Arm Speed
Arm speed is a fundamental driver of throwing velocity and power, allowing a quarterback to fit the ball into tight windows and make all types of throws from all angles and platforms. The elite quarterbacks we work with can get 35+ mph with their arm speed.
In this blog, I’ll break down why arm speed is so important for quarterbacks, discuss common reasons why some athletes may struggle with it, and provide strategies to improve it from a biomechanical and functional perspective.
Why Arm Speed Matters
Arm speed, simply put, is the velocity at which a quarterback can accelerate their throwing arm through the motion from the beginning of the throw through the release. A faster arm speed allows a quarterback to generate greater velocity on the ball, which translates to:
- Increased Throwing Power: Greater arm speed translates into more power behind the ball.
- Faster Release: Arm speed influences release time. The faster a quarterback can accelerate through the throwing motion, the quicker they can release the ball.
- Ability to Throw Against Tight Coverage or vs pressure: With a faster arm speed, and subsequent quicker release, quarterbacks can deliver passes into narrow windows and vs pressure with minimal time in the pocket.
Common Reasons for Struggling with Arm Speed
Despite its importance, many quarterbacks struggle with developing sufficient arm speed. Understanding the underlying causes is the first step in addressing it. Some common reasons for poor arm speed include:
Poor Mechanics
Playing quarterback is as much about biomechanics as it is about raw athleticism. If a quarterback’s mechanics are inefficient, they won’t be able to tap into their full potential for arm speed. Common mechanical flaws include:
- Over-striding: A long stride can cause the upper and lower body to become disjointed, slowing the transfer of power from the legs and hips to the arm. You want to strike the ground quickly and get your front foot into the ground before or by the end of the pull phase.
- Lack of rotational force: Many quarterbacks fail to engage their core and hips adequately. Since arm speed is a product of rotational power from the ground up, this leads to diminished velocity and slower arm movement.
- Inconsistent arm path: Some quarterbacks have a “long” throwing motion, where the arm travels too far behind the body. This creates inefficiency and slows down the arm through the release.
- Poor sequencing: Poor sequencing will result in less force production which will lead to slower arm speed during the acceleration phase. You should sequence in this order: pull/stride, hip rotation, torso rotation, arm acceleration, and extension.
Lack of Upper Body Strength and Stability
While arm speed isn’t solely dependent on arm strength, the muscles that stabilize and accelerate the shoulder, elbow, and wrist need to be properly conditioned. Many quarterbacks may lack the proper strength in key areas:
- Shoulder complex: Weakness in the rotator cuff, deltoids, and scapular stabilizers can limit the ability to generate explosive movement in the arm.
- Forearm and wrist: The final snap at the release point is largely dictated by forearm and wrist strength. If these areas are underdeveloped, arm speed will suffer.
- Core strength: Even though it’s not part of the “arm,” core strength is fundamental to the kinetic chain that generates throwing power resulting in slow or fast arm speed.
Mobility Limitations
Restricted mobility in the shoulder, thoracic spine, or hips can negatively impact the throwing motion. Without the proper range of motion, a quarterback will compensate with inefficient movement patterns, leading to reduced arm speed. A lack of shoulder mobility, in particular, makes it difficult to achieve the optimal arm path needed for fast, efficient throwing. Good shoulder mobility allows for a great degree of external rotation which increases arm speed.
Fatigue or Overuse
Quarterbacks who overtrain or fail to allow their arms and bodies time to recover properly may experience a reduction in arm speed due to fatigue. Overuse can also lead to muscle imbalances and injury, further limiting performance.
Strategies to Improve Arm Speed
Improving arm speed is a multifaceted process that requires attention to mechanics, strength, mobility, and recovery. Below are several strategies we use with quarterbacks to help them maximize their arm speed.
Biomechanics
The most immediate way to improve arm speed is to refine throwing mechanics. This involves a detailed analysis of the quarterback’s motion to identify inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
- Focus on rotational power: Ensure that the quarterback is generating power from their hips and core, not just their arm. Drills that emphasize rotational torque, such as med ball throws and rotational plyometrics, help teach the body to transfer force efficiently through the throw.
- Efficient arm path: Strive for an efficient arm path that minimizes excess movements. Two common areas that lead to inefficiencies are a long or looping pull and wrapping behind the head during the layback phase.
- Sequence correctly: Focus on sequencing from the foot/ankle to the hips, torso, and then out through the arm. Poor sequence = poor arm speed and velocity.
- Quick stride step: Focus on getting the stride step into the ground quickly.
- Steady off-side: Focus on using the off-side to brace the acceleration and get the ball to "pop" off the hand through the extension.
- Extension: Get full extension through the elbow joint on release.
Upper Body Strength Training
To support faster arm movement, quarterbacks must develop the specific muscles involved in throwing. This goes beyond general upper body strength—targeted exercises are crucial and you must train for both strength and speed.
- Rotator cuff strengthening exercises help to stabilize and strengthen the shoulder girdle so that it can handle high speeds during the throwing motion.
- Forearm and wrist strengthening exercises help to increase speed through release
- Core and posterior chain exercises to help transfer energy efficiently throughout the kinetic chain and help with rotational movements.
- Power through the legs developed through plyometrics, explosive lifts, sprints, and heavy resistance training.
Mobility and Flexibility Training
Improving mobility is critical to ensuring a quarterback’s throwing motion is fluid and unhindered. This helps to increase the range of motion which can subsequently increase arm speed. Several key areas to focus on are shoulders, scapula, c spine, t spine, hips/pelvis, and ankle/feet.
Speed-Specific Training
In addition to strength and mobility, arm speed can be developed through specific speed and explosive training drills:
- Plyo ball throws to help increase layback and add subtle resistance.
- Med ball throws to help with explosive rotational force production.
Recovery and Maintenance
Finally, managing recovery is crucial to maintaining arm speed over time. Quarterbacks should avoid overuse injuries by adhering to structured throwing schedules, performing regular soft tissue work (e.g., foam rolling, massage), and incorporating rest days into their routines.
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