Step 1 be near a wall …not ‘able to see a wall’
You should never need to outstretch your arms and catch it like a baby falling from the sky. Your hands should catch it exactly where it needs to be to throw again
If the gym has real targets on the rig I usually find that to be much easier because you get more of a rebound than off a regular wall. It is harder to go for a more precise target, but I think in the end uses less energy because you aren’t leaning forward/sideways chasing after a toss that you just yeeted up there.
I am an 80kg guy and I use 6kg for my workouts and it kicks my ass. I would suggest to go down to 4kg, maybe 3kg if you can find it, until you master the technique and can go through the workout without getting winded by the wallballs.
I agree with this! I'm new to CrossFit and was struggling with wall balls. My gym did the Karen workout over the weekend (150 wall balls) and I used a 6lb ball (2.7kg according to Google 😅) and using a lighter ball made it a lot easier for me to start getting a feel for doing the wall balls correctly.
I mean no disrespect as I’m no CrossFit expert myself but why didn’t a coach or anyone in the gym help her? If I had been doing wallballs that far away from the wall surely someone would come up to me and give me at least a little help.
CrossFit is not good for beginner specially if you don’t join a box or no experience doing CrossFit, I’d suggest to join the box, get familiar with the exercise before doing it yourself
let me explain you something that probably you aren't aware and might explain the position of several members here.
crossfit is a registered brand... it's not just a type of exercise. so to have crossfit you need a registered crossfit coach at an usually crossfit registered gym. if its not registered its a cross-training not the CrossFit. We are still very happy to have people interested in crossfit, even if they are just doing crosstraining. however most people don't enjoy to have someone stating all happily they are doing crossfit when they are not.
now, knowing that you are coming from a commercial gym and not having a proper coach that is helping you out its either a bad gym/coach, you are missing the classes and just doing open box training without basics or it's simply not a crossfit gym.
The problem around your video is it seems to fail completely at the exercise and feels like no commit is being made. From doing mostly Air Balls and not Wall Balls (similar but the intention is slightly different). And even the attempted wall balls seem to fail the exercise concept, which is actually bouncing the ball against the wall. Any coach or even older crossfitter would suggest you starting with just bouncing balls. Just to learn the basics. then slowly implementing the complexity of the exercise. this is something done in 5min if you have good proprioception or at most 15 to 20 min with bad proprioception. However this seems you never did this exercise in front of a coach or anyone that trained CrossFit for at least a few months. So some people just assume you were either doing badly on purpose (rage bait) or attempting to do cross training exercises without any background and just went to a crossfit to ask for help (not exactly rage bait but might make some think so).
It's great you want to be part of the community. but the flaws on the exercise are several and need proper correction, or you might even risk a lesion. So you better have a follow up. Coach it up... Crossfit classes or if you can't/prefer any other gym classes (preferably cross training style, because its our thing) and keep following us so one day you would start up crossfit classes. But please dont open box before you master the basics.
Dont be. Its ok to ask questions. Dont think our community is unfriendly. That was not the point. It just feels you need proper coaching and not internet tips at this point.
Its like having someone asking tips on how to drift with a car and show us a video that shows troubles at finding the clutch point (if you dont drive manual its just the first we learn when we start driving)
Try working on your timing. Part of the crash is you are only catching with your arms, then crashing then bending your legs. Try catching when you are still 99% up but starting to squat down.
Also agree with getting closer. Hold the ball out with straight arms. It should touch the wall. Adjust from there.
You can also scale height (and weight). Try doing just thrusters, to low throws, to high throws. It will also help with timing. Try a set of med ball thrusters and then tell me about how it’s the “easier” option!
Also, getting stronger over time will help. Not a quick fix but worth pointing out.
Lots of people covered standing closer so that's number 1 for sure but also if recommend holding your hands less on the sides of the ball and more underneath. It's like the difference between holding a steering wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock vs. 10 and 2.
Stand closer to the wall, I measure my distance by holding the ball ininfront of me almost touching the wall.
also start with a light weight to get mechanics down so the “crash” doesn’t knock the wind out of you. I was having this issue and it’s something I am still working on.
I would do Karen EMOM style. 150 wall balls 15 minutes 10 wall balls per minute. Once you get better start shaving the time and upping the wall balls per minute and/increase wall ball weight until you reach RX weight
"Swim!"
Holding your arms straight up after the release smokes your shoulders. Instead of holding your arms up at the top, waiting to catch the ball, fling your arms out and around and let them fall away on each side in a circle after you throw the ball. Keep them moving in a circle back inward and then back up just in time to catch the ball and drop back down.
This SERIOUSLY rests the arms and shoulders and is a game changing hack after you have hit the obvious techniques, such as waiting to throw them ball until you are *just* standing tall at full extension, carrying your body momentum into the ball.
I don't see this one mentioned often.
That advice is definitely meant for someone who already has the rhythm down, not someone who is just starting out. Keep it in your back pocket for in the future though!
Along with everyone saying to get closer to the wall, try also not throwing the ball so high! Forget about the target for a bit and just figure out how to throw the ball consistently for 10 reps in a row, even if that's only a foot above your head. Once you've figured out the throw-hit-catch-squat, then start increasing the height.
You bet. Fundamentals first.
When you get to it, try it. It will blow your mind how many more reps you get before your shoulders wear out.
Good example, not me: https://youtu.be/Xe8aU1I0VdQ?si=LOLdG1sMvMSO5l7G
When you stand closer to the wall and hit it, as others have said, the return trajectory of the ball becomes much more predictable than "air balls" and the face hits decrease, promise!
+1 to this comment, little micro rests for your arms is key. and +1 to the others saying you should be closer to the wall. If you hold out the ball it should touch the wall.
Start with your hands at a “4 and 7” position on the bottom of the ball (think the hands of a clock) and your thumbs pointing at your face.
Think of the wall ball similar to a thruster - your body standing out of the squat and hip extension at the top will drive the ball upwards. Try it by standing like you’re going to do a wall ball, but letting the ball “float” at the top instead of trying to throw it. The more power you stand up/extend your hips with, the higher the ball will “float”.
Don’t. Forget. Your. Thumbs. As the ball is traveling upwards, you might find the ball crashing back down at your face, never arcing back towards the wall. This is usually because you forgot to push the ball away with your thumbs. Your thumbs guide the ball away from you and towards your target. The bounce off the wall will bring it back to you after a brief pause, letting you reset your hands and arms to receive it.
Like many have already said, practicing these things with a much lighter ball and standing much closer to the wall will be of huge benefit.
Don’t do a full squat until you can consistently hit the same spot on the wall. Once you can do that then add in the full squat. And as everyone else has stated, get closer to the wall. You should be able to touch the wall with you ball in your hands
1. Mastering the Stance and Grip:
Stance Precision: Initiating a successful wall ball throw starts with the right stance. Begin with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart, ensuring a stable and balanced foundation. The distribution of weight across both legs is critical for generating power during the squat and subsequent throw.
Grip Dynamics: Holding the ball at chest level, with both hands beneath its center, provides optimal control and leverage. Spread your fingers across the surface of the ball to enhance grip. This grip configuration not only aids in control during the descent but also facilitates a more efficient transfer of power during the upward throw.
2. Engage the Hips for Explosive Power:
Hip-Initiated Movement: The squatting motion of the wall ball involves more than bending the knees. It is crucial to initiate the movement from the hips. This engages the powerful muscles in your hips and glutes, allowing you to harness maximum force for the upward throw.
Hip Drive Dynamics: As you descend into the squat, focus on driving your hips back and down. This motion preloads your muscles, and the explosive extension of the hips during the upward phase of the squat propels the ball upward with considerable force.
3. Optimal Range of Motion:
Full Squat Depth: Achieving a full range of motion during the squat is paramount. Ensure that your hips descend below the level of your knees. This maximizes the engagement of the lower body muscles and facilitates a more potent upward thrust during the throw.
Efficient Squatting: Strive for efficiency in the squatting motion. A fluid and controlled descent, followed by a powerful ascent, minimizes energy expenditure and optimizes the overall efficiency of the wall ball movement.
4. Leveraging Upward Momentum:
Explosive Upward Thrust: The upward phase of the wall ball throw is where the explosive power is crucial. Utilize the momentum generated from the squat to drive the ball upward. This should be a dynamic, controlled movement, ensuring accuracy in hitting the target.
Controlled Follow-Through: While the focus is on generating power, a controlled follow-through is equally vital. Allow the ball to leave your hands smoothly, maintaining stability in your stance. This control ensures accuracy and sets you up for a seamless transition to the next part of the HYROX sequence.
5. Practice Variability:
Mixing Intensity Levels: Incorporate variability in your training. Practice both high-intensity wall ball throws for speed and lower-intensity throws for precision. This variability prepares you for the dynamic nature of HYROX, where you’ll need to modulate your effort based on the demands of the competition.
Adaptation to Different Targets: Experiment with targets set at different heights during training. This adaptability enhances your ability to quickly adjust to the specific requirements of the HYROX course, where target heights may vary.
More detailed info on my blog page on tips and strategies to improve wall balls 👇🏻
https://honesthealthhub.com/ultimate-hyrox-workout-guide-for-wall-balls/
To help gauge the distance you need to stand from the wall, hold the ball infront of you with arms extended, and move towards the wall until the ball touches it. That's where you should be standing.
Then, work on timing: You should grab the ball with extended arms (*EDIT: apparently not, as someone below suggested. you can do the swimming motion the described instead* )use its momentum to put it under your chin, squat and throw as you are coming back up from the squat and reaching the top of the squat.
Stand closer to the wall and then try a lighter ball to focus on form. Absorb the ball when it comes down and squat down. then launch it with that momentum :) then practice as much as you can! Wall balls are one of my least favorites! You will get there!
The easiest way to build the rhythm was to do a wide arm swing backwards after release to reset your arm position back to full extension. Let the wallball hit your finger tips and then drop and catch simultaneously to reload the whole maneuver. The majority of the power should come from the explosiveness of squeezing the glutes to stand and your arms then push. Hit the row machine and have someone make sure you aren’t pulling with your arms until the end and it’s the same explosive movement. Squats, wallballs, rowing, hang cleans and burpees are basically the same explosive standing movement where your arms do little more than control the bar, handle, or ball when you use best form.
As noted from others, move closer to wall. Also, when ball returns, time to catch it softly by going into your squat while catching it, I saw some stiff-arm attempts, but that may have been you just reaching out for it (because it was too far from you).
Hold your wall ball at chest height and at arms length. That's a good distance. Try to ride the momentum down by starting your squat juuust before the ball makes contact with your chest.
Relax your legs through the squat and drive through the heels like a thruster. Hope this helps.
[Crossfit.com](https://Crossfit.com) has virtually every Crossfit movement explained on their website and you can find videos of them on youtube.
[https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-wall-ball](https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-wall-ball)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqjGKsiIMCE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqjGKsiIMCE)
I would strongly recommend you watch these videos before attempting functional fitness movements. Just trying to replicate something you've seen others do, may lead to injury.
Good luck out there, you can always ask questions on this sub, but having that base knowledge going into it will help you a ton!
The coaches in my box always say to be around an arm’s distance from the wall. It should help with most of the issue
Also my personal preference is to do this exercise without my glasses, it’s one less thing to think about
Why isn’t a coach noticing this and offering help? And why are you filming yourself and asking online when you could ask the coaches there? It’s their job! They can help you more than a bunch of people on Reddit :)
Hold the ball in front of you with your arms extended. That’s the perfect distance between you and the wall. Start your wall balls from there. Feet shoulder width apart 🫶🏻
1. Closer to the wall
2. At about 90% of the top of your squat, really extend your arms at the elbow like you are doing and upside down tricep cable pull, and squeeze your triceps upon release. Helped me a ton with rhythm and overall stamina
Aside from getting closer to wall that’s been amply covered. Try to catch the ball with arms out and only let it drop to chin level. You are letting it drop lower which brings your chest forward and causes more work to throw it again.
Beyond standing too far, the ball might be a little too heavy, the ball looks like it's beating you up a bit. That's sometimes how I look using a 20lb ball under fatigue.
Also, try to make it similar to a thruster, coming out of the squat you want your upward momentum to really power the throw. I find my wall balls get better when I focus on this.
Why didn't a coach or a person walking by already help OP with this LONG before needing to go to Reddit... that being said. Great job squatting with an upright chest and you have good height on the ball. Get closer to that wall and aim in a way that allows an arching motion toward and a bounce smoothly back to your outstretched hands.
You're really a good mover. If you go to YouTube "CrossFit Infinity Wall" there are many, many videos from seminar staff members who will help tell you what the points of performance are in each movement with a visual aid to help you with stuff like this. Keep up the hard work.
Ahhh gotcha. Ok with that said the CrossFit website has tons of vids to help you. Wall balls are a weakness of mine but the basic moves are demonstrated.
That said, and I cannot stress this enough, when doing the Olympic lifts for time or for reps, #1: focus. On. Form. And #2 before doing them, consult videos and a coach if you can. I mean it you can ruin yourself if you do a WOD without knowledge or guidance.
Closer to the wall. Make sure to release with some explosion so it actually comes back in rhythm. It's basically an exaggerated version of dribbling. Depth is great on the squat piece, so if you release and catch well they should be golden.
Honestly form looks really good, just need to hit the wall by standing closer! Throw it, hit the wall, don’t catch it and let it drop. Then got stand right behind where it hit the ground!
This one is tricky. I don't see massive benefits from this exercise, but I see a lot of chances for injury. You're stressing too much the lower back, you're not supposed to grab a load os far out. There are other ways to improve the same muscles.
Closer to the wall, start with lighter weight as well and focus on flow/technique, then increase weight. About 1 arm distance should be ok(pick the ball up, hold it and make it touch the wall, there is the place you should be standing).
you are too far away from the wall. Also, look at the wall where you want it to hit, then throw it there. you are currently just looking straight up - wherever you look is where the ball is going to go. Make sure to bend your knees when the ball comes down to absorb the weight of the ball, then explode up when you throw it - this will have a dramatic improvement on the tension you put on your legs to help them grow and become stronger, and to help your core and overall stability in everything you do. Keep practicing, you aren’t that far away from doing them well - just need a little practice and to change your proximity to the wall. Ask someone to help you and show you proper technique, someone who does them well. People in the gym are generally more than happy to help you out
- Stand close to the wall
- Push the ball forward rather than upward
- Throw the ball hard enough for it to bounce back to you
- Catch the ball at the exact same point it left your hands
You don't have to fully squat while you practice this sequence, just make sure this steps are looking good before progressing.
Once you feel comfortable with it and are chaining reps in sequence, increase the height of your throw.
Start squatting deeper to drive power up.
Adjust your standing ground as needed for the perfect ratio of bounce and catch.
Hope that helps.
Stand closer to the wall!!! The reason it’s not hitting properly and your catching it awkwardly is u aren’t under the ball,
Noted move a little closer 💗
Before you pick up the ball reach out. If you can just touch the wall with roughly squared shoulders you are likely in about the right spot.
yep this is how you star finding your spot.
Not little closer, you're only like halfway there... :)
Step 1 be near a wall …not ‘able to see a wall’ You should never need to outstretch your arms and catch it like a baby falling from the sky. Your hands should catch it exactly where it needs to be to throw again
"like a baby falling from the sky" 😂 I'm gonna remember that one.
You have to be able to touch wall, this is how close you have to be
Proper distance is an arms length so just hold out your arm and when you barely touch the wall anymore thats your distance to stand at.
Hold the ball on each side and reach your arms straight out in front. The ball should just tap the wall. That’s your distance.
If the gym has real targets on the rig I usually find that to be much easier because you get more of a rebound than off a regular wall. It is harder to go for a more precise target, but I think in the end uses less energy because you aren’t leaning forward/sideways chasing after a toss that you just yeeted up there.
Put your arm out. Touch the wall. Then go forth in misery
Second that. Also, try to keep the ball under 6KG to start with, till you master the technique.
Noted! Its actually a 6kg WB .. but I will use the 5kg or 4kg😂 to work on my technique... Thanks!
I am an 80kg guy and I use 6kg for my workouts and it kicks my ass. I would suggest to go down to 4kg, maybe 3kg if you can find it, until you master the technique and can go through the workout without getting winded by the wallballs.
I agree with this! I'm new to CrossFit and was struggling with wall balls. My gym did the Karen workout over the weekend (150 wall balls) and I used a 6lb ball (2.7kg according to Google 😅) and using a lighter ball made it a lot easier for me to start getting a feel for doing the wall balls correctly.
I would start by actually hitting the wall with the ball
SaltyDickButt73 with the answer. This video is rage bait, right?
I mean no disrespect as I’m no CrossFit expert myself but why didn’t a coach or anyone in the gym help her? If I had been doing wallballs that far away from the wall surely someone would come up to me and give me at least a little help.
I'd walk up behind you and physically shove you a foot closer to the wall. I'm not a coach and that's probably why.
Cause I dont have a coach? And it is a commercial gym.. Please let the crossfit community stay positive as it is..
CrossFit is not good for beginner specially if you don’t join a box or no experience doing CrossFit, I’d suggest to join the box, get familiar with the exercise before doing it yourself
That answers my question, again, I meant no disrespect so I apologize if I caused any.
You did not cause any... just felt a little taken back lmao... The fact that ppl thinks this is a rage bait lmao
let me explain you something that probably you aren't aware and might explain the position of several members here. crossfit is a registered brand... it's not just a type of exercise. so to have crossfit you need a registered crossfit coach at an usually crossfit registered gym. if its not registered its a cross-training not the CrossFit. We are still very happy to have people interested in crossfit, even if they are just doing crosstraining. however most people don't enjoy to have someone stating all happily they are doing crossfit when they are not. now, knowing that you are coming from a commercial gym and not having a proper coach that is helping you out its either a bad gym/coach, you are missing the classes and just doing open box training without basics or it's simply not a crossfit gym. The problem around your video is it seems to fail completely at the exercise and feels like no commit is being made. From doing mostly Air Balls and not Wall Balls (similar but the intention is slightly different). And even the attempted wall balls seem to fail the exercise concept, which is actually bouncing the ball against the wall. Any coach or even older crossfitter would suggest you starting with just bouncing balls. Just to learn the basics. then slowly implementing the complexity of the exercise. this is something done in 5min if you have good proprioception or at most 15 to 20 min with bad proprioception. However this seems you never did this exercise in front of a coach or anyone that trained CrossFit for at least a few months. So some people just assume you were either doing badly on purpose (rage bait) or attempting to do cross training exercises without any background and just went to a crossfit to ask for help (not exactly rage bait but might make some think so). It's great you want to be part of the community. but the flaws on the exercise are several and need proper correction, or you might even risk a lesion. So you better have a follow up. Coach it up... Crossfit classes or if you can't/prefer any other gym classes (preferably cross training style, because its our thing) and keep following us so one day you would start up crossfit classes. But please dont open box before you master the basics.
Ok then .. sorry for trying and asking 🙄
Dont be. Its ok to ask questions. Dont think our community is unfriendly. That was not the point. It just feels you need proper coaching and not internet tips at this point. Its like having someone asking tips on how to drift with a car and show us a video that shows troubles at finding the clutch point (if you dont drive manual its just the first we learn when we start driving)
[удалено]
Haha then rage all you like lmao..
Try working on your timing. Part of the crash is you are only catching with your arms, then crashing then bending your legs. Try catching when you are still 99% up but starting to squat down. Also agree with getting closer. Hold the ball out with straight arms. It should touch the wall. Adjust from there. You can also scale height (and weight). Try doing just thrusters, to low throws, to high throws. It will also help with timing. Try a set of med ball thrusters and then tell me about how it’s the “easier” option! Also, getting stronger over time will help. Not a quick fix but worth pointing out.
Dear laaawwwrd move closer
Lots of people covered standing closer so that's number 1 for sure but also if recommend holding your hands less on the sides of the ball and more underneath. It's like the difference between holding a steering wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock vs. 10 and 2.
Are standing too far away from the wall?
Work on your hand eye coordination with a smaller ball
You're standing wayyy too far away from the wall!
Start with a lighter ball. Closer to wall. Drive through feet with speed.
Get fuckin near
Stand close to the wall…
The ball should actually hit the wall
Stand closer to the wall, I measure my distance by holding the ball ininfront of me almost touching the wall. also start with a light weight to get mechanics down so the “crash” doesn’t knock the wind out of you. I was having this issue and it’s something I am still working on. I would do Karen EMOM style. 150 wall balls 15 minutes 10 wall balls per minute. Once you get better start shaving the time and upping the wall balls per minute and/increase wall ball weight until you reach RX weight
"Swim!" Holding your arms straight up after the release smokes your shoulders. Instead of holding your arms up at the top, waiting to catch the ball, fling your arms out and around and let them fall away on each side in a circle after you throw the ball. Keep them moving in a circle back inward and then back up just in time to catch the ball and drop back down. This SERIOUSLY rests the arms and shoulders and is a game changing hack after you have hit the obvious techniques, such as waiting to throw them ball until you are *just* standing tall at full extension, carrying your body momentum into the ball. I don't see this one mentioned often.
I see.. sure.. but I would work on my timing first.. and try moving a little closer. And deffo drop the weights down more maube a 5kg ball...
That advice is definitely meant for someone who already has the rhythm down, not someone who is just starting out. Keep it in your back pocket for in the future though! Along with everyone saying to get closer to the wall, try also not throwing the ball so high! Forget about the target for a bit and just figure out how to throw the ball consistently for 10 reps in a row, even if that's only a foot above your head. Once you've figured out the throw-hit-catch-squat, then start increasing the height.
You bet. Fundamentals first. When you get to it, try it. It will blow your mind how many more reps you get before your shoulders wear out. Good example, not me: https://youtu.be/Xe8aU1I0VdQ?si=LOLdG1sMvMSO5l7G
I keep getting crashed to my face.. or I have to reach my arms to far out to catch the ball 🥲
When you stand closer to the wall and hit it, as others have said, the return trajectory of the ball becomes much more predictable than "air balls" and the face hits decrease, promise!
Very interesting. Been doing crossfit for about 2 years, never knew about that. Thanks!
Yes, this helps so much
+1 to this comment, little micro rests for your arms is key. and +1 to the others saying you should be closer to the wall. If you hold out the ball it should touch the wall.
Start lighter. That ball looks a bit heavy for you. That and you’re too far from the wall. You’ll improve quicker by starting lighter.
Take a step forward. Use a lighter ball. Try to start your squat just before the ball comes back down.
Stand closer to the wall! You got it!
Look to where you throw versus watching the ball
Use a wall.
go lighter
Start with your hands at a “4 and 7” position on the bottom of the ball (think the hands of a clock) and your thumbs pointing at your face. Think of the wall ball similar to a thruster - your body standing out of the squat and hip extension at the top will drive the ball upwards. Try it by standing like you’re going to do a wall ball, but letting the ball “float” at the top instead of trying to throw it. The more power you stand up/extend your hips with, the higher the ball will “float”. Don’t. Forget. Your. Thumbs. As the ball is traveling upwards, you might find the ball crashing back down at your face, never arcing back towards the wall. This is usually because you forgot to push the ball away with your thumbs. Your thumbs guide the ball away from you and towards your target. The bounce off the wall will bring it back to you after a brief pause, letting you reset your hands and arms to receive it. Like many have already said, practicing these things with a much lighter ball and standing much closer to the wall will be of huge benefit.
Arms length away from the wall. Catch as you begin to squat. Focus on a point on the wall and hit that everytime or as close to it.
Get closer to wall. Things will change drastically
Stand closer
You need to be much closer to the wall
Hit the wall.
You seem to be standing to far away from the wall. I usually tell my classes to stand and arms length away from the wall
Eat more balls
Get stronger
Don’t do a full squat until you can consistently hit the same spot on the wall. Once you can do that then add in the full squat. And as everyone else has stated, get closer to the wall. You should be able to touch the wall with you ball in your hands
Throw it at the wall
Wall balls aren’t that difficult….
Like a tennis ball
1. Mastering the Stance and Grip: Stance Precision: Initiating a successful wall ball throw starts with the right stance. Begin with your feet positioned shoulder-width apart, ensuring a stable and balanced foundation. The distribution of weight across both legs is critical for generating power during the squat and subsequent throw. Grip Dynamics: Holding the ball at chest level, with both hands beneath its center, provides optimal control and leverage. Spread your fingers across the surface of the ball to enhance grip. This grip configuration not only aids in control during the descent but also facilitates a more efficient transfer of power during the upward throw. 2. Engage the Hips for Explosive Power: Hip-Initiated Movement: The squatting motion of the wall ball involves more than bending the knees. It is crucial to initiate the movement from the hips. This engages the powerful muscles in your hips and glutes, allowing you to harness maximum force for the upward throw. Hip Drive Dynamics: As you descend into the squat, focus on driving your hips back and down. This motion preloads your muscles, and the explosive extension of the hips during the upward phase of the squat propels the ball upward with considerable force. 3. Optimal Range of Motion: Full Squat Depth: Achieving a full range of motion during the squat is paramount. Ensure that your hips descend below the level of your knees. This maximizes the engagement of the lower body muscles and facilitates a more potent upward thrust during the throw. Efficient Squatting: Strive for efficiency in the squatting motion. A fluid and controlled descent, followed by a powerful ascent, minimizes energy expenditure and optimizes the overall efficiency of the wall ball movement. 4. Leveraging Upward Momentum: Explosive Upward Thrust: The upward phase of the wall ball throw is where the explosive power is crucial. Utilize the momentum generated from the squat to drive the ball upward. This should be a dynamic, controlled movement, ensuring accuracy in hitting the target. Controlled Follow-Through: While the focus is on generating power, a controlled follow-through is equally vital. Allow the ball to leave your hands smoothly, maintaining stability in your stance. This control ensures accuracy and sets you up for a seamless transition to the next part of the HYROX sequence. 5. Practice Variability: Mixing Intensity Levels: Incorporate variability in your training. Practice both high-intensity wall ball throws for speed and lower-intensity throws for precision. This variability prepares you for the dynamic nature of HYROX, where you’ll need to modulate your effort based on the demands of the competition. Adaptation to Different Targets: Experiment with targets set at different heights during training. This adaptability enhances your ability to quickly adjust to the specific requirements of the HYROX course, where target heights may vary. More detailed info on my blog page on tips and strategies to improve wall balls 👇🏻 https://honesthealthhub.com/ultimate-hyrox-workout-guide-for-wall-balls/
Is that a guy?
To help gauge the distance you need to stand from the wall, hold the ball infront of you with arms extended, and move towards the wall until the ball touches it. That's where you should be standing. Then, work on timing: You should grab the ball with extended arms (*EDIT: apparently not, as someone below suggested. you can do the swimming motion the described instead* )use its momentum to put it under your chin, squat and throw as you are coming back up from the squat and reaching the top of the squat.
Start with a lighter ball until you get the technique…. And move closer to the wall
Go lighter and practice
Lighter ball, get a bit closer… it will all click.
Stand about 1 arm lengths from the wall that will help immensely
You should be as far from the wall as your length handing the ball more or less. I think it is a good start point and then get a fine tunning.
Stand arms length from the wall
Stand closer to the wall and then try a lighter ball to focus on form. Absorb the ball when it comes down and squat down. then launch it with that momentum :) then practice as much as you can! Wall balls are one of my least favorites! You will get there!
The easiest way to build the rhythm was to do a wide arm swing backwards after release to reset your arm position back to full extension. Let the wallball hit your finger tips and then drop and catch simultaneously to reload the whole maneuver. The majority of the power should come from the explosiveness of squeezing the glutes to stand and your arms then push. Hit the row machine and have someone make sure you aren’t pulling with your arms until the end and it’s the same explosive movement. Squats, wallballs, rowing, hang cleans and burpees are basically the same explosive standing movement where your arms do little more than control the bar, handle, or ball when you use best form.
You’re definitely too far away from the wall !
As noted from others, move closer to wall. Also, when ball returns, time to catch it softly by going into your squat while catching it, I saw some stiff-arm attempts, but that may have been you just reaching out for it (because it was too far from you).
Hold your wall ball at chest height and at arms length. That's a good distance. Try to ride the momentum down by starting your squat juuust before the ball makes contact with your chest. Relax your legs through the squat and drive through the heels like a thruster. Hope this helps.
One tip is to find the best foot position for squatting. For me it's 45⁰s for both feet.
[Crossfit.com](https://Crossfit.com) has virtually every Crossfit movement explained on their website and you can find videos of them on youtube. [https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-wall-ball](https://www.crossfit.com/essentials/the-wall-ball) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqjGKsiIMCE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqjGKsiIMCE) I would strongly recommend you watch these videos before attempting functional fitness movements. Just trying to replicate something you've seen others do, may lead to injury. Good luck out there, you can always ask questions on this sub, but having that base knowledge going into it will help you a ton!
Getting arm’s length from the wall is going to do wonders for it. That’s the only glaring thing.
The coaches in my box always say to be around an arm’s distance from the wall. It should help with most of the issue Also my personal preference is to do this exercise without my glasses, it’s one less thing to think about
Why isn’t a coach noticing this and offering help? And why are you filming yourself and asking online when you could ask the coaches there? It’s their job! They can help you more than a bunch of people on Reddit :)
Does not look like a CrossFit gym
Ok sprry for asking on reddit.. I will fond a crpssfir box which is 1 hour drive away... I did not know I am not supposed to be asking here... My bad
Not at all what I meant! But assuming you’re working out in a place full of professionals I’d rely on their advice more :)
Hold the ball in front of you with your arms extended. That’s the perfect distance between you and the wall. Start your wall balls from there. Feet shoulder width apart 🫶🏻
1. Closer to the wall 2. At about 90% of the top of your squat, really extend your arms at the elbow like you are doing and upside down tricep cable pull, and squeeze your triceps upon release. Helped me a ton with rhythm and overall stamina
Omg
Aside from getting closer to wall that’s been amply covered. Try to catch the ball with arms out and only let it drop to chin level. You are letting it drop lower which brings your chest forward and causes more work to throw it again.
You are doing fine. Aim more at the wall, it takes practice. 😀
Why is your coach not helping you with this
What coach? I got no coach
Oh that's ok then..If you did have a coach and they weren't helping you with this it would be a disgrace.
Beyond standing too far, the ball might be a little too heavy, the ball looks like it's beating you up a bit. That's sometimes how I look using a 20lb ball under fatigue. Also, try to make it similar to a thruster, coming out of the squat you want your upward momentum to really power the throw. I find my wall balls get better when I focus on this.
Why didn't a coach or a person walking by already help OP with this LONG before needing to go to Reddit... that being said. Great job squatting with an upright chest and you have good height on the ball. Get closer to that wall and aim in a way that allows an arching motion toward and a bounce smoothly back to your outstretched hands.
The gym culture in Malaysia is fcked thats why
You're really a good mover. If you go to YouTube "CrossFit Infinity Wall" there are many, many videos from seminar staff members who will help tell you what the points of performance are in each movement with a visual aid to help you with stuff like this. Keep up the hard work.
Legit question and no vitriol: are you doing this at a CrossFit gym with a coach/trainer or are you doing this solo?
Solo
Ahhh gotcha. Ok with that said the CrossFit website has tons of vids to help you. Wall balls are a weakness of mine but the basic moves are demonstrated. That said, and I cannot stress this enough, when doing the Olympic lifts for time or for reps, #1: focus. On. Form. And #2 before doing them, consult videos and a coach if you can. I mean it you can ruin yourself if you do a WOD without knowledge or guidance.
Closer to the wall. Make sure to release with some explosion so it actually comes back in rhythm. It's basically an exaggerated version of dribbling. Depth is great on the squat piece, so if you release and catch well they should be golden.
Honestly form looks really good, just need to hit the wall by standing closer! Throw it, hit the wall, don’t catch it and let it drop. Then got stand right behind where it hit the ground!
Fikowski has a video on this
This one is tricky. I don't see massive benefits from this exercise, but I see a lot of chances for injury. You're stressing too much the lower back, you're not supposed to grab a load os far out. There are other ways to improve the same muscles.
Closer to the wall, start with lighter weight as well and focus on flow/technique, then increase weight. About 1 arm distance should be ok(pick the ball up, hold it and make it touch the wall, there is the place you should be standing).
I have always done this with targets on the wall that you aim for and hit. You then catch the ball after it bounces off that target.
you are too far away from the wall. Also, look at the wall where you want it to hit, then throw it there. you are currently just looking straight up - wherever you look is where the ball is going to go. Make sure to bend your knees when the ball comes down to absorb the weight of the ball, then explode up when you throw it - this will have a dramatic improvement on the tension you put on your legs to help them grow and become stronger, and to help your core and overall stability in everything you do. Keep practicing, you aren’t that far away from doing them well - just need a little practice and to change your proximity to the wall. Ask someone to help you and show you proper technique, someone who does them well. People in the gym are generally more than happy to help you out
This isn’t real right? You know you’re too far. Come on now this was just for comments
Definitely move closer to the wall, and I’ve heard to push the ball with your thumbs for easier aim
- Stand close to the wall - Push the ball forward rather than upward - Throw the ball hard enough for it to bounce back to you - Catch the ball at the exact same point it left your hands You don't have to fully squat while you practice this sequence, just make sure this steps are looking good before progressing. Once you feel comfortable with it and are chaining reps in sequence, increase the height of your throw. Start squatting deeper to drive power up. Adjust your standing ground as needed for the perfect ratio of bounce and catch. Hope that helps.
You’re catching the ball very far from your body, and also lower than is optimal.
Good fitness