Cornered by Mike Baldwin for July 31, 2012

I recall an old Saturday Night Live sketch, “The Run, Jump, and Throw Like a Girl Olympics.” Sexist of course, but funny nonetheless.

My understanding is that women’s shoulders are constructed a bit differently than men’s (as are the hips, for more obvious reasons), so the standard overhand throwing motion comes less naturally. Whether that results in an advantage when it comes to underhand throwing, as is used in softball, I couldn’t hazard a guess.

I’d say that an unpracticed 8 year old boy will be as awkward when it comes to throwing as an unpracticed 8 year-old girl, but they will be awkward in different ways, hence “throwing like a girl” carries a greater insult than simply “throwing badly.” And by culture (perhaps reinforced by nature) young boys are generally more practiced at throwing things than young girls (if only through throwing rocks, sticks, and dirt clods at small animals, trees, windows, and each other).