DESCRIPTION OF THE MEDICINE BALL SWING SLAM

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The Medicine Ball Swing Slam (MBSS) is an excellent exercise for developing whole body power with an emphasis on explosive rotary power.  This exercise is ideal for increasing coil strength and power for sports involving throwing, swinging and striking movements like golf, baseball and tennis to name just a few.

The MBSS like the chopping exercises requires a good deal of core stability and whole-body strength to perform effectively and with good technique.  Refer to our article on the Three Tiered Pyramid Fitness and Conditioning Model if you want to read more about functional progressions essential for improving performance in golf or any other sport.

Starting position

Choose an inflatable rubber medicine ball to “play with” between 5 and 8 pounds.  The medicine ball should be inflated to allow for a fair amount of bounce and recoil off the wall.

Stand about 3 feet from a face brick or concrete block wall in the “athletic stance” – that is, standing with your feet about shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, torso erect and your body weight balanced between your heel and mid-foot. 

NOTE:  You should make every effort to maintain the athletic stance throughout the exercise and that you do not flex (bend) excessively at the hip or round your spine.

The “Swing”

Begin the swing of the ball with your trunk rotated about 60 degrees from the wall and the medicine ball held out with two arms to the side of the hip you have rotated towards.

Initiate the swing of the ball toward the wall with your “powerful” leg and hip muscles in a quick, almost jumping motion  (the soles of your feet may lose contact with the ground but must remain pointed toward the wall).

Allow your trunk muscles to use the force generated by your legs to “uncoil” and forcefully rotate your trunk, shoulders and arms in the opposite direction towards the wall.

Swing and release the ball from your hands so as to hit a point directly in front of you at about chest/mid-torso level – it might be helpful to aim hitting a specific mark on the wall.

The Catch

The momentum generated from the swing should carry your body into a position similar to the starting position just with your trunk and shoulders turned in the opposite direction.

The elastic quality of the rubber ball makes it so that the ball rebounds with force off the wall at an angle similar to the release angle of the previous swing.  It is essential to “use” this rebound energy to your benefit and allow it to stretch your muscles and force you into a slightly more rotated position after catching the ball.

After catching the ball with both hands, QUICKLY and powerfully swing the ball back towards the wall as with the previous movement. 

N.B.  It is crucial that the time delay between catching the ball and releasing it is as short as possible, otherwise the plyometric effect will be lost and the effectiveness of the exercise greatly reduced.

Keep swinging and catching the ball quickly and powerfully until you notice your technique begins to decline.  At this point stop immediately and recover for the next set. 

Do not train into fatigue because as we have mentioned several times on this website, this will reinforce faulty motor programs in your brain.

Performance tips for the MBSS:

• Remember to use the force transfer of the kinetic chain – that is concentrate on “using your legs to throw the ball” not your shoulders
• Keep your back upright and straight and your weight shifted slightly toward your heels
• Imagine the medicine ball as a “hot potato” to accentuate the quick release
• Remember that power training is about speed and fast, ballistic/bouncing-type movements