Setup & Positioning
- Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart, holding a stability ball in front of your thighs.
- Engage your core and keep a slight bend in the knees.
- Find a clear space or a sturdy wall/partner behind you to receive the throw.
Key point: “The power comes from your hips, not just your arms.”
Execution
- Hinge at the hips, lowering the ball toward the floor in front of your knees, keeping your back flat.
- Explosively extend your hips, swing your arms upward, and launch the ball backward over your head.
- Follow through with your body, but keep your core braced to avoid overextending your lower back.
- Retrieve the ball and repeat for the set reps.
Where You Should Feel It
- Glutes and hamstrings powering the hip extension
- Core stabilizing during the throw
- Shoulders and upper back assisting the launch
Where You Shouldn’t Feel It
- Lower back pain from overextending
- Shoulder strain from relying only on the arms
- Neck discomfort from looking up excessively
Breathing
"Inhale as you hinge down, exhale explosively as you throw the ball overhead."
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overarching the lower back – Keep your core engaged through the follow-through.
- Using only the arms – Drive the movement from the hips.
- Bending the elbows excessively – Keep arms relatively straight for better transfer of power.
- Standing too upright before the throw – Load with a proper hip hinge for maximum force.
