We are always finding ways to help athletes create better arm path and sequence in their throws. When an athlete struggles with auditory, verbal cues or even visual cues, there needs to be another way to help them “feel” something different in their throw.
Water Bottle Drill
The first modality we use to help Create Efficient Arm Path is the Water Bottle Drill. Download your FREE PDF and take the first step towards understanding arm path in a throw!
However, If an athlete still has trouble with their arm path, we’ve created this simple drill that automatically creates a better pathway for their arm. This drill is the “Straight Up” Throw. It puts an athlete’s arm through a specific path to really help them feel movement they’ve never felt before without verbally cueing them!
The “Straight Up” Throw
Throwing straight up into the net or air allows 3 things to occur:
1. Trunk angle changes/tilts which prepares the body and arm path for Long Toss
2. Loads the rear hip and allows the femur to “screw” into the hip joint (acetabulum). Check out the article I wrote on Knee in vs Knee out During Throwing.
3. Forces the arm to move faster through external rotation and through ball release because the angle between the humerus and forearm decreases. This creates an efficient arm path by allowing the elbow to drive into and through external rotation and through ball release as fast as possible!
Sets & Reps
We usually perform 10-20 reps of these throws in a single session OR prior to Long Toss. Athletes that have a difficult time decreasing this angle and feel like they’re “dragging” their arm behind, this drill is perfect for them! Watch how the arm path and arm shape changes when throwing straight up vs a normal horizontal throw.
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