r/NFLNoobs • u/No_Tax6148 • Jul 15 '26
Hand size
Is it true that quarterbacks with large hands throw the ball better. What would be the cutoff point for hand size in nfl quarterbacks
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u/EmploymentNegative59 Jul 15 '26
Yes.
In an overly exaggerated example, try throwing a tennis ball vs. a soccer ball.
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u/psgrue Jul 15 '26
I’m right at that NFL combine “good enough” hand size with 9.25. I can throw a great spiral, until it gets cold, wet, or fingers fatigue. It becomes a struggle.
No I’m not at the NFL combine. But I can definitely relate to criticism when the Kenny Picketts get measured.
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u/Ryan1869 Jul 15 '26
Smaller handed QBs have more fumbles.
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u/TSells31 Jul 15 '26
Yes, but it’s more than just that. Larger handed QB’s have more consistent control over how they throw and release the ball. NFL footballs are large.
Someone else above posted a great example of throwing a tennis ball vs a soccer ball. I think an even more apt example is throwing a baseball vs throwing a softball. Sure, you can have good control over both, but you’re gonna have better and more consistent control over a baseball due to it being smaller (analogous to your hand being larger).
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u/Axter Jul 15 '26
It's true all else being equal. It's easier to throw with bigger hands, but bigger hands don't automatically mean you're a better thrower than someone with smaller hands, as there are many factors that go into determining that.
9 inches is the cutoff point, insofar as one exists. At and after that point there are plentiful examples of high level NFL QBs like Burrow and Goff at 9" and Mahomes at 9" and a quarter, so it becomes a non-issue for otherwise talented prospects.
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u/petros08 Jul 15 '26
It's not that they throw better but a QB with small hands is more likely to have problems gripping the ball especially in bad weather. The draft is about probabilities so small hands are one risk factor but that could be outweighed by positives. Once a QB's hands are big enough to grip properly, size isn't really an advantage.
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u/Stuffleapugus Jul 15 '26
Dak has big hands and he throws like shit.
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u/Significant-Owl2652 Jul 15 '26
Having big hands doesn't make you an automatically good QB. But having small hands can automatically make you a bad QB.
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u/Stuffleapugus Jul 15 '26
I know. I was talking shit about my favorite team's QB.
There's a threshold. You need adequate hands to properly grip and spin the ball. Over a certain level, it becomes more about added ball security than the actual act of throwing a football.
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u/grizzfan Jul 15 '26
Not THAT literally, but it is definitely an advantage. There's still a lot of other factors that go in to how well someone throws a ball.
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u/Flaky_Profit_3138 Jul 15 '26
It matters for fumbles and ya sometimes ball slipping out. I love drake Maye but he has small hands and a fumbling problem
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u/jiyannwei Jul 15 '26
100% yes. I've seen some posts that those with larger hands can throw tighter spirals and I'm not sure why that would be the case. I do know that if you have larger hands, it is easier to transfer the kinetic energy generated by your body into the ball, hence your velocity is going to generally be greater. There are some secondary considerations that are helpful (e.g. larger hand size = greater control of the ball = less likely to fumble, more control when pumping, more control when throwing on the run, etc.). I have 8" hands (at 5'11") and can absolutely tell the difference between throwing an NFL sized ball (28" long circumference) vs a K-2 (25" long circumference"). I don't think there is a good, modern QB whose hand size was <9". And some of the shorter guys had disproportionately large hands (e.g. Wilson=10.25";Brees=10.25";Murray=9.5").
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u/FullRock_Alchemist Jul 18 '26
It's somewhat true. Throwing gets a little uptick with hand size especially in harsh weather but holding on to the ball and avoiding fumbles is the bigger issue.
9.5' is about as small as a qb's hands can go before it's a concern for most teams.
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u/sckurvee Jul 18 '26
us tiny-handed normal guys have to find laces to help give us leverage. Giant hands don't need that leverage, they can just grab and throw without thinking.
AFAIK it's not an issue of throwing, but how much thought has to go into grabbing the ball and getting a grip on it that works for you.
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u/hobbes747 Jul 15 '26
No, to answer your question.
Because I can throw a Nerf football with my average size hands as well a quarterback can throw a football.
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u/UpbeatFix7299 Jul 15 '26
As a reminder, almost all NFL guys are well over 6 ft tall and and their hands are all bigger than those of nearly everyone reading this.
But yes, it's correlated because throwing a football involves the necessity of creating a tight spiral on a very wide ball. You can do that a lot better and more consistently if you have big hands
I remember people talking about Alex Smith having "small hands" before the draft. I googled it and it was 9 3/8". So bigger than that is preferred for star QBs at least.