Can you tell a player’s history just by the way he throws the ball?

It’s a challenge worth taking, for movements leave clues.  They can reveal the player’s time spent on the field and other factors that have influenced their athleticism and arm action. In this section, we’ll delve into how context shapes content and the many external factors affecting actions.

Why do shortstops have the most efficient actions? Why do outfielders have longer arm actions than infielders? And why do first basemen have hand-driven arm actions and typically the weakest arm in the infield? Simply observing a player’s throw can give us a glimpse into their past.

I challenge you to observe the arm actions on your team and guess what positions they’ve played because movements leave clues. Every movement or action visible in the delivery are multi-factorial. They can be viewed as clues, as footprints in the sand which can be traced back to their time spent on the field along with other physical and environmental factors. In this post we are going to discuss how context helps shape content and the many outside but little known factors influencing mechanics, athleticism and arm action.

Why Positions Matter

The position a player spends the most time on the field playing has a direct impact on their arm action. The type of throws and the constraints of time and space affect the natural movement patterns of the arm and body.

Shortstops typically have a shorter, quicker arm action. This is due to their position’s requirement for them to release the ball quickly and throw from a further distance. Their movements are more fluid, and their actions are more efficient. As a result of this, shortstops have more body involvement with their throws and must rely on the center of their body, hips, feet, and lower body. Their position requires them to be mobile, explosive, quick, and have rapid-twitch actions, which has led to a higher levels of kinesthetic awareness which provides your brain to locate and control movement within space and time. This is why you often associate shortstops with being more athletic and why their arm action is more efficient, making it easier for them to transition to the mound.

On the other hand, first basemen are at a disadvantage when it comes to arm action and pitching mechanics. They have the typical “ball up” and “flip” throwing action that doesn’t require the use of the lower body or hip action. The farthest throw they ever make is to third base, and they very rarely have to get the ball out of their glove quickly. Their shorter, flip throws are upper body-dominant, and on the mound, they tend to be much more upper body aggressive with stiff and rigid actions. The flip of the ball back to the pitcher or constant rolling of ground balls require neither the “intent to throw hard” nor efficiency.

Outfielders, on the other hand, tend to have a longer arm action and understand the importance of momentum. However, they often have a hard time repeating this on the mound because they don’t involve the center of their body. Being in their position allows more time, and they tend to throw from further distances, which allows them to generate momentum with their feet rather than the center of their body.

There is more intent to throw the ball hard due to the distance of the throw required from their position. This is why outfielders often have a strong arm from their position but “lose” it on the mound. This is because they have never had to rely on utilizing their center mass because they could crow hop to create momentum.

Why smaller kids have BIG advantages

In the world of 13U baseball there are two types of players – those who have hit puberty and those who look as if they just left Santa’s lap.  Look across any of the youth diamonds and you will often see a noticeable difference in size and maturity.  One kid looks as if he just left the club while his counterpart just left Santa’s lap.

While both have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, it’s important to understand how each can benefit or hinder their development and actions in the long run.

Late Bloomers: The advantages late bloomers are usually at an advantage in the long run because they are smaller and have to find ways to be more efficient in their movements. This leads to them learning the importance of momentum and tempo without having to be instructed to do so.

They also have shorter limbs, which results in more body awareness, making it easier for them to repeat movements. Additionally, their arm action tends to be shorter and more efficient as they involve more of their chest and back in the throwing process. Furthermore, being placed in the middle infield contributes to their success later in development as they develop better footwork, agility, and arm action efficiency to get the ball out of the glove quicker. Lastly, the fact that they have to “battle the big boys” often makes them tougher, mentally and physically.

Early Bloomers: The disadvantages On the other hand, early bloomers are at a disadvantage because they are stronger and rely less on their body to generate force. They rely more on their arm strength and size to generate velocity due to the mechanical advantage of their longer limbs and overall strength compared to their smaller peers.

This leads to success and higher velocity without having to implement the lower body and hip action, which becomes a disadvantage later in their development. They are also less aware of movement and rhythm, which results in stiff and restricted actions that rely more on the upper body and cannot connect with the lower body.

Their larger size and strength also mean they never grasp the importance of momentum and tempo, as it isn’t required for success or velocity. Lastly, they tend to have longer, hand-driven arm actions as their bodies were not required to move as efficiently at younger ages.

Sport Specific: One-Sport Athletes

• Specializing in baseball only can be a hindrance to cross-movement patterns required in multiple sports.
• This results in a lack of body awareness and overall inefficiency in movement.
• These athletes tend to spend more time with instructors (lessons) and can fall into the trap of focusing too much on form.
• They also run the risk of compounding faulty movement patterns thousands of times, making it harder to change later in their development.
• Additionally, players in colder regions tend to spend more time in indoor environments (cages) and less time competing against others in different sports, such as basketball, football, and hockey.
• Overuse, less efficient movement patterns, and a lack of kinesthetic awareness can also be factors affecting one-sport athletes.

Multi-Sport Athletes

• These athletes are more in tune with their body and more efficient in movement.
• Playing multiple sports challenges the body to move in accordance with the requirements of each in-season sport.
• As a result, they are able to adapt and introduce their body to multiple movement patterns, leading to a more athletic version of themselves.
• Multi-sport athletes are less likely to encounter the constraints of overuse and specialization and have an advantage in the competitive arena.

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Trust what you FEEL!

Lantz Wheeler