Perfect technique for throwing the CrossFit ball

The ball throw in CrossFit is seen from the outside as a simple, almost straightforward movement, and on many occasions it deceives us when it appears in a WOD and we underestimate it, something that we pay for shortly after.

The wallball shot technique is often overlooked. It seems like you just throw it and that's it, but there is much more behind it and today we are going to try to decipher it and turn your medicine ball throws into something very technical.

How to be effective in Crossfit ball throwing?

In CrossFit, I have always said that efficiency in movements is one of the most important aspects, so it is essential to perform them with the best possible technique for the entire duration of the training or WOD. Only by being efficient will we achieve:

• Doing No Reps: Which means not wasting energy doing extra reps that will tire us out more than we probably already are, or are going to be.
• Avoiding injuries: Efficiency is linked to technique, which is linked to a correct way of executing movements that avoids bad posture or the improper use of some muscles to execute the movements.
• Save energy and time: When you don't involve muscles you shouldn't, you save on movements and you don't eat repetitions... your "gasoline" lasts longer.
• Do more reps: By avoiding the above, we use the extra strength and time on what really matters: doing reps and gaining seconds on the clock.

Crossfit Ball Throwing Technique:

So we're going to achieve all of that with the perfect ball throwing technique.

• Choose the right weight of the ball . This should be challenging, but not something that will weigh you down in round one. Also, too much weight will lead to postural and technical deformation in the long run.
• Legs hip-width apart, feet pointing slightly outwards and back neutral.
• The ball is held from the lower middle area , if the ball face were a clock, one hand would be at 8 and the other at 4. And it is not grabbed, it is held, as if it were a salad bowl.
• In the initial position we are standing , and the ball lightly touches our chest, it is not supported on it.
• Before you start, throw the ball standing up straight towards the target, making sure you are at the correct distance from the wall.
• The correct distance is the one in which when you throw the ball it makes a minimum parabola to touch it. If you are too close the throw will be very vertical, like a rocket and it will be difficult to hit the target, in addition you will receive the ball over your head which will surely cause errors when catching it back. If you are too far away the parabola will require a very strong push to hit the target, which will cause more fatigue and probability of error. In addition, the medicine ball, due to its composition, does not have a great bounce so it will fall very far in front of you and you will not be able to hold it when it falls, you will have to catch it and you will end up failing.
• Throwing: With the correct posture and the ball prepared at the right distance from the wall, we squat down until we break parallel and ascend in the same way. As we ascend, we use the momentum to throw the ball vertically with a slight parabola and with a certain amount of force . If it does not bounce off the wall, it will fall stuck to it, making it impossible to catch it.
• Pickup: With your hands in a salad bowl position, wait for the ball to fall and accompany it on its way down. You don't have to catch it, but hold it, and this should not be done at the highest point but at the height between your chest and your chin. Then go back down in a squat.

Extra tips for throwing the Crossfit ball perfectly:

If the wod is very long and your arms start to fail you, you can do mini jumps when you throw, just enough to help with the initial push. But not too big so you can land in the same place and not lose the correct position.

Once launched you do not have to wait with your arms raised , with practice you will be able to lower them for a few very short seconds of relaxation and place them in the reception position (8-4).

If you fall forward when picking up the ball, it means you are moving away from the wall. Reposition yourself . The same applies if it falls very vertically, which means you are moving closer to the wall.

Practice and tell us how it goes!