Fundamentals Of A Great Throwing Release | Quarterback Mechanics

Have you ever noticed quarterbacks who when they release the ball, their overall motion is so swift and easy that you immediately want to know the techniques they follow? Throwing release is essential for any quarterback. I see a lot of quarterbacks that send me their videos giving breakdowns of themselves throwing and the release, for me, really makes a big influence on the fundamentals of a great throwing release.

The better you can get your release nice and cleaned up, the better you will be able to generate force. Throwing release fundamentals start from when you load and generate force at the beginning of your throw. This force in the lower body determines how fast you are able to release the ball out of your hand.

Some of the fundamentals that are really important, you should be able to have some degree of load or pull-back (make sure you don’t get the ball too far behind your head) when you get ready to throw the ball. You bring the ball back and then bring it up, and finally release it right out and through. For a better release, you can have some side bend when you release but the more upright the better. This helps you create a lot of force out of your trunk and lateral lean.

If you don’t get the throwing release fundamentals right away, don’t worry, I’ll cover each and every step in detail below. But first, let’s have a look at a few basics.

What Is A QB Release In Football?

The measuring tool I use to determine the throwing release time is the time the front hand leaves the ball until the time the ball comes out of the quarterback's hand.

Fundamentals Of A Great Quarterback Throwing Release

The Load

The loading of the shoulder and lower body is a critical part of maximizing release time performance. The more time it takes to load through the upper and lower body the longer it will take for the ball to come out of your hands. That is why we put an emphasis on improving the load to get the ball out of your hands faster.

Also must read: Top 10 Secrets To Improve Speed Immediately | Sprint Mechanics

Generating Force

You can generate ample force by getting into the right position to throw and open up your hips right away in the process. By generating force and rotation through the back leg while taking the initial step you set your body up to be smooth and efficient with the upper body.

Pushing The Force Ahead With The Back Leg

An important part of generating force in your throw is your back leg position. You need to find the right balance for yourself. I’ve seen many Quarterbacks struggling to get this part right. You should push your force toward the target with your back leg, this will make sure you don’t have wasted motion in the throwing arm. And will get the momentum going in the right direction.

When the back leg creates horizontal and rotational for it allows the lower body to lead the throw which is critical to get a quicker release.

Driving The Elbow

After mastering utilizing the lower body during the throw it must be finished by driving your elbow fast and through. You should release the ball out in front of the body and your elbow and wrist should be stacked during the release. Moreover, this elbow drive should be closer to the ear and not too far from your head. This entire process of driving the elbow takes less than a tenth of a second for pro-footballers.

It does take practice and persistence to perfect your throw and release. Each and every component in the process is important, if you get one of these wrong, your release time will increase or your throwing velocity will decrease.

Mechanics Of The Hand And Wrist

When you are coming through with your elbow, make sure you are keeping your pinky finger coming forward with the motion. Moreover, you should also flick your wrist as you are coming through with your elbow.

This helps you generate that extra velocity in your throw. Flicking the wrist forward and rotating the shoulder so the pinky ends up facing upwards are critical to generating maximum throwing velocity.

After The Throwing Release

After you release the ball, the follow-through motion of your elbow is also vital to understand. You need to make sure you are bringing the ball down instead of moving your elbow sideways. The key is to move your arm straight down after the release. This helps maximize your overall release pattern.