Analysis of AJ Feeley's throwing | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Analysis of AJ Feeley's throwing

Schleprock

Schleprock

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OK, this is not a thread to argue for the billionth time about who should be the damn QB. Mods, if this occurs please edit or close!!


Anwyay, in looking over AJs play more I think I know why he has some inconsistencies. It's his throwing motion. This came to mind after watching Peyton Manning's "In their Own Words" last night. BTW, Peyton is the next Marino IMO, the guys a class act and helluva QB. Peyton said tapping the ball and not following through is something he has always paid attention to in order to not get those bad habits. He said the ball needs to be up high, with 2 hands to protect, and ready to fire.

Anyhow, if you watch AJ his problem is in his follow through. Well, actually, the lack thereof. AJ drops from center fine, his release speed is average, and his release point is good as well due to his height. But watch his lower body, hips, and chest once the ball comes out. A majority, if not almost all, of his throws do not include a follow through. AJ points his left foot toward where he wants to through, but then drives off his rear foot and only turns his upper torso 90degrees (from facing the sideline toward where he is throwing) and his arm crosses his chest.

I think what AJ needs to be doing is stepping more into the throw and bringing his right shoulder all the way over to his left hip (if that makes sense and you can visualize what I am trying to say). Right now he is twisting at the chest due to his arm coming acrossed it. I think he would be more accurate and even stronger if he stepped onto his left foot off his back foot, brought the arm through over top, and carried the thumb over and down toward his outside left thigh. Similar to what a baseball pitcher does. Aside from this current style being OK in short throws (which we have seen he has no trouble on), I think a better motion would help his longer throws.
 
it could, but who knows if the coaches have tried to fix that... it could be a thing where some people feel that these QBs got to these points with that throwing motion, dont try to **** with it now... just like david carr and phillip rivers, they might not have a picture perfect throwing motion but it works for them... i dont know, i never really analyzed it like that but im sure the QB coach or someone would talk about it if they thgouth it was causing inaccurate throws...
 
Schleprock said:
OK, this is not a thread to argue for the billionth time about who should be the damn QB. Mods, if this occurs please edit or close!!


Anwyay, in looking over AJs play more I think I know why he has some inconsistencies. It's his throwing motion. This came to mind after watching Peyton Manning's "In their Own Words" last night. BTW, Peyton is the next Marino IMO, the guys a class act and helluva QB. Peyton said tapping the ball and not following through is something he has always paid attention to in order to not get those bad habits. He said the ball needs to be up high, with 2 hands to protect, and ready to fire.

Anyhow, if you watch AJ his problem is in his follow through. Well, actually, the lack thereof. AJ drops from center fine, his release speed is average, and his release point is good as well due to his height. But watch his lower body, hips, and chest once the ball comes out. A majority, if not almost all, of his throws do not include a follow through. AJ points his left foot toward where he wants to through, but then drives off his rear foot and only turns his upper torso 90degrees (from facing the sideline toward where he is throwing) and his arm crosses his chest.

I think what AJ needs to be doing is stepping more into the throw and bringing his right shoulder all the way over to his left hip (if that makes sense and you can visualize what I am trying to say). Right now he is twisting at the chest due to his arm coming acrossed it. I think he would be more accurate and even stronger if he stepped onto his left foot off his back foot, brought the arm through over top, and carried the thumb over and down toward his outside left thigh. Similar to what a baseball pitcher does. Aside from this current style being OK in short throws (which we have seen he has no trouble on), I think a better motion would help his longer throws.
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Some good points...will be interesting to see if the coached notice the same and work on improving those.
 
arsenal said:
it could, but who knows if the coaches have tried to fix that... it could be a thing where some people feel that these QBs got to these points with that throwing motion, dont try to **** with it now... just like david carr and phillip rivers, they might not have a picture perfect throwing motion but it works for them... i dont know, i never really analyzed it like that but im sure the QB coach or someone would talk about it if they thgouth it was causing inaccurate throws...
Click to expand...

yea but in reading the article on Couch, this is exactly how he lost his arm, bad habits...so it should be stressed to throw properly.
 
MDFINFAN said:
yea but in reading the article on Couch, this is exactly how he lost his arm, bad habits...so it should be stressed to throw properly.
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Yes, if feeley is worthy of backup we wouldn't want him to destroy his arm from bad form!
 
Finaddict said:
Yes, if feeley is worthy of backup we wouldn't want him to destroy his arm from bad form!
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You're right we wouldn't, we might need him sometime during the season.
 
What? Are we becoming QB coaches now? LOL What's with all the analyzing...sorry I just find it funny how some people go overboard. my bad lol
 
IBleedAqua said:
What? Are we becoming QB coaches now? LOL What's with all the analyzing...sorry I just find it funny how some people go overboard. my bad lol
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Well what he says is right. I don't think it's so much of a mechanics thing, but a lack of trust thing with the O-line. He is afraid he is going to get smashed.

He just may be gun shy, which you can fix with a good line.

If it's mechanics, the boy is 28, and whats the old saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

See, now you made me stick up for AJ :cry:
 
Feeley throws just fine. As Scott Linehan said, Feeley has "special talent" when it comes to throwing the football. It's the other aspects of his game that need work.
 
NJFINSFAN1 said:
Well what he says is right. I don't think it's so much of a mechanics thing, but a lack of trust thing with the O-line. He is afraid he is going to get smashed.

He just may be gun shy, which you can fix with a good line.

If it's mechanics, the boy is 28, and whats the old saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

See, now you made me stick up for AJ :cry:
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But you make a lot sense, I often though he change his style to accommodate the play of the OL last year, reminded me of Marino in his later years when he couldn't get away from the pass rush, you never knew what would happen on his throws, and yes a lot of them got int's, he threw more in the last 3 years than I could ever remember before than. But all this is mute as Gus will start and we'll just have to look forward to the next QB we get in here.
 
I'll give you One Word ....TEDFORD.

Check all of his former QB's. They all throw the same way. Tedford spends hours on re-doing all of his QB's Mechanics before they even see the field. He completly rebuilds their throwing motion. It's easy to recognize a tedford QB. Look at where they hold the ball. If they hold it high up in the air, then tedford was their coach.
 
I think these points have been made before but they become washed away with the QB controversies. His motion seems to start from his hip and swings around. So it takes that much more time to get rid of it. I sometimes wonder if QB's would just watch Marino tapes again and again and see where he holds the ball when he is dropping back and then watch the follow through, would they not pick up the good habits?

Its very hard, especially at this level to get a QB to change his style and it ussually has to be done in the offseason. Just like pitching coaches often make pitchers do.
 
Good observation, but I wonder how much of his mechanics and tecnique were changed when he started playing behind our offensive line
 
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. When Marino was a 1st or 2nd year player, me and a buddy would throw the ball continuosly, trying to replicate that famous release. It would grow as a habit no doubt. And as anybody who has become great at a sports activity would tell you, it probably started with trying to replicate a sports hero. Ask me sometime my theory on how the Florida colleges all came into being dominant in the early 80's. It was because the kids that grew up idolizing Warfield, Morris, Csonka, Griese, Buoniconti etc. came into their own. It all started with the early 70's Dolphins baby!

Show Feeley and company Marino's release and challenge them to replicate it!
Oh, and as a side note Feeley drops the ball to his waist and his throwing hand will turn and face backwards just before coming forward- like a pitcher's in baseball. I suspect that is where he's screwed himself up.
 
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