The Elbow Swivel

The elbow swivel movement in a thrower’s lead arm is a top contributor to accuracy. Even when off balance, a good elbow swivel promotes a consistent release point and can significantly increase the chances of executing a throw with precision. This is because the elbow swivel allows the thrower to stay in control of their rotation and effectively transfer all of that rotational energy through the hip-trunk-shoulder chain and into linear energy -  driving the ball forward to its target. For such a subtle movement of the non-throwing arm, a proper elbow swivel pays big dividends in the outcome. Messing with that efficient energy transfer will directly impact power, accuracy, and long-term arm health.

There are a couple misconceptions in football and baseball that go something like this:

  1. The lead elbow drives trunk rotational power, and 

  2. Pulling the lead hand to the rib cage helps in driving that power into the ball.

But actually, by doing this you're only substituting accuracy for power, and even then you're still tampering with your directional power. For example: If I ‘pull off’ with my non-throwing arm to promote a powerful shoulder rotation, this extra rotational momentum will actually tend to decrease the consistency of my release point and even throw off my proper weight distribution. Essentially, rather than my weight and power going directly towards the target, there is a much greater chance I’ll be unable to control my rotation and will spin off.  

The elbow swivel also helps ensure the power generated from the back leg drive and hip pivot is transferred efficiently through the kinetic chain to the ball. If I don’t decrease my rotational momentum and end up spinning out, I’ll likely see increased amounts of stress dumped directly into my throwing elbow and shoulder. Finally, taking the chest to the hand instead of the other way around completes the drive from the back leg and directs all the energy towards the target. Look at your legacy throwers - whether it's baseball or football, resilient throwers swivel the lead elbow down and bring their chest to the lead hand at release. You put efficient power into the throw by doing this and in turn gain accuracy and promote good shoulder and elbow health. 

Here’s what a throw with a good elbow swivel should look like:

  1. First the hands break into a good opposite and equal position - elbows are up, and both elbows mirror each other in sync. 

  2. What happens next is crucial: 

    1. I can either leave my elbow up and lead the trunk rotation with my elbow

      1. This will promote hyper-rotation of the shoulders, directly dragging the throwing arm along and altering the accuracy and consistency of my release point.

        OR

      2. I could have a proper elbow swivel.

        1. All the elbow will do is drop a few  inches, allowing an efficient transformation of all of the built-up rotational energy into linear power directed towards the target.

  3. Then,  instead of pulling the lead hand to the chest, finish the sequence by driving the center of mass forward (from the back leg spring), bringing the chest forward to the hand instead of the other way around. This will not only promote proper weight distribution throughout the throw in order to optimize energy transfer, it will also help to square up the shoulders towards the target so that power can be released in a more controlled and consistent way.

Now at the end of your throw you want to see the non-throwing hand at the chest and the elbow inside of the leading hip and knee (full elbow swivel). There's a good rule of thumb that I use when doing drills or even when just throwing: If you miss your target to the left or right, check your lead elbow position relative to your critical mass. It might be slightly outside your lead hip at release. It may not seem like a lot but those two or three inches that you are outside of your front hip can transfer up the chain and lead to the release point being altered by two or three inches, or at the very least least, decreasing the consistency of the release point. That can be the difference between completing a scoring pass or not, or getting intercepted or not.  As I said right at the beginning of this article - a little elbow swivel pays big dividends at the end of the throw. Those 1-3 inches of improper elbow movement can be the difference of completing or missing important throws - in other words, winning or losing a game.

 Tom Brady is a perfect example of a thrower with textbook lead-arm mechanics. Watch any of his tape and notice how well his elbow stays inside relative to his base. There's no secret behind the success; mechanically he is incredibly efficient. He checks all the boxes - he gets the opposite and equal arm, swivels his lead elbow to keep his rotation tight and optimize energy transfer to the ball, and he makes sure to take his chest to his hand to be as efficient as possible. 

Coaches - if you want to help your athletes become more accurate, efficient, and keep their shoulders healthy, here are a couple ques you can give them:  1) Finish with your hand at your mouth. 2) Make sure their hand is at their chest at release point, and 3) Make sure they take their chest to their hand instead of pulling off with their elbow to bring the hand in. 


Regards,

Gabe Solis

CEO, Solis Performance LLC