How to Throw a Football Faster

Using Good Technique

Stand in a split stance with 70-80% of your weight on your back foot. Take a split stance with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your dominant leg back. Distribute most of your weight on your rear foot to allow for greater rotation and drive when you throw the ball.

Line up your thumb and middle finger around the football. Hold the ball tightly in your throwing hand at about chest height and orient it so your thumb and middle finger form a straight line with each other on the ball. Wrap the rest of your fingers around the ball to help you control your throw. Your thumb and middle finger won’t connect or wrap all the way around the ball, so imagine an invisible straight line between them. The grip is critical to throwing a tight spiral, which will help you increase the speed of your throw.

Keep your elbow just above your armpit level as you start to throw. When you’re ready to throw the ball, start bringing your throwing arm up and back behind your head. Make an “L” shape with your arm by keeping your elbow just above your armpit and your arm at about a 90-degree angle as you bring the ball back. If your elbow is lower than your armpit, you’ll be pushing the ball more than throwing it, which means the ball will travel slower.

Point the nose of the ball forward in your windup. Aim the front nose of the football forward in front of you. Keep your arm in the “L” shape as you move your arm backward and prepare to throw the ball. Pointing the nose forward increases the rotation of your shoulder and stretches your chest muscles, adding more power and speed to your throw. Try your best not to let the front nose of the football aim up or off to the side as you bring your arm back.

Rotate your hips forward to begin your throw. Drive off your rear foot to turn your hips and put your whole body into the throw. Rotate your hips and start moving your arm forward to add more speed and power. Your hips need to lead the motion to add rotational power. Try not to lean forward or shift your weight onto your lead foot, which can put you off balance and make your throw less powerful.

Make your throwing motion quick and snappy. Bring arm back behind you, keep the nose facing forward, rotate your hips as you move your arm forward, and release the ball in 1 fluid motion. Keep your throw quick and snappy, adding as much power behind it as you can to make it go faster toward your intended target. The more smooth and fluid your throw, the quicker the ball will travel.

Flick your wrist as you release the ball to add torque. Snap your wrist forward to some extra oomph to the throw. Flick your wrist to create a nice, tight spiral as well, which will help the ball travel faster through the air.

Drilling for Speed

Do hitch drills to practice rotating your hips forward. Stand in a strong, throwing split stance with your arms up as though you’re holding a football (but don’t use one). Shuffle forward a step or 2, bring your arm back, and snap your hips and shoulder forward to simulate the start of the throwing motion. Repeat the movement for 5 sets of 10 reps. Try holding a 2–5 pounds (0.91–2.27 kg) weight in your lead hand to increase your speed and power.

Practice throwing with a towel to increase your arm speed. Increase the fast-twitch muscle fibers in your arm, which allows it to move faster, by throwing a towel instead of a football. Take a towel, bunch it up in your hand, and throw it as fast as you can using good throwing technique. Try throwing the towel 5-6 times to build your fast-twitch muscles.

Throw a foam football 6 times then a regulation ball 6 times. Use a lighter football to help train your nervous system to work faster than normal. Throw the foam ball as fast as you can, then switch to a regulation-sized football and throw it as fast as you can. After you throw the lighter ball, your body starts to resist it and will use more muscle speed to throw it. By training with alternating weights, you can increase your overall throwing speed. You can find foam footballs at your local department store or sporting goods store. You can also order them online. Do this drill 3 times each time you practice.

Use a 2–3 lb (0.91–1.36 kg) medicine ball for 6 throws. In addition to lightweight foam footballs, try using a medicine ball heavier than a regulation football. Throw the medicine ball as hard as you can 6 times with good technique, then switch to a regulation football for 6 throws. You can use your non-throwing hand to help balance the medicine ball if you need it. Your throwing muscles will reset to resist the heavier weight of the medicine ball, which will cause them to use ore power. Do this drill 3 times after you do it with a foam football.

Building Arm Strength

Do single-arm dumbbell presses to improve balance. Take a single dumbbell that’s a weight you can press 12-15 times. Lie on a flat bench and hold the weight so it’s level with your chest. Press all the way up so your arm is fully extended above your chest, then return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of 15 reps for each of your arms. A single-arm press engages your core, forces you to keep your body balanced, and doesn’t have the limited mobility of barbell bench presses.

Use single-arm dumbbell rows to increase arm strength. Place the hand you’re not using to row on a flat bench and place the same-side knee on the bench so your back is parallel with the ground. Pick up a single dumbbell, keep your back straight, and use your arm to pull the dumbbell until your upper arm is parallel with the ground. Then, return to the starting position. Use a weight you can row 15 times and do 3 sets of 15 reps on each arm. The pulling motion of a row helps balance out your arm and build strength. Try not to let your shoulder roll down too much; instead, think more about driving your elbow back behind you.

Try lunge rotational twists with a medicine ball to build power. Hold a medicine ball with both arms extended out in front of you. Place 1 leg behind you and bend your knees so your rear knee touches the ground. Keep your arms straight and rotate the medicine ball over your bent front leg. Drive up to a standing position and rotate the medicine ball so it’s directly in front of you. Repeat the movement for 2 sets of 8 reps on each leg. Use a weight that allows you to do the movement safely and with good form. This exercise works almost every muscle involved in a powerful throw including your legs, shoulders, arms, and torso.

Strengthen your rotator cuff to increase throwing speed. Your rotator cuff and the 4-muscle group surrounding your shoulder joint are key to building throwing speed. Target your rotator cuff with specific exercises that will both stretch and strengthen it. Do shoulder rotations by holding a light dumbbell with your arm bent 90 degrees and rotating the outstretched part of your arm in towards your abdomen and then away from your body. Shoot for 2 sets of 15 reps. Try wall pushups by standing facing a wall, placing both of the palms of your hands on the wall, and bending your elbows to move your body until they’re at a 90-degree bend. Hold the position for a second then push yourself back to the starting position. Try to do it 10-15 times.

Minimize your use of bench press and bicep curls. Bench presses and bicep curls reduce your shoulder’s ability to rotate internally and externally, both of which are important for throwing a football with a lot of speed. Focus on other exercises that allow for more range of motion in your shoulder.