No power in arm!

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I just wanted to ask some questions on my throwing. I can't seem to generate enough "power" to throw the ball far.

I remember I asked you a couple months ago about your opinion on me attempting to start baseball... despite being 15. I don't remember what you told me, because I asked a similar question to many people. I got two responses: "No, you should not, because you're too old, and you will not get too far with it... you're ten years behind everybody...(I got these types of responses from most coaches and instructors)," and "If you put in effort, sure, why not? (This response came from mostly friends)."

Anyways, I'm kind of stubborn in nature... so I started playing baseball. Since I figured that it was hard playing baseball alone, and that I needed a team atmosphere to really start learning the sport, I looked for leagues. Since it was during season, and especially because I was a 15 year old beginner, everyone rejected me. So I decided to head to baseball camp for three weeks (this is my second week so far).

I got a severe reality check on my situation. Even the 10 year olds and 12 year olds could throw farther than me. Moreover, the 30 mph pitches my friends used to toss at me when we were in elementary school were just NOWHERE as a pitching machine flung a 80 mph pitch at me. I couldn't keep up with everyone, and I was just STRESSED.

So... after two weeks, what has changed? I am still swinging and missing with the 80 mph, but I have improved my batting stance, and am hitting (line drive) medium speed curveballs 30 percent of the time. I learn stuff quite fast, and etc. I think with practice, all will improve, as it is right now....

...except... I CANNOT THROW. I understand how this game works... I hit a rbi single in a practice game today... I'm getting better... but I CANNOT THROW!!! Even worse, I want to be pitcher. I understand it's out of place right now, but at the same time, I can't even play second basemen. Let me explain what I mean by my catastrophic throwing.

1. First of all, I am confused about my "arm slot." I tend to throw overhand when I'm playing catch, but for some reason, when I'm in a pitching position, despite the fact that the target is quite close (about.. 10~20 feet?), "overhand" doesn't give me the accuracy to hit the strike zone. Meanwhile, If i throw a little from the right (1 oclock to 2 oclock), I have improved accuracy. It feels better too. I tried this with catch, and the accuracy goes hayward (because I don't have the strength/mechanics to throw that far). Nevertheless, a friend told me that the position I throw that I feel comfortable with is called "three quarters." Whatever this is, since it feels okay, should I develop my arm to throw like this in any situation, whether playing catch or pitching?

2. When my coach was teaching us how to "throw" a baseball, He said that before we throw, our glove elbow should be poiting to the target at about shoulder level, and that our throwing arm should be behind us, with the ball facing AWAY... so that when I turn my head to see my hand, I see the back of it. Does this thing also synchronize with pitching?

3. I can't get the release point right. Since I can't throw far right now, I'm throwing at the target 10~20 feet away from me as soon as I get home from camp. What I've been noticing is, whether playing catch of pitching, there's usually two types of throws I throw. One is when I attempt to pitch/throw straight, and the ball just goes straight down towards the ground. The other is when I decide to throw a bit far, then I throw a pop fly, which makes a huge arc to go back to the catcher.  Even then, distance is short.

Today, I experimented a bit with my release point. I tried to throw from my normal pitching angle, and noticed the ball hit the bottom of the strike zone. When I moved back... back.. back... and threw again, the ball just plummeted down to the ground. I noticed taht I was releasing the ball at neck level. I tried to change that, so I tried releasing it sligtly above/at eye/top of head level. Strangely, the type of throw I wanted to throw all the time - a ball that flew straight from the hand to the target without any arch-like path or downward plumetting - was thrown out of my hand. Excited, I moved back... back... back.... and threw the same way. The ball dropped before the target. I found out that in a mere 20 feet, I was forced to throw the ball so that it had to make a teeny arc before it reached the strike zone.

I understand that this is ridiculously confusing to the reader.

In short, about where should I release the ball? I almost always used to release it at neck level, which caused the ball to drop down very fast. Or, I used to release it almost as if an outfielder would, because my arm was weak, and that was the only way to throw with distance (... only 60 feet).

4. I noticed that if I throw like an infielder would (release point around neck/eye... etc), my max distance was about less than 20 feet. IF I threw like an outfielder (upwards, slightly towards sky), the distance would increase to approximatedly 30 to 40 feet.

What can I do to improve my throwing (distance, power, etc) in both playing catch (the infield throwing) and long toss (the outfield throwing)? Also, should I be throwing the "infield" way regardless of distance?

5. I also noticed today that when I threw, it was as if I was holding the ball, then used pretty much only up to the forearm. What I mean is, I developed a little better accuracy, power, etc just by using a snap in the wrist more, for some reason. While experimenting with throwing, I decided to try snapping my wrist while throwing, as if I was turning of a switch or something. Interestingly, my throw sharpened, and got better. Is this correct mechanics, and should I keep working on it?

I apologize for the ridiculously long essay. Thank you so much for spending time to answer questions from desperate askers.

ANSWER: David: I have gone back through all my previous answers since joining All Experts, and the only question that matches your description is one from a Raymond, back on April 7, 09.

If you look on the browse previous answers page on that site, you will find the question and my answer on page 7.

Based on the writing style, it sure sounds like it might be you.

If you go to my website, www.theoleballgame.com, you will find information on throwing and receiving, which I believe may be of help to you.

If that question was from you, you don't mention starting a weight training program, which would be one of the main things that would benefit you greatly at this point.

Let me know if that was your question back in April, and we can move ahead from here.  If that wasn't you, please look through the browse previous answers on the site and let me know which was your question.

Yours in baseball,

Rick

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Yes that was me. I'm Raymond. I put in "David" as my name, for privacy reasons, after a friend found the link to a question I asked on allexperts regarding a computer game. There was some info I did not particularly wish for him to know :)

About the weight lifting program, the reason I'm not diving into it is twofold. The first is that my cousin said that bulking up will actually HARM a pitcher (don't know how that works, but since he's a college ballplayer...), and the second is a medical reason.

I am diagnosed with mild scoliosis. It is quite low in severity. If you were to see me in real life, unless I took my shirt off and you examined my back or shoulders, you would never guess I have scoliosis. However minor it is, it's still scoliosis.

I went to a chiropractor for a doctor's opinion on what I should do. After the usual doctor talk on treatment plans, I asked him about weight lifting. He said that he doesn't recommend it, because he said that some exercises that require both shoulders (such as many of those weight lifting workouts where you lay on a bench and pull up a huge weight up and down) will cause one side of the shoulder to gain slightly more muscle, which might be "aesthetically unpleasing." A more serious reason, according to him, is that weight lifting "stunts growth." Now, being in mid teens and only being 5 foot 7, I definitely do not want that to happen.

So that's my story on weight lifting.

Thanks in advance.

ANSWER: Raymond:  Sorry to hear about the scoliosis.

As strength training isn't an option, I would suggest you focus in on your throwing mechanics.  If you go to my website, www.theoleballgame.com, go to Baseball Instruction/ Throwing Rookie and Throwing Advanced you will find information on how to throw a baseball.

If you develop the correct mechanics, you will throw farther, harder and more accurately, while at the same time helping protect your arm from injury.

Your coach has you on the right track, and yes, all throwing mechanics are basically the same, position to position.  Infielders use a shorter, quicker arc than outfielders and pitchers, but the base mechanics are the same.

Take your time, drill on the movements required and you will get stronger over time.

Good luck and have fun with it.  

Yours in baseball,

Rick

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry for sending another follow-up question... but I just got some good updates.

I am going to start scoliosis treatment around September. I went to my doctor to tell him that, and asked him about any weight-related exercises. This time, as he thought about it, he gave me some good advice.

He decided that I will, for the most part, be alright with weight training, because right now, my scoliosis is unnoticeable (unless I take off my shirt. even then, it's hard to notice it). He told me that one side of my shoulder getting more muscle shouldn't really HURT me at all, since the other side is getting exercise too. He recommended to me, other than bench pressing and etc, that I can do strength workouts involving a individual arm. For example, he said I could lift weights, one arm at a time, to make sure both sides are getting equal "attention." He also stressed that my scoliosis pretty much only involves the shoulders/arms in lopsidedness, so core workouts and leg workouts are perfectly fine.

I was wondering if you had some advice on what strength workouts I could do based on this info.

Thanks so much.

Answer
Raymond:  I would recommend that you speak with whoever is in charge of your weight facility at school, so that you have someone you can get immediate feedback from and keep records with.

If there is no facility at your school, it would be best if you looked into a private gym or training facility.  They can create a program for you based on your doctor's information, as well as creating it around the equipment they have available.  That varies facility to facility.

Your baseball coach undoubtedly has a weight training and off season conditioning program that will start up soon, if it isn't already going on this summer.  That is the best place as it will be designed specifically for baseball.

Good luck with the weights.  Once you start I am sure you will enjoy it, particularly as you see the strength gains.

Keep working on your throwing and hitting mechanics.  Those take a long time to become habit, to where you will use them under pressure, rather than revert back to what you had always done.

Yours in baseball,

Rick