Whether it's a baseball or football --- even a basketball -- throwing comes into play and the motion and release is similar no matter what the sport. There is more to throwing than simply picking up a ball and letting it fly. Form and technique promote accurate and risk-free throwing.
Get Loose
Before any throwing activity, loosen up the arm. Stretching is the best way to get started and it helps get the blood flowing throughout the arm and body. Light throwing is the next step. Be it a baseball, football or basketball, playing catch from a starting distance of 30 to 40 feet helps gradually warm up the arm for more rigorous throwing.
Get Grip
Baseballs have two seams that aid in throwing, and footballs have laces for the same purpose. The basic baseball grip involves placing your index and middle finger on the top seam, and the other two fingers and thumb on the bottom seam. Using the seams provide better distance and accuracy making a baseball throw. In football, the laces also help on distance and accuracy while giving the ball a nice spiral action.
Draw Circle
A circular arm motion is used in all sports throwing. The arm is initially brought back behind the body and "loads" for the release. With the arm then propelled forward, the ball is released at or just past the head. The arm continues forward to compete the throw and circle. Finding the proper release point, be it just behind the head in football and just past the head in baseball, determines accuracy and velocity.
Leg Power
Throwing a ball is difficult without using the proper leg technique. Before the arm releases the ball, your weight must be transferred from the back leg to the front leg to provide power. If the weight is not properly shifted, the throw is not going to have the desired speed and is likely to be off target. In addition, neglecting the lower half of the body when throwing a ball can leave you off balance and cause an arm injury.
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