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What is the alternative?Originally Posted by Spark
3/4 or higher is my preferred arm slot from the OF because the more you drop down the more tail you're going to get.
I would like to hear what everybody thinks about using a 3/4 armslot from an outfield position. I have always been told that 3/4 is ok to use in the infield for pitching, but never in the outfield because your throws will be slower and innacurate. Are there any outfield arms in the MLB that throw with a 3/4s armslot? It seems like all the arms like Guerro and icho throw overhand, unless I am mistake as I haven't looked at there throws that much in depth before.
What about throwing 3/4 from catcher down the second base? Is there really any big drawbacks to throwing 3/4 or is that just a myth? It seems like to me the only difference would be if you are used to throwing overhand your release point would be off and you would be more inaccurate and coaches just attribute this to the fact they are throwing 3/4 when it is just because it is a new motion for them. I mean, flame throwers like Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson threw 3/4s so why would it be different from catcher or outfield? I am probably wrong on a lot of things so I would like to hear from some more experienced people on there opinions on this matter.
Mechanics Analyst
What is the alternative?
3/4 or higher is my preferred arm slot from the OF because the more you drop down the more tail you're going to get.
hmmm... this is bad?
The alternative to 3/4 is pretty much straight overhand. Straight overhand being a more 12 to 6 kind of motion and 3/4 being more of a 1 to 6 or 2 to 7 motion
Mechanics Analyst
The problem with overhand is that you're going to increase the chance of developing a head jerk and thus control problems. I don't see why 3/4 or High 3/4 aren't fine.
So you think a tailing throw from the outfield is good?hmmm... this is bad?
Only if it tails into the fielder's glove. (you missed the previous joke)
Mechanics Analyst
I got it, but chose to ignore it.
I had a + rated arm and threw 3/4 from the OF. I play OF in college and was terrible. However, I could throw it. Some things I constantly told myself were:
Finish running at my target.
Get my butt up in the air.
Grab grass.
Crow hop but don't jump.
Arm has to be picking up speed.
I might mention that I was very quick to get across the seams or what would be a 4 seam FB. Throwing 2 seams for me was a recipe for disaster.
Good Luck.
Granny said Sonny stick to your guns if you believe in something no matter what. Because it's better to be hated for who you are than to be loved for who you're not. I rule his pathetic life!
Sorry.Rereading it, even though I missed the previous joke, I should have picked up on the sarcasm. Carry on.
The problem with throwing 3/4 arm is that you increase the difficulty of the throw. Throwing overhand, you only have to worry about making a mistake in your release point with respect to 1 plane (up and down). With 3/4 arm, you now have to judge the amount the ball will tail as well (left and right).
More importantly, I was always taught to throw through the cutoff man. That way he can cut it off, or let it through to the catcher to get the lead runner, say. With a 3/4 throw, you might hit the cutoff man perfectly, but he'll always have to cut the throw otherwise it'll miss the catcher by a long way.
Does a 3/4 or sidearm throw always have lateral movement?
Infielders can get a natural 3/4 arm angle because they are usually moving side to side and throwing from different body positions ... not really from trying to do it. A 3/4 arm angle causes the ball to run .. whereas a overhand throw will pick up speed if you get on top of it. Also if the ball hits the ground from a 3/4 angle it will shoot off to the side more but if its overhand it will keep going in the same direction (unless its a horrible field lol). Outfielders and catchers with proper form are suppose to be moving in a straight line towards their target so an overhand throw is proper. For pitchers they can take advantage of the run on the ball because movement will only help their pitches.
“If there was ever a man born to be a hitter it was me.” - Ted Williams
"Didn't come up here to read. Came up here to hit." - Hank Aaron
Pick up speed? How does that happen?
Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
If you change your natural arm slot wouldn't that make you not as accurate when it comes to throwing. The best arm slot for a outfield would be the L position. But just because people say this does not mean it is good for every players. When you start changing arm slot be careful of the stresses it could cause on your shoulder or elbow. Only change arm slot if you are trying to protect yourself from injury.
IMHO,
drill
PS
In the big league in the later years of pitching some pitchers will drop there arm slot and sling the ball, to get maybe a extra season out of there arm is what I have been told from a MLB pitcher. Now that does not mean it is set in stone but it was this person observation after playing in the bigs.
Yogi Berra was asked by a reporter "How do you catch a knuckle ball?" He came right back and said "When it stops rolling"
Mechanics Analyst
What do you mean by this?
Do you have a picture of what this looks like?
Sorry didn't mean pick up speed ... but have good life off the ground.
“If there was ever a man born to be a hitter it was me.” - Ted Williams
"Didn't come up here to read. Came up here to hit." - Hank Aaron
LOL! I don’t mean to pick on you, but I really don’t know that that means. Please expand a bit. Thanx.
Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
He's probably referring to the throw not becoming dead when it finally gets there from the other end of the ball field.
Dead = The ball reaches the location, but would die there, if it needed to bounce into the fielder's glove.
Alive = The ball still has some oomph to it.
Geaux Cubs Geaux
I've learned that everyone here has their own ideas and most folks feel pretty strongly about them - so I'll just inject what I learned about throwing from the outfield.
Bobby Wilkins is a gentleman who I was lucky to learn a few things from. He had a very brief Major League career (Philidelphia A's back in 44 & 45), but was brought from Duke University by Mr. Connie Mack (as he calls him). He was a great teacher, and is a wonderful man.
Anyway, he taught me that it is very important to throw over the top - "pulling down the shades" as he would say. Four seams if you can get em.
The way he explained it was that with a sidearm throw, you will not get a true hop. When you come over the top, you mostly get a straight hop in line with where you want to be throwing the ball.
He would tell me throwing side arm or less than over the top is lazy and to be avoided from the OF.
This shouldn't be taken as disagreement, but rather just questioning the veracity of those statements.
I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the more an arm slot is toward 90 degrees, the more the rotation of the ball will cause it to move horizontally. I also understand that balls hit so that a lot of sidespin gets put on the ball will definitely hop left or right, depending on the spin.
Before I go on I want to give a definition of normal throw from the OF. To me it’s a throw that travels at least 100’ before it hits the ground. My question is, on a normal throw from the OF, is there really enough spin left on the ball to cause it to hop left or right?
My guess is that bad hops come about much more often because the surface the ball is bouncing off of isn’t perfectly smooth, than the spin on the ball after at least 100’ in the air.
Last edited by scorekeeper; 12-24-2009 at 05:40 PM.
Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly.
