Kids Throwing Sidearm: When to Fix It, When to Leave It

In my experience running camps, most sidearm throws come from one of four places. Shoulder mobility issues are the biggest culprit - especially with younger kids who haven't developed full range of motion yet. I've also seen it happen when kids are trying to throw harder than their arm strength allows.

Sometimes it's pure imitation. Kid sees a submarine pitcher on YouTube and thinks it looks cool. Other times, it's actually their body's way of protecting itself from pain or discomfort they can't articulate.

The mistake I made early in my coaching career was assuming every sidearm throw was 'wrong.' Sometimes a kid's arm slot is just naturally lower, and forcing it higher creates more problems than it solves.

Here's when I know a sidearm throw needs attention: when it's causing accuracy issues, when the ball has no carry, or when the kid complains about arm fatigue after just a few throws. I also watch for throws that start overhand but drop to sidearm as the player gets tired.

The biggest red flag is inconsistency. If a kid throws overhand sometimes and sidearm other times without any pattern, that usually means they haven't developed a reliable throwing motion yet.

At the high school level, I've seen sidearm throwers struggle with longer throws - anything over 60 feet starts to rainbow on them. That's when mechanics become more important than personal preference.

I learned this lesson the hard way with a high school shortstop. Kid threw sidearm on every play, never missed his target, had plenty of arm strength. I spent three weeks trying to 'fix' his mechanics. His accuracy went to hell, his confidence disappeared, and his natural arm strength seemed to vanish.

If a kid throws sidearm but gets the ball there accurately and with decent velocity, sometimes the best coaching is no coaching. This is especially true for infielders who might use a lower arm slot for quick-release situations.

The key question I ask myself: Is this causing problems or just looking different? Different isn't always wrong in baseball.

When I do need to work on arm slot, the fence drill is my first choice. Have the player stand with their throwing shoulder against a chain-link fence or wall. When they try to throw, the fence forces their elbow to stay up and their arm to work in a more vertical plane.

Setup: Player stands sideways to fence, throwing shoulder touching. Coach stands 10-15 feet away.

How it works: Player goes through throwing motion slowly at first, then builds up speed. The fence prevents the sidearm motion naturally.

I love this drill because it doesn't require me to give a dozen verbal cues. The fence does the teaching, and muscle memory starts to develop quickly.

Knee throwing has become one of my favorite drills for fixing throwing mechanics because it eliminates the lower body completely. Kids can't compensate with footwork or hip rotation - they have to use proper arm action to generate any power.

Setup: Both players kneel facing each other, about 15-20 feet apart.

How it works: Start with easy tosses, focusing on elbow position and follow-through. Gradually increase distance as mechanics improve.

Why it works: Without legs to generate power, players naturally find a more efficient arm slot. I've seen kids fix sidearm issues in one session with this drill.

This is my secret weapon for kids who revert to sidearm under pressure. We start close to a wall - like really close, maybe 3 feet - and work on proper arm action without worrying about distance.

Player faces the wall and makes throwing motions, letting the ball barely touch the wall before catching it back. The wall forces proper mechanics because a sidearm motion would send the ball sideways.

Once they get the feel for proper arm slot, we back up gradually. Five feet, ten feet, eventually to normal throwing distance. The key is not rushing the progression.

The most frustrating thing I see is kids who look perfect in warm-ups but revert to sidearm during live play. This usually means they haven't internalized the new mechanics yet - they're still thinking instead of reacting.

Issue: Good mechanics in practice, sidearm in games.
Fix: More repetition at game speed, less talking during drills.

Issue: Player complains the new way 'doesn't feel right.'
Fix: That's normal. Stick with it for at least two weeks before evaluating.

Sometimes I use BenchCoach to track throwing mechanics over multiple practices. It helps me see patterns I might miss during the chaos of team practice.

Here's what I wish someone had told me early in my coaching career: mechanical changes take time. Like, real time. Not one practice, not one week. Sometimes a month or more for the new pattern to become automatic.

I've seen too many coaches (myself included) give up on a mechanical fix after a few practices because it 'wasn't working.' The truth is, it probably was working - just not fast enough for our expectations.

The best approach I've found is to pick one thing - arm slot, in this case - and stick with it consistently rather than trying to fix everything at once. Kids can only process so much change before they start overthinking every throw.

Sometimes a sidearm throw isn't about mechanics at all - it's about physical limitations or previous injuries that need professional attention. If a kid consistently reverts to sidearm despite good instruction and practice, consider having their shoulder mobility checked by someone who knows what they're looking at.

I learned this lesson with a 14-year-old who couldn't get his elbow up no matter what we tried. Turns out he had some old scar tissue from a previous injury that was limiting his range of motion. Once that got addressed, his mechanics improved almost immediately.

Don't be afraid to admit when something is outside your expertise. Sometimes the best coaching move is knowing when to refer to someone else.