How to Throw a Baseball, Part 3: Final baseball throwing tips

These final baseball throwing tips will help you throw harder and more accurately.  Proper throwing mechanics include knowing how to use your steps, upper body alignment, and a feel for the baseball to get the most power and accuracy in your throw.

These baseball throwing tips are continued from Throwing a Baseball Part 2: Mechanics of Throwing

How to throw a baseball, Part 3

Foot Position

NY Yankee Doug Bernier. 2011 Spring Training. Image by Ed Wolfstein

Having your feet in the most useful position so you can work with your body to make the best possible throw.

• Use your feet to line up your body toward the target you are trying to hit.
• Your feet can create momentum by using shuffle steps toward your target. This momentum will help to get more on your throw and it will let your body work a little easier and in turn you will be more accurate.
• Your feet will go from in line with your target to your front foot pointing at your target right before you are ready to throw. Being in this position with your hand still back in its firing position is like pulling a rubber band back. The more you pull it back the more intensity you will have.

Upper body

Aligning your upper body properly will greatly help your accuracy.

• Keep your shoulders in line with where you want the ball to go (not squared up, but one in front of the other). Use them like a sight of a gun.
• Keep your head upright. If you have a tendency to tilt your head toward your throwing arm, you will have a tendency to drop your elbow and you will throw more sidearm. This can be used at certain times but when you are making a normal throw across the infield, keep your head up and see the target with both eyes.

Developing a Feel

This may be one of the most important baseball throwing tips. The last little feel of your hand coming off the baseball has a lot to do with accuracy. Having a target and trying to hit it every time will greatly make your accuracy better. Throw with a purpose.

• Try to hit your target in the chest or face every throw you make.
• Practice by hitting a target on a wall or in a cage.
• When playing catch, make throws from different arm angles while trying to hit your target in the face or chest.  Many times if this is your focus, all the mechanics will fall into place.

More Baseball Throwing Tips:

• Throwing a Baseball Part 1: The Four Seam Grip
• How to Throw a Baseball Part 2: Mechanics of Throwing
• Pro tips for Fielding
• How to be a better hitter – Seeing the Baseball