Crow Hop

Question
Which way would u teach the crow hop?  Is it catch the ball on the outside and back leg starts to crow hop immediately or is it catch two steps than the crow hop?

Answer
Honestly and personally, I never believed in using a crow hop.  Not all coaches agree, because the crow hop, when properly executed, results in a very strong and pretty throw...but, at what time cost?  How much longer is the outfielder holding that ball to take his hop-step, crow step, before he has even released the ball?  So, yes, the crow hop technique can create a great throw.  But, in my opinion, the outfielder is holding the ball longer than necessary in the process.  The following is just MY own theory as an outfielder--it is not what most coaches would agree with.  Most coaches teach a text-book crow hop, picking up the ball with the foot opposite the one you step to throw with.  It's up to you, but here is the theory that I believe in:

I don't want to get into too much math here, but let's think about something: An outfielder picks up a well hit ball as it hops along the grass deep in the gap.  He needs to get the ball to home plate, which is 330 feet away.  That's one-sixteenth of a mile.  If he throws the ball 60 miles per hour (a mile a minute, or 88 ft. per second) it should, in theory, arrive at the plate in one-sixteenth of a minute or 3.75 seconds.  Now that is faster than most major leaguers can run from one base to another.  

Of course, this is figuring that the throw is released immediately, which is not possible.  However, the faster, the better.  Let's say the outfielder just grabs the ball off the grass with his barehand, spins, and chucks it to the cutoff man.  Even with a poor grip, poor footing, and no crow-hop, he should be able to get rid of it in about a half second (or .5 seconds.)  Personally, I'd rather make that quicker throw to the cutoff man, then, my job is done.  It may not be as pretty as the crow-hop, but my job is done, and the cutoff man can either fire a bullet to the plate for me, or he can throw to another base and nail someone else.  So, if you just wheel and get rid of it, you lose .5 seconds, then you lose maybe another .25 seconds when the cutoff man spins with your throw.  The advantage, though, is that he gets to make a decision, plus, he can make a stronger, faster, shorter throw anyway than you can from 330 feet out there near the fences.  From the outfielder touching the ball, to the cutoff, to the plate = 4.25 seconds in all.

On the other hand, with a crow-hop, the outfielder has already held the ball for maybe 1.5 seconds while he stands up tall, half-steps and hops.  Now IF he can throw the ball 90 miles per hour throw (132 feet per second) all the way to home plate (330 feet,) so it would be in the air just 2.5 seconds, then his crow-hop technique would beat the 60 MPH thrower's immediate release by 0.25 seconds.

But here is the question: is crow-hop throw 30 MPH faster than your your hurry-up throwing arm?  Because my own thought is this: if your arm IS so strong that you CAN throw 90 MPH with a crow-hop, then I suspect that you could also throw the ball immediately to the cutoff man at 75 or 80 MPH with the first, hurry-up-and-get-it-to-the-cutoff technique.

It may also be important to consider the cutoff man's arm.

Again, the get-it-to-the-cutoff-as-fast-as-possible was my own way of playing the outfield.  All young players should listen to their coaches and decide which technique will work out best for them.  The crow-hop is widely accepted, but most coaches are also impressed by crisp throws to the cutoff man, no matter how you get it there.

Good luck.