Basketball Med Ball Drills for Speed and Quickness
With basketball season on the horizon, high school and college players need to get moving on their preparation for try-outs. Incorporate these three basketball med ball drills into your current weight room workouts, and you’ll be ready for the rigors of the season ahead. (Check out these three while you’re at it!)
Medicine Ball Wall Rollups/Running in Place
This drill is a great muscular endurance builder for the deltoids and triceps—essential for free throws, shooting and passing. It’s also great for strengthening the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and enhancing overall cardiovascular endurance and speed.
- Assume squat position one to two feet in front of wall
- Using a moderately heavy (8- to 12-pound) medicine ball, roll the ball five times up and down the wall with your fingertips, pushing it as high as possible while extending legs and rising on toes
- Without rest, lean slightly forward with hands still on ball against wall, and run fast in place, driving knees high for 50 seconds
- Immediately do four ball rollups and run in place for 40 seconds
- Continue the sequence with three rollups/30-second run, two rollups/20-second run and finish with one rollup/10-second run
- Hydrate and rest 60-90 seconds before next drill
Medicine Ball Wall Toss/Reverse Sprint
An effective med ball drill for when an opponent steals the ball, and you need to quickly backpedal down court on defense.
- Assume athletic stance about three feet in front of wall
- Explosively toss ball against wall from chest level
- Catch ball and backpedal 20 feet
- Sprint forward
- Repeat ball throw/catch/backpedal/sprint 10 times
- Hydrate and rest 60-90 seconds before next drill
Medicine Ball Wall Toss/Cariocas
Another exercise that’s efficient for both endurance and speed building.
- Assume athletic stance about three feet in front of wall
- Fire the ball from chest level and catch it
- Perform cariocas for 20 feet and back to start position
- Repeat sequence 10 times
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Basketball Med Ball Drills for Speed and Quickness
With basketball season on the horizon, high school and college players need to get moving on their preparation for try-outs. Incorporate these three basketball med ball drills into your current weight room workouts, and you’ll be ready for the rigors of the season ahead. (Check out these three while you’re at it!)
Medicine Ball Wall Rollups/Running in Place
This drill is a great muscular endurance builder for the deltoids and triceps—essential for free throws, shooting and passing. It’s also great for strengthening the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings and enhancing overall cardiovascular endurance and speed.
- Assume squat position one to two feet in front of wall
- Using a moderately heavy (8- to 12-pound) medicine ball, roll the ball five times up and down the wall with your fingertips, pushing it as high as possible while extending legs and rising on toes
- Without rest, lean slightly forward with hands still on ball against wall, and run fast in place, driving knees high for 50 seconds
- Immediately do four ball rollups and run in place for 40 seconds
- Continue the sequence with three rollups/30-second run, two rollups/20-second run and finish with one rollup/10-second run
- Hydrate and rest 60-90 seconds before next drill
Medicine Ball Wall Toss/Reverse Sprint
An effective med ball drill for when an opponent steals the ball, and you need to quickly backpedal down court on defense.
- Assume athletic stance about three feet in front of wall
- Explosively toss ball against wall from chest level
- Catch ball and backpedal 20 feet
- Sprint forward
- Repeat ball throw/catch/backpedal/sprint 10 times
- Hydrate and rest 60-90 seconds before next drill
Medicine Ball Wall Toss/Cariocas
Another exercise that’s efficient for both endurance and speed building.
- Assume athletic stance about three feet in front of wall
- Fire the ball from chest level and catch it
- Perform cariocas for 20 feet and back to start position
- Repeat sequence 10 times