Men’s soccer reporter Alex DiFilippo heads out of the newsroom to attempt the flip throw-in under the guidance of senior defender Dave Hertel.
Hertel has been doing the flip throw since he was in fifth grade, and it has proven to be an offensive threat for every team he has been a part of.
MSU head coach Joe Baum thinks the flip throw puts pressure on opponents and gives his team a chance to put the ball into the back of the net.
Watch DiFilippo try to execute the maneuver and fail miserably.
Senior defender David Hertel brings a valuable weapon to the men’s soccer team’s offensive arsenal: He can throw the ball a mile.
Hertel’s ability to clear a great distance with his throw-ins comes from his mastery of the flip throw. He takes five or six big strides and does the flip by putting the ball on the ground and whipping his body around to create momentum that sends the ball flying out of his hands like a missile.
This proves to be very valuable for the Spartans when they have the ball in their opponent’s half because Hertel is able to get the ball inside the 18-yard box from a long distance.
So, after watching Hertel do his flip throw all season, I figured I would give it a shot.
Hertel was gracious enough to schedule a Flip Throw 101 session with me Thursday and I spent all of last week looking forward to learning this new maneuver. I began my practice runs two hours before meeting up with Hertel for my official lesson. To make sure I didn’t suffer a serious injury, my roommate helped me drag our living room futon mattress outside to help me gain confidence on a soft and forgiving surface.
What I was doing at first could best be described as a half-barrel roll. And the worst part was, it still actually hurt when I landed on the mattress.
After a couple of decent practice half-flips I decided to try my luck on the grass. But when I didn’t have the mattress to break my fall, I got spooked and completely ate it, face-plant style.
At this point, I was having serious doubts about whether or not this was going to be a good idea. I really thought I was going to embarrass myself and wind up with some type of injury.
I had started the day off so excited to learn the flip throw and now I just wanted to get it over with. Hurting myself had become inevitable in my mind.
But when I arrived at the men’s team practice field I noticed something that would eventually save me: Lots and lots of leaves.
No one had raked up the droppings from a big tree right at the entrance of the soccer field. I immediately saw these leaves as an opportunity to help break my fall and hopefully prevent a trip to the hospital.
Hertel was surprised to see my dedication to attempt the flip throw — especially after he told me that “he thought someone would need some type of gymnastics background before just starting to flip.”
And of course I have absolutely no background in gymnastics.
When I lined up for my first attempt, I wasn’t sure just how much of a difference a small pile of leaves would make. Much to my delight, the pile completely broke my fall. I attempted the flip three times and didn’t even come close to landing it. It’s a very difficult maneuver because you have to get a lot of speed to make sure you do a full rotation. But at the same time, it’s intimidating to get going fast and totally commit.
The flip throw is definitely just as difficult as it looks. The leaves bailed me out big time and I was able to escape my lesson with a sore back — and a sore ego.
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