So you want to be like Roy Hobbs and knock the cover off the ball, huh? Well, you’re going to need some unbelievable hitting power. And how do you develop hitting power? It all starts with a strong core and your ability to generate rotational power through your hips and torso. One of the best ways to develop this rotational power is with medicine ball exercises.

You should know by now that the mechanics of hitting make baseball a rotational sport. By increasing core strength and coordination, you can make your body more efficient at transferring the strength and power you have in your legs through your torso and into your upper body where your hands hold on to the bat and the bat makes contact with the pitch. This is where the power generated by your swing transfers to the ball – or should we say makes the ball explode!

Developing rotational power is not easy. To begin, you need to have a solid core program that strengthens every part of your hips and torso. From that foundation, you can begin to incorporate medicine ball exercises into your strength and conditioning program to work on developing speed through the transverse plane.

Take a look at the following four examples of medicine ball exercises that you can use to take your rotational power from good to great the next time you step in the batter’s box.

Step-Behind Rotational Med Ball Shotput

Hot Feet Recoiled Shotput

Split Stance Medicine Ball Rotational Throw

Rotational Medicine Ball Slam

 

Remember, the game of baseball is built upon quick bursts of speed followed by extended rest periods. That means you should be taking adequate rest between your medicine ball sets. Pick one to three exercises above to perform in a given training session. Perform 3-4 sets of those exercises with 5-10 reps per exercise. Rest 1-2 minutes between sets, and then attack it again!