# Why do girls throw so differently from guys? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 18, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930 "2003-11-18T17:08:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![smootman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@smootman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smootman)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/1 "2003-11-18T17:08:48Z")
What is different about females that makes their overhand throw so different from a males overhand throw? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/2 "2003-11-18T17:16:32Z")
It’s all in the training and pratice. Boys tend to practice sports more often and learn the proper way to throw. Girls who are taught to throw the “right” way and practice playing as much as boys do can throw just as well as any boy, if not better. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/3 "2003-11-18T17:27:24Z")
There have been threads on this before. Much of it comes down to what girls are expected to do in school during P.E. classes. From a biomechanical standpoint, girls don’t pick up the technique of cocking their arm back correctly. Pick up a ball in your throwing hand. As you prepare to throw it, your wrist should be outside your elbow. Now put the ball in your “other” hand. Most of us will not be able to throw the ball with our wrist outside the elbow. Our arm will turn toward our body. And VOILA! you are throwing “like a girl”. When I went to Japan on a trip, I saw several Japanese baseball games and there were women throwing out the first pitch several times and a few contests where women had to throw baseballs. Japanese women tended to throw properly, so apparently they are being taught correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/4 "2003-11-18T17:43:24Z")
Also - if you look carefully, typically girls (that throw like girls) throw off of the wrong foot. When you pitch, or toss a football, etc., if you are a right-hander you step forward with your left foot as you throw. Most girls throwing right-handed will step forward with their right foot as they throw. — Peter Wiggen ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/5 "2003-11-18T17:49:36Z")
I was pleased to discover that my girlfriend throws an American football at least as well as I do. I don’t know where she learned how, but she’s good. ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/6 "2003-11-18T18:04:33Z")
I know plenty of boys that can’t throw. Do they throw like girls? Then the girls that can’t throw, throw like girls, but girls that can throw, throw like boys? But not like the boys that can’t throw, who throw like girls, but not like the girls that can throw? It’s all so confusing. Simpler: Why can’t some people throw correctly? They never learned how. ---
**Author:** ![beagledave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@beagledave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beagledave)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/7 "2003-11-18T18:40:03Z")
The definitive answer to this question was supplied by [James Fallows](http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/96aug/throw/throw.htm) ---
**Author:** ![shelbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@shelbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shelbo)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/8 "2003-11-18T19:04:56Z")
Great article **beagledave**. Thanks for the link. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/9 "2003-11-18T19:24:08Z")
There may be some minor biomechanical issues, but mostly it’s just training. Don’t ever accuse my wife of “throwing like a girl”…she’ll gladly demonstrate her throwing style by pitching one right at your head! ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/10 "2003-11-19T07:02:20Z")
I have coached kid’s cricket teams for years and under the age of 12 lots of the kids (boys and girls) need instruction and practice in catching and throwing a ball. It doesn’t take long to get a child proficient if they practice and, if you start with both boys and girls who “throw like girls”, no noticeable difference in capacity to learn. ---
**Author:** ![Mott\_the\_Hoople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Mott\_the\_Hoople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mott_the_Hoople)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/11 "2003-11-19T08:47:23Z")
I can throw a baseball 88 MPH… I can throw a football 55 yrds… I can pinpoint-cast a fishing Lure within an inch of my target I can probably throw a hand-grenade 30-40 yrds… Why can’t I throw a Frisbee? Most chicks I Know can throw a Frisbee… Why must I be Damned with this Malady? ---
**Author:** ![mrcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@mrcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrcrow)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/12 "2003-11-19T09:13:14Z")
God knows;) ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-girls-throw-so-differently-from-guys/213930/13 "2003-11-19T11:42:52Z")
A recent thread on this topic ([Link](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=206503))