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anna@shestrength.com

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April 15, 2022

Top Medicine Ball Drills for Power in Softball

https://youtu.be/i2ziYLylkOUDrill 1: 2-Foot SlamAthlete comes up on her toes raising the medicine ball overhead, she lifts her feet up off the floor and lands in a squat as she slams the ball into the floor using her hips and arms simultaneously. She should land whole foot on the floor NOT on her toes.Cue: "whip the ball to the floor"Best done with a 6-8# med ballDrill 2: Standing Broad Jump + Launch.Athlete jumps as far up and out as she can on 2 feet launching the ball in front of her body as far as she can. She then sprints to chase it down.Best done with a 6-8# med ball.Drill 3: Right/Left Approach and LaunchAthlete approaches the ball with a right/left foot 2-step approach, then picks the ball up and throws through the ball with 1-arm trying not to stop momentum. She then chases the ball and walks it back.Best done with a 4-6# med ball.Drill 3: Partner Med Ball Sit and Back Pedal2 athletes start facing each other. Partner 1 chest passes the ball to partner 2 standing in front of them. Partner 2 sits the ball down on the floor (not rolling it) and back pedals as fast as she can as Partner 1 sprints forward to pick it up and chest pass it again. Both partners repeat this across the designated distance before switching roles.Best done with a 8-10# med ball.Drill 4: Partner Med Ball Chest Pass from the BackPartner 1 lies on her back on the floor, Partner 2 stands over her behind her head. For :30 seconds Partner 1 chest passes the med ball as high and as fast as she can into the air while Partner 2 catches the ball and guides it back down to Partner 1.Best done with a 4-6# med ball.Drill 5: Partner Low-Stance Speed SlamsPartner 1 holds her hands in front of her body in a low squat position. Partner 2 squats down and slams the ball into the floor and up into her partners hands as many times as she can in :30 seconds. Then they switch.Best done with 6-8# med ballDrill 6: Floor to Ceiling Med Ball HeavesPartner 1 starts with the ball on the floor between her feet. She heaves the ball as high as she can in the air reaching full extension overhead with her arms. Partner 2 catches the ball and returns it to Partner 1 in the same way.Best done with 6-8# med balls.Drill 7: Split SlamsPartner 1 starts with the ball overhead on her toes, she quickly lifts her feet up off the floor (NOT jumping) and splits her legs apart in a lunge as she slams the ball into the floor. Partner 2 returns the ball back the same way. They alternate which leg splits forward each rep.Best done with 6-8# med balls.These medicine ball drills are used weekly with the Hutchinson Community College Women's Softball Team. Various versions of these drills are combined with weight training, sprint training/skills, and core workouts.For more information about training with sheSTRENGTH or softball programming ideas to do with your team click "programs" in the top menu and "sports performance"

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