What is the proper way to make a throw from the outfield in baseball?

Sometimes forgotten about, a spectacular play made by an outfielder can change the outcome of a baseball game. And while most usually think of diving catches as the cream of the crop for spectacular plays in the outfield, making a good throw to assist on an out can be just as rewarding to a baseball team. Ohio University head coach Joe Carbone has coached 35 players to professional baseball contracts. In his 18 years as head man, he’s taught several hundred baseball players the art of making an accurate throw from the outfield and says it all begins with throwing from an over the top method. “A ground ball that is hit to your left with men on base, you have to get around it and get your momentum going to the base,” he said. “You field it inside your left foot and throw through the cut off man or to the base. So you round it left or right, square up with the momentum going to the base you’re throwing.” While Carbone insists that the premise of throwing from the outfield is always the same, he said that there are situations in which an outfielder may have to speed the process up a little bit. “If you’re trying to throw a guy out, go in from first to third or from second to home, you do what we call do or die,” he said. “In that case you’re running to the ball, you’re running hard bending your knees and gathering yourself, getting your momentum low. “You open the pocket of your glove and you feel the ball outside your left foot,” he added. “With the left foot out front if you are a right handed thrower, clamp in your right land with your left and let it fly. You field it out front, left right left, throw.” Outfielders should also work on making good throws through the cutoff man. So many times young athletes attempt to make the glory throw from their outfield position all the way to the base. And as great as the throw looks, it doesn’t serve a purpose if the runner is not thrown out. For instance, if the centerfielder throws a high ball all the way to the plate well over the cutoff man’s head, other base runners could advance up a base. A good way to avoid making bad throws is by working the crow hop technique. “Left foot, right foot, left is a crow hop,” said Carbone. “You’re fielding it outside your left foot with the weight on your left foot and then the crow hop is your right foot coming through and clamping. “In other words, turning to the right (this is all for a right hand thrower) and then when the right foot comes down that ball has got to be out of your glove in your throwing arm with your arm back,” he added. “Then you start your arm motion and your left foot lands as a stabilizer and you throw off your firm front side and that is what is called a crow hop.”