How to Teach Long Throws

Throwing with speed, power and accuracy is a vital skill in sports such as football and baseball, but such a feat is much easier said than done. The longer the distance the ball needs to be thrown, the harder it is on the shoulder and elbow of the thrower and the higher likelihood the throw will veer away from its intended target while en route. Teaching someone how to make long throws consistently and accurately requires patience and repetition.

Instructions

    • 1

      Play catch with your student from a short distance of only five or six feet away. This helps establish good throwing technique, without putting much pressure on the arm. Focus on the technique of the throw to ensure the hip, shoulder and elbow are properly aligned and are used to get the ball to its target.

    • 2

      Move further away to about 10 or 15 feet so your student can start adding more force to the throw. If his arm or shoulder starts to hurt, stop for the day and start at a shorter distance next time.

    • 3

      Instruct the student to start throwing the ball in an arc instead of in a straight line over longer distances. By throwing the ball up into the air, he will increase throwing distance since the ball has to arc through the air before it hits the ground. Rehearse this until the student can consistently get the ball to you accurately from at least 50 feet away.

    • 4

      Add more players to the exercise and spread them out over different distances across a field so the student can play catch with all of them simultaneously, catching a ball from one player and throwing it to another.