Medicine Ball : Part 1

Key Points

• Program Overview: The exercises are designed specifically for pickleball, focusing on lateral push-offs, acceleration, deceleration, and changing direction effectively.
• Rest Periods: Stick to the recommended rest periods to allow proper recovery between exercises.
• Technique First: Prioritize controlled movement and correct form before increasing speed or dynamic intensity.
• Progression: Once the technique is mastered, increase speed and effort to make the exercises more challenging and effective for pickleball performance.
• Setup: Start with a lateral bound while holding a medicine ball.
• Catch and hold the ball under the chin, ensuring a strong, braced posture.
• Land low into the glute, brace the core, and maintain good posture to enable dynamic movement from that position.
• Focus on hip drive and pushing back into the court.
• Execution: Perform 5 repetitions on each side.
• Emphasize long, strong lateral steps.
• Use the exercise to build strength in the glutes, improve stopping ability, and enhance the ability to push out of low positions effectively.
• Exercise Overview: Forward rotation focuses on building power with small, efficient movements, mimicking quick reactions at the pickleball kitchen line.
• Setup and Movement: Start in a wide stance with a slight bend in the legs.
• Rotate slightly and drive through the movement, bracing the core and maintaining a ready position.
• Avoid over-rotating to stay prepared for the next shot.
• Execution: Perform 3 repetitions on each side.
• Catch the ball dynamically, brace through the torso, and drive up through the hips.
• Keep the chest up and use the legs for power, avoiding collapse in posture.
• Key Tips: Focus on reacting quickly with small, powerful movements.
• Maintain a strong, wide base and dip into the legs for effective power generation.
• Stay in a ready position after each repetition to simulate gameplay scenarios.
• Exercise Focus: Develops control, stopping power, and explosive push-back for low dink shots in pickleball.
• Movement Breakdown: Step into a deep lunge with arms extended over the front leg.
• Absorb the load into the front hip, quad, and hamstring.
• Maintain strong posture and brace the torso.
• Hold briefly at the end range, then push back dynamically.
• Key Elements: Train for deceleration, control, and explosive recovery.
• Avoid leaning forward or lingering too long in the lunge position.
• Focus on proper weight distribution and posture.
• Exercise Focus: Enhances dynamic forward movement, quick leg transitions, and arm power for rapid court adjustments.
• Movement Mechanics: Hold the medicine ball at chest level. Step back into a lunge, extending the ball forward as the back leg transitions forward. Maintain a straight back and strong torso; avoid rounding.
• Execution: Alternate lunging legs, ensuring both sides are trained equally. Begin at 50% intensity to focus on technique, then progress to 100% intensity with quick, aggressive movements.
• Emphasize fast leg transitions and powerful ball extension.
• Key Elements: Focus on quick, explosive leg movement and dynamic arm press. Maintain low body positioning and braced core throughout. Push the ball forward aggressively for added intensity.