How do baseball players throw the ball so hard?

Question

I have always wondered how an outfielder can throw a baseball from mid-field all the way to home plate without hitting the cut-off man.

Answer 1

The crow-hop, its the technique outfielders use to generate more force on their throws by performing a petty picthcing motion. This allows the muscles in the trunk and lower back, as well as the legs, to generat force which is transferred to the ball via the arm. The arm simply goes along for the ride. F=m*a arm speed is critical, but the arm can't outpace the bod if maximum force is desired.

Answer 2

Most of the power comes from the legs and trunk, not just the arm.

This is isn't always easy to see on TV, but before the ball even gets to the outfielder, he is preparing for the throw. On a fly ball like a sacrifice fly, he'll circle on the ball, deliberately stationing himself a few feet further back from where the ball is going to land, then as it approaches, he'll begin moving forward so his body is already moving towards where he intends to throw. This is basically giving him a running start.

On grounders it isn't all that much different, he'll usually be running towards the ball, then scooping while still moving forward to give himself the same running start.

Next focus on his body, not his arm. He'll take a long stride towards his target. He'll brace with his non-throwing leg (left leg for a right-hand throwing, right leg for a lefty. His trunk will collapse forward (sometimes on particularly hard throws, outfielders will actually fall). This imparts maximum possible energy into the throw.

It is easier to see things like this at a live game than on TV, where the cameras follow the ball and you can't see what the player did immediately before and after the play.

Answer 3

#1 Proper Mechanics. Conditing. Throwing the ball every day and making sure you arm is in great shape. Pitchers have sping training for over a month just to get in shape. Yes, of course arm speed and wrist snap. But alot of it is lower body and the ability to generate strenght and moment to push of the mound. Throwing the ball so far. Players play long toss developing the ability to throw the ball far. No natural person just walks outside and plays baseball. It takes a ton of preperation like almost any other sport.

Answer 4

Well a contraction of the muscles is stimulated by something called an action potential. The action potential is a sudden depolarization via the plasma T-tubule. The T-tubule stimulates the sarcoplasmic reticulum which releases Ca2+. This ion binds to tropomin which releases the inhibiting tropomyosin which wants to bind to actin. The myosin binds to actin filaments and contraction of a muscle occurs.

Thats how a baseball player throws a ball.

Answer 5

i've got have been given been umpiring for on the part of to 10 years now (now no longer in MLB of course, although the guidelines are a similar), and the 0.33 base umpire isn't meant to declare some thing concerning to the batter/runner lacking 0.33 base. The umpire keeps his mouth close and waits for the call to be appealed by skill of skill of the opposing group. as right this moment as a pitch is thrown to the subsequent batter (or the two communities bypass away the international in an experience of a walk off, sport winning, homer), the call stands, and it may desire to now no longer be appealed.

Answer 6

the hardest throwers, pitchers included, will tell you its all in the legs. your arm pretty much just directs where you throw the ball. if you throw using only your arm, youre not going to be throwing for long, it will cause servere damage to your rotator cuff and other arm muscles/ligaments. the crow hop helps the outfielders throw the ball to home, which, as implied by the word hop, starts with the legs. its all about getting your body's momentum behind your throw

Answer 7

Its not just arm strength and speed, throwing the ball starts with the placement of your feet and generates force upwards and that gets released out the hand. Its an overall motion that players learn from years of conditioning and practice.

Answer 8

Years of playing baseball. My son started with T-Ball and now is in high school. Year after year his throwing gets stronger and faster.

Answer 9

Never under estimate a baseball player, maybe every player were once first place in the shot-put or discus throwing event. You never know.

Answer 10

It's not as much the size of the arm as it is the speed of it. Just look at Ichiro. His body mechanics and arm speed can't be matched. And yes, of course, this all comes from years of practice.