Hooker Line-out throw

[Bready]

Dear Martin,
How would you advise the hooker practice their line-out throw most effectively either in a coaching or personal training environment? How often should this be practiced to best build the skill and are there any products on the market which could help them to achieve this?

Many Thanks in advance,
B.

[Martin]

Hello,

Interesting aspect, the throw-in is all important - up there with the goalkicking.

First, technique: almost everybody uses the two handed throw. If you think of your arm as a lever to move the ball, it is certainly not a very effective one because of the shoulder, elbow and wrist joint. They give the throw a lot of variables. With the two handed throw a lot of these are removed from the technique.

Next, upper body strength: a tight upper body provides the base for the movement of the arms. I saw a practise in the Wales Academy program where the hooker sat on a swiss ball to work on this stable platform. That hooker even managed to hit the target while kneeling on the swiss ball!

Then the target, a fixed target helps to focus on the throw. This is good practise but in the actual game there is no target. The trainer can use a target on a stick, raising the stick simulates the player getting lifted and the hooker timing the throw.

Last, the mental aspect: clear your mind to hit the target under pressure!

Good luck,
Martin