The absolute basics in handball: the right stance, secure two-handed catching and the first steps of throwing technique — cleanly explained.
## Introduction "Why do I always look a touch too slow on court?" — the honest answer: it's usually not your fitness but your stance. Anyone standing upright with legs together has to laboriously get moving before every action. The right handball stance is your launch pad: slightly bent knees, weight on the forefoot, hands in front of the body. From this position you're ready instantly — for a pass, throw, jump or defense.
This base isn't a detail but the foundation everything else builds on. The German Handball Federation starts development exactly here: ball security and clean fundamentals first, then more complex tasks. And it pays off: playing in a slightly bent posture with active knees means you automatically land softer after jumps — protecting the ACL, which in handball most often ruptures without opponent contact. So the stance is performance and safety in one. This guide teaches you stance, catching and your first throw.
## What You Need - A ball in the right size (size 3/2/1 by age). - Indoor shoes with grip for a secure stance. - A wall or a partner to catch and pass. - Some space to move in every direction. - 10 minutes of warm-up for legs and shoulders.
### 1. The Athletic Stance Stand shoulder-width, bend your knees slightly and shift your weight onto the balls of your feet. The upper body leans minimally forward, the back is straight, hands loose in front of the body. This posture is called the athletic stance — from it you can move explosively in any direction. Practice bouncing lightly on the spot in this position.
### 2. Secure Two-Handed Catching Always catch the ball with both hands and actively extended arms. The fingers are spread and form a "W" behind the ball, the thumbs point toward each other. Key: pull your hands slightly back toward the body as you catch — this cushioning takes the sting out of the ball and stops it bouncing off. Never block with straight, stiff fingers; that's the most common cause of jammed fingers.
### 3. The Right Ball Grip For the throw you grip the ball with your fingertips, not with the flat hand. Spread the fingers and leave a small gap between palm and ball. Only then can you swing your arm back freely and roll the ball off in a controlled way at release. With the right ball size this works even with smaller hands.
### 4. The First Throwing Steps Your basic throw is the standing throw. Set the ball behind your head, rotate the upper body to the throwing-arm side and initiate the throw from the pelvis — the pelvis rotates first, then the trunk, shoulder and lastly the arm follow. The arm is the last link of the chain, not the engine. Throw slowly against the wall at first and watch only this order. Once it feels smooth, gently increase the speed. The order pelvis–trunk–shoulder–arm is universal: it holds regardless of throw type, ball weight and gender.
## Common Mistakes - Upright, stiff stance: makes you slow. Fix: bend knees, weight forward. - Catching one-handed: unsafe and injury-prone. Fix: always two hands, fingers in a "W". - Stiff fingers when catching: jams the joints. Fix: pull hands back to cushion. - Ball in the flat hand: kills throw control. Fix: fingertip grip, spread the fingers.
## Safety Notes The athletic stance is also active injury prevention: playing with bent knees anyway means softer landings after jumps and a protected ACL. Never catch with straight, stiff fingers — that's the typical cause of jammed or dislocated finger joints; an unstable joint can be taped for games. Warm up your shoulder thoroughly before every throwing session, because the one-sided throwing load is the long-term hotspot for complaints.
## Pro Tip Practice catching by passing hard against a wall yourself and catching the rebound — deliberately with slightly retreating hands. If you feel the ball "sink in" instead of bouncing off, you're doing it right. This one habit — cushion the ball instead of blocking it — handles jammed fingers before they become an issue and makes your first ball control instantly safer.
### What does the correct handball stance look like? Shoulder-width stance, slightly bent knees, weight on the balls of the feet, upper body leaning minimally forward and hands loose in front of the body. From this athletic stance you can move explosively in any direction and are instantly ready for a pass, throw, jump or defense — an upright, stiff stance, by contrast, makes you slow.
### How do I catch a handball correctly? Always two-handed with extended arms. Spread the fingers into a "W" behind the ball, thumbs pointing toward each other. Pull your hands slightly back as you catch to cushion the ball. That way it won't bounce off and you avoid jammed fingers, the typical result of stiff blocking.
### How do I hold the ball if I have small hands? Grip the ball with spread fingertips, not the flat palm, and leave a small gap between palm and ball. Decisive is the right ball size: with the ball correct for your age and gender (size 3/2/1) a secure grip works even with smaller hands.
### What should I start with as a beginner? Begin in this order: first the athletic stance, then secure two-handed catching and passing, then the ball grip and finally the slow standing throw with the correct sequence (pelvis first). This base carries everything else — the German Handball Federation builds development exactly this way.
Handball: First Steps and Exercises