Stand upright with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart. Hold the slam ball in front of your body with both hands. Keep your feet firmly and stably on the floor. Your knees should be slightly bent and your hips in an upright position. Actively engage your abdominal muscles and keep your upper body stable. Keep your gaze directed forwards or towards the ball. Using both hands, lead the slam ball upwards in an arc-shaped movement past your side. As you do so, rotate your upper body in a controlled manner towards the corresponding side. The movement results from the coordinated action of your arms, shoulder girdle and trunk rotation. Raise the ball until it is roughly level with your head. Then reverse the direction of movement powerfully and throw the ball explosively onto the floor in front of your body or slightly to the corresponding side. During the throw, bend your hips and knees and actively engage your core in the movement. Throw the ball onto the floor at a sufficient distance from your feet. After it bounces, catch the ball in a controlled manner. As you catch it, bend your knees and hips and keep your back as stable as possible. For the next repetition, lead the ball upwards over the opposite side of your body. Alternate the direction of movement with each repetition.
Attention:
The ball is raised vertically in front of the body rather than to the side; the back rounds significantly when catching or throwing; the movement comes almost exclusively from the arms; the rotation of the upper body is uncontrolled or jerky; the knees collapse significantly inwards when lowering the body; the ball is thrown too close to one’s own feet; when catching, the back is bent rather than using the knees and hips; the rotational movement becomes so pronounced that the pelvis and spine can no longer be stabilised in a controlled manner.
Lighten:
Use a lighter slam ball; minimise lateral movement and rotation; raise the ball only to approximately head or shoulder height; throw with less intensity; take a short break between each repetition; practise the movement slowly at first, without an explosive throw.
Harden:
Use a heavier slam ball; throw the ball onto the floor with greater explosiveness; perform the movement more dynamically and increase the rotational speed without losing control of your core and pelvis; Alternate sides immediately without a break; rise explosively from a slight squat and transition straight into the lateral upward movement; perform several repetitions in succession with high, yet controlled, intensity of movement.
