A Study on the Optimum Time to Learn the Overhand Throwing

Abstract

We had children from elementary school and from junior high school practice overhand throwing with tennis ball for four weeks. All children were taught in the same way, regardless of age, and the effects of this practice, as seen from throwing a tennis ball, a baseball, and a softball, were examined in terms of the most appropriate age range of children to whom this practice should be emphasized.1. The distance thrown increased with age in both boys and girls, regardless of the type of ball. The greater increment was seen between seven and nine years of age in boys, and between nine and eleven years of age in girls. The appreciable development continued in softball throwing even after twelve years of age in boys.2. The effect of practice on throwing ability was greatest at seven- or eight- years old boys, and at eight- to ten- years old girls. This corresponded well with the age ranges in which throwing distance was increasing most rapidly. In junior high school boys, on the other hand, even though marked development could be seen as age increased, little effect of practice could be seen.3. The effect of practice on throwing distance was seen more in the stable exertion of ability than in the development of the best record. The effect of this type could be shown especially in the younger ages.4. Use of a running approach increased the distance thrown, no matter what the age, for both boys and girls. This difference increased with age in the boys, but not in the girls.5. The distance thrown with running approach improved most in seven and eight year old boys, and in eight to ten year old girls over the practice period.6. Development of throwing ability in boys could be seen to be primarily a matter of dimensional factors of movement (e.g., step length/height) from seven to ten years of age, whereas the qualitative factors such as use of trunk rotation and the improved timing among movements of body segments played a greater role after ten years of age. In girls, on the other hand, dimensional factors of movement were primarily responsible for the improved throwing ability up to twelve years of age.7. At the ages when the dimensional and qualitative factor of movement could be improved remarkably with practices a greater deal of development could also be observed in throwing distance.8. These findings may suggest that the optimal period for learning the overhand throw is early elementary school years for boys, and early and intermediate elementary school years for girls. Throwing practice should thus be incorporated into physical education curricula for these years.