Are there really shortcuts worth taking while throwing to 3B?

Great video and explanation. We have a catcher on our team that throws from his knees to 3b and 1b all the time. He is a good kid and has a great arm but I have always wondered if its really faster or not. I am somewhat biased as my son plays catcher and I think is just as good but does not throw from his knees (although I think he could make that throw as well).
Time to break out the stopwatch.

I witnessed a catcher all HS season take the short cut throw over the batter, not do the foot work step around the hitter and throw.

The result was 13 over throws to third base, thirteen runs scored on throwing error. It was less than 50 50 if the third basemen could catch it, tall catcher with an arm that didn't know better or overconfident, and got no help.

Great topic, but to be accurate in stating which style might be faster, each individual must be timed/filmed making the different throwing styles. IMO, in Shop's video, he just flat out moves all his body parts faster. I don't think it is fair to compare different styles by different catchers.

I do not necessarily disagree with most of the observations made.

Lefthookdad,

Though I certainly respect the idea that in an ideal situation we'd have video of each of these three guys using different throwing mechanics throughout the season, this is really no different than comparing different hitter's swings on pitches to certain parts of the plate. Some player's swing mechanics are simply better and more efficient than others.

Like I said in the article, this is the most honest representation of those three throws that I could put together with the resources readily available. The important thing to remember here is that it really isn't about these particular catchers. It's about the specific approach to this throw that each takes. This isn't a comparison of the three catchers. It's a comparison of mechanics using a video representation of each type of throw. How quickly each one got rid of the ball had little to do with physical attributes, and more to do with mechanical efficiency.

The question the article answers is "why does Kelly Shoppach appear to flat out move faster?" Remember, these are all successful throws, but the risks outweigh the reward in regards to Pierzinski's and Hundley's throws.

Thanks for your input!

Thank you for taking your time to put out the article. In my haste I did overlook that fact you you were really focused on technique vs. time(not sure how I ended up on that now that I look back). I do agree with proper mechanics and positioning being the major factor contributing to a successful throw.

BTW, I am a huge fan of aggressive catching/cathers. I love having catchers that aren't afraid to throw the ball with confidence.