Bench stride direction throwing drill

At a glance

Sport

Baseball and Softball

Skill

Throwing

Ages

10U to 14U

Players

1 per bench (or 2, with a partner retrieving)

Time

About 10 minutes

Level

Beginner

Equipment

A slanted workout bench or a low box, Soft training balls or plyo balls for a wall (baseballs into a net), A glove, Tape for a small target on the wall

Indoors

Yes

A lot of wild throws go wrong before the arm moves. When the front foot lands off to the side or across the body, the hips and shoulders are pointed somewhere else, and the arm has to save the throw. A bench gives the stride a track: the player starts with the front foot on it and strides down right alongside it, toward a target in line with the bench.

Run it at a station, indoors or out, for players whose throws pull or sail. It needs only a bench or low box, a wall or net and a small target.

Setup

• Point a slanted bench or a low box straight at a wall or net about 10 to 15 feet away.
• Put a small piece of tape on the wall at the player's eye level, in line with the bench.
• The player stands by the high end of the bench with a glove and a soft ball.

How to run it

1. Stand beside the back of the bench in a throwing stance, hands together at the chest.
2. Put the front foot up on the bench.
3. A couple of dry reps first: lift the front leg and stride forward and down, landing the front foot on the floor right beside the bench.
4. Then throw: as the front foot lands pointing at the wall, throw at the tape.
5. Let the back leg come through and walk a step or two toward the target after the release.
6. Get the ball, reset at the top of the bench, and repeat ten to fifteen times.

Coaching points

• The front foot lands right alongside the bench, not drifting away from it or stepping across it.
• Target at eye level, so the player is throwing on a flat line, not up or into the floor.
• Finish every throw by walking toward the target.
• Against a hard wall, throw soft training balls or plyo balls, not baseballs.

Common mistakes

• Landing too far from the bench, which opens the hips early and makes the ball sail.
• Stepping across in front of the bench, which blocks the hips and pulls the throw.
• Stopping the body at release instead of letting the back leg carry forward.

Printable drill card

Take this drill to the field: the setup, steps, coaching points and equipment on one card, with the video's address to find it again. Free, no account needed.

Smaller: half page or quarter page (PDF).

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Frequently Asked Questions

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