BALL CHANGE – HOW INCORPORATING THE MED BALL CAN IMPROVE YOUR GAME
Whether you’re a youth, high school, or collegiate baseball player, if you’re serious about making big gains for next season, prioritizing med ball work during the off-season is key.
Most baseball athletes simply lack the power needed in the transverse plane (think rotation) to maximize their potential on the baseball diamond. By focusing on this quality in your training program, you can achieve significant improvements in throwing velocity and bat speed in the spring and summer seasons.
To do that, we focus on three main methods:
- Med Ball Slams
- Shotput Throws
- Hip Toss Throws
These are all drills that address power in both the sagittal and transverse planes, the directions most frequently employed during a baseball game. These drills tend to have better carryover to the demands of the sport versus traditional power training methods like Olympic lifting.
Here, we take a closer look at the drills and exercises baseball athletes should incorporate as part of their training:
Med Ball Slam:
These variations are great for developing anterior core control and creating downward force needed during the throwing motion. You can utilize different foot positions and progress from general to more position/skill specific.
Hip Toss Drills:
I love incorporating these drills in the early off-season, or with athletes who may be new to training. Hip Toss variations are great for teaching proper weight shifting and for minimizing stress on throwing arms after a long season of wear and tear.
Shotput Drills:
As we get deeper into the off-season, Shotput Throws are great exercises to incorporate to develop power needed during return to throwing programs. These drills are designed to enhance hip/thorax dissociation, which is crucial for proper timing during the throwing motion. This will increase overall power and take undue stress off the shoulder and elbow joints. Once you get the technique down in more stationary positions, you can utilize more position-specific footwork to create better carryover to the playing field.
Programming Considerations
Ideally, athletes will incorporate Med Ball drills 2-3 times per week (preferably non-consecutive days to ensure proper recovery). To perform each exercise, do 4-6 reps per side. Don’t go too heavy with your Med Ball selection, as you’re aiming for movement at higher speeds. Increase your volume over the course of the off-season, ratcheting back as you near the regular season, where throwing volume is at its peak.
With these exercises, any baseball athlete will be prepared for a strong and successful season.
BALL CHANGE – HOW INCORPORATING THE MED BALL CAN IMPROVE YOUR GAME
Whether you’re a youth, high school, or collegiate baseball player, if you’re serious about making big gains for next season, prioritizing med ball work during the off-season is key.
Most baseball athletes simply lack the power needed in the transverse plane (think rotation) to maximize their potential on the baseball diamond. By focusing on this quality in your training program, you can achieve significant improvements in throwing velocity and bat speed in the spring and summer seasons.
To do that, we focus on three main methods:
- Med Ball Slams
- Shotput Throws
- Hip Toss Throws
These are all drills that address power in both the sagittal and transverse planes, the directions most frequently employed during a baseball game. These drills tend to have better carryover to the demands of the sport versus traditional power training methods like Olympic lifting.
Here, we take a closer look at the drills and exercises baseball athletes should incorporate as part of their training:
Med Ball Slam:
These variations are great for developing anterior core control and creating downward force needed during the throwing motion. You can utilize different foot positions and progress from general to more position/skill specific.
Hip Toss Drills:
I love incorporating these drills in the early off-season, or with athletes who may be new to training. Hip Toss variations are great for teaching proper weight shifting and for minimizing stress on throwing arms after a long season of wear and tear.
Shotput Drills:
As we get deeper into the off-season, Shotput Throws are great exercises to incorporate to develop power needed during return to throwing programs. These drills are designed to enhance hip/thorax dissociation, which is crucial for proper timing during the throwing motion. This will increase overall power and take undue stress off the shoulder and elbow joints. Once you get the technique down in more stationary positions, you can utilize more position-specific footwork to create better carryover to the playing field.
Programming Considerations
Ideally, athletes will incorporate Med Ball drills 2-3 times per week (preferably non-consecutive days to ensure proper recovery). To perform each exercise, do 4-6 reps per side. Don’t go too heavy with your Med Ball selection, as you’re aiming for movement at higher speeds. Increase your volume over the course of the off-season, ratcheting back as you near the regular season, where throwing volume is at its peak.
With these exercises, any baseball athlete will be prepared for a strong and successful season.