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Softball: Throwing Like a Girl

If you’ve ever heard the expression “You throw like a girl,” it means your throw kinda sucks.

The “girl throw” refers to a wimpy style a lot of girls seem to have. Girls often face the target with their forearm cocked back and the ball in their upturned palm. Then they throw with just the arm (rather than the whole body). The action is usually limited to a quick extension of the forearm. Essentially, girls tend to “push” the ball rather than hurl it.

Well, before we go any further - let’s get one thing straight. Girls can throw. In fact, many girls can throw harder and faster than a lot of guys. Softball players like Jennie Finch can pitch a ball close to 90 miles per hour.

Some people think the reason for the “girl throw” is based on physical differences between guys and girls. Not. If you ask an orthopedist, an anatomist, or a coach of a women’s softball team, they’ll tell you that there is no anatomical reason why boys and girls throw differently.

What it really comes down to is practice. Most boys grow up learning to throw - either playing catch in the backyard with their friends or by joining a rec league. Lots of girls play baseball and softball at a young age as well. But many never learn to throw when they’re a kid because their parents didn’t teach them or they chose to do other things.

The good news is that you can practice and learn to hurl the ball by using the whole body or making a “kinetic chain” with your body. Start by putting your body at a right angles to your target. Push from the back leg, as the hips rotate. The energy is transferred to the upper body, which also rotates with the throw. The momentum is transferred to the arm. With the wrist outside the elbow, the arm comes from behind the body in a whip-like motion, and the ball is released.

Tip: Trying practicing catch with a partner who is 10-15 feet away. Do this while squatting on the knee on the side of your throwing arm. This forces you to throw higher to get it to your partner. In turn, this compels you to raise your elbow well above your shoulder while throwing. If practicing with a guy friend, have him throw with his non-dominant hand to level the playing field a bit.

That’s it! You throw girl!