Development of Ball Skills

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Introduction

Ball skills involve applying force to an object to propel it. The actions of throwing, kicking, and striking follow similar developmental patterns due to the shared mechanical principles of object projection. Among these, the overhand throw for distance has been the most extensively researched by scientists. Ball skills are important for many games and sports. Movements like throwing and catching are crucial for early childhood, and engaging in such games not only enhances gross motor skills but also supports overall growth and development in children. The ability to throw or catch is strongly linked to the development of movement skills used in sports later in life.

Overarm throwing

Throwing can be done in various ways. Young children often use the two-hand underhand throw and the one-hand underhand throw. Other types include the sidearm throw and the two-hand overarm throw. The choice of throw, especially in children, is often influenced by task constraints, such as the size of the ball. Throwing is crucial as it is a complex motion that will influence the child's future involvement in sports.

Characteristics of early overarm throwing:

• Usually restricted to arm action alone.
• Children bring up their hand with their elbow up, and throw by extending the elbow without taking a step.
• Sometimes they wil use trunc flexion, instead of rotation.

Expert overarm throwing movement pattern:

• The weight shifts to the back foot, the torso rotates backward, and the arm performs a circular, downward backswing to prepare for the throw.
• The leg opposite the throwing arm steps forward to extend the distance over which force is applied to the ball and to enable full torso rotation.
• The trunk rotates forward to add force to the throw. For maximal force, the rotation is differentiated, meaning the lower torso moves ahead of the upper torso, creating a movement that resembles the body opening up.
• The trunk bends sideways, away from the side of the throwing arm.
• The upper arm forms a right angle with the torso and moves forward just as (or slightly after) the shoulders rotate to face the front. This means that, when viewed from the side, the upper arm is visible within the outline of the torso.
• The thrower keeps the elbow at a right angle during the forward swing, extending the arm when the shoulders face forward. Extending the arm just before release lengthens the radius of the throwing arc.
• During the forward swing, the forearm lags behind the trunk and upper arm. As the upper trunk rotates forward, the forearm and hand seem stationary or move slightly down or back. The forearm continues to lag until the upper trunk and shoulders fully rotate in the direction of the throw.
• The follow-through disperses the force of the throw over distance. Most of the wrist flexion occurs during the follow-through, after the thrower has released the ball.
• Dissipating force after release maximizes the speed of movement while the ball is in the hand.
  

Developmental sequence for throwing

Trunk action	Backswing and forearm action (backswing)	Humerus action (forward swing)	Forearm action (forward swing)	Foot action
Step 1: No trunk action or forward/backward movements. Only the arm is involved in generating force.	Step 1: No backswing: The ball in the hand moves directly forward from its original position when first grasped, with no backward motion.	step 1: Humerus oblique: The upper arm moves forward to release the ball in a plane that intersects the trunk obliquely, either above or below the horizontal line of the shoulders.	step 1: No forearm lag: The forearm and ball move continuously forward to release throughout the throwing action.	step 1: No step: The child throws from their initial foot position without stepping.
Step 2: Upper trunk rotation: The spine and pelvis rotate away from the intended flight path and then simultaneously start rotating forward, functioning as a single unit.	Step 2: Elbow and humeral flexion: The ball moves away from the intended flight path to a position behind or beside the head through upward flexion of the humerus and simultaneous elbow flexion.	Step 2: Humerus aligned but independent: The upper arm moves forward to release the ball in a plane horizontally aligned with the shoulders.	step 2: Forearm lag: The forearm and ball appear to lag, reaching their farthest back, lowest point, or last stationary position before the shoulders face forward.	step 2: Homolateral step: The child steps with the foot on the same side as the throwing hand.
Step 3: Differentiated rotation: The pelvis initiates forward rotation before the upper spine. The child twists away from the intended ball flight path and then starts forward rotation with the pelvis while the upper spine continues to twist away.	Step 3: Circular, upward backswing: The ball moves away from the intended flight path to a position behind the head via a circular overhead movement with the elbow extended, an oblique swing back, or a vertical lift from the hip.	step 3: Humerus lags: The upper arm moves forward to release the ball in a plane horizontally aligned, but as the shoulders reach a front-facing position, the upper arm remains within the outline of the body.	step 3: Delayed forearm lag: The lagging forearm delays reaching its final lag position until the moment the shoulders face forward.	step 3: Short contralateral step: The child steps with the foot on the opposite side of the throwing hand.
	Step 4: Circular, downward backswing: The ball moves away from the intended flight path to a position behind the head through a circular down-and-back motion, bringing the hand below the waist.			step 4: Long contralateral step: The child steps with the opposite foot over a distance greater than half their standing height.

Kicking

For kicking a ball, children must have adequate perceptual abilities and eye-foot coordination to make contact with the ball.

Characteristics of early kicking:

Children just learning to kick a ball will use a single action, rather than a sequence. They will not step forward with the non-kicking leg, the kicking leg only pushes forward. There is no trunk rotation and the arms are at the sides of the body.

Expert kicking pattern:

• The child runs up to the ball. As a natural outcome of the running stride, the trunk rotates backward and the knee of the kicking leg bends just after pushing off from the rear leg. Approaching the ball at a run also contributes momentum to the kick.
• The child uses a sequence of movements with the kicking leg. First, the thigh rotates forward, then the lower leg extends just before contacting the ball to increase the arc radius through which the kicking leg moves. The straightened leg continues forward after contact, dissipating the force of the kick during the follow-through.
• The child swings the kicking leg through its full range of motion at the hip.
• The child incorporates trunk rotation to maximize the range of motion. To balance the full leg swing, the kicker leans back upon contact.
• The child uses the arms in opposition to the legs in response to trunk and leg movements.

Overarm striking

Overarm striking is a fundamental motor skill where an individual uses their arm to hit an object, typically with an extended arm moving over the shoulder. This action is common in various sports, such as tennis, volleybal, and baseball.

Characteristics of early overarm striking

A novice striker shows restricted movement in the pelvis and spine, swings with a bent elbow, and moves the arm and racket forward simultaneously. The movement pattern in early overarm striking resembles that of early overarm throwing.

Expert overarm striking patterns:

• The child rotates the pelvis and the spine more than 90°.
• The child keeps its elbow between 90° and 119° at the start of moving forward.
• The child keeps the racket behind its arm during the swing.

Developmental sequence for overarm striking.

Preparatory phase: trunk action	Ball-contact phase: elbow action	Ball-contact phase: spinal range of motion	Ball-contact phase: pelvic range of motion	Ball-contact phase: racket action
Step 1: No trunk action	Step 1: Angle is 20° or less	Step 1: Spine rotates less than 45°	Step 1: Pelvis rotates less than 45°	Step 1: No racket lag
Step 2: Minimal trunk rotation (<180°)	Step 2: Angle is 21° to 89°	Step 2: Spine rotates between 45° and 89°	Step 2: Pelvis rotates between 45° and 89°	Step 2: Racket lag
Step 3: Total trunk rotation (>180°)	Step 3: Angle is 90° to 119°	Step 3: Spine rotates more than 90°	Step 3: Pelvis rotates more than 90°	Step 3: Delayed racket lag

Catching

Catching is a skill where a child intercepts and secures an object, typically with their hands or a tool like a glove. This skill is essential in various sports and activities, such as baseball, basketball, and recreational games.

Characteristics of early catching

A child learning to catch a ball typically absorbs minimal force. They often hold their hands and arms stiffly and may trap the ball against their chest rather than catching it in their hands. It's common for young children to turn away from the ball or close their eyes as they anticipate its arrival.

Expert catching patterns:

• The child learns to catch the ball with their hands and allows for gradual absorption of the ball's force.
• The child masters the ability to move left, right, forward, or backward to intercept the ball.
• When catching a high ball, the child points the fingers upward; when catching a low ball, the child points the fingers downward.

Developmenta l sequence for two-hand catching

Arm action	Hand action	Body action
Step 1: Almost no response. Arms are extended forward. The ball is usually trapped against the child's chest.	Step 1: Palms up: the palms of the hand of the child are facing up.	Step 1: No adjustments.
Step 2: Hugging: the arms of the child are extended sideways to hug the ball. They still trap the ball against their chest.	Step 2: Palms in: the palms of the child are facing each other.	Step 2: Akward adjustment: the arms and trunk are beginning to move, but the head of the child remains erect.
Step 3: Scooping: the arms of the child are extended forward, but they move under the ball. The ball is still trapped against their chest.	Step 3: Palms adjusted: the palms of the child are adjusted to the size of the ball they want to catch.	Step 3: Proper adjustment: the feet, trunk, and arms of the child all move to catch the ball.
Step 4: Arms give: the arms extend to meet the ball. The ball is caught in their hands.

Kicking skills for the pediatric physical therapist

When practicing kicking skills with a child the following things are important:

• Emphasizing speed over accuracy in children's motor learning might promote greater development of ballistic skills.