Throwing Drills Parents can use to Practice at Home with their Kids

You're looking for throwing drills parents can use to practice the proper fundamentals with your child. You've found the right place!

This section of the site is designated for you, the parent, to work with your child's skills at home. With these throwing drills parents can expect your child to:

* Practice proper mechanics (reduce arm injury risk)

* Improve accuracy and velocity

* Build the muscle memory associated with this technique

All at home with your guidance and direction. After all, most youth baseball programs have limited practice time for your children. Therefore, they will only improve to the level of proper and frequent instruction and reinforcement they receive. You, as a parent, play a larger role than you think in there development.

Whether your child is practicing with you (or a friend) or alone, in the yard, at the park, or even in the house (I'll show you some safe and effective drills appropriate for inside), I have throwing drills parents can use outlined for you right here!

First, If your practicing with your child, or they have a partner, please refer to the following link:

Link from throwing drills parents to coaching baseball throwing

This is one of the best throwing drills parents can use to learn and develop proper fundamentals. If your child will be practicing alone in the yard or in the house, please read on to see some great drills that will reinforce the mechanics of this technique as well.

Great Drills Your Child Can Practice Proper Throwing Mechanics at Home Alone

This Section is designed to provide you with "Practice Alone" throwing drills parents can use to teach your child. Whether it's in the yard, in the house, during school break or after school, these drills will make the most of your childs free time. It's great to know there spending their time in a productive way, getting exercise and learning how to throw the baseball in the correct manner. Once you know they got the hang of it, it requires minimal follow-up time on your part to ensure the practice continues. Just 10 minutes 3 or 4 times a week will show great results over the course of a season.

Here's the most effective drill for your child to learn and enhance this skill practicing alone. It only requires:

* a bucket of a dozen or 2 baseballs

* a baseball catching net or other device to act as a target and a means to catching the ball.

Although the best practice methods invlove a real baseball and catching net, a player can use another ball and target object with similar benefits. (for example, plastic baseballs with elevated seams, tennis balls, etc. can substitute for a baseball if your target need to be indoors like a garage wall or block wall in the basement.)

These throwing drills parents can use to teach their kids are designed to be done alone. They will accomplish the same thing as if you had a partner to work with. Remember to stretch prior to beginning this (or any) drill:

This throwing drill parents can teach their child should be completed in this order each time with 10 to 20 reps for each step.

Step #1: 4-seam grip

- Ensure you understand how to hold the 4-seam grip (see Diagrams #1 and #2)

- While wearing your glove, practice taking the ball out with the 4 seam grip. As you get comfortable doing this, toss the ball into the air. Catch it and practice gripping the 4-seam as you pull the ball out of the glove.

Diagram #1

Diagram #2

Step 2: The player should stand, kneel or sit about 10 ft from the net catching device (or other catching device). The decision to stand, kneel or sit should be determined on the height of the target of the catching net. Ultimately, the target should align with the players chest. Here's and example of how this might look:

Player <-- 10ft --> Catching net

Next, the player practices the flick into the target area of the net 10-20 times. (This is the last 10% of the throwing motion you're using in this coaching baseball throwing technique) Practice this by doing the following:

- Using the 4-seam grip, position your throwing arm elbow above your shoulder in front of your body and rest it on your glove hand (see diagram #3). Simply move your forearm forward, flicking your wrist thus releasing the ball with backspin to your target. Your target in this exercise is a catching net or other ball catching object. Therefore your goal is to hit the middle of the target.

Diagram #3

Step #3: Upper body motion

* Place your throwing arm side knee on the ground. Bend you glove side leg to a 90 degree angle. Your shoulders and upper body should face your target square.

Next in this throwing drill parents can use with their child, bring your glove (with ball in it) and throwing hand (in glove gripping 4-seam) back to your throwing side as your glove side shoulder begins to align to your target.

As you approach your ball holding side shoulder, your hand (with ball in it gripping 4-seam) and glove should begin to separate. This motion should continue as you reach away from the target with your ball holding hand (don’t forget 4-seam grip with fingers on top and thumb on bottom) and glove moving toward your target.

As your hand moves forward, your glove-side shoulder will begin to move away from the target as your shoulders square with the target. Follow through with your ball holding arm by extending your ball holding arm across your body and toward the ground.

Step 4: Upper Body Mechanics continued

Standing, face your target (catching net or other device) with your shoulders square to the target. Turn only your upper body (torso) leaving your feet in place. Follow the same procedure as step #3 for upper body movement.

Step 5: Bringing it all together (again about 10 - 20 throws to target)

- Face your partner with your shoulders square to the target. Turn your upper and lower body at the same time. In simple terms, this can be thought of as playing catch (assuming you have a partner). However, it’s the best way to practice the proper motion. Eventually, these movements will occur naturally, as your muscle memory will take over after many repetitions and practice sessions. The diagrams below exhibit this motion.

While learning and practicing these throwing drills parents can use with their kids will improve your child's performance, additional improvement will come from watching the pro's. Whether it be on TV or in person, watching the pro's can enhance your growth and even add a little quality time with your son. Looking to catch a game in person, sports tickets is a great place to visit and get tickets to your favorite sports events.

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