Dustin Pedroia routinely drives the ball to all parts of the field for extra bases. After Pedroia belted his 100th career home run versus the Oakland Athletics on May 2,2014, you may have wondered how the 5-foot-8, 165-pounder musters the power to drive the long ball.

Pedroia’s hitting prowess is developed through off-season med ball exercises that train his hips and core to generate explosive power rotationally. One of his go-to moves is the Med Ball Rotational Slam.

This exercise teaches Pedroia how to generate power from the ground and transfer it up through his hips and to the rest of his body. Pedroia’s performance coach, Craig Friedman of Athletes’ Performance, says, “You have to let the hips be the trigger and let the torso be the conduit to get everything going through your hands and into the medicine ball.”

To perform the move:

• Assume an athletic stance with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width while holding the med ball at waist level.
• Using your hips and torso, swing the ball right and then overhead in a circular motion.
• Explosively slam the med ball into the ground in front of your right foot.
• Catch the rebound and repeat for specified reps.
• Perform a set on the opposite side.

Sets/Reps: 2×10 each side