Throwing is an action which consists in
accelerating a
projectile
A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found in ...
and then releasing it so that it follows a
ballistic trajectory, usually with the aim of
impacting a remote target. This action is best characterized for animals with
prehensile limbs: in this case the projectile is
grasped, while the limb segments impart a motion of the hand through compounded
mechanical advantage. For other animals, the definition of throwing is somewhat unclear, as other actions such as
spitting or
spraying may or may not be included.
Primates
Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians (monkeys and apes, the latter including huma ...
are the most capable throwers in the animal kingdom, and they typically throw
feces
Feces ( or faeces), known colloquially and in slang as poo and poop, are the solid or semi-solid remains of food that was not digested in the small intestine, and has been broken down by bacteria in the large intestine. Feces contain a relati ...
as a form of
agonistic behavior
Agonistic behaviour is any social behaviour related to fighting. The term has broader meaning than aggressive behaviour because it includes threats, displays, retreats, placation, and conciliation. The term "agonistic behaviour" was first implemen ...
. Of all primates,
humans are by far the most capable throwers. They throw a large variety of projectiles, with a much greater efficacy and accuracy. Humans have thrown projectiles for
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
and in
warfare – first through
rock-throwing, then refined weapon-throwing (e.g.
spear), and into modern day with
hand grenade
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
s and
tear gas canisters.
If humans initially threw objects by hand, they very early designed tools to improve the efficiency of their throwing techniques. The
sling
sling may refer to:
Places
*Sling, Anglesey, Wales
*Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean
People with the name
* Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ...
, the
bow and arrow
The bow and arrow is a ranged weapon system consisting of an elastic launching device (bow) and long-shafted projectiles ( arrows). Humans used bows and arrows for hunting and aggression long before recorded history, and the practice was comm ...
, and various models of
catapult
A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...
s are notable examples of throwing
mechanisms.
With the advent of
gun powder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
, research in throwing mechanisms as
ranged weapons
A ranged weapon is any weapon that can engage targets beyond hand-to-hand distance, i.e. at distances greater than the physical reach of the user holding the weapon itself. The act of using such a weapon is also known as shooting. It is someti ...
essentially halted, but throwing either by hand or with mechanical assistance has persisted for
recreational purpose or as a form of
exercise
Exercise is a body activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness.
It is performed for various reasons, to aid growth and improve strength, develop muscles and the cardiovascular system, hone athletic ...
. Throwing is thus still performed in many
sports and
games
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...
, particularly
ball games, and in
throwing sports the action is the main determiner of the outcome.
Evolutionary history
Throwing dates back 2 million years to ''
Homo erectus
''Homo erectus'' (; meaning "upright man") is an extinct species of archaic human from the Pleistocene, with its earliest occurrence about 2 million years ago. Several human species, such as '' H. heidelbergensis'' and '' H. antecessor' ...
''.
[Melissa Hogenboom,]
Origins of human throwing unlocked
, '' BBC News'' (26 June 2013).
Development of the offensive throwing of
projectile
A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found in ...
s is mostly a development of the
human lineage, although the aimed throwing of sticks and rocks by male chimpanzees during
agonistic
An agonist is a chemical that activates a receptor to produce a biological response. Receptors are cellular proteins whose activation causes the cell to modify what it is currently doing. In contrast, an antagonist blocks the action of the agoni ...
displays has been observed, first described by
Jane Goodall in 1964.
"Accumulative throwing", that is, the targeted throwing of rocks at a specific target, leading to the gradual accumulation of a stone pile, has also been described for chimpanzees.
Wooden
darts were used for
hunting
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
at least from the ''
Middle Paleolithic
The Middle Paleolithic (or Middle Palaeolithic) is the second subdivision of the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age as it is understood in Europe, Africa and Asia. The term Middle Stone Age is used as an equivalent or a synonym for the Middle Paleoli ...
'', by ''
Homo heidelbergensis''. The
spear-thrower is a development of the
Upper Paleolithic, certainly in use by the
Solutrean (c. 20,000 years ago).
Human athletes can achieve throwing speeds close to (),
far in excess of the maximal speed attainable by chimpanzees, at about ().
This ability reflects the ability of the human
shoulder muscle
Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...
s and
tendons to store
elasticity
Elasticity often refers to:
*Elasticity (physics), continuum mechanics of bodies that deform reversibly under stress
Elasticity may also refer to:
Information technology
* Elasticity (data store), the flexibility of the data model and the cl ...
until it is needed to propel an object.
Types
Types of throws include overhand throws, underhand throws and using both hands. Overhand throws are thrown predominantly above the shoulder, underhand throws below. Overhand throws are usually significantly faster, and ball speeds of have been recorded in
baseball. Thrown objects can often be intentionally spun for stability or aerodynamic effects.
The notion of throwing typically refers to an action performed without mechanical assistance, but mechanical assistance, as long as it doesn't involve the release of
chemical or
electric energy, doesn't fundamentally change the nature of the action, and can thus be considered as throwing too. As such, throwing mechanisms will be discussed in this section.
Overhand throwing motion
The overhand throwing motion is a complex
motor skill that involves the entire body in a series of linked movements starting from the legs, progressing up through the pelvis and trunk, and culminating in a
ballistic motion in the arm that propels a projectile forward. It is used almost exclusively in athletic events. The throwing motion can be broken down into three basic steps: cocking, accelerating, and releasing.
Desired qualities in the action produce a fast, accurate throw. These qualities are affected by the physical attributes of the thrower like height, strength, and
flexibility. However it is mainly the throwing motion mechanics and the thrower's ability to coordinate them that determines the quality of the throw. Determining the desired qualities of the throwing motion is difficult to assess due to the extremely short amount of time that it takes professionals to perform the motion.
Throwing mechanisms
Throwing mechanisms, along with projectiles themselves, rank amongst the oldest technological artefacts in the archaeological records. They vary greatly in size and complexity, from the hand-held and extremely simple
sling
sling may refer to:
Places
*Sling, Anglesey, Wales
*Sling, Gloucestershire, England, a small village in the Forest of Dean
People with the name
* Otto Šling (1912–1952), repressed Czech communist functionary
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ...
, to the very heavy and complex
catapult
A catapult is a ballistic device used to launch a projectile a great distance without the aid of gunpowder or other propellants – particularly various types of ancient and medieval siege engines. A catapult uses the sudden release of stored p ...
s. These two types of devices have in common with hand-throwing the fact that the only requirements for their projectiles are size and weight. In that sense they differ from more specialized throwing techniques such as those developed in
archery
Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...
, where the projectiles have very strong requirements for their shape.
Uses
Thrown weapons
Throwing is used for propelling weapons such as stones or spears at enemies, predators, or prey.
*
Knife throwing, the art of throwing a knife at a target
*
Spear throwing was used and until relatively recent times was the predominant mode of weaponry used in warfare
*
Throwing axes are thrown, usually overhand
*
Boomerangs (throwing sticks) are used by
Aboriginal
Aborigine, aborigine or aboriginal may refer to:
*Aborigines (mythology), in Roman mythology
* Indigenous peoples, general term for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area
*One of several groups of indigenous peoples, see ...
s for hunting purposes.
*
Shurikenjutsu are traditional Japanese thrown weapons
*
Hand grenade
A grenade is an explosive weapon typically thrown by hand (also called hand grenade), but can also refer to a shell (explosive projectile) shot from the muzzle of a rifle (as a rifle grenade) or a grenade launcher. A modern hand grenade genera ...
s are thrown explosives
Sports and games
*Pitching or bowling in
bat-and-ball games
Bat-and-ball games (or safe haven games) are field games played by two opposing teams. Action starts when the defending team throws a ball at a dedicated player of the attacking team, who tries to hit it with a bat and run between various safe ar ...
, e.g.
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
,
baseball,
softball
*Throwing of balls and clubs is used in
juggling
*
Bowling
*
Darts
*
Flying disc games
*
Stone skipping
Track and field contains four major throwing events:
discus throw,
hammer throw,
javelin throw and
shot put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
. The
weight throw is the fifth most common field throwing event, while the
club throw is unique to
disability athletics.
Sexual differences
Research by ''
MythBusters
''MythBusters'' is a science entertainment television program, developed by Peter Rees and produced by Australia's Beyond Television Productions. The series premiered on the Discovery Channel on January 23, 2003. It was broadcast internatio ...
'' found that men and women throw almost equally well with their non-dominant hand, suggesting that the sexual differences were probably due to differences in training.
[
]
Non primates
Throwing is rare among non-primates but, provided the definition is relaxed to entail for instance
spitting, several examples can be found amongst various taxa, such as
camelids,
cobras or the
archerfish.
Elephants have been observed throwing rocks and logs, using their trunk to grab and flick items, although they lack the accuracy that primates can achieve, and it is more commonly used as a warning to aggressors.
If one is willing to consider ''dropping'' as a special case of throwing, then one can include birds, most notably
vultures, as some species are known to drop stones in order to break shells or other hard food sources on the ground.
Orcas are often observed throwing
seals in the air, usually by hitting them with their caudal fin. This behavior is speculated to be purely recreational.
See also
*
Catch (game)
References
External links
{{Commons category-inline, Throwing
Ballistics
Motor skills
Biomechanics
Paleoanthropology
Articles containing video clips