An Alternative Way to Develop Throwing Technique During Infancy
As a parent who is aware of the benefits of physical activity, you are likely eager to introduce your infant to basic sports skills as early as possible. One fundamental skill that can help your child succeed in a variety of sports is throwing. Throwing is an important skill for sports such as baseball, cricket, basketball, and football, among others. Developing a good throwing technique and practicing it will also help gross motor development and coordination.
While soft balls may seem like the go-to choice for helping infants learn to throw, it turns out that cuddly toys can be just as effective. While maybe not what granny had in mind when she wrapped that fluffy bear for Christmas, cuddly toys can be great for initiating a nighttime ritual that will encourage regular throwing and target practice.
From one year of age, before bedtime, you and your child can partake in a fun activity that involves throwing their soft cuddly toys into their cot. This may start with you doing the throwing, while your child watches and celebrates with you as the toys land in the desired target. Eventually, your child will want to participate too, and this may start with them placing the toys in the cot. The next challenge is for them to get their toys in the cot from a seated position. This will encourage an overarm throw in order to get the power and trajectory necessary. Start close enough to the target to ensure success, and ensure you celebrate that success together. Gradually make the task more difficult by increasing the distance to the cot.
Making a fun activity a habit during infancy is a great way to ensure your child will be getting lots of repetitions of the movement. You can then help refine their technique over time.
Using the cot as the target will mean your child will develop motor patterns that help them release the toy at the necessary point in the throw. Over a number of months, their coordination will improve, meaning their release point becomes more consistent. The muscular strength in the arms will also develop, leading to more powerful throws. It is important to encourage the task using both hands as this will ensure symmetrical muscle growth and support overall development.
As your child moves through the early milestones and becomes more stable on their feet, you can encourage throwing from a standing position. From this point, the throw becomes a whole-body movement. Give your child the motivation to throw further, and they will naturally start to utilize their trunk to add more power to the throw. More and more practice will improve the coordination between the movements in the trunk, shoulder, and arm. In the video below, you can see how this coordination is developing to the point where the child's right foot is needed as a brake to stop the momentum created by these different parts of the body working together.
The next stage in this child's development will be to adopt a more side on position with their left foot forward. This will then enable more rotation in the transfer of weight from the back foot to the front foot.
"What started as a bed time ritual, has expanded into more and more throwing activities." Says Ravi Samjawon, a friend of mine with early access to the Infant to Athlete program, "my son and I went from sitting opposite eachother and him throwing his teddybear in my general direction, to throwing toys into his cot before bed, to throwing his toys from the top of the stairs into a his pram placed at the bottom. Once you find an activity they enjoy it is then easy to adapt it into different versions of what is ultimately the same thing, throwing a soft toy overarm. I found that drip feeding one piece of advice at a time is a great way of slowly improving technique."
Safety note
Prior to the age of one the cot should be free of any soft objects, such as stuffed toys. This is because young infants do not have the ability to move their heads if their faces become pressed against a soft object, which can present a suffocation hazard. Additionally, stuffed toys can collect dust and other debris that can be harmful to a baby's respiratory system.
General tips for developing throwing technique in infancy
- Start early: It's never too early to start teaching your child basic throwing skills. Even infants as young as six months old can start learning how to throw a ball.
- Use the right equipment: When teaching an infant to throw, it's important to use the right equipment. Infants should start with soft, lightweight balls that are easy to grip and throw. As they get older and more skilled, you can gradually introduce them to larger, heavier balls.
- Show them how it's done: The best way for an infant to learn throwing technique is by watching and imitating others. Show your child how to hold the ball with their fingertips, how to extend their arm, and how to release the ball.
- Encourage practice: Throwing is a skill that requires practice to develop. Encourage your child to throw the ball back and forth with you, or to toss it into a soft target like the ones discussed in this article.
- Encourage your child to practice throwing with both arms, not only to improve their technique, but to support symmetrical muscle growth. It won't be easy getting an infant to take the less comfortable option, but this can reduce their risk of future injury and support their overall physical development.
- Be patient: Learning to throw takes time and practice. Be patient with your child and allow them to progress at their own pace. Praise their efforts and encourage them to keep trying.
By following these tips, you can help your infant develop throwing technique and lay the foundation for success in sports and physical activity. With practice and patience, your child will be tossing and throwing like a pro in no time.
Gary South and Ravi Samjawon
Gary is the founder of Infant to Athlete and Ravi is a friend, an ex PE teacher and a parent that has been using the Infant to Athlete guidance in developing the motor skills of his child.
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