By: Ron Bing, Puritas Little League, Cleveland, Ohio
This is a fun drill which emphasizes throwing accuracy and good competition between players.
Date: June 14, 1998 at 17:03
I use a simple three point system, but you set it up any way you like. A throw from the head region
around the side and down to the waist is worth three points (break the player's window). A throw
that is easy to catch, but requires the player to fully extend his arms is worth two points. A throw
which requires the player to step to make the catch is worth one. A non-catchable throw is worth
zero. The points are scored based on throwing accuracy, although you could incorporate negative
points for dropped throws (I don't use negatives). The boy who throws second gets his last turn in
order to ensure equal number of throws.
I run this with two players going head-to-head, although you can use more than that if you want.
Set a point total (I use 15), and let them go for it! This is fun, but it also requires the players to play
under pressure. If you are down 15 to 12, you have to come in with a perfect throw.
This helps the boy who is throwing to focus on the chest area of the target he is throwing at. Too
often a fielder throws to a too general area, and doesn't pick out a specific target. In this drill, the
emphasis is on "breaking the player's window".