Ballistic diagonal medicine-ball work for energy transfer, coordination and upper-extremity explosiveness.
Take an athletic stance with the feet aligned under the shoulders. A coach or partner stands behind and tosses the medicine ball over the athlete’s shoulder.
Catch the medicine ball over the shoulder with both hands, immediately rotate the trunk to the opposite side, and explosively slam/bounce-pass the ball into the ground back toward the partner. Rotate back to receive the next repetition.
Maintain balance and prioritize movement mechanics, force generation and speed.
Losing stability during the slam; using sub-maximal explosiveness or medicine-ball speed.
Equipment: 8–25 lb medicine ball
Degree of difficulty: 2
Explore Medicine Ball Chops for related movement variations. The exact exercise description and progression context are in Advanced Concepts of Strength & Conditioning for Tennis. For full sessions, see the tennis conditioning workouts. Match the exercise level and equipment to your technique and training background.