What I Know and Remember about Baseball - Why We Throw
49534
Recreation & Sports > Baseball
Oct 12, 2007
tmbrguy
What I Know and Remember about Baseball - Why We Throw
Ever wonder what the purpose of throwing a baseball is? From early on most of us rely on the knowledge that to play baseball all we need do it 1) Hit the ball to score a run 2) Catch the ball to make an out and 3) throw the ball to stop the runner. For T-ball players and younger youth this summary is sufficient. When it is time to make the step up, there must be a different emphasis on what the particulars account for. Anyone can throw a baseball. How well everyone throws is a different matter. All should have the same goal, whom ever you are throwing the ball to should be able to catch it easily. Easy, comfortable catch zone from top to bottom is between the belly button and shoulders, left to right is between the elbows at rest. This is the zone you wish to place the ball. Throw velocity needs to be distance appropriate. It makes no sense to whip a ball in at 70 or 80mph from less than 40 feet. If you choose to throw too hard several things can happen. First, if your throw is off there is less reaction time for the receiver to make the adjustment to your bad throw. Second, the run down distance from a ball not being able to be caught is greater an may allow the base runner to take additional bases. Third, depending on the receivers ability, a hard throw may be too much to handle to them to take possession of and make the tag. Your goal for each and every throw is a frozen rope that begins to taper off 5 to 10 feet past the receiver. The frozen rope is a flat, horizontal throw from your hand to the receiver. Baseballs on a frozen rope will fall only 6 to 8 inches from the time it leaves the hand until it reaches a point past the glove of the receiver regardless of the distance thrown. By throwing 'thru' the receiver, you ensure that there is indeed enough umph on the ball to get there quickly but remain catchable. Throwing a baseball into the each catch zone has multiple advantages as well. Ideally the receiver will already be in the proper location to make the play when the ball arrives. A well thrown ball will not take the receiver away from the optimum play position. They will spend less time finishing the play as the ball is good proximity. Their balance will remain in tact so that they may initiate another play. If you have ever witnessed a truly smooth 5-4-3 double play, the whole event happens so quick a easy it takes on an un-natural appearance. This smoothness or successive throws could not be achieved if the second baseman has to leap off to one side to first make the catch and then tag the bag. Time lost running down the throw all by guarantees the batters success at reaching first base. Baseballs thrown into the zone are an enormous benefit when they are miss gloved. Predominately the ball will bounce off the receiver in front of them and at a short distance. There is still hope to make the play. Now had the thrower launched the ball to impress someone, aside from the possibility of injuring the receiver the ball can wind up anywhere and too far away for the receiver to recover. Keep the simple goals in mind on every throw. 1) in the zone 2) catchable 3)proper speed and most importantly 4) You really want the person you are throwing to to catch it so do all you can to ensure their success.
Mr. Dowdy is the father of 3 and after re-entering competitive baseball with his oldest that lead to frustration of finding suitable glove, he became an Official Distributor for Kelley Athletic You can also visit His Site for more news/tips/articles on the subjects of baseball, construction, building codes and more that most will find a quick way to fall asleep. Thanks for reading my article!
send email to tmbrguy
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
From Early on in our careers as amatuer athletes, T-ball, the purpose of throwing a baseball is merely to get it from my glove to your glove. But is there more to consider?
Category:
Everyone has seen first baseman stretch for the ball to make a tag on the bag. What you probably did not notice how he was prepared to make the stretch
Category:
Pre Season, post season, mid season, is there ever really a time that is not in season
Category:
Baseball vision is quite likely the most overlooked aspect of developing skills. Much is written about Eye - Hand coordination and the need for repetitive drills to develop those skills for peak performance in Baseball, Fastpitch and Softball. But little
Category:
The precise point where you can smack the ball as hard as you like, the swing, the sound through your ears, the rush to run.
Category:
Baseball is a Mans game. Particularly when you look at the bio mechanics of throwing.
Category:
If you are convinced you can hit the ball, whats to stop you? 7 things to help you along the road of hitting a small round ball with a round bat.
Category:
High expectations for players and teams can trip an otherwise sane person into spells of anarchy against the Coach. Not only is this counter productive to the team effort, but really, at the end of the day its still a game. Don't let youself get caught up
Category:
What does it take to make an article powerful enough to succeed? Avoid the frustration of having articles rejected in succession. Learn the first element to successfully create web articles.
Category:
Other links at Recreation & Sports > Baseball
Above all other sports, New York is a first and foremost a baseball town. Here's why.
Category:
A good ball glove can have a big effect on youth?s enjoyment of playing baseball and even about whether baseball is a worthwhile sport for them to participate in. Kids could be playing many other sports, and in fact, participation in basketball and
Category:
Smack, the ball is driven low, on the ground right at the third basemen. He is ready, knees bent, bottom down and both hands out. Alignment is perfect as the ball skips along the grass. Just one more little hop and the ball is in the glove, but wait, it b
Category:
The AL Central race is beginning to take shape as we move into the second month of the baseball season, and it appears that teams are lining up to engage in a season-long chase of the defending World Series Champions Chicago White Sox. Each team?s
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68252
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
