Plyometric training is a key component to developing explosive power that can be applied to the throwing motion. This revelation is nothing new – coaches have been using medicine ball drills for years, but a vast majority of athletes miss the boat when it comes to performing these movements properly, losing out on some of the biggest benefits of these exercises. Not only that, many athletes have no clue how to progress medicine ball throws once they have mastered the basics – do you add weight? Do more reps? Let’s cut through the crap and make you an expert on one of the most effective medball drills for pitchers that you’ve probably been doing wrong: What We Know: Elite level throwers effectively transfer their bodyweight from back leg to front leg, while minimizing energy leakage up the kinetic chain. Front leg bracing and upper body extension out over the front leg are positively correlated with elite velocity. The more seamlessly leg drive can transition into hip rotation > lead leg bracing > explosive torso flexion/rotation out in front, the higher the exit ball velocity will be. Maxing out each segment in the kinetic chain not only requires a certain level of mobility at the ankle, hip, thoracic and shoulder segments, but it involves the athlete feeling comfortable enough getting in extreme positions that often test the end ranges of their mobility. Enter the overhead medball throw: This overhead medball progression is not a substitute for actual skill practice, but it will help teach basic weight shift, full extension of the rear leg and torso at release, along with training the throwing specific musculature in coordinated and ballistic fashion. –A properly performed medball throw does these […]
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