Off-Season Medicine Ball Training: A Comprehensive Guide for Baseball (and Softball!) Athletes
- Kathy Ceisel
- 16 hours ago
- 8 min read
By Kathy Ryan-Ceisel, PT MHS
Overhead Throwing Specialist
Owner, Athletic Edge and Wellness
Introduction
The off-season phase presents a prime window to build athletic qualities, refine movement mechanics, and prepare for the upcoming competitive period. One often under-utilized tool in this phase is the medicine ball. In this blog we’ll explore why the medicine ball is a meaningful tool for off-season programming: the pros, the cons, key techniques, the research base, and practical exercise dosage and selection guidelines.
What is Medicine Ball Training?
A medicine ball (often called a “med ball”) is a weighted ball that athletes can throw, catch, slam, pass, and use in dynamic movement patterns. It allows for multiplanar, ballistic, rotational, and full-body movements. In the off-season context, medicine-ball work can bridge strength, power, movement quality, and conditioning, especially by emphasizing velocity and sport-specific positions.
Principles you must follow
Med-ball work is a power-development tool — it’s best used to train rapid force production and rotation (high velocity, lower mass) and to bridge strength work to sport-specific actions (bat swing, throw). This helps to train the body to both accelerate and decelerate properly
Match the ball to the goal
· light balls (2–6 lb / ~1–3 kg) for high-speed rotational throws and plyo work
· moderate balls (6–10 lb / ~3–5 kg) for slightly higher force but still relatively quick movement
· heavy med balls (10+ lb) for slow strength or single-limb loaded variations.
Ideal load is 3-6% of body weight for rotational throws.
For overhead or slam throws, slightly heavier balls, up to 8% can be used since velocity is slower.
An easy rule of thumb is 1# of med ball weight for every 20# of body weight. A 120# youth athlete could use a 6# med ball. If you are between sizes of ball, always go with the lower weight.
Periodize volume and intensity: higher med-ball volume early off-season (to teach patterns and build capacity), increase intensity mid-off-season (heavier balls or faster intent), then taper volume and keep power quality high as season approaches.
Monitor throwing/arm workload: med-ball work is not a replacement for careful throwing progression; weighted implement research shows injury risk if load and progression aren’t managed. Keep med-ball sessions away from high daily throwing loads or combine carefully.
WHY USE MEDICINE BALL TRAINING?
1. Rotational Power Development
Baseball is a rotational sport—hitting and throwing both rely on the efficient transfer of energy from the lower body through the core and into the upper extremity. Medicine ball work mimics this chain of motion at sport-specific speeds.✅ Research shows that rotational med ball training improves throwing velocity and bat speed by enhancing trunk rotation rate and sequencing (Lehman et al., J Strength Cond Res, 2013).
2. Low Joint Stress, High Power Output
Unlike heavy lifting, med ball throws train explosive intent without the wear and tear of maximal loads. This is ideal for the off-season when the focus shifts toward reconditioning the arm and optimizing movement quality.
3. Transfer to Skill Mechanics
Throws like rotational scoop tosses, shotput throws, and step-behind slams closely mirror the kinetic sequence used in pitching and hitting—hips lead, trunk follows, arm finishes.
4. Versatility
You can train different planes of motion (rotational, vertical, horizontal), different speeds, and power directions—key for baseball’s multi-planar demands.
5. Teaches Acceleration, Deceleration and Core Control
Many med ball drills emphasize braking and absorbing force—an often-overlooked quality for injury prevention in throwers. Medicine ball drills can help promote core, hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility needed for baseball players
6. Promotes muscle balance and symmetry
Med ball drills are excellent to promote symmetry in motion. Often hitters and pitchers only rotate from one side. Utilizing medicine ball drills from the opposite side help to reduce muscle imbalance and prevent injury.
RISK FACTORS WHEN USING MEDICINE BALLS
Limited Load for Strength Development
Medicine balls won’t replace heavy resistance training for developing maximal strength. They complement, not substitute, those lifts.
Technique Matters
Poor mechanics—such as rotating from the lumbar spine instead of the hips—can reduce benefit and increase injury risk.
Overuse or Too-Soon Progression
In the early off-season, the body needs recovery from repetitive throwing. Starting with high-velocity rotational throws too early can prolong fatigue or irritate the obliques and shoulder. Heavier balls are not necessarily better.
Early off-season — Rebuild and Reset (Sept to Nov)
Time Frame 6-12 weeks
Goal: movement mobility and quality, trunk control, build work capacity, technique with medicine-ball patterns.
Focus: Controlled tempo, trunk stability, anti-rotation, and deceleration drills. Core bracing, hip-to-shoulder dissociation, deceleration control, technique of rotational and overhead patterns (side-throws, chest pass, scoop throw, rotational throws). Use med-ball drills integrated after activation and before heavy lifting.
Examples:
Tall kneeling chest pass (2–3×10)
Split-stance scoop toss (2–3×8/side)
Overhead slam (3×8)
Frequency: 2–3 sessions/week (nonconsecutive days).
Ball weight: 2–6 lb (1–3 kg) for rotational throws and chest passes; light enough to move fast and reinforce mechanics.
Volume & sets: 3–5 exercises per session, 3–5 sets of 4–8 reps per side for rotational/overhead throws; total med-ball throws per session ≈ 20–40 throws. Keep tempo controlled but with maximal intent on each rep.
Mid off-season Strength → Power and Velocity Development (Dec to Jan)
Time Frame 4–8 weeks
Goal: transfer strength to speed and force; increase intent and slightly higher loads. Maximize rotational speed and hip–shoulder separation.
Focus: high intent, velocity of trunk rotation, contrast with heavier strength work (e.g., do strength lifts earlier, med-ball power later). Measure rotational med-ball velocity/distance for monitoring progress.
Examples:
Step-behind rotational throw (3–4×6/side)
Shotput-style throw (3×8)
Lateral hop to rotational throw (3×6/side)
Load: 2–6 kg ball (4–12 lbs), heavy enough to resist motion but light enough for speed.
Frequency: 2–3× per week, with at least 48 hours recovery between power sessions.
Ball weight: 3–8 lb (1.5–4 kg) for speed work; include a few heavier throws 8–12 lb (4–5+ kg) for force production but keep reps lower.
Volume & sets: 3–6 exercises; 3–6 sets of 3–6 reps per side for maximal-effort rotational throws (focus on intent and speed). Total throws per session ≈ 18–30 (quality over quantity). Add heavier single-arm slams or rotational throws for 3–4 sets of 3–5 reps when using heavier balls.
For our older athletes, tracking ball velocity may be helpful during this phase
Late off-season / Preseason - Transfer → Sport specificity (Jan to Feb)
Time Frame 3–6 weeks
Goal: sport-specific power, integrate with throwing program, reduce non-specific volume.
Focus: speed, sequence, rhythm, timing for throwing/batting; blend med-ball throws with sport-specific drills (long toss progression, pitching/batting practice). Reduce redundant rotational workload as mound/throwing volume ramps up.
Examples:
Shuffle or crow-hop rotational throw (3×6)
Cross-body scoop toss (3×8)
Partner reactive tosses (3×6–8)
Integration: Pair med ball work with plyometrics or mound prep days.
Frequency: 1–2 sessions/week (maintenance + specific power sessions).
Ball weight: mainly lighter med-balls 2–4 lb for maximal speed and specificity; occasional moderate 6–8 lb for situational force drills.
Volume & sets: Keep sets low and intensity high: 3–4 sets of 2–4 reps per side per drill; total throws per session ≈ 12–20. Emphasize single explosive reps with full recovery between sets to maximize power quality.
In-season (Maintenance)
Goal: maintain power and movement quality without adding arm/rotational fatigue. Help to reduce muscular imbalance by working the opposite side.
Frequency: 0–1 session/week of med-ball work (often 1 short session on recovery day or pre-practice). Keep sessions short.
Ball weight: 2–4 lb for quick, low-volume throws. Avoid heavy med-ball work on days adjacent to competition or high throwing loads.
Volume & sets: 2–4 sets of 2–4 reps per drill; total throws ≈ 6–15. Prioritize quality and freshness over volume. Monitor athlete soreness and throwing counts.
MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT
Watch for increased shoulder/elbow soreness when med-ball work coincides with high throwing volume — progress conservatively and reduce med-ball volume if arm pain or throwing mechanics change. Weighted-implement literature warns about injury risk with aggressive progressions.
🔑 1. Key Principles of Med Ball Power Technique
When training power (vs. endurance or strength), everything should emphasize speed of movement, kinetic chain sequencing, and ground force transfer.
Ground-up sequencing → Power starts from the ground, travels through the hips, trunk, and out the hands.
Full-body coordination → Hips lead, trunk follows, hands finish.
Explosive intent → Every throw should be performed with max intent (speed and distance) even if the ball isn’t heavy.
Quality over quantity → Fewer, faster throws with full recovery between sets (30–90 sec) produce better adaptations than fatigue-based work.
Symmetry → Train both sides to balance rotational patterns and manage asymmetry that develops during the season.
💥 2. Core Movement Patterns for Baseball/Softball Power
Each pattern reinforces an element of throwing or hitting mechanics:
🗣️ 3. Verbal Cues and Coaching Language
The best cues create feel and timing. Use simple, action-oriented cues athletes can grasp quickly.
Lower-body / Ground-up cues
“Load the back hip — not the shoulders.”
“Push the ground away.”
“Land strong on your front leg and stop it.”
“Let the hips start the throw.”
Rotation / Sequencing cues
“Hips lead, hands follow.”
“Turn the belly button first.”
“Crack the whip — from the ground to the hand.”
“Throw your belly through the wall.”
“Rotate, then release.”
Trunk / Core control cues
“Brace like you’re about to get punched.”
“Keep the chest up, don’t fold.”
“Stay tall through the finish.”
“Don’t let the ribs flare.”
Upper-body / Arm path cues
“Hands stay quiet until the hips fire.”
“Whip the ball, don’t push it.”
“Finish long — let the arms go.”
“Let it fly, but stay balanced.”
Effort & intent cues
“Fast, not forced.”
“Everything into that wall.”
“Explode through — don’t guide it.”
“Every rep is a line drive.”
⚠️ 4. Common Faults and Quick Fixes
🧩 5. Progression of Teaching (Power Emphasis)
Putting It All Together
Off-season medicine ball training helps baseball players:
Build rotational speed and trunk strength.
Improve sequencing and timing.
Transfer power efficiently from lower body to upper extremity.
Prepare the arm and core for the demands of pre-season throwing.
It’s a bridge between strength and skill—a safe, powerful, and specific way to train the baseball athlete.
Call to Action
If you’re a baseball player looking to improve throwing velocity, rotational strength, or off-season readiness, our Arm Care Program integrates med ball training, strength work, and mobility for a complete performance approach.
👉 Contact Athletic Edge & Wellness to schedule your off-season assessment and customized med ball progression at 224-505-3343
Comments