Softball and baseball throwing drill

Crow Hop Throws

Learn the crow hop: field the ball, hop onto your back foot and throw, so long throws carry your momentum.

FixesFlat-footed, arm-only long throws

This drill works for softball and baseball players. See more softball drills.

  • With a partner
  • 15 min
  • Ages 8–18
  • 2 days a week
Clip 1 of 21:12 total
Video: PlaySportsTV on YouTube

The video has a coach rolling ground balls to a group. At home, a parent rolls them.

Who
With a partner
Ages
8–18
Time
15 minutes
Dose
4 sets of 5 throws, 2 days a week
Equipment
  • Glove
  • Baseball
  • A partner
  • Open yard or park

How to do the drill

  1. 1

    Warm up: arm circles, band work if you have it, and 10 easy throws that get longer.

  2. 2

    Stand 30–45 steps (60–90 feet) from your partner, closer if you're younger. They roll you a grounder.

  3. 3

    Field it out front with two hands. Righties hop onto the right foot and land sideways (lefties: left foot).

  4. 4

    Step at your partner with your front foot and throw at their chest.

  5. 5

    Do 4 sets of 5. Count every throw that arrives on a line or one hop, out of 20.

Coaching cues

  • Field it, hop, throw.
  • Land sideways.
  • Throw through your partner.

What good looks like

One quick hop toward your partner, a sideways landing, and a throw on a line or one hop.

Safety

These are real throws, so stop at 20, or sooner if the arm feels tired. Stay at a distance you can reach on a line or one hop. Throwing as far as you can (max-distance long toss) is for older players with a coach watching. Skip this the day after pitching.

Why this drill

Coaches teach the crow hop to every outfielder and use it on long infield throws. The legs carry the body toward the target, so the arm does less of the work.

Next throwing drillRight-Left-Throw Footwork
Player development

Assign this drill with Bravara Reps

Players watch the clip, do the drill at home and check in from their phone. You see who did it, and you pick how many days a week.

Available for iOS & Android