“Throw Like a Girl”: Your Other Arm Explains It

In pairs, each student throws with their dominant arm and their other arm while their partner checks technique. With the non-dominant arm almost everyone throws “like a girl,” as the stereotype goes, showing that throwing is a learned skill, not a matter of sex.

How to play

1. Dominant arm: five distance throws. The observer checks four technique points: opposite foot forward, hip and trunk rotation, elbow at shoulder height, and follow-through. Record the best mark by cone zones (6 min).
2. Non-dominant arm: five throws with the same checklist (6 min).
3. Compare in pairs and as a group: which technique points disappear with the other arm? What does it look like? What does that have to do with how often you threw as a kid? (4 min).
4. Practice block with the non-dominant arm: ten throws, one technique cue each time, with partner feedback (6 min).
5. Final non-dominant throw, compare with the start, and wrap up (3 min).

Rules

• Everyone throws in the same direction from the same line.
• Retrieve only on the teacher's signal when no one is throwing.
• Sheets rate technique, not the person.
• Shoulder warm-up is required first.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: throws seated; observers check trunk rotation and elbow, and the student still compares both arms.
• Visual impairment: throws toward a sound source; the partner describes technique with touch cues on shoulder and hip.
• Shoulder injury: serves as expert observer and throws only with the healthy arm at low intensity.

Learning goals

• Analyze the technical factors of the overhand throw.
• Improve coordination on the non-dominant side.
• Take apart a gender stereotype with their own evidence.

Equipment for a class of 25

• tennis balls: 30
• cones: 20
• measuring tapes: 2
• observation sheets: 15

Teacher tip

Old tennis balls donated by tennis clubs are perfect. Introduce the phrase respectfully and make clear the goal is to dismantle it. Experienced throwers sometimes laugh at the non-dominant throws: having them go first usually fixes that.

More main activities for High School