The Washington herald., 1917-12-02
bomb
| TO BALI PLAYER
Tossing Death to Germans
Is Different from Putting
Them Through Alley. .

EVery man 70 MS traoe ana pabe-
ball players who 60 into the army
naturally ind or seek their level In
the bomb throwing practice. When
the baseball men visited Camp Taylor
at Louisville they were interested
enough in seeing imaginary Germans
made Of twigs and straw bayoneted
by enthusiastic rockies, but their gen
eraH chorus was: Where do they
throw the bombs7 We want to see
Uncle Sans pitchers at work"
There did not happen 70 be any bomb
throwing practice on chat day, but q
letter from a former ball player now
with the army in France concerning
this angle Of the war game may help
I'LL in the gap.
throwing as It appeals to the sporting
instincts OF ball player as follows:
I've taken strongly to bombing.
and the indications are that viii be
permanently assigned to. the bombing
squad. Down in our practice trenches
the other day scored II hits In 16
tries, which happened to be better
than anybody in my company did. I
always did have control.
I'VE used dummy bombs and gren-
ades. but the conditions otherwise
were Of the same character that We
shall confront later on. We were
distributed about our first line trench.
Over the top. over a stretch Of about
90 feet OF ground. was No Mans
Land
Certain spots were marked out in
the German front line trench as tar
gets. and It was at these we aimed.
From a sporting angle this business
of grenade throwing Is quite q study.
I enjoyed 1t tremendously, and 1t has
been absorbingly interesting and fas-
cinating to the other fellows. .
There are different kinds Of gren-
ades. The shapes however. vary
slightly, and they are carried in tin
cans and weigh about one pound and
a half.
1.-The through principle which
prevails in golf. baseball, tennis, foot
ball, squash. billiards and racquets
also obtains in bombing. The pitch
er's follow-through, the finish OF q
golfers drive. the sweep OF a free
swinging batter, the arc described by
tennis player serving, a half-back
kicking or throwing a forward pass,
the swing Of the squash and racquet
pAdySl IIo VI lLS
expert billiard player-each Of these
has a certain resemblance to that EN-.
ployed in bombing. But in bombing
we throw from 1everal positions
standing upright, leaning against the
wall Of a trench. kneeling, sitting
and even while lying prone. We are
expected to throw the things accu.
rately from any other positions-it
there are any.
I'VE have distance, accuracy and
time to consider, and the Importance
of each OF these requisites is co-ordi'
mated. Perfection in all three alone
will spell success.
II take a bomb, place It in my right
hand and extend both my right and
left hands. Both feet are together
when 1 start the movement and my
left hand is used as an index. 1 point
1t ut the spot hope to hit, practicine
using it to aim with. As bring my
right arm-stiff and extended-upwarC
and backward I also move my right
foot back a few inches-making a sor'
, Of movable>base. From this position
start the second half Of the throw.
''I bring my right arm upward and
the left naturally goes downward
4
and stiff, is upright In line with M
body 1 release my grip on the bomb
l have, of course, considered distanc'
and accuracy, and to provide for ex
plosion at contact-timing-I throw
the bomb so that it will describe al
arc in its flight to consume time.
THE bomb is never thrown in &
| straight line like a baseball. 1t 4!
hn
der, but the back and body are be
hind the throw, also the shoulder. The
elbow is never bent, as in baseball
and the reason for this is that
fellows arm would go dead on him
If he did bend it.
! Another reason for throwing with
| the arm stiff and always extended i:
that you naturally describe an arC
as the result of the overhead mo
ton. The Importance Of this lies In
the fact that you are throwing from
one trench, below the grounds sur
face, to another trench. The bomt
must go up into the air to come dowr
| in the enemy's trench.
I'VE are put through position ex'
ercise which is calculated to develop
form-the same as in sport At one
| stage of the exercise our right arm:
are held directly overhead in a line
with the body. 1t is from this posi-
ton that the bomb is ordinarily re-
leased.
"As I say, the whole thing is fas'
cinating. 1t is hard to give up the
idea of throwing a bomb as though
it were a baseball, but we soon gel
that into our heads. Besides, a char.
ley horse in the arm, is an awfu
thing. The old thrill Of hitting tht
mark, however. is there and the base
ball instinct is shown in the remark.
that follow a goot toss-baseball slant
| that is heard everywhere in tn,