Not a big fan of this exercise in general, but if you must incorporate it into your training session, camp or clinic, you might as well do it using high level throwing patterns and not the L Drill.
It’s a simple switch from starting with the ball on the wall to starting with your forearm on the wall. From this simple positional change will create a high level arm pattern, allowing your scap and lat musculature to become activated rather than just your deltoid muscle!
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“L” Drill Wall Throws- Incorrect
Why would you ever perform this drill? What are the benefits to this? If the elbow needs to stay below the shoulder when bringing the arm back AND then elevate as the pelvis turns forward towards the target during the stride, then why start the elbow above? You have two structures (hips and torso) moving forward at the same time. There’s no resistance being created! UGH!
Elbow Flexed Wall Throws – Correct
The distal humerus (elbow) will stay below the shoulder when the arm is drawn back to throw. This video simulates that. Then, as the stride occurs and the pelvis turns towards the target, the trunk/torso turns back or against that opening movement. When the torso creates enough resistance against the hips, the torso will rotate towards the target and the distal humerus (elbow) will then elevate above the shoulder. The elbow will lead the throw and the arm will lay back into max ER. The forearm will then accelerate through to ball release, pronating to protect the elbow joint.
Elbow Extended Wall Throws – Correct
Why Are You Focusing On The L-Drill?
If you focus on the L Drill, you create pure extension at the elbow and pure flexion at the wrist joint, allowing the elbow to extend out in front of the body, which DOES NOT Create Resistance in a Throw! This leads to an improper elbow position at ball release, which we’ll talk about in a second. The first video above is incorrect for that reason.
If you think you’re teaching wrist flexion using the “wrist snap” drill in order to create backspin, you’re not. The athlete will naturally pronate their forearm though ball release, which protects the elbow from pure elbow extension/compression, creating backspin.
Now, if you add in the full arm motion of a throw using the “L” Drill, again you have athletes drifting their elbow out in front of the body, creating tremendous amounts of compression forces at the elbow joint. The arm pattern is incorrect AND now the sequence is completely out of order. You have two structures (hips and torso) that are now moving forward at the same time. There is no resistance being created between these two structures, but instead just a side to side movement in the Frontal Plane.
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