows the arm getting into maximal external rotation,i feel this is probably the most important aspect of the velocity of the throw. You do not comment on this but I think it needs to be looked at. If you slow down video i can guarantee those that throw hard achieve this and those that don't throw hard never get the arm to lie back like he does in the video. I would like to see you discuss evaluate how to achieve this.
Thanks! Tough to say. I've seen guys use different types of crow hops and be successful with it. I use more of a traditional crow hop, but I guess its up to the player and what works best for them.
@TouchEmAllBaseball It sort of did, I appreciate it. I also had been working on getting my momentum more towards first when I throw, less glove patting to save time.. avoiding rushing.. little things, that seemed to help. I made the transition mid-way through this year's high school season, and by the end of my summer season, I felt almost completely comfortable with the throw.
Nice! Accuracy problems could be a number of different things. It is tough to say without seeing you throw. If you want check out our online video analysis lessons.
@ajs1850 Well it really depends...There are potentially a lot of different reasons a pitcher might throw with a low elbow so it is tough to tell without seeing video footage of your mechanics.
It is tough to gain a noticeable amount of velocity once you get to around your age, especially if you are already using pretty good throwing mechanics. I've probably thrown about the same velocity in the infield since I was 17 or 18.
You front foot should land so that your toe is just slightly closed or is pointing at your target. You don't want it completely closed because you won't be able to rotate very well, and you also don't want it to open too much past your target.
@hawkswin96 I had the same types of issues after playing qb during the fall in high school...you just need to start throwing the ball frequently again. Think about keep your fingers behind the ball and throw the ball across the seams.
You just have to play catch a lot. Most of the guys that I know with great arms that can throw the ball really far with a lot of velocity all say they played a ton of catch as a kid. The more you throw the better your mechanics will start to work. It's really like anything. The more you do it the better you will get.
2 things can cause this problem. 1, A grip and release of a 2 seam fastball or anything other than a 4 seam will cause a movement on the ball. If in the infield you should only really worry about it if you are at SS or 3B, but even then the movement can be compensated for. 2 A sidearm type throw will usually cause a lot of movement on the ball, this is why when you're in the outfield an experienced coach will tell you to use a completely pure over hand throw. I fit as much as I could my friend.
When you throw your arm will naturally lay back but I wouldn't recommend that you want to think to lead with your elbow. If you get the rest of your body working in the proper way your arm action should somewhat take care of itself.
How old are you? Honestly the best way to increase arm strength is to throw. Most of the guys I play with that have the best arms are from Latin America and whenever I ask how they got such great arms they all answer that they have just thrown a ton since they were young. You also need to make sure you are throwing with solid throwing mechanics.
I'm guessing your fingers are getting around the ball instead of staying behind the ball. When you practice think about your fingers staying directly behind the ball so you get that good four seam spin.
I am posting this comment here instead of in the pitching videos for a few reasons. Anyway, I often see young players of all positions not using their front side enough, having very little stride, or throwing at 12 o'clock in a manner which creates a high risk for arm injury, among other flaws that may be present. As an example, yesterday I saw a 13-14 yr old pitcher on an opposing team bring his front elbow to his side before even lifting his front arm AT ALL after the handbreak. He also had very little stride and had a 12 o'clock release point (virtually on top of his head) without making the proper, let's say Lincecum type, adjustment, to make room for a loose shoulder to come around. I predicted he would experience arm fatigue soon or even possibly injure his arm in that game or sometime soon within the next few games. In the next inning he walked several batters and was replaced. Our team "ten runned" them and the game was called before the seventh inning at a score of 12-2. I don't know if that pitcher injured his arm yesterday, but I can't see how he will be able to avoid an injury if he continues to throw with those mechanics.
Hello, I'm a freshman at a d1 university and I got recruited as a middle infielder. I have recently been moved to the outfield and I have been having quite trouble adjusting to the throwing mechanics of an outfielder. I've played infield my whole life and I am used to such a short compact throwing form. I can throw the ball 91-93, but I have been having trouble hitting my cut offs. Anything I could do lengthen and make my arm motion more flexible?
So I play left field on JV as a starting freshman. I'm smaller but fast and my throwing leaves something to be desired. I would like to improve it but every time I try, I end up throwing in steps and my throws are even shorter than usual. How do you recommend I have my "flow" better?
Similar to the last comment, I moved over to the left side of the infield, switching from 2B to short now, and a lot is similar between the positions other than the throw.. which I find myself struggling with. I have plenty of arm strength to make the throw, I just feel lost with the mechanics from the transfer to the actual process of throwing the ball, which has resulted in quite a few throwing errors. Any advice?
Arm strength is not necessarily limited. You can build arm strength with long toss, band work, weighted balls, etc. It’s limited with mechanics however.
I play baseball and I'm having trouble being able to reach my partner in Long toss, and I'd rather learn how to increase my distance/power than just stay in one spot, any ideas?
ive always had a strong arm, but i feel like since about 2 years ago my arm strength hasn't gone anywhere, i want to be confident in my arm knowing i can make any throw on the infield. I just dont see the progression i want, even though ive been working out and throwing a lot, what can i do to just purely increase arm strength
Pretty good break-down... seems to be a little too much chit chat, throwing extras on top of important details... just my 2C for the instructional side of the breakdown...good video though
@TouchEmAllBaseball It sounds like you have a peice of candy, throat lozenge, or retainer in your mouth. No worries, though... you give a thorough explanation.
![Comparing Arm Actions By Position [Baseball Throwing Tips]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MGfH0sNCsFM/mqdefault.jpg)
Glad you mentioned that there are differences in outfielders throwing mechanics to other fielders.
@ThatUsernameIsTaken4 The video is the basic fundamentals of throwing a baseball. It is tough to know exactly what your problem may be without seeing your throwing mechanics. Where are you from?
No problem, thanks for watching them! I appreciate that! And I'll definitely keep making them.
Good video Matt. Just want to add a quick tip to improve upper and lower body sync and reduce stress on the arm. Go to about the 7:16 mark of the video. Notice how the throwing arm remains palm down as the front foot strides out. Just before the front foot lands, the front thigh rolls over meaning the upper leg bone (femur) goes into external rotation. The front thigh rollover is the trigger for the throwing arm to go into external rotation. The front thigh and throwing arm are linked together. Players that externally rotate their arm into the "L" position prior to the roll over of the front thigh are out of sync and put undue stress on their throwing arm.
In my opinion one of the worst drills kids can do are one knee throwing drills. That drill totally eliminates the lower body sync mechanism that kids need to learn in order to throw correctly. Next time any of you are at practice watch for the front thigh rollover in your players as they warm up. All should do it naturally. Then watch their arm motion to make sure they are in sync.
Thanks! Glad you like them! It depends. If you are an older player that has played for a while then you've thrown so many times you don't have to think about flicking your wrist. If you are a young player or haven't played very much you may want to think about getting your fingers through the ball. That may help you utilize your wrist and get that good four seam spin.
great video. I watched this for the first time several weeks ago. I started working with my 11 yr old son a week or so ago on some things you hit on in the video and also one of the commenters left a good tip about thigh external rotation and the arms external rotation being syned. These things implemented with my son have made a world of difference . When I say world of difference I mean the difference in throwing from right field to shortstop(cutoff) to get the ball home and now just throwing the ball straight to home plate. Thanks. We really appreciate it.
That's great! Thanks for watching and good luck!!
@warsaw26baseball I had some of the same issues when I made that switch from 2b to SS. I think when I made the move I tried to do things quicker than I had at 2nd. I also tried to throw the ball a lot harder than I had at 2b. I started throwing better when I started to mentally treat SS the way I had at 2b. I stopped trying to do to much, stopped rushing, stopped trying to fire every throw across the infield. I think doing this will help you too.
Excellent video Matt! I know you loaded this up a long time ago but it's worth seeing because so many players don't know or have proper mechanics.
@xSoFtBaLLxChIcKx10 Yeah I will try to do a video on it for you. Thanks for watching!
Hey Matt, Thanks for the great videos! I've referred my team to you many times. You really cover this stuff well: informative without getting overly technical and long. I'm a big O's fan; I was rooting for you to be on the 25 out of Spring Training. Best of luck to you, and in the meanwhile, please keep sharing your knowledge of your craft with us. We all appreciate it!
Nice Vid Matt, especially the way you simplify the process. Thank You.
This video shows the arm getting into maximal external rotation,i feel this is probably the most important aspect of the velocity of the throw. You do not comment on this but I think it needs to be looked at. If you slow down video i can guarantee those that throw hard achieve this and those that don't throw hard never get the arm to lie back like he does in the video. I would like to see you discuss evaluate how to achieve this.
Very nice video.. Thanks for the simple yet thorough break-down.
Thanks! Tough to say. I've seen guys use different types of crow hops and be successful with it. I use more of a traditional crow hop, but I guess its up to the player and what works best for them.
@TouchEmAllBaseball It sort of did, I appreciate it. I also had been working on getting my momentum more towards first when I throw, less glove patting to save time.. avoiding rushing.. little things, that seemed to help. I made the transition mid-way through this year's high school season, and by the end of my summer season, I felt almost completely comfortable with the throw.
Oh, thanks for doing this video channel. It has been very helpful. I have been recommending your channel to young players.
Thanks! Thanks for watching!
thanks! ill try this tomorrow
Nice! Accuracy problems could be a number of different things. It is tough to say without seeing you throw. If you want check out our online video analysis lessons.
@ajs1850 Well it really depends...There are potentially a lot of different reasons a pitcher might throw with a low elbow so it is tough to tell without seeing video footage of your mechanics.
It is tough to gain a noticeable amount of velocity once you get to around your age, especially if you are already using pretty good throwing mechanics. I've probably thrown about the same velocity in the infield since I was 17 or 18.
Thanks! No problem!
For sure
great vid thanks. ill put ur advice into practice, and see if i improve this season.
You front foot should land so that your toe is just slightly closed or is pointing at your target. You don't want it completely closed because you won't be able to rotate very well, and you also don't want it to open too much past your target.
No problem, good luck!
@hawkswin96 I had the same types of issues after playing qb during the fall in high school...you just need to start throwing the ball frequently again. Think about keep your fingers behind the ball and throw the ball across the seams.
Thanks!
You just have to play catch a lot. Most of the guys that I know with great arms that can throw the ball really far with a lot of velocity all say they played a ton of catch as a kid. The more you throw the better your mechanics will start to work. It's really like anything. The more you do it the better you will get.
What do you mean when you say you have trouble staying behind the ball?
2 things can cause this problem. 1, A grip and release of a 2 seam fastball or anything other than a 4 seam will cause a movement on the ball. If in the infield you should only really worry about it if you are at SS or 3B, but even then the movement can be compensated for. 2 A sidearm type throw will usually cause a lot of movement on the ball, this is why when you're in the outfield an experienced coach will tell you to use a completely pure over hand throw. I fit as much as I could my friend.
Do You have any videos showing a infielders throwing technique bow and arrow approach.
When you throw your arm will naturally lay back but I wouldn't recommend that you want to think to lead with your elbow. If you get the rest of your body working in the proper way your arm action should somewhat take care of itself.
Can you do a video like this on Carlos Gonzalez throwing mechanics
How old are you? Honestly the best way to increase arm strength is to throw. Most of the guys I play with that have the best arms are from Latin America and whenever I ask how they got such great arms they all answer that they have just thrown a ton since they were young. You also need to make sure you are throwing with solid throwing mechanics.
I will try to do that for you
do i have to intentionally flick/whip my wrists or should it happen naturally? thanks and great videos
i caught last year and i had trouble throwing down to second. is their any drills you know that could help me out? thanks! i appreciate it!
I'm guessing your fingers are getting around the ball instead of staying behind the ball. When you practice think about your fingers staying directly behind the ball so you get that good four seam spin.
I am posting this comment here instead of in the pitching videos for a few reasons. Anyway, I often see young players of all positions not using their front side enough, having very little stride, or throwing at 12 o'clock in a manner which creates a high risk for arm injury, among other flaws that may be present. As an example, yesterday I saw a 13-14 yr old pitcher on an opposing team bring his front elbow to his side before even lifting his front arm AT ALL after the handbreak. He also had very little stride and had a 12 o'clock release point (virtually on top of his head) without making the proper, let's say Lincecum type, adjustment, to make room for a loose shoulder to come around. I predicted he would experience arm fatigue soon or even possibly injure his arm in that game or sometime soon within the next few games. In the next inning he walked several batters and was replaced. Our team "ten runned" them and the game was called before the seventh inning at a score of 12-2. I don't know if that pitcher injured his arm yesterday, but I can't see how he will be able to avoid an injury if he continues to throw with those mechanics.
im almost 18 and i just wanted to go into college ball knowing i have a good enough arm. But i guess i should just start throwing a lot more
Hello, I'm a freshman at a d1 university and I got recruited as a middle infielder. I have recently been moved to the outfield and I have been having quite trouble adjusting to the throwing mechanics of an outfielder. I've played infield my whole life and I am used to such a short compact throwing form. I can throw the ball 91-93, but I have been having trouble hitting my cut offs. Anything I could do lengthen and make my arm motion more flexible?
+underarmourob I have a drill but very tough to explain. If you throw 91-93 who cares what your arm action looks like! lol
So I play left field on JV as a starting freshman. I'm smaller but fast and my throwing leaves something to be desired. I would like to improve it but every time I try, I end up throwing in steps and my throws are even shorter than usual. How do you recommend I have my "flow" better?
Similar to the last comment, I moved over to the left side of the infield, switching from 2B to short now, and a lot is similar between the positions other than the throw.. which I find myself struggling with. I have plenty of arm strength to make the throw, I just feel lost with the mechanics from the transfer to the actual process of throwing the ball, which has resulted in quite a few throwing errors. Any advice?
Is it bad to think to lead with the throwing elbow first?
Arm strength is not necessarily limited. You can build arm strength with long toss, band work, weighted balls, etc. It’s limited with mechanics however.
For sure! Thanks for watching and commenting!
I play baseball and I'm having trouble being able to reach my partner in Long toss, and I'd rather learn how to increase my distance/power than just stay in one spot, any ideas?
@TouchEmAllBaseball thanks you! :)
Maybe lol. Depends on the pitcher I guess
hey very good video. what programm are you using for the frame by frame playback?
+hans hannes Thanks! I was just using quicktime I believe
+hans hannes fuck off
The Ultimate Game Changer DVD Intro
ive always had a strong arm, but i feel like since about 2 years ago my arm strength hasn't gone anywhere, i want to be confident in my arm knowing i can make any throw on the infield. I just dont see the progression i want, even though ive been working out and throwing a lot, what can i do to just purely increase arm strength
Is it true that if u are smiling at the pitcher when ur batting it will make the pitcher beam the ball at u
what player is shown in this video? need it for a project
+chris garbutt Jose Guillen
I play the infield and I don't throw a straight ball it has slider movement and spin on it. What could be causing this?
I'm still having trouble staying behind the baseball when I'm throwing
Pretty good break-down... seems to be a little too much chit chat, throwing extras on top of important details... just my 2C for the instructional side of the breakdown...good video though
You may want to lol
@TouchEmAllBaseball It sounds like you have a peice of candy, throat lozenge, or retainer in your mouth. No worries, though... you give a thorough explanation.
Is the commentator eating peanut butter?
Swedish Fish
lol I guess I'll have to stop then
come on take the tootsie roll out your mouth.
Boring