Strength Conditioning Drill: Crow Hop Medicine Ball Throw (Baseball)
Medicine ball crow hop with shot put release. Transfers ground force through hips and trunk into the throw, mimicking pitching and throwing mechanics.

How to Run This Drill
- Hold a medicine ball at your shoulder like a shot put (not overhead).
- Perform a crow hop - skip forward to generate momentum.
- As you plant, transfer energy from feet to hip to trunk to shoulder.
- Release with a shot put motion, not overhead.
- Shot put style is recommended because it protects your shoulder - baseball players already do plenty of overhead throwing.
- Feel the ground, feel the energy transfer through the chain. This is what throwers and shot putters use.
Coaching Points
- Use shot put release, not overhead
- Protects shoulder from overhead overuse
- Feel ground reaction force transfer
- Energy goes feet to hip to trunk to shoulder
Quick Actions
At a Glance
Categories
Strength Conditioning
Focus Areas
PowerHipsCore
Age Groups
13-1415-1617-1818+
Players
1-20 players
Difficulty
intermediate
Equipment Needed
Wall
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