How to Hold a Football for Throwing

If you want to throw a football accurately, with a nice tight spiral, you'll need to start with the right grip. How you hold the football before you throw it determines how good the pass is. You might need to experiment a bit to find exactly what works for you, but here's how best to hold a football when throwing.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Place the football in your throwing hand with the laces facing out, toward your fingers and away from your body.

2. Grip the football tightly but not so tightly that your fingers are tense. Keeping your fingers, arm and upper body relaxed will help you throw the football more accurately.

3. Hold the football toward the back of the ball, not in the middle or on the nose. Spread your four fingers on the lace-side of the football and your thumb on the opposite side.

4. Keep your pinkie and ring finger off the laces. Place your other two fingers on the laces, spread about two or three seams apart.

5. Allow an air pocket to form between your palm and the ball by bending your fingers slightly.

6. Maintain this grip throughout the passing motion. Follow through on the throw, with your hand winding up near your hip after releasing the ball.

Tips & Warnings

• Hand positioning on the ball is a matter of personal preference as well as the size of your hand. Experiment with hand placement by placing all four fingers on the laces, keeping only your pinkie off the laces or any other position that feels best for you.
• If you have small hands, you might have to hold the football closer to the back point of the ball, where the ball is narrower and will provide a better grip.

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