Always remember that anytime you get ready to throw, you must first have gone through a thorough stretching program. We are going to work with some of our younger players here in terms of the throwing, but even younger players need to go through stretching. You are going to reach the point where your muscles have developed to the degree that if you do not get stretched properly and go through a thorough stretching program, you are going to end hurting yourself.
You are born knowing how to throw with one arm, at least most people. Unless you can trade that in for a better one, you better take care of the one that you have. Now, the good thing about working with young players in terms of proper throwing techniques is, they do not have necessarily learned any good habits or any bad habits. In many cases, they do not really have a habit. If you can get one young enough where you can teach him the proper technique, you can sure help there arm. If you wait till they are 15 or 16 years old.
It is too late, really and your one in a hundred is going to be able to make a change to noticeably improve what they are doing to be able to play at a higher level. It has to be done eight, nine, and 10 years old and it has to be worked through. So we are going to work with our younger infielders and make sure that they know how to do it right. We always want to make sure we take a four-seam grip, when we grip the ball. Tom, if you would hold that a little bit. Four-seam is across the seam, hands together in front of the chest.
An infielder takes what we call a short arm circle. A short arm circle involves, never dropping his hand below his waist. We do not want to drop it down in here that is an outfielder or pitcher and we do not want to come here with the elbows if that is a catcher. We wanted to go short arm circle and give him a chance to gain just a little bit arm velocity and yet still make a nice rapid throw wherever he needs to go with it, okay. That is throwing a ball.
Receiving the ball, we want to make sure, when we receive the ball that will show our partner, our box or our window here. Feet are spread, knees bent just a little bit and we always want to anticipate a poor throw. If the ball moves Tommy to his right, he just slides his feet and stays in front of the ball. If the ball moves into his left, slides his feet, stays in front of the ball. Above the waist, we are going to use the thumbs coming together to catch it. Trap it in below the waist. Pinkies come together and we trap it in this way always using two hands.
Take a little pride in a way that you throw. You can actually get something out of this and I do not care how old the kids are. If they are eight years old, make them do it right because the more you emphasize the right way to do things, the faster it is going to become a habit for any player that you have. Okay fellows, let us go ahead and get loose. Always anticipate the bad throw. Hands up, catching with two hands, notice how they step right to left, left to right. Very nice, that is it. Two hands all the time and they are getting themselves loose.
They are not just getting loose here. They are learning how to catch the ball in game situation. Notice how they do it right every time. Very little sense in throwing and not working your technique, you can do both at the same time. The way that you throw and the way that you begin prior to the practice and prior to your game is a tempo that you are going to set for the rest of the day if you are coach or a parent, demand. Do not ask, demand that they do it right. If that means, you have to go down the line with them to get it done, fine and go down the line with them.
But make sure they are throwing and catching the way it needs to be done because I will tell you something, games generally are not one by over powering people in there lost, and they are loss because you cannot pick up a ball, you cannot throw the ball, you cannot throw a strike. This is where you learn how to win ball games right here.
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