Weight Distribution

Too often for throwers the most important part of their body is the two-foot distance spanning from their throwing shoulder to hand. Obviously this is where the sequence of the throwing motion culminates and the magic ultimately happens, but too much focus on this small segment of the throwing sequence distracts from important events at the other end of the chain: ground contact and the origin of the entire throw.

Even among the other topics covered in my throwing mechanics articles, I consider weight distribution one of the most critical components of a successful throw - especially in dynamic, game-time situations. Distributing the body weight properly from landing all the way to release will not only help to increase the power, accuracy, and distance of the throw, it will also decrease stress in the throwing arm - decreasing injury risk and increasing your athletes’ resilience and longevity. Although there’s a lot we can do to protect the shoulder with targeted exercise, tissue work and recovery, the best way to increase throwing efficiency and decrease injury risk is by having proper weight distribution - both at landing and through ball release.   

That’s because weight distribution directly influences how the athlete will be able to generate force and transmit it into the ball. Ideally, this force is predominantly generated in the back leg by 1) driving off the ground to project the center of mass forward, and 2) applying an axial counter-torque to drive trunk rotation.

So why does weight distribution matter in this force generation/transfer process?

Simple - if your back leg is unweighted at landing, you are directly reducing your primary force producer: the back leg drive for weight transfer and trunk rotation. Think of the back leg as a spring that stores potential energy as it flexes to accept the bodyweight, and then releases that energy in a burst of motion as the back foot drives off the ground. Starting at a more forward distribution decreases the ‘loading’ of the spring and thus the contribution of the back leg/driving motor. To successfully complete the throw - which the human body will find a way to do - a lesser contribution from the lower body means a greater contribution is needed from the shoulder/arm. This ultimately results in decreased efficiency of each throw and increased stress in the upper extremities, which could increase injury risk.

Further - it probably goes without saying but I see it far too often - by starting a throw too heavy on the front foot, the athlete will also likely be off-balance (think poor equilibrium) throughout the throw, directly reducing your ability to control the motion and, if needed, execute a rapid change or correction (also known as reactive capacity).


So what does proper weight distribution look like? Here are a couple main points to look for when assessing whether your athlete is distributing their bodyweight correctly:

Landing: The 60/40 (or game-time 50/50) rule

  1. Good foot separation - Gives a better reach of the front leg to ‘prime’ the movement and promote shoulder/hip separation. Also results in a lower center of gravity and flexed back leg, enabling faster weight transfer (power stance).

  2. Knees are inside the feet - This maintains the integrity of the ‘spring’ of the back leg. You just aren’t able to drive through the ground properly if your knees are collapsed outward and/or your feet are right under your hips.

  3. Back leg flexion - Look for good hip/knee/ankle flexion at back leg (loaded spring), not over-extended.

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Remember, putting power into the throw boils down to how quickly the hips and shoulders can be shifted forward and rotated through to the target. If the body weight is distributed correctly - 60/40 to 50/50 - the power source of the back leg drive can be optimized.

Release: square hips and don’t collapse

  1. Hips square - Hips should end square to the target. If the thrower’s hips finish under-rotated they have not transferred their weight as efficiently or completely as possible, while over-rotation is a prime indicator of loss of control.

  2. Watch for collapse at release  - The back knee shouldn’t collapse in towards the front leg at release. Instead think of the back foot essentially as an anchor, where maintaining ground contact with the back foot up to release allows for proper timing of the kinetic sequence and an efficient transfer of energy from the ground up. Otherwise energy can be lost in the trunk during the final stages of rotation, forcing the shoulder/elbow to play a more active role in force production.

  3. Heel up - If control is maintained throughout the throw, the heel should end pointing straight up. If the back foot comes up before release, control of release is likely reduced (and stress to the throwing arm is also likely increased).

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If weight is distributed properly across the throw and control is maintained throughout, the heel will end pointing up and the hips will end squared towards the target, with some separation maintained between the feet. This means the hips have completed their rotation (i.e., transfer of energy) while the athlete maintained control of the rotation with two points of ground contact up to release. 

Training for proper weight distribution

First, when I practice with my quarterbacks I que them using the 60/40 rule - that is to land 60% back foot/40% front foot. I do this because in a game time situation most athletes will tend to rush, biasing the front leg and landing 40/60 (back foot/front foot). So in order to counteract this tendency, I que 60/40 (slight bias towards the back leg) to get my athletes landing at least 50/50 in the game and be able to start the throw from a powerful and stable position.  

In addition to over-emphasizing weight distribution to the back foot, another useful que is to keep the pressure through the instep - or the inside arch - of the back foot. This will help to keep the knee from collapsing outside the foot, maintaining the integrity of the spring of the back leg and optimizing the energy return from the leg drive.

Finally, If you feel your athlete is still collapsing at release and is having trouble getting velocity behind the ball with control and efficiency, be sure they aren’t rushing the hip swivel and weight shift. Give ques to be patient with the pivot - this gives the back leg time to become fully loaded, and for the leading side to create more separation. This separation and efficient transfer of energy from the ground up is created by the back foot acting as a sort of ‘anchor’ and allowing time for the kinetic sequence to progress the energy transfer through the  legs-hips-trunk-shoulder-arm-ball. Further, this back foot anchor and second point of ground contact helps to maintain control and avoid collapsing into the front leg or over-rotating at release. 

Regards,

Gabe Solis

CEO, Solis Performance LLC