Rotational medicine-ball throw for tennis

Legs, hips, trunk, release: a 2–3 kg medicine ball thrown into a solid wall from a side stance. 2 × 5 per side, 75 seconds of rest. Optional: only with a ball and a safe wall. Part of strength and power in the 6-week tennis fitness program.

Why it matters

Passes force from legs to hips to trunk, the same chain as a groundstroke. Groundstrokes are force passed from the legs through the hips to the trunk; the throw trains that chain at speed.

How to do it

1. Ball: a 2–3 kg medicine ball, a soft rubber one that bounces back, or a soft wall ball. A basketball works to learn the move.
2. Use a solid wall (brick or concrete), away from windows.
3. Stand side-on to the wall, about 2 m away, ball at the far hip.
4. Turn the hips first, then the trunk, and throw the ball into the wall as fast as you can.
5. Catch it and reset. Do all reps on one side, then switch.

Common mistakes

• Throwing with the arms only.
• A ball so heavy the throw gets slow: speed is the point.
• A ball that bounces back too hard to catch safely.

How much

2 sets of 5 throws to each side at every level, after the jumps and before the strength work. Without a ball and a wall, leave it out: the jumps and the strength exercises already give the main effect.

Related

• Vertical jumps for tennis
• Lateral bounds for tennis
• The tennis strength session
• The whole 6-week program