In today’s video blog, we are talking about One Hop Throwing Drills, the proper grip for the outfielder, and techniques to achieve a perfect spin on the ball.
Grip
The grip for an outfielder is important. You want to have two fingers across the seams, and as soon as that ball gets into his glove, the other hand should get in there close and by the time he gets out of the glove, and prepares the long arc to throw, he should have plenty of time to get the proper grip across the seams, about a fingers width apart. The thumb should bisect and there should be space between the fingers. So when he throws the ball, it should come off the fingertips and have perfect backspin on it.
Backspin
A proper backspin is beneficial because it fights gravity, and forces the ball to stay up a little bit longer then normal. If the ball is moving any other way – for example, if you get the seams turned a little bit, the spin starts going with gravity and pulling the ball down.
The other thing backpin does is it adds to the hop. If you have to hop the ball into the cutoff man, and its got good rotation, it will hop off the grass or dirt and go straight.
Alternating the Straight Throw and One Hop Throw
You can alternate between a straight throw and a hop, and what this does is it helps to emphasize that you need to get the arm up on top to throw. And you can also get a read on what kind of hop you are getting and how to improve your hop.
Did you find these tips useful for improving your One Hop Throwing Drills? Will you be trying these techniques with your players? Share your comments below! And if you are looking for more great throwing drills, be sure to check out my Baseball Drills and Practice Plans series, and don’t forget to Follow Me on Twitter!