How to Throw Farther As a Quarterback
Quarterbacks are often considered the most important players in football. Good quarterbacks generally have a collection of similar traits, such as leadership skills and throwing accuracy. In addition, quarterbacks must have the arm strength to fit the football into tight places or get the ball past defenders. Increasing your ability to throw farther as a quarterback can be done through a variety of methods. Muscle strengthening, practice and proper mechanics all contribute to an increase in throwing distance.
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Instructions
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Muscle Strengthening
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Perform arm raises to strengthen the shoulder, rotator cuff, deltoid and rhomboid. With dumbbells in each hand and your arms at your sides, steadily bring your arms up to shoulder level. Lower your arms and repeat.
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Perform push-ups to stabilize the shoulder muscles and increase upper body strength. For added difficulty, do the push-ups with your hands on medicine balls.
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Perform core exercises to strengthen the abdominal region. The abs, like the arms, play a role in the throwing motion. Some core exercises include plank work and sit-ups on an inflatable exercise ball.
Practice
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Partner up with a teammate and spread out about 20 yards apart from each other.
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Throw the ball back and forth. You should feel your arm loosening up and becoming warm.
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Gradually increase the distance between you and your teammate until you can barely reach each other with a pass.
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Once you have reached peak distance, begin walking toward each other, closing the distance between throws. Your arm should feel loose and stronger.
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Complete this proper warm-up at every practice and before every game. Your arm becomes stronger the more you work it out through throwing.
Mechanics
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Grip the football with a comfortable grip. Generally, quarterbacks hold the laces.
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Drop back to pass. As you find a receiver, plant your back foot and take a short stride with your front foot. A shorter stride helps you create more power in your hips and shoulders, increasing throwing distance.
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As you stride, slightly dip your back shoulder and raise your front shoulder. This helps you create the proper angle for releasing the football. Dipping too much leads to the ball being thrown too high, decreasing distance.
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Release the football as your hand passes your head, keeping your eye on the intended target. Follow through, with your index finger leaving the football last.
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Tips & Warnings
Throwing more often will help increase arm power. Regular throwing practice trains the arm and strengthens key muscles that lead to farther throws.
Practice throwing to a moving target. The benefits of a strong arm are minimized if you cannot accurately throw to a receiver.
Throwing coaches or quarterback camps can be a beneficial tool when trying to increase power. A trained set of eyes can correct your mistakes and improve your technique.
When starting a weightlifting or exercise program to increase arm strength, start slow and use caution. Tired or strained muscles will not help you make farther throws.
Always warm up and stretch your arm muscles before throwing deep passes. Throwing a deep pass before you are prepared can cause injury.
References
- Photo Credit Andy Lyons/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images
