Nature vs. nurture, continued: Throwing ‘like a girl’

Of all the differences between males and females, one's throwing ability is perhaps the most catch phrase-able:

"You throw like a GIRL."

But it's more than just men's physical strength that leads to this disparity, argues sociologist Lisa Wade.

We know that the difference emerges at puberty, suggesting that sheer size might have something to do with it. But the fact that boys and men, on average, get much more practice throwing than women might also play a role. How to test this?
Well, here's one way: compare men and women throwing with their non-dominant hand. Muscle memory doesn't transfer from one side of the body to the other. Accordingly, since most people have a lot of practice throwing only with one hand, comparing the throws of men and women using their non-dominant hand might tell us something interesting.

And cue the video:

--Nate Minor

Turn Up Your Support

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.

Nature vs. nurture, continued: Throwing ‘like a girl’

Go Deeper.

Like this?

Turn Up Your Support